visavietnam.net.vn - Flying to Phu Quoc Island
is cheap and easy, but, if you want a real adventure, driving there by
motorbike from Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) is much more fun.
This road trip takes you from Vietnam’s biggest city to some of the country’s best beaches, via the waterways and highways of the country’s rice basket, the Mekong Delta. Upgraded roads – both on the mainland and on the island – and regular ferry connections from two Mekong Delta towns, make it possible to complete a loop from Saigon to Phu Quoc Island and back again. This round-trip takes in Vietnam’s agricultural heartland, peaceful riverside towns with colonial charm, tropical beaches lapped by the balmy waters of the Gulf of Thailand, and a fair share of industrial hellholes created by the country’s rapid economic rise.
Phú Quốc lies south of the
Cambodian coast, west of Kampot, and 40 km west of Ha Tien, the nearest coastal
town in Vietnam. Roughly triangular in shape the island is 50 kilometres (31
mi) long from north to south and 25 kilometres (16 mi) from east to west in the
north at its widest. It is also located 62 nautical miles (115 km; 71 mi) from
Rạch Giá and nearly 290 nautical miles (540 km; 330 mi) from Laem Chabang,
Thailand.
A mountainous ridge known
as "99 Peaks" runs the length of Phú Quốc, with Chúa Mountain being
the tallest at 603 metres (1,978 ft). Phu Quoc Island is mainly
composed of sedimentary rocks from the Mesozoic and Cenozoic age, including
heterogeneous conglomerate composition, layering thick, quartz pebbles, silica,
limestone, riolit and felsit. The Mesozoic rocks are classified in Phu Quoc
Formation (K pq). The Cenozoic sediments are classified in formations of Long
Toan (middle - upper Pleistocene), Long My, (upper Pleistocene), Hau Giang
(lower - middle Holocene), upper Holocene sediments, and undivided Quaternary.
SAIGON TO PHU QUOC ISLAND: MOTORBIKE GUIDE
Phu Quoc, Vietnam’s largest
island, is southwest of Saigon. It’s closer to Cambodia than the Vietnamese
mainland, and the former also lays claim to it. From Saigon to either of the
ferry ports in the Mekong Delta (Ha Tien and Rach Gia) it’s around 300km, so,
unless you’re an experienced rider or know the roads well, expect to spend at
least one night en route to the island: I’ve included recommendations for
accommodation and food at some places along the way. To get the most out of
this ride allow one week to complete the journey: this gives you plenty of time
to explore the tropical beaches on Phu Quoc and to discover the bustling
riverside towns of the Mekong Delta. The best time of year is December to
March, when temperatures are hot but humidity is low, the sun is always out,
and rainfall is rare.
I’ve written this motorbike
guide in 3 sections: Saigon to Ha Tien | Phu Quoc Island | Rach Gia to Saigon
SECTION 1: Saigon to Ha
Tien: 330km
New ring roads have made
finding the way out of Saigon’s sprawl much easier than in the past. From the
city centre take either Võ Văn Kiệt Street or Nguyễn Văn Linh Street all the
way to Highway 1, and turn southwest towards Mỹ Tho. However, as hassle-free as
exiting the city is these days, the first two or three hours driving into the
Mekong Delta from Saigon is truly uninspiring: flat, straight, monotonous roads
pass through dull, polluted industrial suburbs and hot, dusty towns full of
trucks. The only good thing is that the completion of a new vehicle-only
expressway, running parallel to Highway 1 from Saigon to Mỹ Tho, means that
traffic is mercifully light for the first 70km.
Only when you reach the
impressive Mỹ Thuận suspension bridge and turn off Highway 1, due west to Sa
Đéc town, does the journey start to get better. After the Sa Đéc bypass the
Mekong Delta finally begins to show its good side. The beautiful road to Vàm Cống
ferry is lush and abundant with tropical fruit. Crop fields disappear into the
distance, and roadside stalls sell whichever fruit or vegetable happens to be
in season to passing traffic. Street food is a highlight of a visit to the
Mekong Delta – some of the best and most diverse cuisine in Vietnam can be
found in its towns and cities and along the roadside. Stop and try anything
that looks or smells good. Most snacks cost under $1 so you can afford to make
some mistakes – eventually you’re bound to come across a tasty treat.
