Phu Quoc National park

Phu Quoc National park covers more than 50% of the island so it is definitely worth considering a visit, especially if you would like to escape the heat of the daytime sun, a walk along a park trail or motorbike ride on one of roads in the north will give you a taste of this natural environment on Phu Quoc.

Background and Park area

Phu Quoc National Park was established by the Vietnamese Government in 2001 after upgrading the previous Natural Protection Area and Nature Reserve to include an area of 31,422 hectares, which includes 8603 hectares of strictly protected area, 22,603 hectares of biological restoration area and 33 hectares for administration and services. An additional 6,144 hectares is dedicated to a land-buffer zone and around 20,000 hectares of sea-buffer zone, though the final Marine protection zones are yet to be declared.

Location and topography

The National Park is mostly located across the North of the island with the northerly and eastern boundaries following stretches of the coastline, except for the northerly villages of Gành Dầu and Rach Vem and Cửa Cạn. The park is situated within the boundaries of the following communes: Gành Dầu, Bãi Thơm, Cửa Cạn and in part of the Communes of Cửa Dương, Hàm Ninh, Dương Tơ, and Duong Dong Township.

The highest point in the national park is Mount Chua at 603m, with plans in future for a walking trail to a look out from this point. The national park contains a number of seasonal streams, with the most sizable being the Rach Cua Can river, which flows into the gulf of Thailand on the West Coast of the island just north of Cua Can village.

Visiting the National Park

Phu Quoc National Park is not strictly defined, however until the National park is made more accessible for the needs of tourism, the following options are available for visitors keen to explore what is on offer;

Hire motorbike on your own and explore the northerly parts of the island. The best areas and most forested parts can be found on the road toward Ganh Dau. To get there, take the road from Duong Dong towards Bai Thom and turn off toward Ganh Dau, the National park becomes more apparent the closer you get to Ganh Dau Village.

Walking Trails are limited, though for a great way to experience the national park there is a good walking trail 5kms before Ganh Dau, where the going is relatively easy and trail wide enough to take in the surrounding environment. The walk is a particularly pleasant way to escape the heat, as the vegetation provides cover from the heat of the sun. Take the same road mentioned previously towards Ganh Dau and 100m after the 5km Ganh Dau road marker on the left hand side you’ll find an opening in the national park with a clearly defined walking trail which continues for a couple of kilometers. Note, besides the 5km Ganh Dau marker, the actual trail is not sign posted.

If you’d like to experience the National Park along with other sites, you might consider booking a tour through one of the many tour operators on the island, or enquire with your hotel.

Flora and fauna

Located on an island with mixed terrestrial and coastal climates, Phu Quoc National Park contains many forest types and landscapes including mangroves and wet lands, sparse forested areas, coastal vegetation and forest on rocky mountains. Studies by the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Center in 2005 recorded 1,164 higher plant species, including 23 orchid species and 12 rare plant species including the globally endangered Paphiopedilum callosum which was recently found in the park (www.wildlifeatrisk.org).

A total of 208 animal species were recorded in the National Park, including 28 mammals, 119 birds, 47 reptiles and 14 amphibians. Of these animal species, 6 mammal, 4 bird and 9 reptile species are globally endangered. The rare species include lorises, the long-tailed macaque, silver langur, otter, and hornbill.

The future of Phu Quoc's National Park

The national park is well recognised for it’s bio diversity and potential in future to attract tourism given the large portion of the island which is dedicated as national park area.

In recent years, local and Vietnamese authorities have made efforts to manage the National Park in a move towards protecting the environment and the ecosystems on the island. While some harmful activities still take place like hunting and trapping of animal, illegal logging, and land clearing, authorities are improving their surveillance and have greater powers in protecting the area. Additionally there is increasing community involvement and education taking place, informing local residents in the environmental value of the national park and in ways to protect the ecosystems.

Satefy tips while walking and trekking

Always plan your trip carefully in advance.

Leave written details of your route and expected time of return with a responsible person.

Take your time; set a pace that the slowest member of your party can handle.

Make sure you have plenty of water, and that you know where fresh water is available along your track.

Always carry a well-equipped first aid kit.

Never light a fire on a day of Total Fire Ban.

Getting around Phu Quoc

Just arrived or planning a holiday in Phu Quoc and wondering what to see and how to travel around Phu Quoc Island? Well this section provides a great starting point for getting around the island from the time you arrive to the moment you get off the beach to explore more of what Phu Quoc has on offer.

Menu Options:

Airport transport: options on arrival at the airport.

Island transport: options for getting around the island on your own.

Itineraries: free suggestions if planning to see the island on your own.

Tour operators: our operators: some of tour operators on the island

Road distances: and route tips and travel times for getting around the island.

Maps: free maps to give you a head start, otherwise pickup a cheap map when you arrive on the island.

Shopping in Phu Quoc

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

Duong Dong shops

Resort shops

Craft shops

Phu Quoc airport

Pearl shops

Unique shopping items

Local markets

For the best down to earth shopping and life style experience, visiting the local markets on the island is highly recommended. While western style goods are very limited, the local markets offer a colourful range of fruit, vegetables, seafood’s and much much more.

Duong Dong market located in the centre of town along the river is the islands largest and most exciting local market. At most times of the day this can be a busy place with the local traffic running along the road and boats coming and going, loading and unloading their goods, and it is here you will find lovely ladies in conical hats selling everything from tropical fruits to unusual fishing equipment.

Unless you enjoy a decent crowd, we recommend avoiding Duong Dong market when cruise ships arrive (usually once a week) at the pier, bringing thousands of travellers, who fill the town and market place.

