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Beyond Phu Quoc
Do you run trips off Phu Quoc — Ha Tien, Rach Gia, the Mekong?
No. One island, and everything we know is on it. If you want the Mekong Delta we will point you at operators who live there, which is what we would want if the positions were reversed.
Can I book a day trip for tomorrow?
Usually, if there is space and the sea is workable. Boat trips close at 18:00 the day before because the boat has to be provisioned and the manifest filed with the port. Road trips we can take until about 21:00 the night before.
Is Phu Quoc worth five days, or is two enough?
Two days sees the An Thoi islands and one beach. Five days is the point where the north, the national park and the quiet east coast come into range, and where you stop moving every morning. How many days you need sets out what each extra night buys.
Do I need a visa for Phu Quoc?
Phu Quoc has long had its own visa-exemption arrangement separate from mainland Vietnam, and most nationalities are also covered by Vietnam's e-visa. The rules change often enough that we will not print a version here that may be out of date by the time you read it — check your own government's travel advice and the Vietnamese immigration site, and ask us if the answer is unclear.
Read in full: Beyond Phu Quoc.
Tours
Are these shared or private?
Both. The listed price is the shared price, joining a group we cap at 12 on boats and 8 in vehicles. Every trip can be run privately for your party alone; the price page has the boat and vehicle charter rates.
For two people, shared is almost always the right call. From four up, private starts to make sense on money alone. Private or shared has the arithmetic.
What happens if the weather cancels a boat day?
We tell you 48 hours out if the forecast is against us, and offer either a different day, a swap to a land trip at the land trip price, or a full refund of that day. If the port closes at short notice on the morning itself, the refund is automatic and we do not argue about it.
Can children join?
On all of them except the scuba day, with age limits that vary by trip and are stated on each page. The four islands boat takes children from about four, the jungle trek from about ten. See travelling with children.
Do you pick up from anywhere on the island?
Yes, at no extra charge from Duong Dong, Long Beach, Ong Lang, An Thoi and Sunset Town. From Ganh Dau, Rach Vem or the far northeast there is a supplement on some trips because it is a 60 to 75 minute run each way — it is shown on the price table, not added later.
Read in full: Tours.
Four islands snorkelling
What happens if the trip is cancelled for weather?
We make the call 48 hours out from the marine forecast, and again at 06:30 on the morning if it is borderline. You get a different date, a swap to a land trip at that trip's price, or a full refund — your choice, not ours.
If the port authority suspends sailing, nothing we do overrides it, and the refund is processed the same day.
Is the snorkelling good enough to be worth a whole day?
In the dry season, yes, with the caveat above about expectations. Hon Gam Ghi at 09:20 with eight people in the water is a genuinely good hour. The same reef at 11:00 with six boats on it is not, which is why we are not there at 11:00.
If you have dived before and want more than shallow reef, take the two-dive day instead.
Can we bring young children?
From four years old. Under-tens travel free in the sense that they take a seat and eat lunch at no charge, but they count toward the twelve. We carry child vests and small masks, and on a boat this size a guide can stay with one nervous child in a way that is impossible on a 40-passenger deck.
Can I combine this with the Hon Thom cable car?
Not on the same day in any way we would recommend. The cable car queue in high season runs to an hour and the last car back is fixed; adding it turns a good day into a rushed one. Do the cable car on a separate half day — it is 20 minutes from An Thoi and you do not need us to arrange it.
Read in full: Four islands snorkelling.
North island day trip
Does this trip run in the rainy season?
Yes, and the north is arguably better then — the interior is green, the streams are full and the light is better for photographs. Rain in the southwest monsoon usually comes in two or three heavy hours rather than all day.
The one thing that changes is the Cua Can paddle, which we stop selling when the river is running fast, roughly August to early October.
Can we swap Rach Vem for somewhere else?
On a private vehicle, yes — Bai Thom in the northeast, or the Vinpearl complex if that is what you actually want, though we will tell you honestly that we are not the right company to take you around a theme park.
On a shared vehicle the route is fixed, because eight people have to agree.
