When is the best time to fly to Fukuoka? Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam

Leaning back in a hammock, watching the gentle waves, basking in the Vietnamese sun, you may wonder why so many people still don't know about Phu Quoc Island. Of course, it is not discussed in the press as much as the islands of Thailand, and perhaps it will not even be offered to you by the travel agency you contact before starting your vacation. But they won’t offer it in vain - with wild jungle, creaky snow-white sand and clean waters azure in color, this island has an area of ​​600 sq. km. more than fits the picture of paradise that you probably drew in your head.

This island is located, which in its shape resembles South America, 65 kilometers from the southwestern coast of Vietnam and only 15 kilometers from the shores of Cambodia, which, by the way, once owned this paradise piece of land.

Although a continuous beach line (120 kilometers) stretches almost the entire length of the western coast of the island, only a small part of the beaches are prepared for tourists. That is, the island, one might say, is semi-wild.

Those who have visited the islands in Southeast Asia more than once (which are simply amazing in themselves) will still be impressed by Phu Quoc. The combination of isolated and deserted beaches and the thriving, small but still clean and lovely main town of Duong Dong makes Phu Quoc a truly rare find.

Given the ease of access (a 20-minute flight from Ratch Tse or an hour's flight from Saigon, but also a relatively short ferry ride from Ratch Tse or Hon Chong), this amazing island remains underdeveloped and, one might say, untouched. However, the Vietnamese government has huge plans for the island - they want to make it a tourist hotspot with many hotels and entertainment centers. So far, these plans remain unrealized, and, we hope, will remain solely on paper for the foreseeable future.

The island has something for everyone – and it really does! Surrounded by more than a dozen coves and beaches, with yellow sand and stripes of dazzling white sand, with a scattering of small islands off the southern coast (which are simply wonderful, especially for diving), with rain jungle and several fishing villages - in general, the island has plenty beautiful places, which will make you regret that your vacation is not endless.

Most best beach, as many admit - Long Beach, Long Beach on the west coast of the island. With several bars, it is comfortable and at the same time quite quiet. And kind of endless.
True, the sand there is a little rougher, but this does not upset anyone at all. And also, this empty beach can be a little dirty with garbage that the sea brings - but these are not jars, bottles, papers, but typical “sea” garbage - wood and algae, although sometimes a couple swims in plastic bottles. But basically, the water here is very clean, very warm and calm, especially in the morning.

In the south of the island you will find Sao Beach– magnificent beach with fine white sand, calm waters. Oddly enough, there are few people there, despite the massive restaurants. True, getting to Sao Beach is not very convenient due to bad roads, so a measly 30 kilometers can become sheer torture.

Beach Ong Lang Beach on the west coast - very secluded and romantic. There are a couple of seafood restaurants, and a couple of bungalows - just a romantic boutique! Moreover, the bungalows stand on a gentle hill, and nearby there is a coconut grove. Just a few minutes' walk and you'll find Bo Resort, followed by 5 kilometers of empty beach, without a single bungalow or bar, and most often without people.

Accommodation options in Fukuoka run the gamut to suit all budgets. From guesthouses for backpackers to quite unusual and beach resorts and hotels. But you won’t find or find the luxury hotels you might expect here. But it’s not necessary - with such beauties of nature!

It is also worth noting that The tourist infrastructure here is also so-so, For example, there is no perfect service, the roads are not ideal either. The beaches here, although heavenly, in some places the entrance to the sea is simply unbearable. Sports activities include diving and snorkeling (there are diving centers), but other types are somehow not particularly developed.
Well, lying on the beach and relaxing to the ends of your hair is the most best place, and this can be done almost all year round, perhaps with the exception of October, when the rainy season begins. And the island is not hit by tsunamis, strong waves or sharks (if that’s what anyone cares about in the first place). So, most guests arriving on the island do nothing but go through the daily routine: bungalow - beach - restaurant - beach - bungalow - and so on until the end of the vacation. So, if you are a fan of this type of vacation, you are welcome to Phu Quoc.

