The Con Dao and Phu Quoc islands are the two most attractive destinations in Vietnam for beaches. Both islands are just a short flight from Saigon and both offer great beaches.
But these two southern islands have a very different character and therefore appeal to different types of travelers. Since most visitors or expats only have time to go see one, which island would you choose? In this article I compare Con Dao and Phu Quoc Islands, using criteria that will help you decide which is suitable
Phu Quoc: 574 km2
Con Dao: 76 km2
1. HOW TO GET THERE
Phu Quoc and Con Dao are accessible by air or sea. The flight from either island to Saigon takes less than 45 minutes. Flights from Saigon to Phu Quoc run almost every hour and there are also flights from Hanoi. With three airlines operating on this route (Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar, Vietjet). Thanks to this competition, prices are relatively low (less than $100). The new Phu Quoc International Airport was built to accommodate large aircraft with the hope that the number of visitors will increase significantly in the coming years. Indeed, there are already charter flights from Russia, and it won’t be long before Phu Quoc is directly linked to regional hubs such as Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and beyond.
Con Dao has a small airport whose runway is limited by the island’s rugged topography and can only accommodate small propeller-driven planes. Only Vietnam Airlines is heading to Con Dao; Saigon and Can Tho in the Mekong Delta. There are four or five flights per day from Saigon and four flights per week from Can Tho: average prices are $100 to $150.
Phu Quoc is accessible by boat from two ports in the Mekong Delta: Rach Gia and Ha Tien. The latter is particularly convenient for travelers coming from or heading west from Cambodia’s beaches. There are usually two journeys per day from Rach Gia and Ha Tien: the journey takes 2h50 and 1h30. One-way ticket prices are around $15.
For Con Dao, there are approximately four trips per week from Vung Tau port (2 hours east of Saigon). It’s a 10-hour trip in fairly specific conditions on a small ship. Tickets are only $10, but very few travelers choose this option.
Taxis are inexpensive and easily arranged on Con Dao and Phu Quoc. Motorcycle rental is $7-$10 per day and a great way to see and get around either island.
2. ON-SITE PRICES
Like all islands, prices on Con Dao and Phu Quoc are a little higher than on the mainland. In particular, you will find that prices on Con Dao are significantly higher than elsewhere in Vietnam. This is partly because the island is so small and mountainous that very little can be produced there: almost everything is shipped from the mainland.
But it’s also partly because Con Dao hasn’t seen much development yet, so the lack of competition keeps prices high. Hotels, food and drinks, transportation and excursions to outlying islands are more expensive than Phu Quoc. However, this is all relative: Vietnam is still a very cheap place to travel, so even if you pay $5-$10 more for food and accommodation,
Due to development on Phu Quoc in recent years, competition – especially along Long Beach – keeps prices at an acceptable level. In particular, the accommodation, food and boat trips are good value for money. That said, during peak season – December to April – all companies that cater to tourists increase their prices by up to 50%. Likewise, in the off season, prices are very low. In general, if you’re trying to stay on a tight budget, it’s easier to do so on Phu Quoc.
3. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ISLANDS
The pace of change and the number of visitors to these two islands could hardly be more different. Phu Quoc has undergone major transformations in recent years: a new international airport opened in 2012; old single-lane roads were widened and repaved; new roads were laid along the coast; new ports were opened; Massive, high-end resorts now sprawl onto some of the previously isolated beaches. But, things are still in the early stages, and Phu Quoc remains incredibly undeveloped compared to the Thai or Malaysian islands. It’s still easy to find your own deserted beach course and even the sands of Long Beach – the most developed on the island – aren’t super crowded yet. However, this all changes on weekends and especially during the Tet (Vietnamese New Year) holiday, the island is crowded. Phu Quoc is much larger than Con Dao, so it can absorb more development, but if you like your tropical islands are serene, laid back and beautiful, now is the time to visit Phu Quoc before it becomes Phuket.
Then you have Con Dao, where development is slow, you barely notice it. And that’s a good thing, because Con Dao is small and fragile with a very rugged coastline, limiting potential development to a few areas. The number of foreign visitors is still extremely low: most of the time you will have beaches, roads, museums and restaurants. The government wants Con Dao to be a high-end destination of sorts. But he is also wary of turning Con Dao into a place of luxury and leisure because of its past as a penal institution. In 2010, the low-key, but luxurious and expensive Six Senses Hideaway opened but progress has been slow. For now, the majority of visitors to Con Dao are Vietnamese pilgrims, paying their respects to former prisoners.
4. ACCOMMODATION
Phu Quoc offers a wide range of accommodation to suit all budgets, while accommodation on Con Dao is limited to a dozen hotels and one international standard luxury resort. On Phu Quoc, most is around Duong Dong town, and along Long Beach. From high-end resorts to backpacker dorms.
In particular, the resorts in Long Beach are excellent: my favorite is Thanh Kieu Resort. The rest of the island is dotted with accommodation; There is a particularly attractive group of resorts on Ong Lang Beach, including the rustic bungalows. Budget travelers will find nhà nghỉ (local guesthouses) in Duong Dong.