Is the Ganh Dau lunch included, and can you handle dietary needs?
Included. Vegetarian is straightforward and we do it every week. Vegan is possible with 48 hours' notice — fish sauce is in almost everything by default here, and the kitchen needs warning to cook without it. Severe shellfish allergy is workable but tell us at booking, because the kitchen is small and cross-contamination is real.
How much walking is there really?
Two to three kilometres total, in four separate stretches, none longer than about 900 metres. The pepper farm is flat but uneven, the Rach Vem boardwalk has gaps in it, and Ganh Dau involves soft sand. It is manageable with a stick; it is not manageable in a wheelchair, and we would rather say so now.
Read in full: North island day trip.
Sunset and squid fishing
What are the odds of actually catching something?
In season, between October and May, most people on the boat catch at least one and the boat total is usually somewhere between six and thirty. Outside the season the numbers fall sharply, which is why we do not sell it in July and August.
The cook always brings fish. Nobody has gone home hungry because the squid did not come up.
Is it suitable for children?
From about six. Children are usually the best fishers on the boat because they are patient with the jig in a way adults are not. Life jackets are on board in child sizes and are worn from the moment the boat leaves the harbour.
Can we swim?
If the sea is flat, yes, at the anchored stop off Long Beach before sunset. It is not part of what you are paying for and we skip it without hesitation if there is any chop, because getting eight people back up a ladder in a swell in fading light is not a risk worth taking for a fifteen-minute swim.
What should I bring?
A light layer — it drops several degrees once the sun is down and the boat is moving. Shoes you do not mind getting wet, a towel if you plan to swim, and seasickness tablets taken well in advance. Leave anything you would hate to drop overboard at the hotel.
Read in full: Sunset and squid fishing.
National park jungle trek
How fit do I actually need to be?
If you can walk for five hours with breaks, on uneven ground, in heat, you are fine. Pace is set by the slowest walker and the guide is under instruction not to push anyone. Nobody has been left behind, and nobody has been carried out.
If you are unsure, book the six kilometre version. It is the same forest, the same stream and the same guide, and it turns back before the climb.
Are there snakes?
Yes, including venomous species, as in any Southeast Asian lowland forest. In practice they leave before you arrive because eight people make a great deal of noise. The guide carries a bite protocol and knows the evacuation route to the road, which is between 40 and 90 minutes depending on where you are on the loop. This is the reason the trip requires insurance that covers hiking.
Can I do this trek independently?
The park is open to the public in places, but the route we use is unmarked, requires a permit obtained in advance and crosses two stream sections where the line is not obvious. People do get lost here every year. We would not do it without a guide ourselves.
What if it rains?
We walk. Rain in the southwest monsoon is usually one or two heavy hours and the canopy takes most of it. What cancels the trip is a stream in flood, because the crossings become genuinely dangerous — in that case we offer another date or a full refund, and we decide by 06:00.
Read in full: National park jungle trek.
Scuba diving day trip
Can I dive if I have never dived before?
Yes, on the try dive, which is two shallow dives with a guide who has only you and at most one other beginner. Maximum depth is twelve metres and you will be held through the whole of the first descent.
It is not a certification and it does not count toward one. If you want the card, do the course with a centre that runs them over three or four days — we will recommend one and we take no commission for it.
How good is the visibility really?
Ten to fifteen metres on a good day in the right season, four to eight on a poor one. It drops after heavy rain because the rivers push sediment out, and it is at its best in February and March in the south.
We check the previous day's report before we take your booking and will tell you if the week has been bad.
What certification do you accept?
PADI, SSI, CMAS, BSAC, NAUI and SDI, with the physical or digital card shown on the boat. If your last dive was more than six months ago we run the refresher, which is not optional and not charged for.
Is there a decompression chamber on the island?
There is a hyperbaric facility on Phu Quoc, and the nearest full treatment capacity is on the mainland, which is a flight or a fast boat away. This is the honest reason we dive conservative profiles, keep the ratio at four to one, and insist on the surface interval. It is also why your insurance needs to cover diving explicitly.