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Roadside snacks at duck, Mekong delta
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The 10 minute ferry
crossing at Vàm Cống, over the vast, muddy Mekong River, takes you to the busy
riverside town of Long Xuyên. This is a typical Mekong Delta city: bustling,
hectic, industrious, and full of life and food. The Mekong is an exciting
mélange of ethnicities, religions, cultures and cuisines: Khmer, Chinese, Cham,
Buddhism, Islam, and Catholicism all play their part in this region. This
diversity creates a great buzz in cities like Long Xuyên. If it’s getting late
or if you’ve had enough driving for one day, Long Xuyên makes a good overnight
stop. It’s by no means beautiful or charming, but there are plenty of mini
hotels (look for signs saying nhà nghỉ, which means ‘guesthouse’) on the main
street, and food can be found of every corner. I stayed at Hải Trà Hotel (45/5
Khóm Đông Thạnh street; 076 383 2994) not far from the Vàm Cống ferry pier.
Clean and comfortable rooms are 200,000VNĐ ($10).
From Long Xuyên, continue
northwest on the main street for 10km and bear left (west) on Road 941 towards
Tri Tôn. This small back-road takes you deeper into the green, watery heart of
the Mekong Delta. The vast, flat landscape is crisscrossed by canals and
rivers, navigated by boats small and large: narrow wooden canoes and junk-like
vessels weighed down with rice, and minor tankers full of coconuts, heading
straight from the fields and orchards of the delta to factories and store
houses, where the goods will be processed and packaged for sale or export. At
times, there’s more traffic on the waterways than the highways – even the
canals have signposts.
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Busy waterway, Mekong delta
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From Tri Tôn weave your way
through town and onto a road named N2. Part of this road has been resurfaced
and it’s a straightforward ride along a canal, through a eucalyptus plantation,
and past rice fields to Vàm Rầy. Here, turn right (west) for the last leg to Hà
Tiên. The Mekong Delta is one of the most densely farmed parts of Vietnam,
which makes it green and, occasionally, beautiful. But, it’s also one of the
most densely populated parts of the country, which means it’s busy – on roads,
rivers and in the fields – and full of industry. The drive from Vàm Rầy to Hà
Tiên highlights this contrast. Half an hour after Vàm Rầy is Kiên Lương, a town
blighted by thundering trucks carrying cement from the enormous factory that
dwarfs the town and rains down a fine grey dust that settles on every surface
within a mile radius. However, immediately after Kiên Lương, the road bears
right and heads along the coast to Hà Tiên: the landscape opens up, traffic
fades away, the Gulf of Thailand glistens on one side of the road and
peppercorns lay drying in the sun on wicker mats on the other. The smoking
chimneys of Kiên Lương’s cement factory are but silhouettes in the distance; a
world away from this peaceful scene. This is the prettiest part of Vietnam’s
Mekong Delta region.
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Peppercorns drying on the sun, near Hà Tiên
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Hà Tiên is a quiet, slow-paced
town, especially compared to the general busyness of other Mekong Delta
settlements. It lies on the north bank, at the mouth of the Giang Thành River,
in mainland Vietnam’s southwestern-most corner. Small, forested limestone hills
rise around it, and mangroves line the coastline. Hà Tiên is just a few
kilometres from the Cambodian border and is fast becoming the main port for
boats to Phu Quoc Island. It’s hoped that, in the future, Hà Tiên will thrive
as a transit point for travellers on the Southeast Asia beach trail; linking
the up-and-coming beaches of Cambodia’s south coast with the increasingly
popular Phu Quoc Island. But, for now, Hà Tiên is perhaps the hidden gem of the
Mekong Delta. There’s a sleepy grace to it: crumbling colonial buildings and
old shop fronts still stand on its quiet, shady backstreets; birdsong fills the
streets at dusk when cafes and seafood stalls set up their plastic chairs along
the riverfront promenade; in the early mornings the big fish market teems with
activity as the fish are unloaded straight off the wooden boats as they return
from a night at sea. Hà Tiên is charming in a way that few other Mekong Delta
towns are.
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Old shop house, Hà Tiên
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Food and accommodation is
plentiful and good value, and boats to Phu Quoc Island leave from Hà Tiên pier
at least twice daily. Depending on how much time you have, I recommend spending
two days in Hà Tiên to soak up the lazy ambience of this border town, and
recharge your batteries after the long drive through the Mekong. There are
dozens of mini-hotels and guesthouses clustered around the market, all of them
offering good, clean rooms for 200-400,000VNĐ ($10-20), and all of which sell
boat tickets to Phu Quoc Island – click here for everything you need to know
about getting the ferry to Phu Quoc. I stayed at the wonderful Gia Phúc
Guesthouse: 48 Đặng Thùy Trâm Street, 077 3851 469, 200,000VNĐ ($10). Ask for
the room at the top, which has a large balcony where you can watch the boats
come and go. Of all the hotels in Hà Tiên, Hải Phượng (52 Đặng Thùy Trâm
Street, 077 3852 240) is always full of backpackers sitting on the terrace with
their heads in guide books, so this could be a good place to stay if you’re
looking to meet other travellers – or one to avoid if you’re not.