Almost all accommodation on Con Dao is in the small town of Con Son. On quiet side streets, nhà nghỉ (local guesthouses) offer accommodations from $10 to $20, while the handful of resorts on the waterfront promenade hover around $100 a night. The most affordable beachfront accommodation is Con Dao Camping, but for the best location (and sublime sea views), get a room at Con Dao Resort. The island’s first luxury accommodation, Six Senses Hideaway, opened a few years ago. On its own beach, northeast of Con Son Town, Six Senses is secluded and private. It received global press attention in 2011, when Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie spent a family vacation there.
5. RESTAURANTS
Not surprisingly, seafood is famous in both Con Dao and Phu Quoc. However, really good seafood is still not easy to find on either island, since peaches are sent to restaurants and markets in Saigon. On Phu Quoc, the most popular place to eat is the night market in Duong Dong town. The seafood is fresh and there’s a lively atmosphere, but it’s a tourist trap these days. The Long Beach resorts all have decent restaurants, and recently many international restaurants – including Indian, Italian, Spanish – have opened along Long Beach Road. For a more local meal, head to 30/4 Street in Duong Dong Town. Phu Quoc has its own noodle soup: bún kèn which is a specialty of the island, which most mainland Vietnamese have never heard of.
When it comes to food, Con Dao is an anomaly: it’s the only place in Vietnam where there are very few places to eat on the island. Larger hotels and resorts have decent restaurants, the best of which is ATC Resort. In Con Son Town, several informal eating places have opened in the market, offering hotpots and BBQs. A night market has recently opened but it is not exceptional. The food at Six Senses Resort is exceptionally good.
6. NIGHTLIFE
For an island in the Gulf of Thailand, Phu Quoc’s nightlife is pretty tame. But there are bars all along Long Beach, including Rory’s Beach Bar. Enjoying cocktails at the resorts, watching the sunset over the Gulf is nice. Nightlife – like everything else on Phu Quoc – is set to take off in the coming years. Con Dao has no nightlife: a relief for some; a disappointment to others. Options are limited between a drink on the seafront promenade at Con Son Café, in the old French Customs House, or cocktails in the cozy ambiance of Infiniti Bar, located near the city park.
7. TIME
The weather on Phu Quoc is quite simple: November to May is mostly dry, sunny and hot; From June to October, the weather is rainy and humid. The best time of year is December to February, when the skies are clear, the seas are calm and the nights are cool.
The weather on Con Dao is more complicated. From September to December, the weather can be very windy, with winds whipping up waves that crash against the coastline. The summer months bring a mix of heat, humidity, precipitation and blue skies. The best time to visit is from February to May, when temperatures are (relatively) mild, the skies are clear, and the sea in Con Son Bay can be as flat as glass.
8. THE BEACHES
While most of Phu Quoc Island is surrounded by sandy beaches, the coast of Con Dao offers much less sand. The western coast of Phu Quoc is essentially one long, beautiful beach. Long Beach is roughly in the center, but the sand continues north and south of these two “poles” of the island. The northwest beaches, Vung Bau and Dai, are particularly peaceful and welcoming. The eastern side of Phu Quoc is less alluring: the main ferry ports occupy two large bays, and trash and jellyfish make swimming almost impossible.
The northeast coast is pretty and isolated, but few travelers explore the area because the coastal road is difficult to pass. However, the eastern coastline boasts an excellent beach: Sao Beach is a crescent of white sand with sapphire-colored water in the southeast of the island. For many people, this is their favorite beach on Phu Quoc. In recent years, due to the crowds of day-trippers, Sao has lost some of its rustic charm.
You can count the number of beaches on Con Dao on the fingers of one hand but the few beaches there are are exceptionally beautiful. The main town of Con Son lies just north of a dense white sand beach, lined with palm and casuarina trees, surrounded by an imposing wall of mountains to the south. At the bottom of the island, low tide reveals Nhat Beach: a spectacular ribbon of white sand. The coast here is windswept, there’s no shade to escape the sun – but the mountainous backdrop is straight out of the movie Jurassic Park. Dam Trau Beach, to the northwest, is a picturesque semi-circle of golden sand with plenty of shade, reached by a dirt road.
9. ACTIVITIES
Con Dao and Phu Quoc are part of small archipelagos, made up of dozens of tiny outlying islands. These can be visited by chartered boats and booked by tourist companies, as well as snorkeling and diving equipment. Most of the small islands are uninhabited and very beautiful. Diving on Con Dao is by far the best in Vietnam.
The road network in Phu Quoc is now quite extensive, while Con Dao has only a few roads, but it is in good condition, free of traffic and very picturesque. The interior of both islands is covered in thick jungle. The majority of Phu Quoc and Con Dao islands are part of national parks. The park can arrange hikes through forests to streams, waterfalls and secluded bays. Con Dao has some particularly beautiful walks, and you will almost certainly see wildlife.
IN THE END
If you have a preference for nature, the island of Con Dao is ideal. She is authentic, safe and much less exploited for the moment than her big sister.
The island of Phu Quoc is more modern, less wild, less authentic but less expensive.
I clearly preferred Con Dao for its authentic and wild side.
