Phu Quy Island, Vietnam
Introduction
Phu Quy is a 16.5 km² island located about 100 kilometer off the coast of Phan Thiet.The island has only recently come onto people’s radar as a tourist destination so it offers an opportunity to really travel off the beaten path. This also means that the island is pretty undeveloped and quiet. There are not a ton of accommodation options or restaurants for that matter but travel is still very possible and enjoyable. Let’s dive in.
Getting There
First things first is arriving in Phan Thiet (Mui Ne) which is easily accessible by bus from Ho Chi Minh City to the west, Dalat to the North and Nha Trang from the Northeast.
You will need to take a ferry from here. These are the ferry operators: Phu Quy Express and Superdong. The journey will take between two and a half to four hours depending on the boat with Superdong being the faster option of the two. You must book your tickets in advance as the the ferries will fill up. Especially over any holidays. You can use 12Go Asia as well but as we had to book during the holiday time and the companies were down to their last few seats, 12Go couldn’t reserve tickets for the time slot we wanted and we completed the booking direct with the operators.
When booking, I would try to book seats on the left or right side (ideally VIP if you don’t mind spending the extra cash). This is because it’s a long journey and the cabin can be quite uncomfortable. The AC units on Superdong II didn’t hit the center seating area too well so the journey there was rough but the way back was much smoother as I had a seat on the right side area and could feel the . Seats are assigned.
The Island
As I mentioned above, the island is quite small and these are the two (what I would say) main areas you are likely to stay in. I stayed on the west coast side around #1 but perhaps it would have been nice to split the time between both sides. Either way, it is easy enough to ride a motorbike around it’s perimeter. It only takes about an hour or so to circumnavigate. We spent the first night at Nhà Mình Homestay but as places all over the island were booked out over reunification holiday, we unfortunately were only given a small, windowless backroom that was less than ideal. If this happens to you, don’t worry. The next day we were able to find a much better hotel as there were people who missed the ferry and during the holiday they were totally booked out. In other words, we got lucky on multiple levels because we almost missed the ferry too.
Prior to arriving in at Phu Quy Port you will need to connect with your guesthouse to either arrange a pick-up or a motorbike drop off. We had our guesthouse arrange to have someone meet us at the port with a motorbike. There are not many petrol stations on the island but you will find a small one at the port.
Attractions
There are several worthwhile places to visit on Phu Quy such as:
- Ganh Hang (The Happy Slot)
- Phú Quý Flagpole
- Linh Sơn Pagoda
Thanh Lam Pagoda
Near Ganh Hang and the Phú Quý Flagpole you can also find small, hidden beaches that we found, even over the holiday, to be totally empty (probably due to the intense sun, wear sunscreen!)
If I were to return I would try to make it to the Lang Co embankment, Con đường tua bin gió Chi Nên (a scenic walkway), Linh Bửu Pagoda and the Phú Quý Lighthouse but you can decide for yourself. It is also quite pleasant to stroll on the walkway which follows the western coast. It gets more lively at night with people walking around, small barbecue operations going in full force, and small stalls with women selling drinks and bánh tráng nướng.
You can get a general idea for the layout of the island and attraction below.
Food
It is important to note that food options are quite limited on the island. You will be able to find small, family owned restaurants but as the day goes on they will have more limited options. If you wait too long at night you may have to search for some time before you find anything worthwhile or available.
If you want a very nice, western fusion style meal there is one main option called Sea La Vie located on the northern coast. It can be a romantic spot to watch the sunset or enjoy a few drinks with friends. You may want to make a reservation ahead of time if you want some of the better tables because they are a popular spot and pretty much the only game in town for this sort of dining experience. They have an excellent patio but not all views of the sunset are the same. Still, we enjoyed a nice meal and some drinks.
If you want a unique seafood dining experience, you can head to the Reef Diving Wharf or Bến Làng Bè Phú Quý – Bến Lặn Ngắm San Hô Bãi Cạn. Here, you can find boats that will take you out on the water to a number of floating restaurants. Seafood doesn’t get much more fresh than that as they pull your meals right out of the water.
Things to Note:
banking, island not for foreigners, snorkeling, less developed
There are not many ATMs on the island so be sure to bring plenty of cash to save you the trouble. There are some places that will accept bank transfer but it can’t be counted on.
There is a small island off the coast of Phu Quy called Hòn Tranh. There are tours that take visitors to the island daily but this trip is off limits to foreign visitors as there are apparently military installations there.
We went snorkeling by our guesthouse on the western shore with the help of a local guide. He was very nice and provided all the gear for us but the snorkeling was a little underwhelming as much of the reefs were unfortunately dead.
Tourism is fairly new to the island so you have to expect it to be a less developed due to its distance from the coast. But, this is changing quickly as more and more people are visiting the island every year. Do it soon!
Conclusion
Ultimately, Phu Quy island offers a real chance to go off the beaten track. It is not shiny or glamorous but it has some great views, small beaches and you can see the stars at night. It’s worth the ferry ride and it is packed with enough to do to keep you busy for a few days. I really enjoyed the views from Linh Sơn Pagoda and watching the sunsets on the coast, relaxing somewhere totally new.
Visited April 2024 / written october 2024
+ There are no comments
Add yours