Phu Quoc: Coi nguon Museum

This is actually a private museum that is a MUST SEE when you’re visiting Phu Quoc. The building commands a road side location set on a hill, South of the town of Duong Dong.

This is a six floor structure that is modern in design and has great functionality…it’s a fairly new building….as is the museum itself…its barley a few years old, some parts of it are still under construction , at least were when I visited in January of 2010. Its design is such that you can move easily around from display to display and the continuity is great.

There are sections that deal with the history of Phu Quoc, including ceramics, bronze and stone tools, and animal and sea mammal skeletons.

Phu Quoc Hotels and Accommodation

Warning: unlike in most other East-Asian destinations, there is a substantial risk that all (affordable) hotels are fully booked if you arrive, so it is advisable to book ahead, also for back- and flashpackers. This applies at least in January, the dry high season and as of 2011 also in February, as the island gains popularity.

1.Mai House, +84-773-847 003 mailto:maihouseresort@yahoo.com. Consistently ranked the #1 resort choice on the island. Fourteen stylish, high quality thatched villas dotted around immaculate gardens on the beach. There's no air conditioning and no fridge in the villa's and no pool. The restaurant menu is good but limited. Despite this, most people who have stayed here, consider Mai House to be almost perfect. Villas: standard $45 low season, and $90 high season. Breakfast included. Booking can be tricky as owners Mai and Gerrard are not always responsive to booking enquiries during high season. Garrard's direct contact number is +84 918 123 796 should you have any difficulties.

Phu Quoc: Shopping

Phu Quoc Island offers some interesting shopping options for people fond to spend some money or buy some souvenirs while on holiday. The best shopping experiences can be found around the local markets in Duong Dong and An Thoi towns, however we have listed other possibilities below for you to consider along with some recommended items that are fairly unique to Phu Quoc Island.

Local markets

Phu Quoc: Haven of pearls

The Phu Quoc Pearl farm was established in 1998 under the Foreign Investment Law of Vietnam to cultivate South Sea Pearls for the local and international jewellery markets.

The company has a sea lease of 4km² and a land lease of 6,000m² granted by the Kien Giang Provincial Peoples' Committee. Situated on the West coast of Phu Quoc Island, the Pearl Farm is located 8km South of the main town, Duong Dong.Treasures from the Deep Ltd is a New Zealand registered company specializing in the Design and Hand Crafting of Pearl jewellery (set in 18k gold) Pearl Necklaces and Mother of Pearl Seashell (set in 925 Sterling Silver).

The company Owner / Director Grant Johnston has 25 years' Pearl Diving and Aquaculture experience and has been the General Director of Phu Quoc Pearls in Vietnam since 1998.

He provides the technical expertise and management to the venture and is also a major shareholder in the company. Treasures from the Deep was formed to create a marketing company for Phu Quoc Pearls who supply only the finest quality South Sea, Akoya and Mabe pearls to be handcrafted into exquisite designs for sale through out Pearl Galleries and website.

Phu Quoc: Hon Thom Island

One day while lying on the beach, a local guy asked me if I wanted to go on a snorkeling tour. He told me that if he found more people it would cost me less money. A few days later I met him again. He told me he had found more people, and asked me if I was still interested. I thought it would be a great opportunity to see the coral reefs. So I said yes. He told me he would pick me up at my hotel the day after. I have to say that I enjoyed the tour, but that he was not prepared to organize a snorkeling tour. The equipment he gave us was inadequate (the mask's glass was blurry and he did not have fins). He did not warn us about the dangers in the zone either -- I was hit by a sea urchin, and a lady hurt her feet with the corals.

If I had to go on another snorkeling tour, I would choose a more professional person. Ask your hotel for the best snorkeling tours they can recommend you. Do not save on this. It is your safety that is at risk. On the following pages you will see what I saw on this tour.

