I first heard about Phu Quoc years ago, during my very first backpacking trip around Southeast Asia. Despite the fact that I spent an entire month traversing Vietnam, I never made it to Phu Quoc during that trip – and I always regretted it.

Over the years, I’ve heard a lot about how quickly Phu Quoc is developing, and like a lot of other travelers, I figured I’d missed the chance to see some of Vietnam’s best beaches during their prime.

In case you’ve never heard of Phu Quoc before, it’s a sizeable island located in the very south of Vietnam. For a long time, it was one of those picture-perfect beach destinations travelers dream about.

Spoiler alert (not really): Phu Quoc is definitely no longer one of Southeast Asia’s best-kept secrets. It’s not even close. The island has blown up in recent years and things are changing fast. Phu Quoc is now a major tourist destination that’s home to sprawling resorts, tacky casinos and even an enormous amusement park. And it’s this rampant (and some would argue, reckless) development that causes Phu Quoc to get such mixed reviews.

Some argue that Phu Quoc is too touristy and too built up. But others believe that despite the development on the island, Phu Quoc is absolutely worth a visit. For the record, I fall into the latter category. After all, Phu Quoc is still home to some of Vietnam’s best beaches, island hopping excursions, and lush jungles.

Now that I’m living in Ho Chi Minh City – an hour’s flight from Phu Quoc – I decided that even though I was skeptical, I might as well finally give it a chance.

After having such a great time motorbiking around Vietnam’s wild and rugged Con Dao Islands and hearing such mixed reviews about Phu Quoc, I went into my trip with very low expectations. But the good news is I came out of it pleasantly surprised.

Yes, Phu Quoc is ultra-touristy and the development is both overwhelming and disturbing. But it’s also stunningly beautiful, completely unique, and there are parts of it that still ooze authenticity and natural beauty.

So is Phu Quoc worth visiting?

If you ask me, the answer is yes. But there are a few tips and factoids that might help you understand what to expect if you’re pondering a trip to Phu Quoc. Hopefully, this post will help you decide whether or not it’s the right destination for you.

Here it goes…

There’s more to Phu Quoc than Long Beach

Most tourists will stay on and around Long Beach, a stunning 20-kilometer stretch of sand that’s now lined with luxury resorts, beach chairs, and tourists. It’s beautiful, but it can get pretty crowded and it’s very built up. Usually, super touristy beaches aren’t my thing. But I did spend one lazy afternoon floating in the water and lounging on Long Beach – along with all the other tourists – and I had a great time.

If you’re looking for a more isolated spot, this isn’t the beach for you. But don’t worry, when it comes to beaches there’s plenty to choose from on Phu Quoc (more on that below).

Beware of jellyfish on Long Beach

As a side note, I was surprised to see nets in the water all along Long Beach. I didn’t actually see any jellyfish during my visit in January 2018, but judging from the nets I’m guessing jellyfish can be an issue at certain times of the year when the water warms up. Again, this isn’t something to deter you from traveling to Phu Quoc, it’s just a good thing to be aware of.

Many beaches are becoming more and more developed

I went into my trip using this guide to Phu Quoc’s beaches (it’s amazing, by the way). The information wasn’t all that old, but I was really surprised to see that many of the beaches mentioned in the post had changed dramatically. For example, the once deserted Bai Dai Beach has now been completely taken over by a Vinpearl theme park. (Vinpearl is kind of like a Vietnamese Disneyland.)

I’d seen pictures of what this beach previously looked like. It was wild and beautiful and totally remote. So I was slightly horrified when I passed by the area during a motorbike ride around the island. I didn’t actually attempt to go down to the beach, but I’m guessing it’s now off-limits to the public anyway. The entire area has been transformed into a giant – and I mean giant – theme park.

Ganh Dau Beach Is Not Worth Visiting

I was lured to this spot by promises of a calm, picturesque bay, and views of neighboring Cambodia. But after a crazy hour-long motorbike ride to get here, I was so disappointed. The once picturesque crescent-shaped beach called Ganh Dau Beach, has been dissected by small resorts. And by dissected I mean the resorts are making their own “private” beaches by bringing in truckloads of boulders to create artificial jetties in the water in an effort to separate their tiny patch of the beach from other resorts.

