Phu Quy Island - Vietnam’s Hidden Beaches guide

Situated off the southern coast of Vietnam, Phu Quy Island is a virgin paradisiacal venue that promises time spent in enjoying its natural beauty, culture heritage, and serenity away from busy urban life. About 120 kilometers southeast of Phan Thiet in Binh Thuan Province, this island boasts its beautiful beaches, coral reefs, and other splendid sights.

Phu Quy Island is still not too commercialised and touristy like Nha trang and Da Nang, so if you can definitely try to include it in your Vietnam travel itinerary.

Getting to Phu Quy Island is quite easy

It is believed that this island's main entrance is Phan Thiet City. One can board a super-speedy boat: Superdong, Phu Quy Express, or Trung Trac operating the route in about 2.5-3 hours. It ranges from 350.000-580.000 VND, depending on the service class. In fact, it's really highly recommended to book in advance, especially at the peak travel seasons of the year, to secure your seat in advance.

Best Time to Visit

Phu Quy Island enjoys a tropical climate, making it ideal to visit between December and June. During this period, the seas are calm, and the weather is sunny, perfect for exploring beaches and outdoor activities. Avoid visiting from July to November, as this is the rainy season, often accompanied by storms. Vietnam recently had a devastating typhoon in September 2024 called Typhoon Yagi.

P.S You can also visit the best island of Sulawesi, Indonesia if you want more of an adventure flavor in your south east Asia itinerary!!

Top Attractions on Phu Quy Island

Bai Nho Beach: A paradise that is well known with crystal clear water and sand white as snow, thus great for swimming and relaxation. The rugged cliffs in the background make it even more stunning.
You literally can see the sea bed in a shallow area from outside, how cool is that!

Cao Cat Mountain and Linh Son Pagoda: Panoramic view with weirdly weathered rock formations in striking patterns, like some sort of miniature Grand Canyon.

Van An Thanh Whale Temple: It's a cool cultural spot that has this huge skeleton of a whale that locals view as one of the guardian spirits of the seas. We personally loved this place and you might too if you also get fascinated by huge proportions of a whale, like us!

Phu Quy Lighthouse: Situated on Cam Mountain, it has great views of the sea and all that greenery on the island (google maps link).

It's a super romantic spot if you can arrive here just before sunset, believe us, you won’t be disappointed!

Islets of Hon Tranh and Hon Den: The nearby islets are reached by short jolly rides on canoes, providing excellent opportunities for snorkeling and exploring the corals.

Hon Tranh was one of our favorite for snorkelling due to insanely clear water.

Princess Ban Tranh Temple: So, this place was built to honor a Cham princess, and it really shows off the island’s history and spiritual vibes.

Things to Do

Snorkeling and Diving: Vividly colored coral reefs beyond and around the island will attract the submarine world's glyptodonts. The price is also quite reasonable compared to most commercial tourist places we visited in Vietnam.

Motorbike Exploration: You can rent motorbikes for 100,000–200,000 VND per day to explore some of the island's scenic coastal routes and beaches. This doesn’t include the petrol costs though, just keep that in mind.

Fishing and Raft Dinner: Enjoy the local fishing frenzy and have the catch of the day - mostly king crabs and moon crabs - at floating restaurants.

Pay a visit to Long Hai Fish Market to see the mad morning hustle for the freshest seafood varieties at very cheap prices. Bargaining can be easily done and acceptable but we didn’t do it because we felt the fishermen there were hard working and honest people who didn’t try to overcharge us at any point.

Where to crash

There are several guest houses and homestays scattered around the island, majorly in Tam Thanh Commune. Basic but with a guarantee to offer comfort enough for visitors to embed themselves into the local lifestyles, advance notice of one's arrival dates for due facilitation is recommended.

We would recommend you to book homestays over hotels if you can since you get to meet local owners who are most of the time very helpful. We got pretty good advice about planning our Phu Quy Island itinerary.

Foodie Favorites

Phu Quy Island’s cuisine reflects its coastal abundance. Don’t miss:

Hanoi Hotpot Beef: Very common at locally-based restaurants such as Hoa Thuong and Ngoc Tinh.

Seafood: Trust the catch of the day at places like Dai Nam and Anh Sang.

Snack Traditionally: Try some dried seafood or purchase some for Vietnamese souvenirs to bring home.

Handy Hints for Travellers

Travel Permits: Visitors from other countries will need a permit owing to its proximity to the maritime border. These can be issued from the local police or one's travel agent.

Respect the local traditions: Phu Quy Island represents all aspects of cultural and spiritual traditions. Dress appropriately and respectively at temples and community places.

Connectivity: Internet access is limited, offering a chance to disconnect and immerse yourself in the island's tranquility. You would find a good connection in the center but small islands will have spotty/slow internet.

With its plethora of natural beauty mixed with a pinch of history and tradition, Phu Quy Island presents itself as some hidden coolness of Vietnam. From the uninscribed scenery to the servings of fresh seafood, everything promises an unforgettable time on this island.

Just do it!

Plan Your Visit Today

Time to pack up and leave for a relaxed yet opening adventure to be taken to beautiful beaches, busy markets, and cool cultural hotspots-only waiting for one touch of your feet on the island.

Pro Tip - If you want to save money and avoid crowds, try to travel in off season but always check weekly and daily weather when building your day by day itinerary.