We took a local fishermen boat and we went to an island a few miles south of Phu Quoc called Hon Thom. There we went snorkeling. It was a disappointment for me. I have dived in the Red Sea, and I expected something similar. All I saw were some nice corals and a few colorful fishes. I was told that scuba diving was better, but after seeing what I saw I decided not to go on a scuba diving trip. Scuba diving is not cheap here. If you come to Phu Quoc and scuba dive, or if you have already scuba dived here, I will be pleased to hear your opinions about the dives.

After the snorkeling we went to a beach where we had lunch. We had some excellent fish food.

Phu Quoc, Hon Thom Island, boat

After lunch, we relaxed for a while. We went for a swim, and then we got back on this boat that take us to the big boat we had come with.

In the afternoon we did some snorkelingagain. It was then that I was hit by a sea urchin. A quite poisonous species, by the way.
I do not know the name of this beach. I am not even sure that I got the name of the island right. Anyway, if you want to see what it looked like, click on the picture and you will see a 360 panoramic of this place.

Phu Quoc: Romance

By the way if you plan to visit Phu Quoc Island, bring a flash light. it will be very useful to walk along Long Beach after the sun sets. I do not know why, but even during the full moon, nights were very dark.

The sun sets around six o'clock. Usually you will take a shower afterwards, and go to one of the restaurants on the beach to have dinner. Some restaurants put torches on the sand, and light bonfires. How romantic ...

Phu Quoc restaurant - where to eat

The Vietnamese love their food - in fact, they obsessed about it all day! As soon as they had their breakfast, they will soon think about what they would have for lunch...so it's not surprising that you will find an abundance of small eatery places springing across this tiny island.

The food on Phu Quoc island is heavily influenced by the bountiful harvest of fresh seafood, herbs and vegetable...it is fresh, simple yet utterly deliciously refreshing...no fancy garnishes or over the top big plate with tiny portion a-la French style.

Some places you come across might appear to be shabby by western standards...but do not be fooled by their appearances! With a little sense of adventure and you will soon discover some of the tastiest and most inexpensive food you've ever eaten.

Phu Quoc: Sunset

I can only tell you that I am not a good photographer. It was even more beautiful than this. Believe me.

In the picture you can see the little dog that belonged to the owner of the place where I stayed. His name was phu Quoc. The name of the dog, I mean!

By the way, recently someone sent me an email saying that the breed of the dog in the picture is also called Phu Quoc.

Phu Quoc: Your breakfast

Most of the times your breakfast will be included with your hotel bill. If your breakfast is not included, you will find a bunch of nice places to have your first meal. Some are as laid back as the one in the picture. Others are more upscale.

It was in places like this where I usually had breakfast. I loved the banana cake and the juices. Can you think of a better way to start a day?

Phu Quoc: Laying under the sun

This picture was shot in front one of the tourist resorts in Phu Quoc's Long Beach.

Can you think of something more relaxing than laying in one of these deck chairs under the shade? I can. What about laying in one of these chairs while having a massage?

While laying on the beach, you will be approached by local masseuses offering their services. They will charge you only a few bucks for an hour massage. Some of these ladies are real experts. Remember to negotiate the price. You do not need to give them any tip.

If you go to a massage lounge (or you take a massage in your hotel), you may be surprised to find there are two prices. A local and a foreign price. The reason for this is that locals always give better tips. Usually a Vietnamese will give a 100% tip -- because they know masseuses do not get any salary from the owner of the place. And we foreigners think that 10% is a good tip! If you are charged more than a local, you do not have to give a big tip. But if you pay the local price, you do have to give at least a 50% tip. This is only for massages. At restaurants, tips are no obligation. It depends on the quality of the service.

Phu Quoc : Cooking classes

Cooking classes are also innovative in nature, as they will not only teach you how to prepare a menu of dishes, they will also cover presentation and garnishing, which enhance prepared dishes and lend confidence in the overall culinary experience. Cooking classes teach students the right way to balance food textures and flavors, and how to use specific ingredients for certain dishes. You could also be exposed to various cuisines from around the world, and this will make you more knowledgeable about the art of cooking.

