Phu Quoc with Kids: The Ultimate Guide
If you’re dreaming of a tropical escape for the whole family, then the beautiful island of Phu Quoc might just be the place. A trip to Phu Quoc with kids delivers on beach life, delicious food and great family-friendly activities.
Explore our full guide to visiting Phu Quoc with kids right here. We cover the best places to stay in Phu Quoc with kids, where to eat and what to do to keep the whole family entertained. You’ll also learn if Phu Quoc is safe for a family trip and how much to budget for a family stay.
Let’s dive in to your ultimate guide to visiting Phu Quoc with kids!
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Table of Contents
- Is Phu Quoc worth visiting?
- How to get to Phu Quoc
- Where to stay in Phu Quoc with kids
- What to do in Phu Quoc with kids
- What are the beaches like in Phu Quoc?
- When is the best time to visit Phu Quoc?
- How much to budget for Phu Quoc with kids
- Is Phu Quoc safe for a family trip?
- How to get around Phu Quoc with kids
- Top Tips for a family trip to Phu Quoc
- Final thoughts on visiting Phu Quoc with kids
- Planning a trip to Vietnam with kids?
Is Phu Quoc worth visiting?
The first question you might have is quite rightly this. Is Phu Quoc worth visiting?
In our opinion this is a very definite yes! You may have read that the island has changed over recent years, with lots of investment and development. This is definitely true – it’s not the complete peaceful backwater that it once was.
(Note – if it’s a complete desert island experience you’re looking for in South East Asia, try Koh Rong Sanleom Island. Although just off the coast of Cambodia it’s actually not that far from Phu Quoc).
However, the beaches are still gorgeous with long stretches of white sand. There’s absolutely loads of affordable accommodation options and some amazing Vietnamese food. Plus, with all that development comes a load of really good family-friendly activities such as waterparks and safari adventures.
If you’re planning a trip to Vietnam with kids then Phu Quoc is a great spot for some chilled out beach time at the end. The beaches are arguably the best in Vietnam and it’s a short flight from Ho Chi Minh City. The perfect spot to wind down after some hectic sightseeing elsewhere in Vietnam!
How to get to Phu Quoc
The good news is that Phu Quoc is pretty easy to get to and from.
The easiest route to Phu Quoc is via air. Vietjet, Vietnam Airlines and Air Asia all connect Phu Quoc to both mainland Vietnam and further afield in South East Asia. The airport is located a short drive from Duong Dong via Grab taxi. Many hotels in Phu Quoc offer free pick up from the airport to, so it’s worth checking with your accommodation if this is an option.
We actually found that it was cheaper to fly to Ho Chi Minh City from Phu Quoc than to get the ferry/sleeper bus for a family of four.
On our way to Phu Quoc we travelled via minibus from Kampot in Cambodia to Ha Tien on the Vietnam mainland. From there we picked up a fast ferry to Phu Quoc. The whole experience was very easy!
Ferries also run from Rach Gia further East. Long distance buses run frequently between both Ha Tien and Rach Gia to connect you to other destinations in Vietnam.
Where to stay in Phu Quoc with kids
The good news is that you are absolutely spoilt for choice in terms of places to stay in Phu Quoc. There’s a huge range of accommodation options, from budget spots to much more luxury stays.
The best area for a family stay is in and around Duong Dong. There’s a big stretch of white sand beach all the way along the coast that runs parallel to the main road.
Duong Dong isn’t the prettiest town you’ll ever see but it has plenty of bars, restaurants and cafes. And there are little street stalls and tiny restaurants that offer some absolutely delicious Vietnamese food.
See our full list of recommendations of where to eat in Phu Quoc here.
From Duong Dong it’s an easy Grab ride to most of the attractions in Phu Quoc, including the cable car to Aquatopia, Vinpearl Safari Park and VinPearl Wonders Theme Park.
