Phu Quoc is a tropical island in the south of Vietnam. It beckons tourists with the promise of heavenly beaches, cheap seafood, and beautiful resorts. Are these promises true? In general, yes. Fukuoka is a great place to relax and worth a visit. But the island reveals its Vietnamese character - it will accumulate nuances and reservations, as in a contract with a cunning lawyer. There is no need to give up your vacation, just read our review and advice. Forewarned is forearmed.
Our experience... Vietnam is one of our favorite countries. We came here three times (each time for several months), traveled all over the country, visited all the resorts. We also studied Phu Quoc comprehensively: we traveled the whole island, saw the sights, scouted the beaches, rested in various hotels and resorts. We have something to tell and compare with.
What is Phu Quoc
Fukuoka has an international airport, many hotels and resorts from budget to luxury, an amusement park, dive centers, hundreds of restaurants, cafes and eateries. There is practically no shopping infrastructure.
The island, even in 2021, still retains an atmosphere of privacy - it is worth going outside the tourist zone, and you will find jungle, wild beaches, local flavor. However, Phu Quoc is actively being built up, so in 5-10 years it will be unrecognizable.
Tourists go to Phu Quoc for cheap seafood... Yes, they are here in abundance. But seafood can be enjoyed at any resorts in Vietnam - and prices in Nha Trang and Mui Ne are lower.
Holidays in Fukuoka safe in terms of natural disasters, in contrast to the center of Vietnam. The island is protected by a mountain range. Tsunamis do not happen here, typhoons do not rage. The climate itself is milder, there is no intense heat.
While still there is no general Russification, as in Nha Trang or Mui Ne, so basic knowledge of English will come in handy.
In general, Phu Quoc produces mixed impression: it is quiet and calm, but the infrastructure is poorly developed, prices are high by Vietnamese standards, there are few attractions.
When is the best time to go to Phu Quoc? Weather and seasons - 2021
For almost the whole year, the temperature remains at the same level: air +29 ... + 31 ° С, water +26 ... + 28 ° С.
Leisure season... It is better to go to Phu Quoc Island to rest in winter - warm and dry. However, from December to April, prices are highest. The island is especially popular for the New Year. At this time, the number of Russian tourists is increasing significantly. We rested in Fukuoka in December and January, also celebrating the New Year here. Seasons and weather in Vietnam →
Hot season... From April to June it gets hotter, there is still not much rainfall. You can rest, but not as comfortable as in winter. In the reviews, tourists note that from mid-March to May there may be jellyfish in the sea.
Rain season in Fukuoka begins in July, the maximum rainfall occurs in September and October. The rest of the time the island has favorable conditions for beach holidays, diving and snorkeling.
Fukuoka beaches
There are many beaches in Fukuoka - the island is famous for them.
Long Beach Is the longest and most popular beach in Fukuoka. It is here that almost all the tourist infrastructure of the island is concentrated: hotels, resorts, cafes, restaurants, dive centers. Getting to the beach itself is not so easy! The entire first line is completely occupied by expensive resorts and hotels. They do not want to let tourists through their territory; they have to wander through the maze in search of an outlet to the sea. They can also drive away from the beach - all the best places are occupied by sun loungers of hotels on the first line. The beach, by the way, is very narrow and cramped. We recommend choosing other beaches in Fukuoka for relaxation.
Bai Sao - This beach is considered the best in Fukuoka. A beautiful beach with fine powdery sand, quite wide. Located in the southeastern part of the island, you need to go to it by bike or taxi. There are very few hotels here. There is a cafe, fruit stalls, showers, toilets.
In the northern part of the island there are several wild and uncrowded beaches - all with a gentle bottom, clear water and completely white sand. It is here that the beach with starfish is located. Awesome place - definitely go! There are almost no hotels and resorts, but there are seafood restaurants. Come here for beauty, solitude and silence.
Hotel Prices - 2021
The choice of accommodation in Fukuoka is large: there are both cheap guesthouses and luxury resorts. We love testing different accommodations, so we lived in Fukuoka in a guesthouse, a hotel, and three resorts.
Hotels Fukuoka is more expensive than other resorts in Vietnam. A decent room will cost from $ 25 (we recommend Sailing Hotel).
Find out about the best hotels in Fukuoka.
Guesthouses... You can find a cheap room in a guesthouse for $ 9, but such accommodation is far from the beach. We stayed at the Xuan Anh Guesthouse, a family run guesthouse.
Resorts... It is best to relax in Fukuoka in resorts - these are oases of peace and quiet. Prices are adequate:
- We paid $ 25 for a double house in a modest but cozy Cozy Resort.
- Good resorts with a pool and breakfasts start at $ 40. We stayed at Miana Resort and The Hill Resort - we recommend.
- There are also very cool five-star resorts with luxurious villas for $ 150 per day - for example, The Shells Resort & Spa.