Unlike Thailand, the accommodation options here are of a slightly different standard. There are few bungalows as such, but mostly brick and stone chalets and something like that. Well, bigger hotels. Sometimes booking a room can be quite difficult, but during the rainy season there will be no problem.

If you don't want to be lazy, rent a motorcycle and a map - there is a lot to explore and admire. I recommend going to the southern edge of the city – the beaches there are the best!
Some beaches on the island are private and belong to hotels, others are free to visit. You can also go to sea ​​pearl plantation- to the joy of the ladies.
They will show you clearly how a pearl grows in a shell, and it’s all very impressive. You can buy something at the same time, but don’t count on low prices.

Also, unlike the islands of Thailand, Phu Quoc has a very limited selection of bars and clubs. There are a couple of places where you can drink beer in the evening or at night, but most likely you will be sitting alone.

In general, there are a great many advantages of the island: excellent climate, luxurious secluded beaches, few tourists, inexpensive accommodation, romantic views. The best place for newlyweds on their honeymoon, perhaps! And what photographs you will get!

The most active tourists leaving Phu Quoc for dessert - as the final stop in Vietnam before leaving home, and then getting upset that a couple of nights on the island is simply not enough. So, make sure in advance that you can afford to spend enough time in Fukuoka.

In general, Phu Quoc Island is quite good for a holiday. True, there are still construction sites all around and there are few normal supermarkets, or rather they don’t even exist. According to reviews from tourists, this does not cause inconvenience. Lots of small shops. You can buy everything you need from shampoos to coconuts. Almost all stores have the same selection. The photo below can be seen in more detail. The whole month that we were in Fukuoka, the weather pleased us - heavy rains there was no rain at all, just a couple of light rains for an hour or two.

Vietnam celebrates New Year 2018 with tourists. They try to decorate everything with shiny decorations and decorate Christmas trees or anything similar to them. So January holidays are having fun.

Reviews

Beaches of Phu Quoc Island

The beaches of Phu Quoc Island are different. But all year round people come here to relax and bask in the warm sun.

One of the popular beaches is Long Beach, he is also the most popular. This is where there are the most services and comfort for tourists: hotels, cafes, restaurants, diving centers, many offers for excursions. The beach is quite narrow.

The best beach is considered Bai Sao. Located in the southeastern part of the island. The beach is wider than others, the sand is very fine and soft. You can get there either by bike or by taxi. There are not many hotels, but there are cafes and fruit stands.

On northern part of the island there are uncrowded beaches. The northern part of the island is still being built up and the road is being built is full on the move. We decided ride a moped around the island to see for yourself.

Prices

Transport

Public transport on the island is still poor. There are bus stops and we even once saw a bus pull up and pick up one passenger. There are legends on the Internet that buses run every 2 hours. In general, it is not yet a practical form of transport.

A moped is another matter. It costs 150 thousand dong per day. For a long period it will cost about 100 thousand dong per day. Gasoline 1 liter 20 thousand dong, either at a gas station or in a bottle near the road. No one asked for the rights, and no one was even interested in their availability. They took a passport as collateral. You can rent a moped in almost every corner of the city. I must say that none of us drove a moped and learned right on the spot. The guy who handed over the moped to us was explained through an interpreter that we were not experienced drivers and we needed to be shown how to use this beast. With a friendly smile, they gave us a used moped and told us everything. There were no problems with the moped, and we drove about 100 km in two days. In the urban area, traffic is more or less calm. Outside the city, the roads are empty. Comfortable conditions for learning.

Taxis have a landing fee from 6 to 12 thousand dong. All taxis have a meter, sometimes there is a terminal for paying by card. The cost per kilometer is 11.5-14 thousand dong. There are about 5 taxi companies. We did not notice a significant difference in price between them.

For communication with the mainland, an airport or pier will help. The ferry connection is developed. There are already several ports and 2 international ports are being built.

Cash withdrawal

There are many ATMs, they all charge a percentage for withdrawals. You cannot withdraw more than 2-3 million dong at a time. The smallest commission at AGRIBANK ATMs is 22 thousand dong for one withdrawal. It allows you to withdraw no more than 3 million at a time.