Read in full: Scuba diving day trip.
Phu Quoc in 2 days
Can we do this the other way round — boat first, beaches second?
Yes, and sometimes we insist on it. If the forecast puts day two out of range and day one is workable, we swap them and tell you the evening before. The weather decides the order, not the brochure.
Which hotel do we get?
We name it in the quote, with a link, rather than saying "3-star or similar". You can say no and we will offer another. Every hotel on our list is one we have stayed in ourselves, and we take no commission that would survive you asking us about it.
Is two days enough for Phu Quoc?
For the south, yes. For the island, no. Phu Quoc is 574 square kilometres and the drive from An Thoi to Ganh Dau is over 60 kilometres — two days does not touch it. How many days you need sets out what each extra night buys, honestly, including the point at which extra nights stop buying anything.
Can we add the squid fishing evening?
Yes, on the first evening, for USD 29 per person on the shared boat. It makes day one a long day — beaches until 18:00, boat until 21:30 — and it works. It does not fit on day two, when you are already on a boat.
Read in full: Phu Quoc in 2 days.
Phu Quoc in 3 days
What if the boat day is cancelled?
We move it to day three and run the road day on day two, and you lose nothing. If both days are out — which happens in the monsoon — we refund the boat day in full at the price it is sold at separately and offer alternatives on the island.
Can we swap a day for something else?
On a private booking, yes. The squid fishing evening slots onto day one, the jungle trek can replace the road day between June and December, and the diving day can replace the snorkelling day if everyone is certified. On a shared departure the itinerary is fixed.
Is three days better than three separate day trips?
On money, yes — about USD 55 per person cheaper for the same three days, because the vehicle and the transfers are already paid for. On sequencing, definitely: the three day trips booked separately would have you crossing the island in the wrong order with three different guides.
Do we stay in the north on the last night?
No. You stay in one hotel for both nights, in the south or in Duong Dong, and we drive north and back on day three. Moving hotels for one night on an island this size costs you two hours of packing to save 45 minutes of driving.
Read in full: Phu Quoc in 3 days.
Phu Quoc in 4 days
Is the forest morning suitable for children?
From about eight for the six kilometre version, which is the one included here. It is a marked trail with no scrambling and a swim at the end, and children generally cope with it better than the adults do. The full eleven kilometre trek is twelve and over.
Can we swap the forest day for a second beach day?
On a private booking, yes, and we will reduce the price by USD 30 per person because the permit and the guide come out. On a shared departure, no.
We would gently push back, though. The forest is the one part of this island that nobody sells and everybody who does it remembers.
What is the free afternoon actually for?
Nothing, deliberately. After three days starting before 08:00 most people want an afternoon on a beach without a schedule. If you want us to fill it, we can — a cooking class, the cable car, a massage, a second beach — but we do not put it in the itinerary and charge you for it by default.
Do you move hotels during the four days?
No. One hotel for all three nights. The island is small enough that moving north for one night costs more time in packing and checking in than it saves in driving, and we have tried it both ways.
Read in full: Phu Quoc in 4 days.
Phu Quoc in 5 days
Is five days too long for Phu Quoc?
For a guided tour, five days is the maximum we think is defensible, and we say so on the price table. For a holiday, no — plenty of people spend ten days here and use five of them on us.
How many days you need works through the diminishing returns honestly, including the point where extra nights stop buying anything but sleep.
What is actually worth doing on the free day?
In order of how often people come back happy: a private boat for your own party, a cooking class in Duong Dong, a full day doing nothing on Ong Lang beach, and the Hon Thom cable car if there are children.
The cable car is genuinely impressive and takes about fifteen minutes. It does not need a guide and we will not charge you to book it.
Why is the east coast on the last day rather than earlier?
Because it is the day that always runs. Ham Ninh and Bai Thom are reachable in any weather, so keeping them last means a cancelled boat day on day two can move to day five without losing anything.
Can you extend it with the mainland — Ha Tien, the Mekong?
