Phu Quoc is Vietnam's overlooked island paradise

Nearly everyone I tell of my four-day trip in August responds with a quizzical look. “Where?” they ask, as if I had invented the name.

- Sarah Stanley

It is a fair question, all things considered. Perched on the southwestern tip of Vietnam, Phu Quoc is the country’s largest island, yet it still flies under the radar for most Singaporeans.

Part of the reason is flight access. Low-cost carriers Scoot and Vietjet run direct routes from Singapore, but not daily.

Vietjet currently flies four times a week and will increase to daily services from December. Scoot, which launched flights in December 2024, flies six times a week. Return fares hover under $300, with a flight time of about one hour and 45 minutes.

Compare that with more regular flights from Chinese and South Korean cities, and it is little surprise that hotel staff in Phu Quoc say most guests are from those countries.

Phu Quoc is about 574 sq km — four-fifths the size of Singapore - with roughly 180,000 residents.

The island can be loosely divided into three areas: the northern stretch of resorts and theme parks; the central hub of Duong Dong, where local life hums; and the south, where I spend four days exploring.

COME FOR THE BEACH, STAY FOR THE SEAFOOD

The rainy season runs from May to September, but my August visit sees only two wet spells. Otherwise, it is golden sunshine — ideal for beaches that rival postcard scenes.

Khem Beach - connected to JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa (str.sg/jq4S), where I stay for two nights — is something out of a movie.

Ms Phuc Do, assistant marketing and communications manager at the resort, says the beach gets its name from its fine white sand that appears so “creamy”, it resembles ice cream, which is khem in Vietnamese.

Even in the midday heat, families play in the clear blue water, kids build sandcastles on the beach and others happily lug their stand-up paddle boards from the coast to the sea. It does not feel crowded.