Entertainment

Having rented a moped, we decided to drive around the island. Our first destination was an amusement park. Vinpearl Land Phu Quoc (Vinpearl Land Phu Quoc). When we arrived at the park, we were surprised by the lack of people. A small group of Chinese were put on a golf cart and driven into the depths of the park. In the park itself, no one is visible at all.

We are not fans of attractions and did not visit the park itself. There will obviously be no queues for the rides in the park, and ride lovers will certainly enjoy it.

On the way we met interesting place: "Pepper farm." We were invited to first visit their restaurant and taste black pepper tea, as well as try their spices and beer.

The very cheerful guide constantly teased us, showed us the family’s property, told us how peppers grow and about many other plants living on the farm. After visiting the brewery, we were invited to stay with them. As it turned out, they also rent out several bungalows practically in the field. A proven scenario: first they take you to a brewery, and then it’s no longer safe to ride a moped and it would be better to rent a bungalow and sleep peacefully. Overall it was very interesting and enjoyable.

Overview of Phu Quoc Island

Every second vacationer on the island is Russian. Therefore, it is easy to find Russian guides and even Vietnamese in grocery stores They speak broken Russian. Lots of seafood restaurants. Shopping mall there is only one and it is not completed, on the ground floor there is a pearl store and nothing else for now. Pearl prices are not cheap. Earrings made of pearls + gold “studs” cost approximately 40 thousand rubles.

Sidewalks in the city, as throughout southeast asia, few. The road around the island has not yet been completed. It’s a bit difficult to get around on a moped, but it’s possible. Construction of the route continues in full swing. The northern part of the island is not yet very developed. But this did not stop us from going around the island.

There are very few cafes and restaurants there. But there are rest houses. From the eastern part of Phu Quoc Island the water is not calm. The waves roll strongly onto the shore, the wind is stronger than in the west of the island.

Swimming will be difficult and probably dangerous. Along the way there are places that have not yet been touched by man. Beautiful views opens from the beaches. We were unable to climb the mountains: the only road to the top is guarded.

Along the way there are often pepper plantings.

Beautiful views of the coast. North of Phu Quoc Island.

Beautiful views of the south of the island.

Cafes and restaurants are located along the shoreline right by the water.

Until recently, it was a quiet, calm island, where lovers of a relaxing holiday and those wishing to join diving came - prices for services here were the lowest in the region. But that's all in the past. Today's Phu Quoc This is an actively developing resort: in recent years, an international airport has been built here, a significant number of new hotels, including large international chains, amusement parks and a safari park, and a casino have opened.

According to the Vietnamese Ministry of Tourism, the number of tourists on the island in 2017 amounted to 361 thousand people, which is 72% more than in 2016. It is expected that by 2020 the island will be visited by 2-3 million people.

Phu Quoc is the most big island Vietnam, is located in the Gulf of Thailand just 15 km from the coast of Cambodia and is one of the country's year-round resorts.

Some information about Fukuoka:

• The island's area is 573 km², the largest long part– 50 km, the widest – 27 km;
• population - about 190,000 people (in 2010 there were only 93,000!);
• time zone - UTC+7 (time difference with Moscow is 4 hours);
• relief - hills covered with jungle (the highest point is 565 meters);
• beaches – sandy;
• sea ​​– Gulf of Thailand in the Pacific Ocean;
• seasonality – year-round resort, the high “dry season” lasts from November to May, in summer period for relaxation it is better to choose hotels in the northwestern and western parts islands;
• currency – Vietnamese dong (VND), 1 USD = 23258 VND, 1000 VND = 2.8 RUB.

Thanks to geographical location islands, there are practically no storms, tsunamis and other sea “charms” here.

Best season to visit Fukuoka

Climate on the island Phu Quoc Typical for the region is the subequatorial monsoon.

Phu Quoc It is considered a year-round resort: it is always warm here, but not always dry. The amount of precipitation is determined by high or low season.

High season

The best time to visit the island is from mid-November to mid-April. At this time, the weather is sunny, dry, air temperature is 28-32°C, sea water temperature is 26-28°C. Precipitation at this time is extremely rare. In general, this is the most comfortable period to visit the island.