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Miếng gà (chicken noodle soup) at Quán Thủy, Hà Tiên
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The main drag of Trần Hầu
has plenty of shops, cafes, and restaurants. For good, cheap and easy
point-and-order meals head to Tiệm Cơm Anh Tuyết, at 61 Trần Hầu: 20,000VNĐ
($1) a meal. For a special, local bowl of soup try Quán Thúy, at 7 Trần Hầu.
The dynamic, chatty owner has been serving miếng gà (chicken noodle soup) here
for more than 20 years. It’s delicious, and she’s open from 3pm till late into
the night: 35,000VNĐ ($1.50) a bowl. Andy’s Oasis Bar (www.oasisbarhatien.com)
is the only expat joint in town. Andy is a good source of local information and
his all day breakfasts and cocktails really hit the spot.
Once you’ve had your fill
of the charms of Hà Tiên, buy a boat ticket for you and your motorbike, and
make the crossing to Phu Quoc Island. All the information you need about taking
the boat to Phu Quoc is here.
SECTION 2: Phu Quoc Island
I’ve written the drive
around Phu Quoc Island going clockwise from Bãi Vòng pier, where most of the
boats from the mainland arrive. Obviously you wouldn’t want to drive the whole
island in one day, so I’ve included some places to stay and eat along the way.
There’s a brilliant free tourist map of the island which is updated every year
and has all the roads (and their current condition) on it, as well as gas
stations and places of interest. The map is available from some shops, trinket
stalls, hotels and tourist offices – I usually get mine from Buddy Ice cream in
the main town of Duong Dong, or at Andy’s Oasis Bar in Hà Tiên.
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New Roads on Phú Quốc Island
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Phu Quoc Island is
Vietnam’s beach ‘darling’. Huge amounts of money have been invested in the last
10 years and, although the pace of change has been slow, that’s set to change
now that some of the bigger infrastructure projects have been completed,
including an international airport and miles of new road. The latter has really
opened up the island for exploration on two wheels.
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The white sands of Sao beach
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From the jellyfish-infested
waters of Bãi Vòng port, weave through all the traffic meeting the boat and
head northwest on the new road out of town. You’ll notice that the air is
fresher than on the mainland; scented with eucalyptus and cashew fruit. Look
out for some very colourful, exotic-looking birds perched on power lines and
pylons. When you meet the highway turn left (south) towards Bãi Sao (Sao
Beach). This brand new, four-lane highway is Phu Quoc’s main artery. It runs
from An Thới at the southern tip of the island, past Duong Dong town in the
centre, all the way up to remote Bãi Thơm in the north. The highway is still
pretty empty and, apart from some unfinished sections which are bound to be
completed soon, the drive down to Sao Beach is smooth and quick.
By contrast, the red dirt
lane, leading off the highway to the beach, is still as bumpy and dusty as
ever. The lane is dripping with tropical fruits, growing on trees and bushes.
In amongst these shady orchards is Ái Si Guesthouse (077 629 0510), a calm, simple
place, just five minutes’ walk from the sands of Sao Beach. Good, brick
bungalows are $25 for up to 4 people in 2 double beds, including breakfast.
This is a better deal and much better quality than what you get at the two
resorts that are actually on Sao Beach: My Lan ($50) and Làng Tôi ($45). Phu
Quoc is famous for rượu sim, which is an alcoholic drink made from the purple
fruit of the rose myrtle bush. Ái Si grows the fruit in their gardens and
produces their own brew, which you can sample at their bar.
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| Streetside seafood BBQ in Duong Dong Town |
Although few people choose
to stay on Sao Beach, it’s probably the most popular day-trip destination on
Phu Quoc Island. The sand is still as flour-white and the water as gin-clear as
ever, but there are many more people on the beach these days. Still, there’s a
good atmosphere here, and it’s one of the few places on the island where
Vietnamese tourists outnumber foreign. The new Không Sao (‘No Problem’) Beach
Bar is up a rocky track to the left (north) of the other beach restaurants
(which are too crowded for my liking). Không Sao has a superb stretch of
palm-fringed beach. There are comfortable loungers and chairs where you can
enjoy a (surprisingly strong) gin and tonic in the sea breeze. Be aware that,
unless you buy a drink or food, you will be charged 10,000VNĐ ($0.50) for
parking at Không Sao Bar.