No. We work on this island only, and we would be a mediocre operator anywhere else. We will happily hand you to people who live in the delta and take nothing for it.
Read in full: Phu Quoc in 5 days.
Prices
Why are you more expensive than the operator down the road?
Twelve people on a boat instead of forty, an actual guide as well as a driver, no commission stops, and money refunded rather than credited when the sea closes. Those four things account for essentially the whole difference, and the supplier table above lets you check the arithmetic yourself.
If those four things do not matter to you, the cheaper trip is better value and we will tell you so on the phone.
Do prices change with the season?
Boat, vehicle and guide prices do not. Hotel rates do, sharply — roughly double between about 20 December and 5 January, and again around Tet, which moves each year. That is why multi-day tours are quoted for your dates rather than listed at a single price.
Is there a discount for booking several trips?
Yes, and it is automatic rather than negotiated. Three day trips in one booking come out USD 40 to USD 60 cheaper than three booked separately, because the transfers and the guide days consolidate. Booking one of the multi-day tours is cheaper again.
What currency do you charge in?
Prices are set in US dollars and can be paid in dollars or in dong at the interbank rate on the day, with no spread added. Card payments go through a payment link and carry the processor's fee, shown separately at cost rather than built into the price.
Read in full: Prices.
How to book
Do I have to pay a deposit for a single day trip?
Inside 14 days, you pay in full at confirmation because there is no time for a deposit and a balance. More than 14 days out, 25% holds it.
For a boat day the deposit is what buys the seats; the boat sells its capacity to whoever pays first and we cannot hold seats on a promise.
Can I book when I am already on the island?
Yes, and plenty of people do. Boat trips close at 18:00 the day before because the manifest has to be filed with the port. Road trips we can take until about 21:00 the night before. Anything same-day is luck rather than a service we offer.
Is my deposit protected if something happens to you?
We are a licensed Vietnamese tour operator and hold the insurance the licence requires. That is not the same as a bonded arrangement in Europe or Australia, and we are not going to imply that it is. If that gap matters to you, pay by card — the chargeback route is the real protection and it is worth the 3%.
What if my flight to Phu Quoc is cancelled?
Tell us as soon as you know. If it is more than 24 hours out we move everything at no charge. Inside 24 hours we will still move whatever the suppliers let us move and will not charge you for our own time, but a boat that has already been provisioned is a real cost we cannot recover.
Read in full: How to book.
The island
How long does it take to drive across Phu Quoc?
An Thoi in the south to Ganh Dau in the northwest is about 65 km and takes 90 minutes on the main road. Duong Dong to An Thoi is 45 minutes; Duong Dong to Ganh Dau is 60 to 75. The east coast road to Bai Thom is slower than the map suggests.
Which part of the island has the best beaches?
The southeast — Bai Khem and Bai Sao — for fine sand and shallow calm water in the dry season. The west coast for sunsets and for swimming in the rainy season, when the wind is the other way round. Ong Lang for quiet.
The northern beaches at Bai Thom and Rach Tram are the emptiest and the least convenient, which is the same sentence twice.
Is it worth renting a scooter?
If you are confident on one and you have an appropriate licence, yes — the main roads are good and the island is small. If you have never ridden one, Phu Quoc is not the place to learn. Getting around covers the licence position and what it actually costs.
Do we need a guide to see the island?
For the beaches and Duong Dong, no. For the national park, effectively yes, because the trails are unmarked and the permit has to be arranged. For the pepper farms and fish sauce houses, a guide is the difference between a walk past some plants and understanding what you are looking at.
Read in full: The island.
An Thoi archipelago
Can you stay overnight on any of the islands?
Only on Hon Thom, which has resort accommodation attached to the cable car complex. The other islets have no accommodation and camping is not permitted. For what it is worth, we would not — the islands are better as a day and the mainland has better food.
Is the cable car worth it?
Yes, as a separate half day, especially with children. It is a long oceanic cable car crossing at around 15 minutes each way, with a genuinely striking view down onto the fishing boats and the islets.
It does not combine well with a snorkelling day — the queue in high season runs to an hour and the boat day is already full.
