Planning a Trip

Getting There

Vietnam Airlines offers daily flights from both Ho Chi Minh City and Rach Gia, a small coastal town adjacent to Phu Quoc on the Mekong Delta mainland. Some flights actually hop from Ho Chi Minh to Rach Gia and then on to Phu Quoc. From Ho Chi Minh, the flight is about 45 minutes on a midsize turbo-prop plane. The cost is $38 (£21) for the one-way trip. Flights leave Saigon's Tan Son Nhat domestic terminal daily at 5:55, 6, 6:40, 8, and 10:15am, and noon. Return flights from Phu Quoc Airport to Saigon leave daily at 7:25, 8:10, 9, 9:30, and 11:45am, and 1:30pm. Contact Vietnam Airlines in Ho Chi Minh directly at their office at 116 Nguyen Hue, District 1 (tel. 08/824-4482), across from the Rex Hotel, or call their reservation office at tel. 08/832-0320. Any travel agent can make arrangements for a small fee. A motorbike taxi from the airport to Long Beach is just 10,000 VND (65¢/£0.35), but drivers eager to adopt you and be your guide for your time on the island means that these guys will make the trip for 5,000 VND (35¢/[b]0.20) or even free if you promise to rent their bike from them (a popular way to explore the island). An international airport is in the works, but for now there's nothing more than blue prints and a model. It is expected to be up and operational by 2009.

There are regular high-speed ferry boats that connect Phu Quoc with Rach Gia on the mainland. The 3-hour, 140km (87-mile) trip is relatively smooth and costs just 150,000 VND ($10/£5.55). Boats connect with the island by the far southern port town of An Thoi; it's a 30,000 VND ($2/£1.10) motorbike taxi or 12,000 VND (80¢/£.45) bus ride between An Thoi and the Long Beach area. Tramaco Boat Tours (tel. 077/878-655 in Rach Gia; tel. 077/990-575 on Phu Quoc) and Duong Dong Express (Khu Pho 4, Duong Dong, tel. 077/846-284 on Phu Quoc; 18 Nguyen Cong Tru, Rach Gia, tel. 077/879-765) are the two main companies; both have early morning departures. Be sure to buy boat tickets at least 1 day in advance.

Be warned that the boat is always overcrowded and blares karaoke music, but the party atmosphere that pervades the crowded passenger cabin has its own allure. I won a hair dryer in the ship's raffle (I'm bald) and made some friends along the way. Also know that getting to and from Rach Gia by road means entering the "twilight zone" of public buses in Vietnam, entailing a long motorbike taxi ride to or from the ferry port and the bus terminal (some 6km/3 3/4 miles out of town). Buses in the Mekong Delta are slow and leave only when full. There is a small tour operator in Rach Gia called KienGiang Tourist (17 Tran Quoc Toan; tel. 077/862-018; www.kiengiangtouristmap.com.) that can help arrange onward travel, but you may end up spending a night in the busy port town. I recommend flying directly from Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Quoc, but another good option is a multiday trip on the Mekong Delta ending in Chau Doc; from there, arrange with your tour operator for passage to ocean-side Rach Gia and hop one of the short flights or (gulp) the crowded hydrofoil on to Phu Quoc before returning by flight to Ho Chi Minh.

There's also the "Super Dong," which connects between Phu Quoc's southern An Thoi Port and Rach Gia. The Dong departs in the afternoon and, unless you arrange your own transport from the pier at Rach Gia, that means an overnight there. Buy tickets on the Dong for 150,000 VND ($10/£5.55) at their office in Phu Quoc at 1 Tran Hung Dao (tel. 077/46-180; in Rach Gia at 14 Tu Do, tel. 077/877-742). The local bus station in Rach Gia is at 92 Tran Phu St., a few clicks north of the ferry quay (go by motorbike). Buses connect regularly with Chau Dog, Can Tho, and on to Ho Chi Minh's Mien Tay Bus Station. There's also a minibus stand -- with cozier, air-conditioned vans that have assigned seats -- on Tran Quoc Toan Street. For all ground transport, you can also contact the office of helpful KienGiang Tourist (5 Le Loi; tel. 077/862-018; www.kiengiangtouristmap.com).

Boats also run from Phu Quoc's eastern port of Ham Ninh to Ha Tien, a small town just adjacent to the Cambodia border, but departures are irregular and, especially in dry season because of low river water, they require a small boat to take you from the ferry to a point some distance from the Ha Tien area. Stick to the boats between An Thoi and Rach Gia, or fly.

Orientation

The island is over 50km (31 miles) in length and just 20km (12 miles) wide at its center. The Phu Quoc Airport is near Duong Dong, the island's largest town, a fishing port on the western shore. From Duong Dong, Tran Hung Dao Street connects with Long Beach, where you'll find most of the island resorts. Ong Lang Beach is about 6km (3 3/4 miles) north of Duong Dong. At the northernmost point of the island, you're just 15km (9 1/3 miles) from Cambodian waters.

Getting Around

Motorbike taxis swarm at the Phu Quoc Airport (tel. 077/846-742) arrival terminal. These guys more or less want to adopt you for your time on the island. My advice: Let them. Find a friendly face, tell him where you want to go, and negotiate a little. You'll pay just 10,000 VND (65¢/£0.35) from the airport and Duong Dong town to the beach resorts along Long Beach (a bit more to Ong Lang), and an all-day motorbike taxi with driver is just 150,000 VND ($10/£5.55) versus 100,000 VND-150,000 VND ($6.65-$10/£3.70-£5.55) to rent your own. One-day car rental goes for about $44-$50 (£24-£28). One friendly cat named Tony (call him at tel. 091/319-7334) is kind of an island legend and a good guide, but all hotels can provide wheels and guides, and the airport is full of guys saying, "I am same like Tony" (and they are). Sadly, helmets are never available when renting motorcycles, and the roads are a mixture of dirt and sand -- a slippery combination -- so go slow. Bring lots of water and borrow a map from your hotel if you plan to explore the island by road. Bicycles are available.

Fast Facts

Bank & Currency Exchange -- The Vietcombank branch on 20 Duong 30/4 Street (tel. 077/981-036; Mon-Sat 7-11am and 1-4pm; www.vietcombank.com.vn) has comprehensive services, including traveler's-check cashing, currency exchange, and now an ATM machine compatible with most international cards (MAC, Cirrus, and so on). Just across the street from Vietcombank is a branch of Western Union (tel. 077/848-621) where you can make that important SOS call back home for a few bucks.

Internet -- There's decent Internet service next to the post office, and at Tuan Viet (tel. 077/980-530) at 13 Nguyen Trai. Internet service is just 4,000 VND (25 ¢/£0.15) per hour.

Post Office -- The post office is in the town center, just down the Duong 30/4 from the Vietcombank (tel. 077/846-177). It's open from 6:30am to 9pm (closed Sun).