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Ong Lang Beach, Phu Quốc Island
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Head back up the lane and
continue south on the highway towards An Thới. The port town of An Thới, at the
southern tip of the island, is a bit of a hole, so, unless you’re looking for a
cheap local lunch, it’s best to avoid it. You can do this by turning right
(west) down one of the lanes before you reach the town. All these lanes lead to
the west side of the island and eventually turn into Trần Hưng Đạo Street, which
is not actually a ‘street’ but a dirt road. Traffic is very light on this
route, but any vehicle that passes throws up a large dust cloud, leaving you
and your bike covered in a fine, brown powder. However, this beautiful road
runs all the way along Bãi Trường (Long Beach), so if you get too dusty just
stop and have a swim in the calm sea and rest on the grass under a palm tree.
Great big resorts are just about to begin construction here, and when they are
finished the road will lead inland and access to this beach will only be for
the resorts’ guests: make the most of this ocean road and its empty beaches
before this happens. 10km south of Duong Dong town, the dirt road veers away
from the ocean and joins the new airport road. Continue north to the resorts,
bars and restaurants of Duong Dong town, the most developed part of Phu Quoc
Island.
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Bãi Dài (Dài Beach)
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Duong Dong is really two
places: to the south, along the beach, is where all the resorts and tourists
are; to the north and east, around the river, is where to ‘real’ town is; where
local people live and work. The beach here is very nice but it can get crowded
during high season (December to March) and public holidays. Also, because all
the beachfront has been built on, there’s no more public beach left for people
who aren’t staying in beachfront accommodation: normal etiquette is to buy a
drink at a resort and use its beach. There are lots of places to stay in all
price ranges. For good mid-range value, I like Thanh Kieu Resort ($50-70:
www.thanhkieuresort.com). If you’re on a budget, look out for signs along the
beach road advertising ‘Dorm beds for Backpackers’. However, I prefer to find a
local nhà nghỉ (guesthouse) in town: try Nguyễn Trãi Street or, for a really
local area, Nhật Anh Hotel (195 Nguyễn Trung Trực Street; 077 3981 798) is near
the fish market. For food you could try the incredibly popular Night Market.
However, it’s become so busy and touristy in recent years that it’s a better
idea to eat at the seafood stalls clustered around Dinh Castle, which is just
beyond the Night Market, on Bạch Đằng Street. Here, you’ll find that prices are
cheaper, and food is comparable if not better than the Night Market. For a
genuine Phu Quoc breakfast speciality read this.
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Construction on Dài Beach
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Heading northwards out of
Duong Dong town is a little confusing as the old airport is in the way – part
of the ‘road’ is actually the disused runway! Beyond town, Bãi Ông Lang (Ong
Lang beach) is only a fifteen minute drive on yet another perfect paved road.
Take a lane to the left (west) signposted for Mango Bay. There are a handful of
resorts here, of which Mango Bay (www.mangobayphuquoc.com) – with lovely wooden
plantation houses – is the most atmospheric and also good for a sunset cocktail
on the beach. Follow the paved lane past Mango Bay for a wonderful bit of
public access beach, next to Coco Palm Resort. Ten minutes further north on the
main road is the small fishing community of Cửa Cạn. There’s a long sandbar
here which is very pretty seen from the bar at Chez Carole Resort, just north
of the settlement.
After turning left (west)
at Cửa Cạn the road is red dirt all the way to Gành Dầu Cape, the island’s
northwestern tip. This is a gorgeous, quiet road, running the length of two
fantastic beaches, Bãi Vũng Bầu and Bãi Dài. Along the entire stretch the water
is turquoise, warm and calm, and the beach is shaded by casuarina trees. It’s
very inviting, and you could easily spend the day swimming, picnicking and
laying around, moving from one spot to another. There are a couple of resorts
and a few makeshift restaurants serving seafood. As most of this area is yet to
be developed, the flotsam that washes up on the beach is not cleared away. Add
to that, the trash that fishermen and (sadly) many picnickers leave behind, and
there’s a fair amount of rubbish. However, it’s still easy to find a good,
‘untainted’ spot.