Are there jellyfish?
Occasionally, mostly in the transitional months, and rarely in numbers that stop a swim. Sea urchins on the rocks are a more realistic hazard: wear the fins, do not stand on the coral, and there is nothing to worry about.
How early do we really need to leave?
Boarding at 08:45 puts you on the first reef around 09:20. The commercial fleet leaves An Thoi between 09:30 and 10:00 and reaches Hon Gam Ghi about 10:15. That fifty-minute gap is the entire difference between a good day and an average one, and it is the only thing we are genuinely dogmatic about.
Read in full: An Thoi archipelago.
Duong Dong
Is the night market worth it, or is it a tourist trap?
Both, honestly. The seafood is fresh and the atmosphere is real, and the pricing plays on visitors who do not check weight. Go, eat, ask the price per kilo first, and treat it as one good evening rather than a place to eat every night.
For better food at lower prices, the small places along Tran Hung Dao and around the market are where island residents actually eat.
How early is the morning market?
It starts around 04:30 and the interesting part is over by 07:30. By 09:00 it is a normal market. If you are not prepared to be there before seven, do not go — you will see vegetables and wonder what the fuss was.
Can we walk from Duong Dong to Long Beach?
To the northern end, yes — ten to twenty minutes from most of the town. To the southern end, no; it is twenty kilometres of coast and you will want a scooter, a taxi or Grab, all of which are cheap and plentiful.
Is the fish sauce actually different here?
Yes, and it is one of the few local claims that has documentation behind it. Phu Quoc fish sauce holds a protected designation in the European Union, tied to anchovies caught in these waters and fermented in wooden vats on the island for around twelve months. Whether you can taste the difference blind is another question; standing in a warehouse full of vats is worth half an hour either way.
Read in full: Duong Dong.
Northern Phu Quoc
Can you really see Cambodia from Ganh Dau?
On a clear day, yes — the Cambodian coast and its offshore islands sit roughly 25 kilometres west and are visible as a low line on the horizon. In haze, which is common in March and April, you will see nothing. It is a pleasant fact rather than a reason to make the drive.
Are the starfish at Rach Vem always there?
No. They sit in 30 to 60 centimetres of water on the northern shore and are visible when the tide is low and the water is calm, which is roughly two days in three. Do not build a day around them, and do not pick them up — they die out of the water faster than people assume.
Is it worth staying in the north rather than the south?
For a second visit, or if you have a car and want quiet, yes. For a first visit, no — you will spend two hours a day driving to everything else. Stay in Duong Dong or on Long Beach and come north for a day.
What is the road like?
The main north–south road is good asphalt the whole way. The side tracks into the pepper country are red laterite and get slippery in heavy rain, which is a scooter problem rather than a car problem. The east coast road toward Bai Thom is slower and rougher than the map implies.
Read in full: Northern Phu Quoc.
Southern beaches
Which is better, Bai Sao or Bai Khem?
Bai Khem for the swim and the calm, Bai Sao for the length of the beach and the photographs. If you only have one afternoon, do Bai Khem at 15:00 and Bai Sao at 17:00 as the light drops — they are twenty minutes apart and doing both is easy.
Is Bai Sao free to enter?
The beach itself is public. Some access points are through restaurants or resorts that charge a small fee or expect you to buy something, and one or two charge for parking. Nothing on the level that should change your plans; carry small notes.
Is Sunset Town worth visiting?
For the sunset, yes, once. It is a purpose-built development at the southern tip with a bridge out over the water, and the sunset there is over open sea with nothing in the way. It is also busy, commercial and entirely manufactured, and nobody has ever told us they wanted a second evening there.
Can we swim at An Thoi?
Not usefully. It is a working harbour with the fishing fleet, the ferry berths and the boat traffic for every island trip on the island. Go for the boats and the market; drive ten minutes to Bai Khem to swim.
Read in full: Southern beaches.
The national park
Can I walk in the park without a guide?
