Phu Quoc is a beautiful island in Vietnam, known for its stunning beaches, clear waters, and vibrant culture. I had the opportunity to visit Phu Quoc in 2024 and 2025, and it was a pleasant experience. The island is near Cambodia and Thailand, so in November and December, the weather is better here.
I really liked the convenience of the resort where I stayed. It has a large area, villas with private pools, and a beautiful beach. The resort is located on the western side of the island, close to Vinpearl Wonderworld amusement and water park, a safari/zoo park, and the touristy area called Vin Grand World. The latter has European-style houses, a water canal with gondolas, lots of restaurants, shops, massage places, the Teddy Bear Museum, and a night fire-and-water show.
Taxis are nice, and most of them are electric VinFast cars. They can wait for you while you shop or dine, because I guess it is better for them than driving back empty and waiting for new clients. Tuk-tuks are also popular there, but they are better for short distances, not for going from the north of the island to the south.
The food in Phu Quoc was meh — for a carnivore like me — so I frequented the only supermarket on the island, King Kong, and cooked my own meals. The supermarket had a good selection of Australian beef, which was great for me. Local markets don’t have beef at all, only pork. They keep it on tables in the streets at around 25°C, so I decided not to risk trying it. The funny thing is that a lot of Phu Quoc resorts have full kitchens but prohibit cooking or charge extra for pots, knives, and other necessities.
The massages are good, and in the shops, they even give you some sweet drinks, like mango drinks.
The scuba diving was meh. The water was too muddy in December.
The most terrible excursion was deep-sea fishing. It was extremely boring, as there was not much to do in terms of actually fishing.
In the south of the island, there is another tourist cluster: Sun World water park, a long cable car, hotels, and restaurants.
Interestingly, a lot of commercial spaces on the first floors and apartments on the second floors and above are empty in these clusters, both on the north and south sides. They are still filling up after the downturn caused by the pandemic.