What Phu Quy Is
Phu Quy (also called Thu Island by older locals) is a volcanic island roughly 120km off the coast of Phan Thiet. It covers about 16 square kilometers — small enough to motorbike around in under an hour. The island has around 30,000 residents spread across three communes, most of them fishing families. There's no luxury resort infrastructure here, no golf course, no waterpark. What you get is a working fishing island that happens to have clear water, basalt cliffs, and some of the freshest seafood on the Vietnamese coast.
The island has been a stopover for fishermen for centuries. You'll find a handful of temples and shrines — Linh Quang Pagoda and the Whale Temple (Van An Thanh) are the most visited — that reflect generations of sea-worship traditions common along southern-central Vietnam (베트남 / 越南 / ベトナム).
Why Travelers Go
Phu Quy draws a specific kind of visitor: someone who's already done Phu Quoc or Mui Ne (무이네 / 美奈 / ムイネー) and wants something less packaged. The appeal is straightforward — genuinely low prices, uncrowded beaches, and a pace that hasn't been sped up for tourism. You eat seafood that came off a boat that morning, you ride a scooter on roads with almost no traffic, and you swim at beaches where you might be the only foreigner.
It's not a party island. It's not a honeymoon island. It's an island where people fish, and where travelers can slot into that rhythm for a few days without spending much money.
Best Time to Visit
The window is roughly March through September. The sea is calmest from April to August, which matters because rough seas mean cancelled ferries — and there's no other way off the island.
Peak local tourism hits during summer holidays (June-July) when domestic visitors from Phan Thiet and Saigon come over. If you want emptier beaches, aim for March-April or September. Avoid October through February: northeast monsoon winds make crossings rough or impossible, and the island feels shut down.
How to Get There
You'll depart from Phan Thiet port (Ca Na port or the newer Phu Quy ferry terminal near Phan Ri Cua, depending on the operator).
- High-speed ferry (Superdong or Phu Quy Express): roughly 2.5-3 hours. Tickets run 350,000-400,000 VND one way (as of 2024). Boats typically depart early morning (around 8:00 AM) — check schedules the day before, as they shift seasonally.
- Cargo/slow boat: 6-8 hours, cheaper but uncomfortable. Not recommended unless the fast ferry is full.
From Saigon (사이공 / 西贡 / サイゴン), take a bus or train to Phan Thiet (4-5 hours by bus, around 150,000-200,000 VND), then taxi or grab to the port. Some travelers ride motorbikes from Saigon along the coast road through Mui Ne, turning the transit into part of the trip.
Once on the island, rent a motorbike from your guesthouse — 120,000-150,000 VND per day is standard.
Photo by Haneul Trac on Pexels
What to Do
Ride the Coastal Loop
The perimeter road takes about 40 minutes without stops. You'll pass basalt rock formations on the northeast side, a lighthouse on the island's highest point (Cam Mountain, about 100m elevation), and fishing harbors stacked with blue boats. The road is paved and mostly flat.
Swim at Trieu Duong Bay
The main swimming beach on the island's east side. Clear water, coarse sand, shallow entry. There's a small cafe selling coconuts and instant noodles. No loungers, no entrance fee.
Visit Ganh Hang (Rock Beach)
Columns of black basalt that look like stacked coins, eroded into odd shapes by wind and salt. It's a 5-minute walk from the road on the island's north side. Best in the afternoon when the light hits the rock face.
Snorkel off Hon Tranh
A tiny islet just off Phu Quy's south coast. Local boat operators will take you over for around 100,000-150,000 VND per person (negotiate based on group size). The coral is patchy in some areas but visibility is generally good from April to July.
Watch the Fish Market at Dawn
The main harbor gets active around 5:00-5:30 AM when boats come in. It's not a tourist attraction — it's just the island's economy happening in front of you. Grouper, squid, sea urchin, crab — all of it heading to restaurants or ice trucks within the hour.
Where to Eat
Seafood is the entire story here. Two things to prioritize:
"Banh canh" with crab — thick tapioca noodles in a brothy soup loaded with crab meat. Several family-run spots near the main harbor serve this for 40,000-60,000 VND per bowl.
Grilled sea urchin — Phu Quy is one of the cheapest places in Vietnam to eat sea urchin. Vendors sell them grilled with spring onion oil and peanuts, often for 10,000-15,000 VND per piece. Ask your guesthouse owner where the current best spot is — it rotates.
Most guesthouses will also cook whatever you buy at the market for a small fee (50,000-100,000 VND cooking charge). Buy a kilogram of squid for 80,000 VND, hand it over, and eat it grilled on the patio.
Where to Stay
No international hotels here. Your options:
- Guesthouses/homestays: 200,000-400,000 VND per night. Basic rooms, fan or AC, shared or private bathroom. Most are clean and family-run. Book through Zalo or Facebook — English-language booking platforms have limited listings.
- Mini-hotels: 500,000-800,000 VND. Slightly nicer rooms with proper AC, hot water, maybe a balcony. A few have appeared in the last couple of years near Trieu Duong Bay.
Don't expect swimming pools or room service. Do expect friendly owners who'll lend you fishing rods or drive you to the port at 6 AM.
Photo by Đạt Nguyễn on Pexels
Practical Tips Locals Would Tell You
- Book ferry tickets 2-3 days ahead during summer weekends. They sell out.
- Bring cash. ATMs exist on the island (one or two), but they run out of money on busy weekends. Card payment is basically nonexistent.
- Sunscreen and a hat are non-negotiable. There's almost no shade on the coastal roads.
- Download offline maps. Google Maps coverage is decent but mobile signal drops in some spots on the north side.
- Bring motion sickness medicine if you're prone to it — the ferry crossing can get choppy even in calm season.
Common Mistakes
- Showing up without checking ferry schedules. Boats don't run daily in low season. Confirm departure times through Superdong's Facebook page or call the port office.
- Planning only one night. One night means you arrive midday, have one afternoon, and leave the next morning. Two nights minimum lets you actually settle in.
- Expecting Phu Quoc (푸꾸옥 / 富国岛 / フーコック)-level infrastructure. This is not that. No spas, no cocktail bars, no airport. That's the point.
- Riding a motorbike without sun protection. First-degree burns on forearms and necks are the island's unofficial souvenir for unprepared visitors.
Practical Notes
Phu Quy is best treated as a 2-3 day side trip from Phan Thiet or Mui Ne. Budget around 1,500,000-2,500,000 VND total (ferry, accommodation, food, bike rental) for a comfortable two-night stay. The island rewards travelers who adjust to its tempo — slow mornings, long lunches, and nowhere particular to be.
Last updated · May 24, 2026 · independently researched, never sponsored.