By attending cooking classes, you will be interacting with other individuals as well as professionals in the culinary industry. This will allow you to pick up additional tips that you might otherwise not have access to. You will also be able to contribute with tips, and thus a lot of additional information in cooking can be explored.

Cooking classes are fun to attend. You will learn new dishes, make new friends, and take home new techniques and ideas to make cooking at home more enjoyable. Find a cooking school location today in our growing cooking class directory, and take your cooking skills to the next level.

In Phu Quoc island, there are some resorts they have cooking class for you to join.

Saigon Phu Quoc resort offers Vietnamese cooking classes for the whole family, which is definitely a worthwhile experience you can take home with you, given the variety of tasty and healthily vietnamese dishes on offer. It's only a matter of time before more places offer cooking classes, and you'll want to know how to use fish sauce when you get home to flavor all those dishes.

Vietnamese cooking class is available every Tuesday and Thursday in La Veranda resorts. Their cooks are very good. You can book the cooking class with the receptionist.

Mango bay resort : The food was excellent (fresh spring rolls with prawns and pork, hot and sour mango soup, BBQ squid and banana and mango nems (mango and banana fried in butter, wrapped in rice paper, fried, and then covered in caramelised sugar and chocolate). The only problem was it wasn’t really a cooking class, but more of a cooking demonstration. In this cooking class, all we got to do was roll the spring rolls up, and then watch the chef do the rest. But it didn’t really matter – as we still got to eat it, which was the important part.

Phu Quoc: Fish Sauce

Phu Quoc fish sauce is one kind of fish sauce which is made in Phu Quoc, Vietnam. For years, Phu Quoc fish sauce has been considered as Phu Quoc speciality, it is famous both in Vietnam and all over the world.

Phu Quoc fish sauce is made from the main material is fish which is catch at Phu Quoc. Making Phu Quoc fish sauce has been over 200 years old. In Europe, Phu Quoc fish sauce has registered to keep the original name “Phu Quoc fish sauce”.

There are many kinds of fish can be used to make fish sauce but people there just only use rice fish to make Phu Quoc fish sauce. They mix 2 part of rice fish with 1 part of salt and keep them in jars for about 1 year. If the material is spoiled fish, time can be shorter but the fish sauce will not be as good as it uses.

The jars are very big. They are similar to fermentation tanks in beer, wine making industry but time for fermenting is longer. More time fish sauce is fermented, more protein it has. Phu Quoc fish sauce is the speciality which most of tourists when coming to Phu Quoc often bring back as gifts.

Phu Quoc: pepper fields

Phu Quoc is also famous for its pepper. In the picture you can see a pepper plantation I found while riding with my rented motorbike. Someone told me that depending on the time the seeds are collected they become white, red or black pepper.
hu Quoc produces over an incredible 400 tonnes of the best quality black pepper each year. You’ll find pepper plantations mostly around the central and northern parts of the island and most farmers won’t mind you stopping to take photo’s or viewing these amazing storks of pepper trees or the drying pepper. Organised tours also visit the Khu Tuong pepper gardens for a close look at the pepper gardens and cover the overall harvesting and drying process.

Vietnam is the leading global exporter of Black peppercorns with the best quality black pepper in Vietnam coming from Phu Quoc with big solid corns. Phu Quoc currently produces in excess of 400 tonnes of pepper every year, with the main harvesting season running from February through to July, however you can visit the farms all year round.

Peppercorn farmers have been struggling recently due to lower world pepper prices so some farmers are switching to other crops such as the Myrtle fruit for wine production which bring in more money.
Posted by Vietnam the Hidden C

Phu Quoc: Bai Truong

Nothing relaxes me more than a picture of Phu Quoc. Some times when I get tired of our cold winters I take a look at the pictures I shot while in Phu Quoc, and just let my imagination go. I just wish I could be there right now ... I guess I will have to wait.

Phu Quoc: Rainforest

This is a picture I shot while riding North. As you can see, huge trees surround the sandy roads. It is a pity you cannot hear the sounds I heard. Thousands of insects and birds singing at the same time. What an experience! It is here that we tried to spot a monkey, but without success.

