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ALL ABOUT PHU QUOC ISLAND

Phu Quoc, or Phú Quốc as it’s written in Vietnamese, refers to the island’s diverse natural environment. ‘Phú’ meaning ‘fertile land’ and ‘Quốc’ meaning nation. Its diversity is one of the reasons the island has three distinct nicknames:
  • Pearl Island (Đảo Ngọc), due to the abundance of pearls hidden in oysters off its coastline, which have historically been a source of prized treasure for able-bodied freedivers.
  • The Island of 99 Mountains, because of the multitude of mountainous terrain to be explored, from the north of the island right the way down to the south.
  • Emerald Island, due to the island’s lush tropical jungle that’s teeming with spectacular wildlife and adventure.

Phu Quoc is located on the southwest sea territory of Vietnam, bordering Cambodia and Thailand. The island has a long coastline with many famous and pristine beaches, as well as deep sea waters suitable for the development of fishery and seaport systems. The island city is surrounded by 150 kilometers of coastline and has 22 large and small islands, dotted with famed beaches like Bai Truong, Bai Khem, Ganh Dau, Bai Sao and Cua Can, earning it the “pearl island” moniker.

Phu Quoc district gained worldwide popularity after opening an international airport in 2012 and has been implementing a 30-day visa-free policy for foreigners since 2014.

In December 2020, the National Assembly Standing Committee passed a resolution establishing Phu Quoc city from March 1, becoming the first island city in Vietnam. It will be developed in two phases. Phase 1 focuses on building a city to quickly meet the basic criteria of a Grade 1 urban area. In the second phase, Phu Quoc city will be developed into a regional integrated centre.

By 2025, it strives to achieve total fishery output of 201,000 tons per year, with State budget revenue increasing 11.7% each year on average. It also aims to welcome 10 million tourists, up 15% per year, 4 million of which will be foreigners. The rate of poor households is to be under 1%.

Phu Quoc city now have a population of over 179,000 people, with nine commune-level administrative units. It will include two wards, namely Duong Dong and An Thoi, and seven communes including Ham Ninh, Duong To, Ganh Dau, Bai Thom, Cua Duong, Can Can, and Tho Chau.

Duong Dong Town with a population of 60,415 will become the city’s Duong Dong Ward. An Thoi Ward will be established by merging Hon Thom Commune with An Thoi Town. Duong Dong is the island’s economic, political, cultural, and social center while An Thoi serves as its marine transport hub.

A huge amount of capital has been injected into Phu Quoc city for years, most of which comes from strategic investors like Vingroup, Sun Group, BIM Group, and CEO Group.

All nationalities traveling directly to Phu Quoc Island can visit the island for 30 days visa-free. To do this you will need to show an outbound ticket on arrival in Vietnam.

Click to see in details.

Accessing the island is relatively easy.

1. Direct domestic flights from HCM – just 35 mins (there are around 20 flights per days)
We also updated visa policies and domestic flights to Phu Quoc for our int’l customers (as of 19 May, 2022) check it out here: https://onbird.vn/all-updating-visa-policies-and-flights…/
2. By car and speedboat combination:
Would you prefer a longer trip to discover Mekong Delta region? If yes, transfer by coach from a group tour departing from HCM then to reach any Mekong Delta City (Cai Be/ My Tho/ Can Tho/ Rach Gia/ Ha Tien,…). These Mekong delta destinations hopping would be a good option (for almost travelers).
After that, visitors can choose high-speed boats travel between the island and the Mekong Delta towns of Rạch Giá and Hà Tiên. It’s around 45 kilometer express boat ride from Ha Tien City or a 120 kilometer sea journey from Rach Gia, Kien Giang’s capital city.

Those who don’t have their sea legs can opt from one of the ten international routes currently connecting Phu Quoc with Russia, China, Singapore, South Korea, and several European countries or Vietnam domestic flights to Phu Quoc, click to see more details.

As it’s located in the South of Vietnam in the range of tropical climate, Phu Quoc has 2 main seasons: Rainy and Dry season.

As usual, Dry season lasts from October to the end of April, and the rest of the year is the rainy time. The best time to visit Phu Quoc is the dry season but the beginning of the rainy season or summer time which starts from May to July is still pretty good with many days of sunny, calm and warm sea, it is not persistant rain like many people think, number of sunny days last 20 to 25 days within the month. Indeed, rainy season or summer time is one of the best time to explore coral reefs in South Phu Quoc Island.