Low season

From June to October on Fukuoka There is a significant amount of rainfall - this is the rainy season. At this time it will be hot and humid, the weather, to put it mildly, is not for everyone. However, there is one compelling argument in favor of traveling to the island during this period - prices for hotels and services will be the lowest.

Cost of hotel accommodation and tourism services in the low season it decreases by almost half.

Fukuoka Hotels

Hotel base Fukuoka It is characterized by amazing diversity - here you can find accommodation options from cheap hostels to villas measuring 700 m², many bungalow-type hotels located right on the seashore.

The cost of a room for any budget is from $9-10 in a guesthouse, $35-40 in a 3* hotel and up to $150-250 in luxury hotels.

Most hotels offer accommodation including breakfast, have swimming pools, many hotels have their own beach areas, and provide transfers from the airport to the hotel and back.

The hotel base on the island is growing rapidly (though these are mainly 5* hotels). You can get acquainted with the most interesting new products of 2017–2018.

Book Fukuoka hotels at the best price

Where is the best place to choose a hotel in Fukuoka?

The busiest town on Fukuoka Duong Dong (Duong Dong) and the adjacent Long Beach are considered. This is where it is concentrated greatest number hotels, including the cheapest ones, many restaurants, bars, shops, a night market.

The next most active area will be the Ong Lang beach area - the beach itself is better, but the infrastructure of the surrounding area is noticeably less developed.

On other beaches, in addition to the hotel, there will often be only a jungle available; it makes sense to come here if you don’t need anything other than nature and solitude. Hotels in such places are usually high level, appropriate service and comfort will be provided, but you will have to eat at the hotel itself, which, as a rule, affects the price, and for any purchases you will have to go to Duong Dong (the distance can be up to 30 km).

How to get to Fukuoka

By plane: the island has an international airport, international flights arrive here from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Jakarta, Manila, Phnom Penh and domestic flights from Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang.
From Russia you will have to take Aeroflot or Vietnam Airlines flights with a connection in Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi. Travel time will be from 18 hours, ticket prices from $550. The most convenient connection will be in Ho Chi Minh City - from here the flight to the island is only 1 hour and there are quite a lot of flights.

Direct flights are offered only by tour operators (charters) in high season(from November to March).

By water: High-speed boats will be of interest to those traveling around the country. Between Fukuoka(pier in the village of Bai Vong) and the mainland town of Ha Tien there is a ferry crossing and speed boats. Travel time will be from 1.5 to 3.5 hours, cost from $13.

Tickets to Phu Quoc at minimal prices

Search for tickets to Phu Quoc

Fukuoka beaches

The Fukuoka beach line stretches for 140 km. These are mostly sandy beaches, although there are also rocky areas.

The most popular beach is Long Beach, but not the best - the water here is cloudy due to the waves and the depth increases quite sharply. However, Long Beach has a well-developed tourist infrastructure, there are many hotels and most tourists choose this beach to stay.

If you like wild beaches, you will have no problem finding them, but be prepared for not very pleasant surprises: like everywhere else in Asia, the Vietnamese turn a blind eye to garbage. In recent years, efforts have been made to clear garbage from the island, but a complete solution to the problem is far from complete.

Transport in Fukuoka

Public transport on Fukuoka No. There are some private companies that transport local residents between the four main settlements(Duong Dong, An Thoi, Cua Canh, Ham Ninh). The movement is carried out according to a schedule known only to them.

Regular buses run only between An Thoi port and Duong Dong (every 1-2 hours, fare $0.8).

Free Vinpearl buses run around the island, taking everyone to the Vipearl Land amusement park and Vipearl Safari Park.

There are three options left for tourists:

• Taxi: the trip will be safe, the cost depends on the company (there are several official taxis in Fukuoka) and the class of the car, boarding - 0.5 - 0.7 $ (600-700 meters of trip included), each next kilometer 0.5-0.6 $.
• car rental: the cost will be from $50 per day, but for this you need to have international law category B, the service of renting a car with a driver is much more often offered - $70-100 per day;
• motorbike rental: This is the most popular way to travel around the island - the cost starts from $4 per day.