Look for hotels with discounts on Rumguru. Here are the main rules for finding hotels.
What to see in Fukuoka
Holidays in Fukuoka are mainly on the beach. There are few attractions on the island: there is a large national park-reserve, waterfalls, pagodas and temples, an amusement park and a Winperl safari, a cable car to Thom Island, a pearl plantation, a coconut prison and a fish sauce factory. The brightest and most picturesque are the floating village and the beach with starfish in the north of the island, the port and the city of An Thoi in the south.
We advise you to rent a motorbike (150 thousand dongs per day) and ride around the island exploring its sights. Roads outside the city and the tourist area are free - driving is a pleasure! We even celebrated the New Year, riding a bike on empty night roads.
Excursions in Fukuoka in 2021
- Winperl amusement park - 500 thousand dong ($ 22).
- Safari - 600 thousand dongs ($ 27).
- Complex program with snorkeling, short fishing, dinner and excursion - from $ 17.
- The same, but with night fishing for squid - from $ 30.
- Diving: diving - from $ 70, course - from $ 340. Diving in Fukuoka is considered one of the cheapest in the world. The An Thới Islands archipelago is considered a good place for snorkeling and diving.
- A two-day tour to neighboring Cambodia and Singapore costs $ 200-250.
- Yachting is not developed, but you can ride a boat or a pleasure boat.
- Wedding ceremony - from $ 1000.
Food prices - 2021. Is the food good?
In Fukuoka cooked tasteless, and in a number of tourist cafes it is completely disgusting. This is noted by many tourists in their reviews. As lovers of Vietnamese cuisine, we also believe that Phu Quoc Island is far behind other Vietnamese resorts in terms of the quality of its cuisine.
Food prices also not encouraging. Everything is more expensive in Fukuoka than on the mainland. Smoothies - from 20 thousand dongs, rice with chicken or seafood in a tourist cafe - from 70 thousand portions of fish, squid or shrimps - from 100 thousand. In the capital of the island - the city of Duong Dong - you can eat cheaper. Read more: Fukuoka food prices →
For tasty and inexpensive food, avoid tourist spots and look for places where Vietnamese eat themselves.
With grocery stores in Fukuoka, things are very bad. Even a rural store in the Russian provinces will seem like a hypermarket in comparison with them. The assortment includes only specific Asian snacks, beer, soda, crackers and other snacks. Fortunately, everything is in order with tropical fruits on the island: there are many sellers, prices are reasonable.
Shopping
There is practically no shopping in Fukuoka, with the exception of small shops and a night market.You can buy shower clothes, pearls, coffee, cocoa, local black pepper and souvenirs. For more impressive shopping, it is better to go to Ho Chi Minh City.
Take a look: What to bring from Vietnam >>
Travel tips for Fukuoka in 2021
It is better to book a hotel in Fukuoka in advance, especially for the New Year. We planned our trip late and the choice of accommodation was modest.
There is no public transport on the island. If only a free bus to the Winperl amusement park and a regular bus to the village of An Thoy. Rent a bike and ride for fun! If driving without rules (and the Vietnamese haven't even heard of traffic rules) is unacceptable to you, use a taxi - they are abundant here.
Mosquitoes on the island devour mercilessly! Nasty mosquitoes will interfere with your sleep and bite you in the cafe during dinner. Stock up on fumigants and repellents.
Withdraw money from MB (Military Bank) ATMs - they are the only ones that do not charge a commission.
There are no buses from Fukuoka Airport, only taxis. However, many hotels and resorts provide guests with a free transfer - check when booking.
Don't limit your acquaintance with Vietnam to Phu Quoc. Outside the island, everything is interesting: culture, nature, cuisine, historical sights.
Long Beach faces west, so you can watch beautiful sunsets on the shore.
Cautions
Phu Quoc - quiet resort... This is a great place for honeymooners, lovers, couples, anyone looking for a relaxing holiday. You will not find an active nightlife, shopping and a rich cultural and sightseeing rest here. But there are beaches without strong ebb and flow, clean and warm sea, mild climate and a large amusement park.
FROM cleanliness everything is bad on the island - there is a lot of garbage, especially outside the tourist area. Hotels and resorts carefully clean their territory and beaches, but outside of it there is a trash heap. In fairness, we note that there is almost no stench, as well as rats and cockroaches on the streets of the island - this is a rarity for Vietnam.
Construction conducted everywhere, but it almost does not interfere with rest.
Cartography on the island is lame. Often the location of hotels on the map (Google, MAPS.ME, Booking) does not correspond to reality. Be careful, double-check the information. The same goes for restaurants, points of interest and other points of interest on OSM maps. By the way, vacationing in Fukuoka in January, we felt like pioneers - perhaps we mapped a good half of cafes, restaurants, fruit shops and other useful places on OSM maps. Read more about useful mobile travel apps >>