We also tried to find a path to get into the forest. We did not find any. Without a path, it was not possible to get into the jungle. Vegetation was too tight.

Phu Quoc: Vung Bau

On the way back to Duong Dong we spotted this unique place. I do not know if it has a name. It was close to Vung Bau. As you can see, this is another unspoiled beach. It was amazing seeing such a wonderful place preserved from tourism.
Further south, we found a road that took us to this cove. There was a bar with two monkey in cages. A local girl told us someone had caught the apes in the forests. We later tried to find some monkeys in the wild, but could not find any. If you come here, you may be luckier and spot one. There are monkeys in the mountains in Phu Quoc. I promise.

The owner of the place told us he was trying to promote some tourist activities here. Snorkeling and boat tours. Unfortunately we did not have time for such activities. We were hungry, and kept traveling south to find a place to eat.

Phu Quoc: Bai Dai Beach

Bai Dai Beach is a several miles long beach completely unspoiled Northwest of the island. There was absolutely nothing on the beach: no tourists, no bars, nothing!

Later I learnt that the government has postponed any developed plans for the place. I think it is only a question of time before someone brings a "big plan" to build a wonderful resort that will "respect" the nature and bring money to the locals. Meanwhile, come before it disappears one of the loneliest beaches on planet earth.

Phu Quoc: Ganh Dau

One of the things I liked more during my stay on the island was the tour we did to the Northwest with our rented motorbikes. Landscapes were much more virgin than I could ever have imagined. There were almost no tourist facilities here either. Villagers earned their living with their fishing boats. We did find a bar in one of the beaches in Ganh Dau, but it looked more like a local thing.

In the picture you can see some fishermen working with their nets. I found the scene so picturesque that my camera almost run out of memory.

Although the beach looked very nice, it was not the best place to go for a swim. On the way back to our place, we found a much better beach ...

Phu Quoc: Northeast coast

The northwest part of the island has less interest for foreigners, but I wanted to see it. For this reason one day I rented a motorbike and followed the roads I found on my map. It should have been possible to go all the way to the North and get back on the roads on the other side of the island, but I could not complete the tour. The conditions of the roads were getting worse, and I hardly found any people there. For this reason at one point I decided to go back. Although I could not complete the tour, it was a nice ride. On the Northeast Coast I could not find any tourist facilities. All I found were some fishermen houses (like the ones in the picture) and some workers repairing the roads. This part of the island was pretty windy the day I visited. I wonder if some day someone will open a windsurf school here.

Phu Quoc: Suoi Tranh Waterfalls

In the middle of the island of Phu Quoc there is a tourist attraction you should not miss, the Suoi Tranh Waterfalls.

Although Phu Quoc is rather small, there are many rivers on the island. I guess it is because it does rain a lot after all -- although, I did not see a rainy day during my two week stay on the island.

The Suoi Tranh waterfall is currently being promoted. You will see a not very fortunate construction on the right side of one of the roads that link the east with the west side of the island. This is the Suoi Tranh Waterfall. You have to pay a fee to visit the waterfalls, but it is well worth the money. I did not have time to get to the top of the water falls because my friend was tired, but what I saw was really nice, a brook that in some parts became a small water fall. I specially liked the sounds I heard, the sound of the water and birds singing. The tour may take you more than one hour. I still wonder what sits at the end of the path. If you get there, send me an email please.

Phu Quoc: Bai Kem

In this picture you can see what Bai Kem Beach looked while I was here. You can see a couple of people swimming. I think there were a couple more lying on the sand. There were also some locals and some foreigners having something in the bar. And that was it!

A looong beach almost for myself! If you want to see what it was like being here, click on the picture.

Phu Quoc: Bai Sao

On the east side of Phu Quoc lie some of the most beautiful beaches on the island. Nowhere else I have seen sand as white as here!

Getting to the coves on this side of the island is somewhat tricky. You will need a map, and, most probably, some local help to get here. If you take a taxi, it won't be so difficult to find the place. The roads leading to these beaches were not in very good conditions, when I visited. And I am almost sure they will be more or less the same when you visit.

