Phu Quoc by Car: Driving Around and Across the Island
Phu Quoc by car was the trip that finally made the island make sense to me. By then, I had already spent months living on Phu Quoc and had seen most of its major attractions, but I still knew many parts of the island as separate places.
When a friend came to visit, we rented a car and spent several days driving around and across Phu Quoc. We went from south to north, crossed the centre, followed the east coast and took roads I had never had a reason to use before.
I showed him some of the island’s best-known places along the way, but for me the value of this trip was different: it finally connected the whole island.
In short: a car was useful because we wanted to cover long distances, cross between very different parts of Phu Quoc and stop wherever we wanted. You do not need a car just to see the island’s classic attractions. For that, see my Phu Quoc Without a Scooter guide.
Phu Quoc by Car: Driving Around the Whole Island
Over six calendar days, the trip took us through south Phu Quoc, the northern part of the island, Duong Dong and central Phu Quoc, inland stops, the east coast, the northern coast, a couple of historical and cultural sites in the south, and out to Cua Can. Some of that ground we covered by car, some later by scooter once the car went back.
What follows is roughly how those days actually happened, not a route built for someone else to follow step by step.
Day 1: Arrival, the Marina and Sonasea
My friend landed in the afternoon, so we did not try to fit in a major attraction on day one. A simple first evening around Phu Quoc Marina worked better: a walk by the sea, sunset, and dinner nearby before the longer driving days ahead.
We ended up at Sonasea for dinner. It is an easy choice for an uncomplicated evening, with casual barbecue places, cafés and bars, and a livelier atmosphere after dark without needing any real planning.
Day 2: South to North, and Back to Duong Dong
This is where the longer trip actually began. My friend had a professional reason to look at a few hotels along the way, which is why some of the stops on this day are properties rather than beaches or temples. I am mentioning that once here because it explains the route, not because inspecting hotels is something I would suggest building a Phu Quoc day around.
South Phu Quoc: Khem Beach and JW Marriott
We started in the south, at Khem Beach, which I had already seen before but was glad to show him. The JW Marriott sits right there, and even if you are not staying there, it is worth a look if you like unusual hotel design. The property is built around a fictional university concept, with elaborate interiors, color, signage and themed spaces throughout. I would not make a special trip just to walk around a hotel, but since we were already at Khem Beach, it made sense to see the two together.
Renting a Car and Heading North
After the south, it was clear a taxi was not going to cover the rest of what we wanted to do, so we picked up a rental car and pointed it north, toward Vinpearl and Grand World.
Vinpearl and Grand World
The north of Phu Quoc feels almost like a separate resort district. Vinpearl Resort, VinWonders, Vinpearl Safari and Grand World are all concentrated in the same broad part of the island, and my friend had already seen most of this before, so we mainly walked the grounds and compared how the area worked rather than treating it as new territory for either of us.
If theme parks are more your priority than mine was that day, you could easily spend an entire day at VinWonders or Safari instead. My detailed guides:
From Vinpearl it is a short drive to Grand World, built around canals, colorful facades, restaurants, shops and entertainment. It gets more atmospheric later in the day, but even in daylight it works as a coffee stop while you are exploring the north. For shows, museums and the different sections of the complex, see my Grand World Phu Quoc guide.
Evening in Duong Dong
By evening we needed to be back closer to Duong Dong, the actual center of the island, so we stayed at Tom Hill Boutique Resort & Spa on the hillside above town. What worked well was the combination of a sea-view room, a small infinity pool and easy access to Duong Dong in the evening. You do not need to stay at the same hotel. The point is that central Phu Quoc gives you a good reset before heading toward the east coast the next morning.
Day 3: Su Muon, the East Coast and Starfish Beach
Day 3 was the most varied day of the trip. We moved from jungle and temples to coffee, small coastal resorts and one of the quieter sides of Phu Quoc that I had barely seen before this loop.
Suoi Tranh Waterfall
We started at Suoi Tranh. The walk to the waterfall is relatively short, through a green park and forest trail. The waterfall itself changes considerably with the season, so this stop is as much about the jungle walk as the final cascade. I would not build an entire day around it, but it fits naturally into a central or east-coast route.
Su Muon Pagoda
From there we continued to Su Muon Pagoda. The complex sits on a wooded hillside and feels very different from Phu Quoc’s modern attractions, with Buddha statues, dragon details, incense, old trees and steps leading further up the hill. This was one of the places that made the island feel less like a collection of beaches and resorts and more like somewhere people actually live, worship and build traditions.
Coffee Near Suoi Da, Then the East Coast
A short café stop worked well before continuing toward the coast. We stopped at Suoi Da Coffee & Ice Cream for coconut coffee and a break in the greenery. It is not a destination in itself, which is exactly why it works well on a driving day.
The east coast around Cay Sao has a completely different atmosphere from Long Beach and the resort-heavy west: smaller hotels, bungalows, rocky shoreline and long quiet stretches between properties. We stopped at a couple of places while getting a feel for the coast, including Freedom Beach Resort and Rocks Beach Boutique Phu Quoc, without needing to see every property along the way.
Rory’s Beach Bar
Rory’s was the east-coast stop we actually returned to that evening. It is a relaxed beach bar with a wooden deck, sea views, sunbeds and an 18-hole mini-golf course, and a good spot for lunch during the drive since it does not commit you to a long detour.