To give you an idea of how far your budget will go here: our stay in a family room at Duong Dong Hotel cost Vd720,000/£21/US$28 per night. And whilst this isn’t a full-blown resort, it does offer modern rooms with balconies and a gorgeous pool.
If you’re looking for a getaway right on the beach, then Vida Loca Sunset Beach Resort is a great family choice. With rooms dotted around the lush gardens, the white sands and gentle waves are only a few footsteps away. Plus there’s a stunning infinity pool, restaurant, swings and kids beach toys. You’ll pay around Vd2,220,000/£65/US$86 for a beachfront stay here.
If you want more recommendations on where to stay in Phu Quoc with kids, then check out our full guide here.
What to do in Phu Quoc with kids
Phu Quoc is awash with things to do with kids. The balance of ‘big ticket’ days out with plenty of beach and pool time makes for a really fabulous family stay.
Beach days
Even in the wet season you’re likely to have dry, sunny spells that you can spend on the beach. And in dry season it’s pretty much beach weather every day!
Long Beach that stretches alongside Duong Dong is an easy visit if you’re staying in the town. Or take a Grab to one of the slightly further flung beaches and discover your own little paradise.
The evenings are popular times on the beach as the temperature is less intense and there are some wonderful sunsets.
If you’re not a beach person then make sure you book in to a hotel with a pool. Some of the beachfront hotels have spectacular infinity pools looking right out to sea. The perfect place to cool off and relax!
Take the cable car to Aquatopia Water Park
Our absolute favourite day out on Phu Quoc was a trip to Hon Thom Island on the cable car to visit Aquatopia Waterpark.
This is a pretty new development so the rides and flumes are excellent. There’s loads of sunbeds and space to chill out, including a big wave pool.
One of the best bits about a day out at Aquatopia Waterpark though is that you have to take the cable car across to the island from the mainland. This is a stunning ride that offers up views out across Phu Quoc and the ocean.
Read our in-depth review of Aquatopia Waterpark here for more tips and insights.
Vinpearl Safari Park
We were a little reticent about a safari park visit (given all the amazing nature we’d seen in the wild during our travels). But this particular safari park was a nice surprise!
Located around a half-hour drive from Duong Dong, this is a pretty extensive safari park with a wide variety of animals. Part of the park is accessed via a walking trail, then the other section is a trip on a safari bus through more open reserves. The boys particularly loved the big cats and lunch overlooking the giraffes.
Tickets for Vinpearl Safari Park are US$33/£25/Vd852,675 for adults and US$25/£19?Vd646,500 for children. Kids under 100cm are free.
This includes the little tram that runs through the ‘on-foot’ section of the park (highly recommended to avoid tired little legs) and lunch. The park is open daily from 10:00-16:00.
Our full review of Vinpearl Safari Park can be found here on the blog.
You can also purchase ‘bundle’ tickets that cover Vinpearl Safari Park and VinWonders Theme Park if you’re planning to visit both attractions.
VinWonders Amusement Park
Up in the same area as Vinpearl Safari Park, this massive amusement park has attractions for all ages. There’s a variety of rides, a decent sized aquarium and some spectacular shows. There are six different zones to explore that are themed around different civilizations. It also features loads of interactive games and even a waterpark!
During the day there are several parades and throughout the park there are characters you can meet (particularly fun for younger children).
There’s definitely plenty to pack in to a full day out. And as several of the games and shows are indoors this means you can escape from the heat at times too!
Tickets for VinWonders are US$37/£28/Vd956,000 for adults and US$28/£21/Vd723,500 for kids. Adults are classed as anyone over 140cm (not great for our very tall 10-year-old!), with kids tickets available for heights between 80cm-140cm. This includes free meal vouchers for the whole party.
Take a Vietnamese cooking class
This was so much fun! With the added bonus of being educational at the same time (for all of us!).
We took a cooking class with Troc’s Kitchen and Cooking Class, based around a 15-minute walk from Duong Dong market. Troc was a wonderful host and teacher, really engaging with the kids.
