Phu Quoc

Currency

Resorts quote in dollars but pay in dong wherever you can. Rates on the island are worse than on the mainland, so exchange before you fly in.

ATMs & cards

Vietcombank and BIDV machines are in Duong Dong town and at the larger resorts. Beach areas in the north and south have very few, so withdraw before heading out. Decline conversion.

Machines cluster in Duong Dong and the main resort strip. Withdraw before heading to the quieter beaches.

Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.

Safety

Safe and easy-going. Scooter accidents are the main cause of tourist injury, so wear a helmet and avoid riding at night on unlit roads. Development is rapid and construction sites are widespread.

Our own assessment, not a sourced index.

Entry & visa

Health & emergencies

Required to enter

No vaccinations are required for entry from Europe or North America.

Worth having

• Hepatitis A
• Typhoid
• Tetanus up to date
• Rabies for longer stays
• Japanese encephalitis for long rural stays

Getting treated

International hospitals and clinics in Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City are good, English-speaking and inexpensive compared with Europe. Public hospitals are cheap, crowded and rarely English-speaking. On Phu Quoc the facilities are basic and serious cases go to the mainland.

Dengue is common in the rainy season. Malaria is not a risk in the cities or the usual tourist areas. Traffic injuries are by far the most common reason visitors need a hospital.

Orientation, not medical advice. Entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history and where you have been — check with a travel clinic or your national health service four to six weeks before you go.

Food tip

The island is famous for fish sauce and black pepper — both are worth bringing home. Eat seafood at the Duong Dong night market, where you pick it live and pay by weight.

Getting around

• Rented scooter — the standard way to see the island, though the roads are mixed
• Grab — available around Duong Dong and the main resort strip
• Taxi — Mai Linh and Vinasun, insist on the meter
• Cable car — the world’s longest over-sea cable car, to Hon Thom island
• Airport: Phu Quoc International is 15 minutes from Duong Dong

Must-see

Things to do

• Spend a day at Sao Beach
• Ride the Hon Thom cable car
• Snorkel the An Thoi archipelago
• Tour a pepper farm and fish sauce factory
• Watch sunset from Long Beach
• Trek in Phu Quoc National Park

Nearby day trips

Say a few words

Vietnamese

• HelloXin chàosin CHOW
• PleaseLàm ơnlam URN
• Thank youCảm ơngam URN
• Yes / NoVâng / Khôngvung / khom
• Excuse meXin lỗisin LOY
• How much is it?Bao nhiêu tiền?bao nyew TYEN
• The bill, pleaseTính tiềnting TYEN
• Cheers!Một hai ba, dô!mot hai ba, yo

Tonal, so the same syllable said flat means something else entirely. Nobody expects you to get it right and the attempt lands well regardless.

Religion

Folk religion and Buddhist, officially atheist state

Most Vietnamese practise ancestor veneration at home regardless of what they call it. Remove shoes and hats at temples, and do not photograph people at prayer.

Do's and don'ts

Do

• Cross roads slowly and steadily without stopping — the scooters flow around you, and hesitating is what causes accidents
• Remove shoes entering homes and temples
• Use both hands to give and receive
• Haggle in markets, cheerfully, and accept that a small foreigner premium is normal

Don't

• Do not touch anyone’s head, and do not point your feet at people or altars
• Do not show public affection beyond a hand on an arm
• Do not photograph military sites or personnel
• Do not leave chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice