Areas

The island in three areas

Phu Quoc is about 50 km from north to south, and where you sleep decides how early you start on a day tour. These pages look at three areas from that angle: what is there, how the sea behaves, how far it is from the piers, and which of our tours pass through.

Plan my trip Pickup zones

The three areas

South

An Thoi and the south islands

The port for every island boat, the Hon Thom cable car, Sunset Town and the prison relic site. Read more.

West

Duong Dong

The town: Dinh Cau shrine, the night market, fish sauce and the busiest stretch of the sunset coast. Read more.

East

Ham Ninh and the east coast

An old fishing village, the ferry port at Bai Vong, Ho Quoc pagoda and the calm-in-summer beaches. Read more.

Areas and pickup zones

Area	Pickup zone	Road time to An Thoi pier	Sea in Nov – Apr	Sea in May – Oct
An Thoi and Sunset Town	An Thoi	Short local run	Smooth for island boats	Choppier; Sep – Oct often unreliable
Duong Dong	Duong Dong	About 40 – 50 min	West coast calm and clear	West coast rough, bigger waves
Bai Truong (Long Beach)	Bai Truong	Under 40 – 50 min, by hotel	Calm	Rough
Bai Dai and Ganh Dau	Bai Dai	Two legs of about 40 – 50 min	Calm, clear	Rough on the west side
Ham Ninh and the east coast	By arrangement	Not published; via Duong Dong or the east road	Varies	East-coast beaches calm

The pattern behind the last two columns: in the dry north-east monsoon the west coast is calm and clear; in the south-west monsoon, roughly May to October, the west coast takes the waves and the east-coast beaches such as Bai Sao and Bai Khem become the calm side.

Sources: Sun Paradise Land, Phu Quoc bus timetable and drive times, 19 Aug 2026 (agency source); Mia.vn, which season to visit Phu Quoc, 5 Apr 2026 (agency source); Indochina Tour, when to visit Phu Quoc, 27 May 2026 (agency source) · checked 2026-10-11.

Why these three and not the whole island

We write about the places our tours start from or pass through, and only from that angle. The north, with Ganh Dau, Rach Vem and the Safari, is covered on the north island day page itself, because nobody stays there just to join a tour. The big parks of the north and the Sun World park on Hon Thom have their own operators and their own websites; we mention them where a tour touches them.

Phu Quoc has been a special zone (đặc khu) of An Giang province since 1 July 2025, when Kien Giang and An Giang provinces merged. The special zone covers about 589 km², including the smaller islands of the An Thoi archipelago. Old maps and booking sites may still say Kien Giang.

Sources: SGGP, Phu Quoc becomes a special zone of An Giang, 1 Jul 2025 · checked 2026-10-11.

Choosing where to sleep for day tours

Mostly boat days: An Thoi or southern Bai Truong. Latest pickups, shortest van rides to the pier.
A mix of boat and road: Duong Dong or central Bai Truong. Every tour's pickup sits in the middle of its window.
Mostly parks in the north: Bai Dai. Accept that boat days start at 06:45 and end around 19:00.
Visiting May to October: consider a base with easy access to the east coast, where the beaches are calm.

The pickup zones page gives every tour's window by zone in one table.

Getting to the island

Phu Quoc International Airport (PQC) is about 10 km from Duong Dong; a taxi to town costs about 180,000 to 220,000 VND and takes 20 to 30 minutes. Ferries and speedboats from Rach Gia and Ha Tien land at Bai Vong port on the east coast. Foreign visitors who fly or sail directly into Phu Quoc through an international gate can stay up to 30 days without a visa; the exemption covers Phu Quoc only, so travelling on to the mainland needs a visa.

Sources: Mia.vn, Phu Quoc airport guide, 20 Nov 2025 (agency source); Sun Paradise Land, Phu Quoc bus timetable and drive times, 19 Aug 2026 (agency source); Vinpearl blog, ferries to Phu Quoc, 30 Sep 2025 (agency source); Thu vien Phap luat, 30-day visa exemption for Phu Quoc, 6 Feb 2025 · checked 2026-10-11.

Common questions

Questions travellers ask most

Which area suits a first visit?

For day tours, Duong Dong or central Bai Truong: every pickup window sits in the middle, and the town has the night market and restaurants within reach.

Is the east coast worth a visit?

Yes, especially from May to October, when its beaches are calm while the west coast is rough. Ham Ninh is also where fishing life is easiest to see.

Is Phu Quoc still part of Kien Giang?

No. Since 1 July 2025 it is a special zone of An Giang province.