We got to cook a four-course meal that included a whole range of traditional Vietnamese dishes. And best of all, we then got to eat them! Troc advises anyone who books a class to come hungry and he’s right to. There is a LOT of food. We had so much that it covered us for another meal the next day.
Plus we still cook the dishes at home now – they were such hits with everyone.
Snorkelling and diving in Phu Quoc
There isn’t really any snorkelling off the beaches in Phu Quoc, but there are several options for boat trips that can taken out to the coral reefs. These are offered by several tour agencies in Duong Dong and vary in terms of what they include. Most are whole day trips and visit at least a couple of islands and reefs for snorkelling.
There are also a number of PADI certified dive centres on Phu Quoc. For more information on where to dive in Phu Quoc, check out the information on the PADI website here.
Duong Dong Night Market
If you’re staying in or around Duong Dong then the night market is definitely worth a visit. There are loads of street food options (including a LOT of seafood) and little souvenir stalls.
It’s an interesting stroll in the evening but personally I would recommend eating at the food stalls slightly away from the amin night market. We found them to be a bit cheaper, plus I was wary of some of the seafood that had been outside on stalls for several hours!
What are the beaches like in Phu Quoc?
Whilst the balance of family fun, amazing Vietnamese food and laidback vibes does make Phu Quoc a great visit with kids, there are mixed reviews of the beaches here.
This is written entirely based on our own experiences so people visiting in other seasons or with different expectations might feel differently.
There ARE some lovely stretches of white sand beach on Phu Quoc. The sea here is generally calm and gentle so from that perspective it’s great for kids. Our boys spent HOURS building sandcastles and playing in the sea during our time on Phu Quoc. If you explore the beaches of Phu Quoc you will find your own little slice of paradise.
However. These were not the most stunning, beautiful beaches we visited on our travels through South East Asia. There are islands throughout Thailand for example where the beaches are simply breath-taking. Most of the beaches on Phu Quoc are quite narrow, and the area behind the sand at Long Beach is very built up by resorts now.
And the rubbish is a real problem here (as it was at so many of the beaches we visited in South East Asia, including in Thailand, Bali and Cambodia). Generally speaking the beach areas directly in front of resorts (such as the Vida Loca Sunset Resort) are kept clean through regular litter picking. These are really nice spots for some beach time.
However, the more public stretches of beaches can be littered with all kinds of rubbish. There were also times when we were swimming in the sea and could feel rubbish around us.
If you’re happy to adventure further away from the main resort areas, there are some hidden gems that are worth a trip. We really loved Khem Beach on the South East coast of the island.
When we visited there was hardly any rubbish, the sand was bright white and the water was crystal clear. There are a few restaurants and bars for food and drink and some sunbeds available. If you’re searching for that real paradise feel then I would highly recommend a trip out to here.
When is the best time to visit Phu Quoc?
The dry season in Phu Quoc typically runs from November to April. The days during dry season are hot and sunny and perfect beach or pool weather. The streets and restaurants of Phu Quoc will be bustling and full of life.
The wet season runs from May to October. This brings more rain and more overcast, cloudy days (although the temperature is still high). The weather might be more changeable but prices are lower at this time and you’ll have lots of beach space to yourself. Plus, days out at places like Aquatopia Waterpark and VinWonders will be quieter with less time spent queuing.
Bear in mind that the absolute peak season on Phu Quoc is January. Prices will be at their highest and you’ll need to book accommodation well in advance if you’re thinking of visiting at this time of year.
How much to budget for Phu Quoc with kids
With so much to offer for a family trip, is Phu Quoc expensive?
The answer to this is a big no! Yes, you can choose to splash the cash and stay in some fab hotels here. But you can also visit Phu Quoc on a real shoestring budget.
There are some really affordable options for family accommodation – and there are a LOT of good budget hotels now on Phu Quoc.
