Why Honeymoon in Phu Quoc
After the bustle of Hanoi and Hoi An, Phu Quoc is where you stop moving. The water on the west coast is warm and usually flat in the dry season, the sand is soft and the resorts have the pools, spas and beach dinners that suit the end of a trip. Prices tend to be lower than at comparable resorts in Thailand or Bali, especially for villas with private pools.
The island also has character beyond the hotel gates. You can tour a pepper farm, visit a fish sauce house where anchovies ferment in giant wooden vats, snorkel off the southern islets and eat grilled sea urchin at the night market. It is easy to reach, too. Domestic flights from Ho Chi Minh City take about an hour, which makes it an easy last stop before the long flight home.
When to Go
The dry season, roughly November to April, is the time to go. Skies are clear, the sea on the west coast is calm and evenings are warm without being sticky. December through March is peak season, with higher rates and more visitors. April is the hottest month but still dry.
The southwest monsoon brings rain from May to October, heaviest from about July to September. Rain often arrives in short, heavy bursts rather than all day. Resorts discount steeply then, but the west coast gets rough surf and more debris on the sand. If you visit in the wet season, choose a resort on the southeast coast, around Sao Beach or Bai Khem, where the water stays calmer. For couples marrying in fall or winter, Phu Quoc is one of the more dependable warm beaches in Asia.
Where to Stay
Long Beach on the west coast is the main hotel strip, roughly 20 kilometers of sand south of Duong Dong town. It has the best sunsets and the most restaurants. La Veranda, an MGallery resort with colonial-style villas, sits on this stretch, as does the newer Regent Phu Quoc.
In the south, Bai Khem is a small white-sand cove where the JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay plays out a whimsical fictional-university theme dreamed up by the designer Bill Bensley. It is a favorite with honeymooners who like a bit of theater. Sao Beach nearby has some of the island's softest sand.
The north, around Ganh Dau and Ong Lang, is quieter, with smaller resorts backed by forest. It suits couples who want privacy and do not mind a 30 to 45 minute drive to the south.
Romantic Things to Do
Ride the Hon Thom cable car, nearly 8 kilometers long, over the An Thoi islands from Sunset Town in the south. Go in the late afternoon, then walk the Kiss Bridge, a pedestrian bridge whose two halves almost meet over the sea, as the sun goes down. The Kiss of the Sea show plays on the water nearby most evenings.
Book a boat day to the An Thoi islands for snorkeling over coral, a stop on a near-empty beach and grilled seafood on board. Hire a driver to explore the north: Ganh Dau cape, the edge of the national park and the quiet beaches beyond. Tour a pepper farm and a fish sauce house near Duong Dong. On your last night, reserve a candlelit dinner on the sand, which most resorts arrange on request.
Getting There and Around
Phu Quoc International Airport (PQC) sits in the middle of the island, 15 to 30 minutes from most resorts. Domestic flights from Ho Chi Minh City take about an hour and run many times a day. Hanoi has direct flights too. A growing number of international routes from Asian hubs land directly on the island.
From the US you will need at least two flights to get here, usually through Ho Chi Minh City or another Asian hub. A night in Ho Chi Minh City on the way in takes the pressure off tight connections. Most resorts will meet your flight with a car, which is worth booking after a long travel day.
On the island, Grab cars and resort shuttles cover most trips. Scooters are widely rented, but traffic on the main roads can be unpredictable.
Food and Drink
Seafood is the reason to leave your resort. At the Duong Dong night market, pick squid, prawns, scallops or sea urchin from the ice and have them grilled with scallion oil. Ham Ninh fishing village on the east coast is known for flower crab, eaten at restaurants on stilts over the water.
The island is famous for two ingredients. Its fish sauce carries protected designation of origin status in the European Union. Its black pepper turns up everywhere, often as fresh green peppercorns still on the stem. Try bun quay, a local noodle soup where the cook stirs fresh fish paste into the broth to order. Sim wine, made from a wild berry that grows on the island, is the local nightcap. Taste it before you buy a bottle to carry home.
Honeymoon Tips
Match your beach to the season: the west coast from November to April, the southeast in the wet months. Book sunset dinners on the west side, since the sunset is the island's best show. If you plan to visit Sunset Town and the cable car, buy tickets online during peak months. The cable car can pause in high winds.
Expect some construction and large-scale developments, especially around the theme parks in the north and the new resort towns in the south. A resort on a quieter cove keeps most of it out of view. Use reef-safe sunscreen on snorkeling days. Keep a little cash for the night market and small restaurants, which do not always take cards. If one of you burns easily, the midday sun here is stronger than it feels. Mosquitoes come out at dusk, especially in the wet season, so pack repellent. If you're pregnant or hoping to be soon, check CDC travel health notices for Vietnam.