At the public stream sites, yes — Suoi Tranh and Suoi Da Ban are signposted, ticketed and busy. Beyond them the trails are unmarked and need a permit, and we would not walk them without a guide ourselves. This is not upselling; it is that one granite stream bed looks exactly like the next one.
What wildlife will I actually see?
Macaques, reliably heard and often seen. Squirrels, monitor lizards, an enormous variety of insects and spiders, and birds including hornbills for patient groups. Snakes are present and usually leave before you arrive.
You will not see langurs, lorises or anything nocturnal on a day walk, and any operator promising them is guessing.
Is Suoi Tranh worth the entrance fee?
It is small, close to the road and busy, and in the dry season it is a trickle. In August it is pleasant for half an hour. Suoi Da Ban is the better of the two easily accessible sites and has pools you can actually swim in.
Are there dangerous animals?
Venomous snakes, as in any Southeast Asian lowland forest, and centipedes worth not picking up. There are no large predators. The realistic risks on a day in this park are heat, dehydration and getting lost, in that order, and all three are managed by starting early with someone who knows the route.
Read in full: The national park.
When to go
Is Phu Quoc worth visiting in the rainy season?
Yes, with a different itinerary. The interior is green, the streams run, the north is at its best and rooms are 30 to 40% cheaper. What you give up is the An Thoi boat day, which is a real loss if snorkelling is the whole point of the trip.
September is the one month we would actively suggest moving if you can.
When is the water clearest for snorkelling?
February through April, in the south. Visibility is at its best when there has been no rain for weeks and the rivers are not pushing sediment out. Ten to fifteen metres is a good day; the very best days in March run better than that.
How hot does it get?
Daytime highs sit around 30 to 33°C for most of the year and rarely drop below 25 at night. The difference between months is humidity, not temperature. March and April feel hottest because there is no cloud; August feels heaviest because the humidity sits above 85%.
Should I avoid Tet?
If you want quiet, yes. Tet is the Vietnamese lunar new year, the dates move each year, and for about ten days the island is full of domestic visitors, the prices are at their annual peak and the boats are booked out.
If you want to see the island at its most alive and you do not mind crowds, it is a genuinely interesting week. Book two to three months ahead either way.
Read in full: When to go.
How many days
Is one night on Phu Quoc worth it?
Marginally. You get one afternoon and one morning, and the transfers take a serious bite out of both. If the flights are already booked, do the southern beaches on the afternoon you land and skip the boat, because a boat day cannot be moved if the weather goes against you and you have no second day.
Can we see the whole island in three days?
Both halves of it, yes. The whole of it, no — three days has no room for the national park or the east coast. Three days is the best value length and it is not the complete one.
We have a week. Should we book five days of guiding?
Probably not. Book three or four guided days and keep the rest for yourself. Almost nobody regrets having spare days on Phu Quoc; plenty of people regret an itinerary that had them up at 07:00 on their sixth morning.
Does the answer change in the rainy season?
Yes. Between June and September the boat day is unreliable, which effectively removes one of the four day-sized units. Three nights covers what is realistically available, and the money you save is better spent on a longer stay in the dry season.
Read in full: How many days.
Private or shared
Is the private boat a better boat?
No. It is the same hull, the same crew and the same gear. What changes is who else is on it and who decides the timings. Any operator implying the private boat is a nicer boat is telling you their shared boat is not good enough, which is a different problem.
How many people are usually on a shared trip?
Six to nine on average, twelve at the peak of the season, and as few as three in September. We cap at twelve and we run at two, which means the trip is not cancelled because it did not fill.
Can we book private and share the cost with another party?
You can, and a few people do. In practice, once two unconnected parties share a boat you have bought a shared trip at a private price, so we would usually just put you both on the shared departure and charge you both less.
Do you push people toward private because it earns more?
It does earn more in absolute terms and less per person than you would expect, because the boat cost is the boat cost. The supplier table on the prices page lets you check that yourself, which is why it is published.
Read in full: Private or shared.
Getting to Phu Quoc
Is there an international airport on Phu Quoc?