Click to read more details.

Phu Quoc island is best visited between October to the end of April when rainy season is not yet in effect but actually the sea will be quite beautiful from October to the end of July, especially between May and July.

Peak season for foreign travelers typically occurs in December and Febuarary. From our experience, from May to July you can still enjoy your time in Phu Quoc with many sunny days in the South of Phu Quoc regardless of short-time rainy. Especially, Rainy season or summer time is also when the sea gets sandy beaches of islands in the An Thoi archipelago accreted, which makes the island more beautiful on sunny days.

Click to see details about the individual period for best sea activities.

Phu Quoc Island is a paradise for the sea activity lovers; from deep-sea fishing, snorkeling, sailing, kayaking just to name few. It is entirely depending on your interests to explore the Island and stay as long as you desire.
Phu Quoc also offers untouched natural beauty that many people come to do but just to relax, recharge, and rejuvenate before returning to their lives.
For those who wish to have action-packed short break, you could cover North to the South of the Island in just few days.
Please browse through our website to pick the ideas and plan your perfect holiday in Phu Quoc.

Being a popular beach vacation destination, it is not difficult to find accommodation in Phu Quoc. From affordable hostels to luxurious beach resorts, Phu Quoc has a variety of accommodations suitable for your taste and budget plan.

Read our comprehensive guides about where to stay in Phu Quoc.

Else, just pick up some of the most distinguished ones from our recent reviews about hotels, resorts in the area.

Phu Quoc has a handful of beautiful beaches where you can enjoy a variety of fun activities!

Here are some of the most popular ones:

IN THE NORTH:

IN THE CENTRAL WEST

 

IN THE SOUTH

There are much more to discover here!

Exploring exotic places doesn’t have to cost a fortune and you certainly don’t need to win the lottery to travel the world – not if you know how to watch your pennies. Read 5 hacks.

For the first-timers in Phu Quoc, you might want to try belows:

Phu Quoc Island offers some of the best snorkeling and diving in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. The island is home to more than 22 small islands and islets which create a vibrant ecosystem that makes diving and snorkeling here one of the most exciting activities on the island.

OnBird’s experiences are designed uniquely based on our inspection and water-condtitions data tracks, we find and inspect the best spots to bring guests the best experiences. From our observations of coral reefs in Phu Quoc Island we list out the best Coral Reefs below:

North-east Coral Reef: a coral city in South Phu Quoc Island with about 18 different species of coral

Half-moon Reef: a Coral Bay in South Phu Quoc Island

Coral Mountain: the biggest Cactus Coral Colony in Phu Quoc Island

Shallow Coral Reef: the kingdom of Table Corals with many big-sized table corals

U-Turn: a deep water for scuba diving

Coral Steep: a small coral field

 

FAQ

Based on specialization in sea activities in Phu Quoc Island, OnBird create high standards, special products that meet the desires of the most distinguished clientele looking for real, authentic and professional experiences in Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam:

Regent Phu Quoc

Cassia Cottage

JW Marriott Emerald Bay Phu Quoc

NXP Semiconductors: NXP Semiconductors N.V. is a Dutch semiconductor designer and manufacturer with headquarters in Eindhoven, Netherlands

Evonik Industries: The second largest chemicals company in Germany, and one of the largest specialty chemicals companies in the world.

OnBird Phu Quoc is an authorized snorkeling & diving equipment supplier based in Phu Quoc Island for 2 brands GULL JAPAN and IST. We are proud that we are providing the highest-quality equipment for guests, especially anti-fog diving mask with soft-silicone seal, semi-dry snorkel with stable piece, soft-silicone mouth peice.

TRAVEL WITH ONBIRD

We understand that snorkeling & diving in particular or in-the-water-activities in general are high risky activities, as a responsible and professional snorkeling & scuba diving operator in Phu Quoc Island, OnBird has built and been being improving our own safety and risk management with 6 layers of Risk Avoidance and Risk Reduction to enhence Safety Management on OnBird’s experiences. We build and enrich our understands about

  • Marine life of Phu Quoc Island
  • The underwater terrain of coral reefs and hidden coral spots
  • The water conditions at each locations in specific periods of time
  • The health issues, desire of each guests
  • Underwater risk management

 

 

Not like other tour operators in Phu Quoc, OnBird make the most of the cost for the tours paid by guests for the purpose of optimizing the tour experience and quality to bring guests the best experiences thereby we cut off third party fee for hotel and resort brochures, flyers. Instead, we devote some part of our profit to support organizations that protect the environment, restore coral reefs and rescue marine life in Phu Quoc and Vietnam in general