While I was on this beach I had a strange sensation. It looked almost perfect, but the fact that there were not many visitors made me question that maybe there was something wrong with this place. There was a bar, with very reasonable prices, there was shade, there was a shining sun, the waters were shallow and crystal clear. Where were the tourists? I only saw a few of them. Ten? Fifteen? Was I a privileged? Yes, I think this was the right answer to the mystery.

Phu Quoc: An Thoi

From Long Beach there is a road that goes straight to the south of the island. At the Southern tip of the island there is a town called An Thoi, famous for its fish sauce.

While you travel south -- which you can do on a motorbike, on a taxi or on a mini bus --- you will see how long Long Beach actually is. Most part of this beach has not been spoiled by tourism (yet). You will see that as you leave your hotel, there is still a lot of virgin land. Most hotels and tourists resorts are located next to Duong Dong, the farther south, the less hotels you will see. I was told that big tourism companies are spending big dollars in buying plots of land next to the beach, so things may change in the coming future.

In Anthoi there is not much to see. You can visit one of the sauce companies, go to a local market, and visit its harbor. It is here that you take ferries to the continent. It is also here where you can take a boat to visit one of the smaller islands south of Phu Quoc.

Phu Quoc: Rent a Motorbike

One of the things I recommend you to do is renting a motorbike, and go on an island tour. As you lie on the beach, or as you walk on the roads of Phu Quoc, you will be approached by strangers offering motorbikes for rent. Many of them are local people who own a bike and work as taxi drivers. -- Yes, Vietnamese have motorbike taxis. Most of these people are nice, you won't have problems with them. But if you want to be safe, rent the motorbikes in your hotel. Or ask someone in your hotel where you can rent a bike. If you ask your hotel, they will also give you a map of the island, or draw it on a napkin, and tell you where to go. You can go to the North, to the east or to the South (in case you stay in Long Beach). I will show you now what I saw when I went south ...

Phu Quoc: fishing

One of the people I met while in Phu Quoc island, was an oversea Vietnamese. He had arrived just an hour before meeting me, and he told me he was already bored. He had worked all his life, and he just could not lie under the sun and do nothing. He asked me what could I suggest him to do. I told him to go for a swim, relax on a bed and order a juice. He told me this did not looked very fun to him. He needed action, he told me. Someone suggested him to go on a fishing tour, he liked that. I did not meet him again. I do not know if he enjoyed his stay on the island in the end.

I guess everyone has its version of paradise, mine is very similar to what I found in Phu Quoc: nice people, perfect weather, warm crystal clear waters, very good food, splendorous landscapes, and many other things you will see on the following pages.

Life in Phu Quoc

Phu Quoc, Long Beach sun set

Phu Quoc Long Beach is the only beach from where you can see the sun sets in Vietnam.

Thanks to the island's warm weather, you can swim all day (and all night) long. Specially recommended is a swim during sun set. Can you imagine what it is like to swim in these golden waters?

Although tourism is developing fast, this is still a fishing island. Every day you see fishermen going to the sea first thing in the morning. In the afternoon, they come back. Most of the times with their nets full.

If you click on the picture you will see a beautiful panorama shot in front of one of the best resorts on the island of Phu Quoc.

Phu Quoc Island is also known as the Emerald Island because of its tourism potential. In the last 25 years the population has increased more than ten times. In 1975 no more than 5,000 people inhabited the island. Currently, more than 70,000 people live here. Forecasts say that tourism will still draw more people to the island.

Phu Quoc, Long Beach, after sunset

The first inhabitants of Phu Quoc were Chinese and Vietnamese who earned their living with the sea cucumbers. In the 19th century the French set up some rubber and coconut plantations in the island. During the Vietnam-American War a big POW detention camp was built in the South of the island.

In 1975 the island was liberated. Since then, tourism has developed fast. Mainly during the last decade.