Eating out is inexpensive (and the food is, on the whole, great. Our boys loved the Banh Mi stands and big bowls of steaming Pho noodle soups in the evenings. A huge Banh Mi from one of the street stands will cost you around Vd27,500/£0.80/US$1. And a pho in a local restaurant will set you back around Vd50,000-80,000/£1.50-2.40/US$2-3.
Our TOTAL spend for three weeks in Phu Quoc was £1,345. This included:
- Three weeks accommodation at Duong Dong Hotel
- All food (a mix of eating out and self-catering)
- Taxis
- Laundry
- Several massages and acupuncture sessions
- 15 yoga classes
- Days out at Vinpearl Safair Park, Aquatopia Waterpark and VinWonders Amusement Park
- Cooking class with Troc
- Souvenirs
Which breaks down to just under £450 per week for a family of four.
Is Phu Quoc safe for a family trip?
We spent several weeks in Phu Quoc and never felt unsafe at any point. The locals are incredibly welcoming and friendly and really helped make our stay so easy and stress-free.
The infrastructure on the island now makes it easy to navigate and get around (see more detailed info on this below). The island also has a low crime rate compared to other cities and regions in Vietnam (and wider South-East Asia). Life here is pretty easy-going and you don’t feel like you’re constantly having to fend off scams and/or being pestered to buy things.
All in all, our safety advice for a trip to Phu Quoc with kids would be largely the same as that for a visit to other locations in South East Asia. Here are a few of our safety tips below to make your Phu Quoc trip go smoothly:
- Keep an eye on scooter traffic when crossing roads. At times the volume of scooters can be a bit overwhelming to hold kids’ hands when crossing or near roads.
- Use a hotel safe for valuables like passports, cash and electronics
- Make sure you’ve got comprehensive travel insurance for your trip – this should be the case for any travel or holiday!
- Carry a small first aid kit with you for minor bumps and scrapes. The pavements/sidewalks can be uneven so you might get the odd tumble with younger children
- Pack insect repellent as there are mosquitos/biting insects (particularly in the wet season from May-October)
- We didn’t see any lifeguards on beaches, so keep a close eye on kids in the water. We found that the surf was usually pretty gentle, with some bigger waves on windy days.
- Use Grab – the registered ride-share app – for getting around (see below for more info on this).
How to get around Phu Quoc with kids
By far the easiest way to navigate Phu Quoc is by Grab taxi. Grab is the ride-sharing equivalent to Uber in South East Asia and there are plenty of Grab cars on Phu Quoc.
Download the app before you arrive and you’re all set. If you’re heading out and about on your own you can also opt for a Grab bike. These are cheap and a very quick way of getting about. To give you an idea, a ten-minute journey will cost around US$2/£1.50/Vd52,000. Grab drivers carry additional helmets for passengers – don’t forget to request this from them when they arrive.
You can also hire scooters locally if you want your own wheels. However, there are obvious safety concerns here when travelling with kids and if you’re not completely confident about dodging through Vietnamese traffic then I would really recommend sticking to the Grab cars.
Top Tips for a family trip to Phu Quoc
- Try to balance the big, exciting days out with downtime at the beach/pool to avoid having exhausted kids (and parents!)
- Eating out is often just as cheap as trying to self-cater, so embrace the street food and little restaurants
- Book early for a stay in peak season (particularly December-January)
- If you can, create the perfect Vietnam itinerary by balancing your time in Phu Quoc with some time in a cultural hub like Ho Chi Minh City
Final thoughts on visiting Phu Quoc with kids
This might not be a picture-perfect, deserted tropical beach destination but Phu Quoc still really delivers for a family friendly stay. It’s incredibly affordable, the food is amazing, it’s easily accessible via regular flights from within Vietnam (and wider South East Asia) and it has a ton of awesome family days out.
If you’re planning to travel around Vietnam with kids then this is the perfect place to plan in some downtime at the end.
Planning a trip to Vietnam with kids?
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