We design professional soft adventure journeys in small-group sizes with crowd-avoiding itinerary to maximize opportunities for our guests to appreciate beautiful marine life in Phu Quoc. Baseing on our internal water condition data (wave level, current, underwater visibility, tide) and coral reefs we adjust the experience timeframe and offer proper corresponding options to bring guests the best experiences that they wont gain without understanding about the water conditions, this tell us apart from amatuer operators in terms of sea-activities. With a defining criterion of: “High Safety Management – Responsibility – Distinct – Crowd-avoiding Itinerary”, our dedicated team has kept investing time and effort into discovering untouched spots to offer you an expansive portfolio of expenditures which carefully crafted to showcase the very best of Phu Quoc Island and offer unique experiences.

Please have a look then drop us a message for more information.

Our most favorable experience aka best-selling tour is Private snorkeling trip in An Thoi Archipelago, Phu Quoc by speedboat.

Read more guests’ reviews of this authentic private snorkeling tour with Distinct & Touristy-avoiding route on Tripadvisor and you’ll get to know WHY.

Whether you’re 6 or 75, our tours are great for all ages!

Our tailor-made tours are for all those who are keen on “Genuine sea exploration” – “Privacy-centric experiences” – “In-depth Snorkeling” – “Peaceful atmosphere”. However, please be advised that:

* Due to the nature of this activity, it is not recommended for persons with impaired physical mobility or those in wheelchairs

* It’s not recommended for those with medical conditions (high blood pressure, epilepsy, etc.), pregnant women, or seniors,…

Please contact us to discuss more about your conditions, we’re sure to help you out.

Swimming and snorkeling area big part of OnBird Soft-adventure journeys. To make the most of your Phu Quoc experience it is recommended that you feel comfortable in water. If you are a non-swimmer or not a strong swimmer then tell us and we will make sure the guide takes extra care of you. Furthermore, life vests and over water inflatable buoy are always available onboard.

There will lots of opportunities to explore the pristine reefs we have discovered throughout the islands. Snorkels and masks are provided on all of our boats. There are fins available if you wish to use them, but although there is a range of sizes there may not be a pair to fit everyone. You can bring your own equipment if you wish. If you are a keen snorkeler and plan to spend lots of time in the water, it is a good idea to bring a long-sleeved rash-guard to protect you from the strong tropical sun and annoying jellyfish stings.

Soft Adventure Tours is all about the sharing of information and tips with travelers planning vacations or trips to non-traditional destinations for new experiences, activities, cultures, and natural wonders, with some mild physical activity.

It’s one of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry and is enjoyed by anyone who is looking for more than just your typical vacation to a beach, a cruise, or a sightseeing trip to a big city. Although many of the soft adventure short tours are often taken to supplement the traditional vacation. This includes many trips to destinations that offer eco-tourism or special interest expeditions or themes.

 

Are there any qualifications to join a soft-adventure tour?

You don’t really need any special qualifications to enjoy this type of travel other than a desire for an unusual or memorable experience and is reasonably good health.

Some of the typical tours can include activities and cultural experiences like safaris, sailing, biking, hiking, fishing, wineries, barging, dude ranches, snorkeling, nature studies, and many more.

Cruise lines are also joining in on this trend by offering theme cruises to exotic locations. Many are sailing expedition cruise ships that are led by knowledgeable people in their field and can provide lectures and field trips to exotic locations for travelers to experience first hand a destinations culture, history, geography, and/or wildlife.

All this along with their usual assortment of great meals and entertainment.

Destinations can run the gamut from budget to luxury. Even African safari’s have their range of cost offerings up to and including luxury tent camping with all the comforts of home including in-tent hot water bathrooms and fine dining.

Families with kids are finding soft adventure vacations a great way for a family to bond together by experiencing exciting activities with some mild exercise.

Kid-friendly activities don’t have to be just for kids. Snorkeling in Phu Quoc island is usually a kid-approved, mom- and dad-loved activity that is a guaranteed good time for big and little travelers alike. Children have an amazing sense of adventure and discovery. We love having them on board, especially when we introduce them preliminary knowledge and exciting things of underwater life.

In Phu Quoc, coral reefs have various depths ranging from 2 – 8m and not all of them are suitable for kids especially when taking external factors such as “wind”, “current”, “depth” and “underwater visibility” into consideration.