Butterfly Rose, Chosen for the Sunrise
We wanted to spend this particular night on the east side of the island on purpose, because it is the sunrise side of Phu Quoc, something the west coast simply cannot offer. Looking for a place to stay along that stretch, we came across Butterfly Rose Beach Resort. It is a small property rather than a large resort, with a quieter atmosphere and rooms facing the sea, and it suited exactly what we were looking for, so we stayed.
The owner turned out to speak French, which led to an unexpectedly long conversation at check-in given that neither of us had planned on using our French that day. If you would rather keep one hotel for the whole trip, you can simply visit the east coast during the day and return to Duong Dong instead of staying overnight.
Starfish Beach and the Northern Coast
With the car and the rest of the afternoon still free, we pushed further up the coast toward Starfish Beach. It was one of my favorite parts of the loop, not because of one huge attraction, but because the landscape felt much less developed, with small cafés, fishing areas, local temples and stretches of coast without large resorts along the way.
Do not expect hundreds of starfish neatly arranged for photographs. When we visited, there were only a handful. More importantly, do not lift starfish out of the water for photos. Leave them where they are and photograph them in the shallows. The beach itself was almost empty around sunset, which ended up being more memorable than the number of starfish, and we headed back to Rory’s for dinner before returning to Butterfly Rose for the night.
Day 4: Sunrise, the Port, and Two Historical Stops
The reason we had picked the east coast for the night paid off the next morning: sunrise directly over the sea, right from the room. From there the day shifted into something more practical. We stopped at the port to sort out a ferry ticket for my friend’s departure later in the trip, then continued toward two stops that combine the island’s cultural and historical side with the modern south. It is a good reminder of how many completely different versions of Phu Quoc exist within a fairly small area.
Ho Quoc Pagoda
Ho Quoc Pagoda sits on a hillside overlooking the sea. A wide staircase lined with stone dragons leads into the main courtyard, with a large Guanyin statue facing the water and traditional-style temple buildings behind it. The sea-facing position is one of the most striking parts of the complex. Go earlier in the day if you want cooler temperatures and softer light.
Phu Quoc Prison
From Ho Quoc, we continued to Phu Quoc Prison. This is not an entertainment stop. The former prison complex, also known as Coconut Tree Prison, is now a historical site with barracks, photographs, reconstructions and exhibits showing the treatment of prisoners. You do not need to spend hours here, but I would not skip it if you are interested in understanding anything about Phu Quoc beyond beaches and tourism. Give the site the tone it deserves and do not rush through it as just another photo stop.
We dropped the rental car off back near the Marina around the middle of the day. Between the hotel stops, the temples, the coast and the north, it had covered a lot of ground.
Day 5: Back on a Scooter, Sunset Town and Hon Thom
With the car returned, we switched to a scooter for a lighter day and headed to Sunset Town, an area my friend had not seen yet and I was happy to show him.
Hon Thom Cable Car
The cable car crosses the sea above the An Thoi islands and fishing boats before reaching Hon Thom. For ticket details, timing and what the ride is actually like, see my Hon Thom Cable Car guide. If you plan to spend real time on Hon Thom itself, start this part of the day earlier than we did.
Sunset Town in the Evening
We finished the day in Sunset Town: walking the waterfront, a stop at Vui Fest, dinner, and watching part of the evening program from around the waterfront rather than booking every show. Useful guides if you want to plan a fuller evening there:
Day 6: A Pepper Farm and the Cua Can River, Alone
My friend left by ferry that morning, and I carried on alone by scooter, which changed the pace of the day completely.
Phu Quoc Countryside Pepper Farm
I started with a pepper farm, Phu Quoc Countryside, where the visit included the pepper vines, different varieties, a short guided walk, tasting and a small shop. A pepper farm does not need half a day. It works better as one stop in a wider route. If you are interested in the different types of pepper, what to buy and what a farm visit looks like, see my Phu Quoc Pepper Farm guide.
A Round Basket Boat on the Cua Can River
My next planned stop was supposed to be a bee farm, but I spotted a boat sign on the road near Cua Can and changed plans on the spot, which is exactly the kind of thing having your own transport lets you do. That detour led to a round basket-boat trip on the river, moving slowly through calm channels bordered by palms and mangroves for close to an hour. I had the boat to myself, which made the whole experience feel much smaller and less commercial than the basket-boat rides you often see around Vietnam’s major tourist centers. It was also extremely hot, so bring water and sun protection.
From Cua Can I made my way back toward the Marina, stopping in Duong Dong along the way. KingKong Mart is especially useful for packaged pepper, coffee, sauces, dried fruit or other easy-to-pack souvenirs without visiting several separate shops, and it made a natural last stop before the loop was really over.
When a Car Is Useful on Phu Quoc
Phu Quoc is large enough that long distances become significant once you try to cross it rather than stay in one area. Having a car for the middle days made it easier to move between very different parts of the island in the same day, and air conditioning genuinely mattered in the heat. It also meant we could stop spontaneously, whether that was a random resort along the east coast or a boat sign on the road to Cua Can, and take roads I would normally have had no reason to use.
That is really the point of this whole route. Driving across the island is what helped me understand how its different areas connect, not any single stop along the way. It is not something every visitor to Phu Quoc needs. If you would rather stick to the classic sights without driving, my Phu Quoc without a scooter guide is the better starting point.
Before this trip, I knew Phu Quoc mainly as separate areas and individual places. Over these few days, we travelled around and across the island, connecting the south, north, centre, east coast and the roads between them.
That was the most valuable part of the trip. Not one particular attraction, but finally understanding how different parts of Phu Quoc fit together.
After months of living on the island, this was the trip that finally made Phu Quoc feel like one whole place.
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