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Phu Quoc is located in the Gulf of Thailand just 15km off the coast of Cambodia, a country that still has territorial claims on the island (which they refer to as Ko Tral). Phu Quoc's isolation made it an attractive hiding place for two of the more famous figures from Vietnam's past. Today, over eighty thousand people - and a sizeable population of indigenous dogs, recognizable by a line of hair running up the spine instead of down - dwell on the island, famous throughout Vietnam for its black pepper, as well as its fish sauce, which is graded like olive oil.
Like Mui Ne, Phu Quoc is a favorite bolthole for expats living in Ho Chi Minh City, and its future looks rosy. Yet while resorts and bars are springing up fast and access roads are being sealed, for the moment Phu Quoc still retains something of a pioneer outpost feel; though the island is a spacious 46km long, many places can still only be reached via dirt tracks and the beaches are largely free of vendors. In the rainy season (between May and Oct) Phu Quoc is relatively quiet, and room rates become more easily negotiable, though in peak season (between December and January).
Phu Quoc Island's west coast is quite rugged, but the beautiful bays tucked along Ong Lang Beach are certainly worth visiting, and a few cozy resorts, separated from each other by rocky headlands, offer the chance to get away from it all. Ong Lang Beach is much quieter than Long Beach, and has a few coral reefs just off the coast, though for really good snorkeling you'd need to join a boat trip to the north or south end of the island. North of Ong Lang, there are a few more attractive beaches called Cua Can, Vung Bao, and Dai. Resorts are beginning to spring up here too, though the region still has a feel of splendid isolation.
You'll probably find no real need to go into the only town of any size in Phu Quoc - Duong Dong - since most resorts, and the main road linking them, provide all basic needs. However, it's worth dragging yourself off the beach to spend a few hours here - early morning or evening are the best times. There is a small lighthouse and temple situated on a promontory at the entrance to the harbor, which is of no great consequence but does provide good views down the northern part of Long Beach. The town's market, on Ngo Quyen, to the left across the rickety bridge in the center of town, is always bustling and photogenic with its throng of shoppers and display of fruit and flowers and is at its best early in the morning. There's also a night market that sets up each evening along Vo Thi Sau near the lighthouse, where you can pick up a few souvenirs and check out the good-value Vietnamese food stalls.
The main attractions in Phu Quoc are its fabulous beaches, and the west coast has some of the best. the majority of resorts and guesthouses are strung out to the south of Duong Dong, along Long Beach - an appropriate name, as it stretches almost to the southern tip of the island some 20km away. Most resorts are fronted for sunbathing, sunset-watching, and swimming. Beyond the first seven kilometers or so south of town the beach is completely deserted, and the coast road southward provides some classic tropical beach views.
If you are here for relaxation, you need to do nothing more than saunter back and forth between your resort and the beach. If you get restless, you can always rent a motorbike to explore the island or sign up for a boat trip.
The modest, privately-owned Coi Nguon Museum is located on the main road behind the resorts on Long Beach and about 5km south of Duong Dong; it is well worth a visit to get an overview of Phu Quoc's natural and political history. The carefully arranged exhibits include whale, dugong, and swordfish skeletons, samples of sand and petrified wood, a fantastic variety of shells, a potted history of the island's past, ceramics from shipwrecks and, if you make it up to the fifth floor, sweeping views along the coast. There are also handicrafts made of local materials on sale, though a shell-encrusted chair might be a bit big for your backpack.
The north of Phu Quoc is by far the best place to head if you've rented a motorbike. Bar the giant Vinpearl Safari complex, has been able to avoid the worst if the island's recent development; most independent travellers make a bee-line for Safari Beach though this too is starting to receive tour group.
Particularly popular with families, Vinpearl Safari brings the joys of Africa straight to Vietnam - giraffes, rhinos, and lemurs populate various parts of the extensive complex, and children may get the chance to pet baby lions in the Kid Zoo area. You can also feed the hungry giraffes from the Giraffe Restaurant. There's more of a focus on animal welfare than at other zoos around the country, which admittedly isn't saying much, but the beasts here do have ample room to roam and seem well looked after.
Just beyond the hamlet of Rach Vem, Starfish Beach owes its name to the many five-armed invertebrates living just off the shoreline. Unfortunately, many visitors seem to delight in grabbing them out of the water for a quick selfie - obviously not the most environmentally sound course of action. Still, it's a pretty spot, and there are good views across the sea to Cambodia.
Thom Beach, in the extreme northeast of the island, lies at the end of a wearing, 35-kilometer-long motorbike ride over rough roads from Duong Dong. Until surprisingly recently, it had virtually in the way of facilities, but things are changing fast, and there are now a fair few places to stay, eat and drink here.