Yes — Phu Quoc International Airport, code PQC. It handles domestic flights from several Vietnamese cities plus regional and seasonal international services, which vary considerably from year to year.
Check current routes when you book rather than relying on what was flying last season.
Which is better, the ferry or the flight?
The flight, for almost everybody. The ferry makes sense if you are already in the Mekong Delta, crossing from Cambodia at Ha Tien, or bringing a vehicle. Otherwise it costs you a day to save perhaps USD 30.
How far in advance should we book flights?
Two to three months for late December, early January and Tet, when both fares and availability get difficult. Two to three weeks is fine the rest of the year. September has the cheapest fares of the year and the worst weather, which is not a coincidence.
Can you book flights for us?
We can advise on timings and which flight fits your first day, but we do not sell flights and we would only be adding a markup if we did. Book them yourself; ask us first if you are not sure which arrival time works with the itinerary.
Read in full: Getting to Phu Quoc.
Getting around
Do I need an international driving permit for a scooter?
To be legal and insured, yes — an IDP issued under the 1968 Vienna Convention with a motorcycle category, alongside your home licence. Rental shops will not ask for it.
The reason to care is insurance rather than police. Read your own policy wording on motorcycle use before you hire, because the sum at stake is a medical evacuation, not a fine.
Is Grab reliable on Phu Quoc?
In the south and centre, yes, comparable to any Vietnamese city. North of Cua Can it is patchy and the return leg is the problem. Plan the way back before you go north.
Can we get around without renting anything?
Easily, if you stay in Duong Dong or on Long Beach. Grab covers everything within 40 minutes and the day trips collect you from the door. It is only the north that requires a plan.
Are the roads dangerous?
The main road is good and traffic is light by Vietnamese standards. The risk on Phu Quoc is not heavy traffic; it is inexperienced riders on unfamiliar bikes on wet laterite, plus dogs and cattle after dark. Almost every incident we hear about involves one of those three things.
Read in full: Getting around.
Where to stay
Should we split our stay between two areas?
On a stay of five nights or fewer, no. The island is small enough that moving hotels costs you a morning of packing and checking in to save perhaps forty minutes of driving. We do not move hotels on any of our tours for this reason.
On a stay of a week or more, splitting between Long Beach and the southeast makes some sense, mostly for variety rather than logistics.
Is it worth paying for a beachfront room?
On the west coast, yes if the sunset matters to you — it is the reason to be on that side. In the southeast, yes because the beach is the point. In town, no; you are there for the food and the location.
Are there hostels and cheap rooms?
Yes, mostly in Duong Dong and at the northern end of Long Beach, from around USD 10 to 20. Phu Quoc is not a backpacker island in the way Ha Giang or Cat Ba are, so the choice is narrower, but it exists.
Do we need a hotel with a pool?
Only in the monsoon, when the sea on your side of the island may be rough for days at a time, and with young children. In the dry season with a decent beach in front of you it is a room feature you will use twice.
Read in full: Where to stay.
Travelling with children
Is Phu Quoc safe for young children?
Broadly yes, with the usual tropical caveats: sun, dehydration, and traffic if you are walking beside a road. The medical facilities on the island handle routine problems; anything serious means a transfer to the mainland, which is a reason to have insurance that covers evacuation.
Mosquito-borne illness exists in Vietnam. Use repellent in the evening, particularly in the wet season, and take medical advice before you travel rather than from us.
Can toddlers come on the boat?
Not on our boats, under four. The smallest vest we carry does not hold a smaller child properly and we are not prepared to run that risk for the sake of a booking.
With a toddler, the southeast beaches and a hotel pool are the trip, and that is a perfectly good week.
Will the guide speak to our children?
Yes, and it is one of the things we actually select for. A guide who can explain pepper to a nine-year-old is worth considerably more than one who can explain it to you, because the nine-year-old sets the mood of the day.
Is the cable car suitable for small children?
Yes, and it is one of the best things on the island for them. It is enclosed, the crossing takes about fifteen minutes and the view down onto the fishing boats holds attention. We do not sell it and take nothing from it; go on a day of your own.