Duong Dong shops

The local shops do offer some limited items, depending on what you are after, for instance there a number of supply shops that sell everything from biscuits, soap and shampoo and interesting toothpaste to soft drinks, water and cases of beer. There are also a number of pharmacies, sunglass shops and a number of local laundries that are far cheaper than the resort prices. If you’re in need of building supplies, there are some places that sell tiles, paints, marble, timber and plumbing goods, though the range and quality will not be the same as the mainland.

Clothing stores are limited, however if you’re in need of some long shirts or pants to keep off the dust while riding around the island or any mosquitoes at night, there are some local market style places opposite Duong Dong market on the other side of the bridge opposite that sell plenty of cheap and non fashionable clothing and hats. For something a little more modern, there's also a mini mart (Ph 0773 993366) in town about 1km past the airport at Nguyen Trung Truc after Hung Vuong Street, Duong Dong, which sells a range of clothes, cosmetics, and a variety of other items.

Resort shops

If you are after some up market souvenirs, many of the resorts have small shops or displays offering island gifts, everything from pearl necklaces to t-shirts or caps and postcards.

Craft shops

There are a couple of shops in Duong Dong that now specialise in selling arts and crafts, and while most of the products are from the mainland, these shops are still fairly new and offer discounted prices from time to time. A couple of shops are located opposite Phu Quoc Airport road entrance in Duong Dong, including Phu Quoc Crafts & Cafe (109 Nguyen Trung Truc), Phu Quoc Fine Arts (Khu Pho 4, Duong Dong) with another shop on the way to Long Beach called Phu Quoc Creation (30 Tran Hung Dao Street). Courtesy of www.discoverphuquoc.com.

Another large souvenir shop can be found on the road heading south from Duong Dong Town on Long Beach called Coinguon at 149 Tran Hung Dao (ph 773 980 206, www.coinguonphuquoc.com). They sell a wide range of souvenirs, pearls, jewellery and art and also have a fairly extensive museum towards the rear of the left hand side shop which contains an interesting array of items includes Vietnamese pottery, animal skeletons, old money and more. There is a wide range of souvenirs available so you might like to think twice before purchasing any items made from the many sea shells in the store.

Phu Quoc airport

Looking for a last minute purchase, then the airport offers a decent range of postcards, pearls and other jewellery items, along with Phu Quoc books and maps, t-shirts and caps and of course fish sauce (after immigration). There is also currency exchange counter in the arrivals hall, which offer reasonable rates.

Pearl shops

If you’re after the real deal, the pearl farm shop run by an New Zealand based company in Duong To Village about 9kms south of Duong Dong along the dirt road that follows Long Beach. See their web site for more information, www.treasuresfromthedeep.com. Here you will find some remarkable pearls and some information about the history of pearl farming on the island. You might find the prices are also quiet remarkable too, judge for yourself.

For alternatives to the best that money can buy, there are numerous pearl shops around the island and many places that sell pearls, most of these are located in Duong Dong town near Saigon Phu Quoc Resort. At these places you can pick up a wide variety of pearl gifts from bracelets, necklaces, earrings, rings and much more, all at very reasonable prices.

Unique shopping items

Besides the pearls, you can not go past the opportunity to either visit or purchase one of the products that Phu Quoc Island is world famous for and that is the Fish Sauce. Please note that when departing Phu Quoc by air, carrying fish sauce on the airplane is not allowed and some airlines have banned it altogether because of risk of breakage and the pungent fumes that are extremely difficult to remove. You can however purchase some fish sauce at the airport in the departure lounge, and they currently organise delivery for you to Ho Chi Minh (somehow). See our unique sights page for more details on fish sauce and locating some distilleries.

Bai Sao Beach

Over on the east coast, towards the southern tip of Phu Quoc, sits stunning Bai Sao Beach. Glistening, squeaky white sand, turquoise water and a semi-abandoned feel make this one of the top spots on Phu Quoc. A couple of basic places to stay lie towards the centre of the beach along with two seafood eateries, but the best part of the beach is towards its southern tip, near the boulders, around which you can clamber to an even better beach, Bai Khem.

Getting Phu Quoc

This page covering getting to Phu Quoc Island is currently under construction and will be with you well before the time the high season kicks in later in 2009 just in time for your family beach holiday in the sun. Visit the rest of our site in the mean time and hope you enjoy our sight!

By air: all you need to know on flying to Phu Quoc, including timetable, booking information, flight times and more...
By sea: complete details on sea operators to and from the island, schedules, costs and international cruising options.
Customs & visas: both Vietnamese and Phu Quoc Island specific visa and customs regulations, advice and information.
Beyond Phu Quoc: whether you are arriving by air, sea or land, here is a full guide to coming and going to Vietnam. Let us know if you find more ways of entering Vietnam...

Vietnam's top spot for beaching yoursel

Phu Quoc (pronounced fu kwok) is a medium sized island off the south west coast of Vietnam, close to the Cambodian border. The island is ringed by sandy beaches. The best beaches appear to be on the eastern side and at the southern end of the west coast. Most of the main hotels are located on the western beach nearer the centre of that coast. Sadly, many or Phu Quocs reputably finest beaches are closed to the public because the military have built bases on them (I wonder if they're bases or holiday places for the top brass!). Phu Quoc is a sleepy little place, which makes it a great get-away spot. There's no noisy nightlife, no shopping... just lots of hot sunshine, beaches, and a national park. A great place to take a good book, some suntan cream, your togs (swimming suit) and relax!
Highlights of Phu Quoc Island.
The highlights of Phu Quoc Island for me were:
1. Bai Sao Beach, on the east coast;
2. The peace and quiet;
3. The hot, sunny, blue-sky days;
4. The lack of traffic;
5. The sand on all the beaches is so soft.
This is a place to come and unwind. I hope it stays that like and more people can experience it.