Phu Quy Island (Vietnamese đảo Phú Quý, đảo meaning island), also known as Thu or Khoai Xu Islet, is a small island located about 120 km southeast of Phan Thiet Ward, Lam Dong Province. The small island covers over 18 km² and offers enough scenic landscapes for visitors to explore over a few days.
Table of Contents
What is the best time to visit Phu Quy?
The climate on the island is cool and dry year-round. The best time to visit Phu Quy Island is from December to June the following year, as the storm season typically runs from September to November. In the spring and summer, the sea is calm and clear, with light winds, making it easy for you to visit other islands around Phu Quy. However, sometimes there will be rough seas, so you should check the weather forecast in advance.
How to get here?
Phu Quy Island is located in Phan Thiet Ward, less than 200km from Ho Chi Minh City, so the most convenient and fastest mode of transport is by train or bus. There are currently many bus companies operating the Ho Chi Minh City-Phan Thiet route, with fares starting at 200,000 VND/trip. The most popular are: Futa (Phuong Trang), Tam Hanh, Hanh Cafe,….For a large group, we recommend booking a private car to Phan Thiet that includes a driver who can pick up and drop off in Phan Thiet.
As the most remote island in Lam Dong province, Phu Quy Island has wild and beautiful scenery, but tourism has not yet developed. Currently, the only way to reach the island is by boat from Phan Thiet, a distance of more than 110 km.
Boats to Phu Quy include Superdong-PQI, Superdong-PQII, Phu Quy Express, and Phu Quy Island. Normally, the boat departs from Phan Thiet in the morning, around 7:30 – 8:30 am.
Phu Quy Express speed boat
Travel time is 2.5 to 3.5 hours. Available with soft beds and seats, a fan room, and an air-conditioned room. Ticket cost: 400.000VND per person. There are no taxis on the island; you can rent a motorbike right at the hotel to get around. The island’s roads are spacious, with one main road, making travel easy. You can also chat with locals to ask for directions if you feel “lost”.
Famous check-in places on Phu Quy island
Phu Quy Island comprises several large and small islets, including Da Cao, Do, Tranh, and Hai, with distinctive landscapes that offer a range of emotions and unforgettable experiences.
Van An Thanh temple
Van An Thanh expresses the wish for a happy and prosperous life for the community. This place worships the Whale as the god of the South Sea, associated with the fishing beliefs of our country’s coastal fishermen.
Van An Thanh Temple in Phu Quy Island
In 1941, the body of a whale drifted to Phu Quy island, and people discovered it and buried it solemnly. When alive, this whale can be over 20 meters long, and you can see the skeleton when you come to Van An Thanh. Here, you will hear people talk about the phenomenon of whales helping ships when ships encounter storms offshore.
Linh Quang Pagoda
The pagoda was ranked a national scenic spot by the Ministry of Culture and Information (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) in 1996, and is considered the earliest pagoda established on Phu Quy island Coming to Linh Quang Pagoda, in addition to visiting the pagoda and worshiping Buddha, visitors also discover and admire the architectural and artistic values bearing typical Buddhist marks on Phu Quy Island, and hear the legendary legends associated with the process of forming the pagoda and enlightening Buddhism here.
Linh Quang Pagoda in Phu Quy
Besides, the reverence of the people here is also directed towards the tomb of Master Sai Nai. According to legend, Master Sai Nai was a Chinese businessman and an expert in medicinal treatments. During a trade trip to Vietnam, his boat was driven to Phu Quy Island by a storm; he was drawn to the island’s beauty and decided to stay there for life. Because of this place, after his death, the people buried him and built the tomb of Master Sai Nai in 1665.
The temple of the Master Sai Nai
The islanders all go to Master Sai Nai’s tomb to pray when they encounter difficulties, so that they can have a good life or go to sea to have a good shrimp and fish harvest. Every year, the Teacher Worship Ceremony is held on the 4th day of the 4th lunar month with many traditional rituals imbued with coastal cultural identity (such as singing boi for peace).
Ban Tranh Princess Temple
The temple was built by the Cham people at the end of the 15th century. Historical documents indicate that she was originally a princess of Champa. Because she did not accept the coercion of her father, she was put on a boat and exiled from the country when she was very young.
Main gate of Ban Tranh Princess temple
The boat drifted to the island, and she decided to stay and start a business. Later, she also helped the people repel foreign invaders, so when she passed away, a shrine was built to honor her, and her death was celebrated annually. Due to her great merits as well as her sacredness in blessing and protecting the people on the island, she is honored as the Lord of Phu Quy Island. Visitors to Ban Tranh Princess Temple, in addition to worshiping, admire the architecture that reflects cultural exchange between the Vietnamese and Cham peoples; listen to stories and legends about her; and admire the majestic, beautiful natural landscape of Cao Cat Mountain from afar.
Cao Cat Peak
Cao Cat Peak is located in the north of Phu Quy Island, where the majestic statue of Guanyin Buddha sits atop the mountain.
The highlight here is the beautifully cascading, wavy cliffs reaching out to the sea, which are extremely unique. This is one of the highest mountains on the island, 106 m above sea level. There are cliffs with a distinctive shape, with horizontal grooves formed by weathering. On the way to Cao Cat peak, you can visit Linh Son pagoda.