Read in full: Travelling with children.
About us
Are you a local company?
We are registered in Vietnam and the people who run the trips live on Phu Quoc. Guides, drivers and boat crews are island residents.
We are not going to make a claim about being family-run for three generations, because Phu Quoc's tourism industry is barely fifteen years old and any company making that claim is describing something else.
Why do you only work on one island?
Because the alternative is subcontracting. An operator covering all of Vietnam books local operators in each place and takes a margin. We would rather be one of the local operators and be genuinely good at one place than be the desk in the middle.
Do you take commission from shops and restaurants?
No. That is the reason our day trips cost what they do, and it is the single clearest difference between us and the cheaper operators. The commission model is not dishonest — it is disclosed nowhere and it is universal here — but it decides where you get taken, and we would rather that decision were made on other grounds.
What happens if something goes wrong while we are on the island?
You have a WhatsApp number answered by a person who lives here, not a call centre. For anything medical, the island has clinics and a hospital for routine problems, and anything serious means a transfer to the mainland — which is why insurance covering evacuation is on every one of our exclusion lists.
Read in full: About us.
Contact
What is the fastest way to reach you?
WhatsApp, during island hours, which are 08:00 to 20:00 at GMT+7. Under two hours is typical. The enquiry form and email both reach the same people and take up to a working day.
Do you have an office we can visit?
We are on the island and we are happy to meet, but we would rather do it over a coffee near where you are staying than have you drive to us. Say when and where in your message.
Can you help if we have not booked with you?
With a question, yes, within reason. We answer questions about ferry times, park permits and whether a beach is worth the drive from people who never book anything, and it costs us very little.
What if we need you urgently while travelling?
Use the WhatsApp number issued with your booking, which is monitored outside office hours for guests currently on the island. For a genuine emergency, call the local emergency services first and then us.
Read in full: Contact.
Questions travellers ask most
Do you run trips off Phu Quoc — Ha Tien, Rach Gia, the Mekong?
No. One island, and everything we know is on it. If you want the Mekong Delta we will point you at operators who live there, which is what we would want if the positions were reversed.
Can I book a day trip for tomorrow?
Usually, if there is space and the sea is workable. Boat trips close at 18:00 the day before because the boat has to be provisioned and the manifest filed with the port. Road trips we can take until about 21:00 the night before.
Is Phu Quoc worth five days, or is two enough?
Two days sees the An Thoi islands and one beach. Five days is the point where the north, the national park and the quiet east coast come into range, and where you stop moving every morning. How many days you need sets out what each extra night buys.
Do I need a visa for Phu Quoc?
Phu Quoc has long had its own visa-exemption arrangement separate from mainland Vietnam, and most nationalities are also covered by Vietnam's e-visa. The rules change often enough that we will not print a version here that may be out of date by the time you read it — check your own government's travel advice and the Vietnamese immigration site, and ask us if the answer is unclear.
Are these shared or private?
Both. The listed price is the shared price, joining a group we cap at 12 on boats and 8 in vehicles. Every trip can be run privately for your party alone; the price page has the boat and vehicle charter rates.
For two people, shared is almost always the right call. From four up, private starts to make sense on money alone. Private or shared has the arithmetic.
What happens if the weather cancels a boat day?
We tell you 48 hours out if the forecast is against us, and offer either a different day, a swap to a land trip at the land trip price, or a full refund of that day. If the port closes at short notice on the morning itself, the refund is automatic and we do not argue about it.
Can children join?
On all of them except the scuba day, with age limits that vary by trip and are stated on each page. The four islands boat takes children from about four, the jungle trek from about ten. See travelling with children.
Do you pick up from anywhere on the island?
Yes, at no extra charge from Duong Dong, Long Beach, Ong Lang, An Thoi and Sunset Town. From Ganh Dau, Rach Vem or the far northeast there is a supplement on some trips because it is a 60 to 75 minute run each way — it is shown on the price table, not added later.
Tell us what you want out of the island
Dates, party size and the places you care about are enough to start. You get a draft route and an indicative price, not a brochure.