4 Days Beach Hopping: Phu Quoc and Con Dao
Skip the crowded Mekong delta tours. Fly south to two island escapes: Phu Quoc for snorkeling and seafood, Con Dao for empty beaches and colonial history.
Why Phu Quoc and Con Dao together
Most visitors see one or the other. The two-island combo takes 4 days and forces you off the backpacker trail. Phu Quoc is a working island—fish sauce factories, pepper plantations, morning markets—with decent snorkel access. Con Dao is quieter: a former prison island with 16 beaches, almost no tourists outside Vietnamese holidays, and seafood that costs half what you'll pay in Saigon.
The logistics are tight but doable. You'll spend a day in transit, but it's worth it.
Day 1 — Saigon to Phu Quoc
Catch a morning flight from Tan Son Nhat Airport (SGN) to Phu Quoc (푸꾸옥 / 富国岛 / フーコック) International (PQC). Bamboo Airways, Vietjet, and Vietnam Airlines run 3–4 daily rotations; flight time is 50 minutes. Book the night before if you haven't. Fares average 900,000–1,500,000 VND return.
Arrive mid-morning. Grab a taxi from the airport (about 15 km to central Duong Dong town, 200,000 VND) or arrange a hotel pickup. Duong Dong is the main town—chaotic, wet market at 5 a.m., where locals buy fish and squid off boats. Walk the waterfront around Tran Hung Dao Street: you'll see restaurants with live tanks of grouper and crab.
Eat lunch at a com tam spot near Ben Cau fish market (40,000–60,000 VND for broken-rice with fish) or grab a banh mi from a cart. Rest at your hotel in the afternoon—the 50-minute flight is short but the island heat hits hard.
For dinner, walk to An Thoi pier on the southern edge of town (taxi 30,000 VND). This is where overnight fishing boats dock. Pick a waterfront restaurant—Ngo Quyen or Tran Phu street have clusters—order grilled squid (muc nuong), salt-and-pepper crab (cua rang muoi), and a Bia Saigon (사이공 / 西贡 / サイゴン). Expect 200,000–350,000 VND for two.
Photo by Luke Dang on Pexels
Day 2 — Phu Quoc Snorkel and Beaches
Budget a half-day boat tour for snorkeling or beach-hopping. The main operators are based at Duong Dong pier. Tours run 4–5 hours, depart 8 a.m., and cost 300,000–500,000 VND per person (includes snorkel gear, lunch, 2–3 stops). Popular routes visit Fingernail Island (or Dam Noi) and Turtle Island—shallow reefs with parrotfish and grouper, visibility 5–8 metres in decent weather.
Alternatively, if the sea is rough or you want to stay dry, rent a scooter (80,000–120,000 VND/day) and explore the west coast beaches: Long Beach (Bai Truong) is the main strip—2 km of sand, busy on weekends, calm water—or head south to Sao Beach (15 km from town), which has white sand and fewer day-trippers.
Eat lunch at your beach stop or grab "banh mi (반미 / 越式法包 / バインミー)" from a vendor. Afternoon: return to town, cool off with an icy egg coffee at a café (30,000 VND). Walk the night market (opens 5 p.m., closes 9 p.m.) near the central market—grilled fish on sticks, fresh crab noodle soup, cheap.
Dinner: back to the waterfront or try a restaurant inland like Cassia Cottage or Peppery (upscale, 350,000–600,000 VND) if you want air-conditioning and a quieter meal.
Day 3 — Phu Quoc to Con Dao via Saigon
This day is mostly travel. Book a 10 a.m. flight from Phu Quoc to Saigon (50 min, same carriers, ~1,100,000 VND). Arrive by 11:30 a.m., grab a taxi to Ben Thanh Market area or your hotel for lunch.
Eat "com tam" or "bun cha (분짜 / 烤肉米粉 / ブンチャー)" at a local spot—street stalls near Ben Thanh or in District 1 run 40,000–80,000 VND. Rest until 3 p.m. You have a small window: afternoon flights Con Dao-bound often depart 4–5 p.m.
Take a taxi back to Tan Son Nhat by 2:30 p.m. for a 4 or 5 p.m. flight to Con Dao (Vung Tau (붕따우 / 头顿 / ブンタウ) Airlines, Bamboo Airways; 40 min, 1,200,000–1,600,000 VND one-way). Arrive Con Dao airport around 5:45 p.m. (airport is small, no queues). Taxi to your hotel (5 km, 80,000–150,000 VND).
Check in, rest. If you arrive before 6 p.m., walk to Ben Dam pier or a beach near town. Eat a light dinner—banh mi or a pho (쌀국수 / 越南河粉 / フォー) at a local shop (40,000–70,000 VND) and sleep early. Next day is full.
Photo by Luke Dang on Pexels
Day 4 — Con Dao Prison and Beaches
Start early. Phu Hai Prison (Nha Trang (냐짱 / 芽庄 / ニャチャン) Phu Hai Monitoring Camp) was a French colonial jail; later it held political prisoners during the war. The site is now a museum run by the state. Tours are self-guided or you can hire a local guide (200,000–300,000 VND for 2 hours). Expect narrow cells, historical displays in Vietnamese and English, and a cemetery. It's somber and educational—not a beach-resort distraction.
Visit 8–10 a.m. before the heat peaks (Con Dao gets 35°C+). Taxi there and back (total 60,000 VND).
For lunch, eat at Ben Dam (the pier) or head to a seafood restaurant near Con Dao town center. Try "ca tru" (live rock fish, grilled), or grilled lobster if your budget stretches. Con Dao is expensive compared to Phu Quoc—seafood runs 250,000–400,000 VND per person—because it's remote and supplies arrive by boat.
Afternoon: beaches. Dat Doc Beach (7 km north, scooter rental 80,000 VND/day) is the prettiest—long, empty, blue water, 3–4 other people on a weekday. Alternatively, Ben Bay Beach is 2 km from town and less dramatic but easier. Swim, lie on the sand. Bring sunscreen; the sun is fierce.
Eat dinner back in town—another seafood meal or a simpler banh canh (thick pork tapioca noodle soup, 60,000–80,000 VND) at a local shop. Early night; next morning you catch a flight back.
Practical notes
Book all flights 3–5 days ahead. The Phu Quoc–Con Dao leg via Saigon is the pivot; missing a connection adds a night in Saigon. Bring cash—both islands have ATMs but fewer card readers than the city. Sea conditions can ground boats in the rainy season (May–October), so check weather before booking tours. Sunscreen and hat are non-negotiable.
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