If you want to visit the island, you can ask your hotel for an island tour, or you can rent a motorbike. There is almost no traffic on the island. If you have ridden a motorbike (a scooter, actually) before, I recommend the motorbike tour. The island is too big to be visited on a bicycle -- 30 miles from North to South (50 Km) -- , but you can do some nice excursions pedaling.

If you want to visit the entire island, you will need two or three days. Ask your hotel for a road map of the island. Although most of the roads have not been paved, they are in good condition. If you are going on a motorbike, wear dark clothes. If it has not rained for a while, all your clothes will look sand red by the end of your tour.

Phu Quoc, Long Beach, view from the bungalow

Phu Quoc Island is still a well kept secret. This crystal clear water island is one of the less spoiled areas in the Southeast Asiaregion.

Massive tourism has yet not arrived here. The Vietnamese government has plans to develop foreign investments and foreign tourism to this paradisiacal island, but at the same time they have a special interest to keep it as it is.

Some years ago, some Vietnamese politicians wanted to make of this island a second Singapore (both islands are the same size). They even sold some plots of land to foreign companies. Thank God, all these plans were stopped some years ago.

Phu Quoc, Long Beach, fishermen

Phu Quoc Island has two main seasons, the rainy and the dry season.

The rainy season lasts from April to November. The dry season goes from December to March. It is better to come during the dry season, but the rainy season is not that bad. In June, July and August it rains, almost, everyday. But rains are strong showers that refresh the air. In a few minutes the sun shines back.

Temperatures do not vary much year round. the average temperature is 80 Fahrenheit degrees (27 Celsius). I was here during the dry season, and it was never too hot. By the way, I think that I have never had so many sunny days in a raw in my life!

Phu Quoc: Long Beach Resort

Although there are also some good hotels North of Duong Dong, the best hotels are on Long Beach. Currently there are two luxury resorts on Long Beach. New ones are under construction.

If you are on a tight budget, there is also some accommodation for you on Long Beach.

Most of the resorts have bungalows on the beach. And they are not as expensive as you may think!

Click on the picture to see the first of our virtual panoramas.

Welcome to Phu Quoc

Phu Quoc: Paradise on Earth

Hello, welcome to the Phu Quoc virtual Tour. Phu Quoc is an island south of Cambodia that belongs to Vietnam.

Until recently this was a fishing island known only among Vietnamese for its fish sauce. In the last decade tourism has developed fast. Nowadays the accommodation offer is quite varied. From cheap bungalows in front of the beach, to some of the best beach resorts I have ever seen.

The color of the waters, the soft sand beaches, the landscapes and the sunsets in Phu Quoc are spectacular. If you accompany me, I will show you all this in this online presentation of the paradisiacal island of Phu Quoc.

Phu Quoc: Northwest

The island of Phu Quoc has a triangular shape. On the west side of the Island, lies the biggest beach, called Long Beach. It is here that most of the hotels are located. The beach on this side of the island is more than 5 miles long. North of Long Beach lies the island's biggest town, Duong Dong. South of Long Beach lies the second largest town in Phu Quoc, An Thoi.

On the east side of the island are some famous white sand beaches, like Bai Dan and Bai Sao. North of these beaches lie some fishing villages. Northwest lies Ganh Dau, and some unspoiled beaches. On the Island center there are the pepper fields, the rain forest, the Suoi Da Ban river and its waterfalls.

In the picture you can see one of the beaches in the Northwest part of the island.

Phu Quoc: Long Beach

To get to the island you have two options, planes and ferries. From Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) by plane to Duong Dong the flight takes less than an hour. You can also fly from Rach Gia (South of the Mekong Delta).

You can go from Rach Gia to An Thoi (South of Phu Quoc Island) by ferry. Even though there is a fast ferry, I can only recommend going to the island by plane, because most of the times the sea is not very calm.

No matter which transportation you choose to get to the island, reserve ahead.

Cruise ships also visit the island. I think it is on Saturdays that ships dock in Duong Dong.

If your hotel does not have a pick up service, you will have to take a taxi from the airport.