Phu Quy Lighthouse
The lighthouse is located about 3km west of the port, on Cam Mountain, at an elevation of more than 100 m above sea level. From here, you can zoom out to see the poetic landscape, with a panoramic view of Phu Quy island. The high lighthouse is 18m high – one of the lighthouses with a special design and among the top largest lighthouses in Vietnam.
The road to the lighthouse is at the end of the road to Linh Buu Pagoda. You can ride a motorbike up to the foot of the mountain. This place is open free of charge, visitors can deposit a small amount of money to support maintenance and cleaning work
Phu Quy wind power field
If you have always been fascinated by giant windmills in Europe, you will also admire these special “giant pinwheels” during your visit to Phu Quy. Unlike other colorful wind farms, the wind farms in Phu Quy are pure-white turbine columns that stand out sharply against the blue sky and vast green grass below.
Linh Son pagoda
This ancient pagoda is over 100 years old and sits 200m above sea level. From the pagoda’s platform, the highest point on the mountain, one can see the entire island, with the immense blue of the ocean surrounding it. Besides Linh Son, each of the island’s hundred-year-old pagodas is unique for its own carvings, architectural art, and mysterious stories about their origins.
Tranh islet
A special island shaped like the letter S, Tranh islet, is about 800m southeast of Phu Quy island. Among the more than 10 large and small islets of Phu Quy, Tranh Island has the largest area and is the most attractive destination due to its beautiful landscape and diverse ecosystem.
The islet is surrounded by high mountains that block the wind, so the sea at Tranh islet remains extremely calm and quiet year-round. Additionally, Tranh Islet features a colorful coral reef, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the clear blue waters and admire nature’s masterpiece.
Phu Quy beaches
Particularly on the main island of Phu Quy, it is impossible not to admire and enjoy the flat, white, virgin beaches far away. If the beach in Trieu Duong has the romance and poetry of a sea-sand watercolor painting, Doi Duong beach is a convergence of many poetic colors of nature, such as forests, rocky slopes, and fishing villages.
This place also fascinates and impresses visitors with the wild, seductive beauty of Nho – Ganh Hang beach, featuring rough, towering black cliffs near the sea, with many different shapes formed by lava imprints from previous volcanic eruptions. In particular, under nature’s hand, the large cliffs are connected to form a hollow in the middle of the sea, often called a unique “saltwater swimming pool” that you will enjoy. Can’t be found on other beaches around the island…
Must-try experiences when coming to Phu Quy
Phu Quy tourism has not yet developed, so entertainment services are still being gradually expanded. In addition to swimming, fishing, and diving to see coral, Phu Quy now offers additional adventure services, including SUP rowing at only 200,000 VND/hour, parasailing, and more. For sports fans, these experiences offer thousands of virtual photos and a wonderful, exciting vacation.
Visiting other islets is also a popular activity when visiting Phu Quy. Just about 10 minutes by canoe, you can walk under the trees and learn about the life of fishermen on the island, with the traditional profession of diving to catch lobsters. Tranh and Den islets are considered beautiful and safe by locals. Guests are picked up by canoe, go fishing, dive to see coral, stop to take “virtual life” photos, and go to the raft house for lunch. In particular, the fish you catch will be prepared by the tour guide into raw dishes to eat on-site. The tour price is 250,000 VND per person, excluding lunch. You can ask the hotel to contact a local guide and book a canoe.
Photo source: vnexpress
In addition, you can go to Hai islet and learn about the origin of the famous shark fishing boats in Phu Quy. You can also rent a diving boat to see the coral if you like. Beneath the clear blue water are colorful coral reefs and many schools of fish that will excite you.
Specialties in Phu Quy
Beyond the beautiful check-in locations, the cuisine on this small island also deserves top marks. The startlingly low prices at Phu Quy island’s restaurants are one of the “shocking” factors that make anyone who comes to Phu Quy excited and eager to return as soon as possible. You can eat seafood in rafting villages. Must-try dishes are king crab and moon crab. A specialty of Phu Quy is hot beef, with recommended addresses including Hoa Thuong, Ngoc Tinh, Thanh Binh, and Thu Vien.
If you don’t eat at the restaurant, you can dine at rafts such as Dai Nam, Anh Sang, Hai Thien, Hai Phat, Ba Sinh… to enjoy fresh seafood.
Some notes for your Phu Quy trips
- Boats to and from the island run on a fixed schedule each month, so visitors should book in advance because tickets sell out very quickly. On average, there are only 1-2 departures per day in each direction. If you arrive late, you will need to wait for the next departure the following day.
- The wind on the island is very strong, so wear neat clothes and keep personal belongings secure when going out.
- If you want to camp overnight, ask the motel owner for permission in advance to complete residency procedures.
- The island allows foreigners to visit, but the number of visitors is limited, so the licensing process is quite lengthy.
- There are no online ride-hailing apps, so book a motorbike in advance to ensure you have transportation when exploring.
- Hon Tranh and Bai Can should go in the morning to take the best SUP photos.
- Prepare your personal belongings, backup charger, camera tripod, and gimbal to enjoy virtual life on this wonderful island.
- Even though the weather is not very sunny, you should definitely not forget sunscreen if you don’t want your skin to darken. Because the sun in Phu Quy is extremely caustic.
- Prepare for 3G/4G network coverage, as Wi-Fi is not always available on the island, and the signal is weak and intermittent.
Source: collected by An
Follow us for the best deal with Vietnam package tours and visa advice!