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Bãi Thơm (Thơm Beach)
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Bãi Dài is one of my
favourite beaches in Vietnam, but at my last visit, in March 2014, construction
had begun on a gigantic resort in the middle of this lovely beach. Great big
earth movers were tearing up the foliage; enormous trucks were plying the dirt
track along the ocean, kicking up dust and sand everywhere; ugly corrugated
iron shacks had sprung up to house and cater to the itinerant labour force; there
were cement mixing sites, brick ovens, and a new pier had been built for ships
to dock next to the construction site with materials and supplies. When it’s
completed, the dirt road will be re-routed around the resort, so there will be
no more public access to this part of Bãi Dài. Of course, this is only the
beginning: the pace of development in the next five years on Phu Quoc Island
will be much faster than the previous five.
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The port at Rạch Giá
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The road is paved again
just before reaching Gành Dầu Cape. There’s quite a large fishing town here
where you can find snacks and drinks. Down a dirt path are two remote resorts:
Peppercorn and Giớ Biển. The former (www.peppercornbeach.com) is on a wonderful
white sand beach, with comfortable bungalows set under palm trees. The food is
outstanding and you can see the Cambodian islands, just a few kilometres out to
sea.
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Phú Quốc coastline
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From Gành Dầu to Bãi Thơm,
in the northeast of the island, there are two routes. Either head back down to
Cửa Cạn on the new road, and from here take a dirt road northeast until it
meets the Duong Dong-Bãi Thơm highway. Or take a dirt road from Gành Dầu east
all the way to the intersection with the Duong Dong-Bãi Thơm highway. Both
routes are scenic and there’s very little traffic; both pass through dense
tropical forest and the odd pepper farm (for which Phu Quoc is famous).
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Phú Quốc coastline
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Bãi Thơm has a stark beauty
about it. Although the beaches are hidden down tracks and the water’s very
shallow and tidal, there’s something beguiling about this remote northern tip
of Phu Quoc Island. Silent, still, hot, sparsely populated, and filled with the
scent of cashew fruit and the sound of midday cicadas, Bãi Thơm hasn’t seen the
same development as the rest of the island. There’s not much here yet, but for
a few food shacks, and a mid-range resort with simple, clean rooms and a
seafood restaurant, called Coco Bay. Once or twice a day the red dust on Bãi
Thơm’s dirt road is disturbed by vehicles coming off the car ferry from the
mainland, at Đá Chồng Port, just a couple kilometres to the south. There are
plans for a sprawling resort here, and, now that the highway to Duong Dong town
is finished, perhaps it won’t be long before slumbering Bãi Thơm is awoken.
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Phú Quốc coastline
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There’s a dirt road from
Bãi Thơm all the way south to Hàm Ninh Port, which makes it possible to do a
complete loop of the island. However, this road is in bad condition and should
only be attempted in the dry season (November to April); for the rest of the
year it gets very muddy and becomes almost impassable. Until this road is
upgraded, it’s best to drive back to Duong Dong town on the highway and
continue south to Hàm Ninh or Bãi Vòng ports to get the ferry to Rach Gia on
the mainland (see here for all ferry information).
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Fishing boat
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SECTION 3: Rach Gia to
Saigon 280km
Rach Gia is another big,
busy Mekong Delta town. There’s a real buzz about this place, which might come
as a shock after a few lazy days on Phu Quoc Island. There’s lots of good
street food around the central square, and good mini hotels can be found here
too, or by the ferry pier, or the new commercial square. I stayed at Gia Thảo
Hotel (164-166 Trần Phú Street; 077 878 576; $10). Rach Gia’s backstreets are
good for wandering, but its main roads are busy and polluted. One of the first
things you see after getting off the ferry is a replica of an old French ship
called, L’Espérance. The ship was blown up by Vietnamese nationalist hero, Nguyễn
Trung Trực, in 1861. There’s a colossal statue of him in the nearby square. He
was eventually captured by the French colonial authorities in 1868 and executed
at the age of 28, meeting his firing squad with a volley of patriotic words.
Road 80, from Rach Gia
northeast to Long Xuyên, is in decent condition, but it’s fairly busy (this is
one of the most industrious areas of the Mekong Delta) and the landscape is
unremarkable. Take the Vàm Cống ferry back over the gaping Mekong River and
retrace the same route all the way back to Saigon.
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Fishing boat
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Manufacturing of fish sauce
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A bridge on Dương Đông river
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Dương Đông river's mouth
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| Hotel in Phú Quốc |
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| Hotel in Phú Quốc |
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Dương Đông river's mouth
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| Sùng Hưng pagoda |
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| A beach in Phú Quốc |
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| A beach in Phú Quốc (Bãi Sao) |
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| Dương Đông river |
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| Suối Tranh |
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| Nguyễn Trung Trực's temple |
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| Woman selling shellfish by the roadside |
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| Fishermen's village |
From: Vietnamcoracle
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