I’m guessing this activity is new considering I watched trucks unloading rocks during my visit in January. I found this sort of development to be detrimental and disturbing. And it’s a trend that I hope doesn’t catch on in Vietnam.

OK, enough with the depressing stuff…

There are still blissfully undeveloped beaches on Phu Quoc

It’s not all bad news guys. I swear! Phu Quoc is a massive island and there are still a bunch of beaches that are mind-bogglingly beautiful and virtually deserted. My favorite beach was Vung Bau, a long stretch of sand that unravels as far as the eye can see. At the moment, it’s home to a few very tasteful hotels and resorts. Other than that, there’s no real development on the beach…yet.

One good thing about Vung Bau is that the road to get there is not yet paved – though it will be soon – so it’s a bit of a long and bumpy ride to reach it. That sounds like a negative, but it actually cuts down on the number of people who actually visit the beach.

When I got there, I took a 15-minute walk down the coast and I felt like I’d been dropped off on my own private island. It was incredible. Give this place another year or two – maybe even less – and I guarantee it’s going to look a lot different. So it’s one of those places I’d recommend visiting ASAP.

It’s about a 40-minute drive on a scooter from Long Beach to Vung Bau, so had I known how amazing it was I actually would have loved to stay at the beach for a few days. Right now, there are only a few options. Vung Bau Resort (midrange) seems nice and if you want to splurge, Fusion Resort (all-inclusive) looks amazing!

Another one of my favorite beaches was Ong Long Beach. It’s not quite as isolated as Vung Bau, but the calm waters make it a relaxing spot and a lovely place to take a dip. Plus, it’s a much shorter and easier ride to get here from Long Beach. In my opinion, it’s a great place to while away the days with a good book and a few coconuts. There are also plenty of resorts and hotels sprinkled around Ong Long.

I didn’t make it to all of Phu Quoc’s beaches because I ran out of time. But if you’re looking for a guide to the island’s beaches, this one is amazing and detailed.

Phu Quoc is the perfect place to explore by motorbike

Motorbiking is by far my favorite way to explore Southeast Asian islands and Phu Quoc is the perfect place to rent a scooter. The island’s attractions are really spread apart, so unless you just want to chill at your hotel, you kinda have to have your own transportation. If you’re not comfortable riding a motorbike, you can also hire a private car to take you around the island.

There are so many things to do on Phu Quoc

Phu Quoc isn’t all about beaches. There are a ton of other things to do on Phu Quoc. Again, my favorite part about traveling to Phu Quoc was exploring the island on a scooter. That’s actually the easiest way to access some of the far-flung beaches, like Vung Bau, or super unique attractions like the pepper plantations, the national park or (my favorite) the jetties of Rach Vem fishing village.

In addition to beaches, peppercorn plantations, and picturesque fishing villages, Phu Quoc is also famous for its diving, snorkeling and island hopping. There really is something for everyone.

If all you want to do is chill out in a resort, dip in the ocean and be pampered with massages, you can totally do that on Phu Quoc. But if you’re down for a little more adventure, there’s so much to see and do. I was there for five days and barely scratched the surface. There’s no doubt that I will be back!

It’s eye-opening

The kind of development that’s going on on Phu Quoc might not be something everybody likes or agrees with. It might deter you from traveling there altogether. But if you ask me, it’s not something to turn a blind eye to. For me, exploring Phu Quoc and seeing the development first-hand was really eye-opening. It was also a good reminder that I need to be a more responsible tourist.

Where to stay on Phu Quoc

I opted to stay in the Long Beach area because it was a convenient place to base myself. I chose a bungalow at the Bauhinia Resort for about $40 and I was actually really surprised by the value. Not only was the bungalow super nice, quiet and comfortable but it had a great pool and an excellent (and free) buffet breakfast. I highly recommend it.

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So what do you think? Would you give Phu Quoc a chance?