At OnBird, as our defining criteria are Genuine Experience and Customer-centric privacy, we always take into consideration cases of accompanying “special” guests: kids, children and teenagers.

For kids, children and teenagers who have not much experience in the water especially snorkeling and diving then it’s vital for kids, children to practice in a “shallow water” before doing snorkel and after that, they need an ideal coral reef for their experiment.

Read in full the blog: KID SNORKELING IN PHU QUOC – SUITABLE SNORKELING SITES FOR YOUR KIDS?

Ýes, it’s definitely better to reserve in advance. Our reservation process is quick and easy. You only need to follow these simple steps to make the reservation:

  • Select the departure date you want to take the tour and the number of guests.
  • Fill in personal information of you team, hotel/ pick-up address, email, and phone number.
  • You’ll then receive our response via email/ Whatsapp, Facebook page, Zalo,… ASAP.

As we offer “Reserve now, pay after the tour” policy, you don’t need to pay in advance, we accept cash after you finish the trip with us. However, in some peak periods when seats are limited, you might be required make a deposit before the departure date.

Full refunds will be issued for cancellations made at least 24 hour(s) before the selected departure date. We may cancel the tour in case of force majeure or unforeseen circumstances (e.g. extreme weather conditions).

In this case, you will be given the option to reschedule or request a full refund. Refunds and changes in date or time may be accommodated in cases of cancellation due to force majeure or unforeseen circumstances (e.g. flight cancellation).

Absolutely YES! We price all of our tours according to the value we provide, especially we keep the group tours at very small size of 6 – 8 PAX only for soft-adventure snorkeling experiences with 1 or 2 underwater guides. Most tour companies have hidden fees and don’t provide high quality services. As we do privacy-centric experiences following distinct & touristy-avoiding routes, and especially underwater guide, you’ll gain best trips you desire for. Besides that, for underwater activities such as snorkeling & diving, we offer an exclusive service is checking weather & water conditions in advance to tell guests which dates and which timeframe are ideal for snorkeling & diving.

When traveling with OnBird, you won’t be reaching for your wallet as everything will be covered in the tour price. We also help out to promote the sustainabilities  in Phu Quoc while doing the business practices.

The maximum capacity of our speedboat is 25 people per boat. However, as we want to ensure you will have the most comfortable and safe experience, we only transport maximum 8 people per boat for small-group joining trip. Also, as we mainly do private tours, the number of people on the speedboat will definitely depend on your group size, even 2 or 10 people.

Please visit Tripadvisor to read our guests’ reviews about their experience with us. Thanks to their nice feedbacks, we’ve been ranking #1 of 95 Tour Organizers in Phu Quoc Island on TripAdvisor.

Contact OnBird Phu Quoc for tours in Phu Quoc Island or build partnership with us

To reach our team in most convenient ways, please give us a call or drop us a message:

  • Hotline 1: (+84) 39 33 11 448 (WhatsApp, Zalo)
  • Hotline 2: (+84) 36 3759280 (Call, Kakao Talk)
  • Reservation or more inquiries via mail: [email protected]
  • For partnership: [email protected]

Our aim is to respond to all inquiries within 12 hours. Please note that our response times may vary during peak periods such as after product launches or promotions. Thank you!

Based on specialization in sea activities in Phu Quoc Island, OnBird create high standards, special products that meet the desires of the most distinguished clientele looking for real, authentic and professional experiences in Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam:

Regent Phu Quoc

Cassia Cottage

JW Marriott Emerald Bay Phu Quoc

NXP Semiconductors: NXP Semiconductors N.V. is a Dutch semiconductor designer and manufacturer with headquarters in Eindhoven, Netherlands

Evonik Industries: The second largest chemicals company in Germany, and one of the largest specialty chemicals companies in the world.

We will take photos and record vides in the water upon request with a charge. Kindly note that photos cannot be guaranteed. Our customer’s safety and wellbeing is our first priority, and therefore the guide will focus on snorkelers as a priority when in the water and will be taking photos when everyone is comfortable.

OnBird Phu Quoc is an authorized snorkeling & diving equipment supplier based in Phu Quoc Island for 2 brands GULL JAPAN and IST. We are proud that we are providing the highest-quality equipment for guests, especially anti-fog diving mask with soft-silicone seal, semi-dry snorkel with stable piece, soft-silicone mouth peice.

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