Excursions, attractions, entertainment

If you're traveling to the island with kids, then No. 1 on your list would be the amusement park and safari park (to be fair, there's plenty to do there for adults without kids too). If you wish, you can visit local history museum, “coconut” prison, see how pepper grows, buy fish sauce (at the same time inspect its production), visit the Fukuoka Ridgeback nursery, National Park, ride the longest cable car.

You can find out more about excursions and entertainment in Fukuoka.

Tours to Phu Quoc

If you want to get to the island without connections, then it makes sense to purchase a full tour package. Major tour operators offer holiday options in Fukuoka with direct charter flights from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk.

The list of possible departure cities may change, please check the options you are interested in.

Flights are operated at intervals of 11–12 days and only in high season (most already close charter programs by April).

Searching for a tour using the required parameters and purchasing online can be done through the services Travelata, Level.Travel And Onlinetours.

Compare prices, choose tours according to the parameters you need.

You can find and book an inexpensive tour to Vietnam using the following services: And . The search for tours is carried out using databases of 130 tour operators online. Compare prices, choose best options. You don't have to go to a travel agency office to book a trip.
About the features of buying a tour online you can find out on our resource.

Many people are interested in the question of when is the best time to go on vacation to Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam. Today we will look into this in detail - after all, no one wants to spend two long-awaited weeks of vacation in the pouring rains or on crowded beaches, among a noisy crowd of Chinese.

High season on Phu Quoc island

The weather on Fukuoka island is warm and even hot all year round. Average daytime temperature is 30 degrees, average temperature at night 25. The water temperature is rarely less than 27 degrees. Even in winter months It never gets cold here. Phu Quoc is truly a tropical island.

The high season in Fukuoka begins in December and lasts until March. At this time there is the least amount of rain and the maximum influx of tourists from all over the world. Even in neighboring Thailand or on the mainland of Vietnam, it is not comfortable at the beginning of winter, so people come to Phu Quoc at this time. In addition two last year right on New Year's holidays Fukuoka hosts a musical event that attracts electronic music lovers from all over the area.

The highest prices for housing, bike rentals, and even restaurants and cafes can be found between December and March. During the New Year holidays, it is not always possible to find a free bike, or the queues for the most popular ones reach a week-long wait. The city is filled with crowds of drunken tourists, many of whom still manage to drive vehicles, .

Rainy season on Phu Quoc island

The rainy season in Fukuoka is from July to October - unlike the mainland, it does not rain here all the time, but sometimes it can be quite prolonged. In rare cases, it may rain all day. However, even during the rainy season, life on the island continues. The sea remains warm, tourists come to taste tropical fruits.

Most cafes, bars and clubs are closed during this period. Therefore, it is not always possible to find suitable entertainment, but no one cancels excursion programs, as well as the sea, fruits and seafood, which at this time can be enjoyed at the lowest prices.

Rainy season great time to visit neighboring Cambodia, especially the Angkor temples in Siem Reap. or go on a trip on your own. During the rainy season, the temple pools are filled with water, the weather is not so hot and you can calmly explore ancient buildings without fear of sunstroke.

Off-season on Phu Quoc Island

The periods from October to December and from April to July are the off-season period. At this time, rains do not bother guests of Phu Quoc Island so much, prices on the island are pleasantly surprising, cafes and restaurants are still open, but the island is free and comfortable. By the time this article was published, the month of April was ending; there was hardly more rain in April than in January or December.

Off-season is best period for a holiday in Fukuoka. The weather is still good, and the prices are already good

Have a nice holiday

We arrived here on September 15th. The sky was overcast, there was a lot of humidity and it was difficult to breathe. Pleasant staff met us at the La Veranda hotel. The hotel was impressive, huge room, clean and green area. The beach was nice, beautiful and clean. But the waves were huge and there was a lot of garbage floating in the sea in the form of bags and some other things. I didn’t pay attention to this little thing, because we flew here for 10 hours and didn’t want to notice anything bad. In the evening we decided to take the free bus that departed from the hotel to the night market. There were 6 seafood stalls there, all the seafood was on the counters and not in the refrigerator. Again, I again didn’t pay any attention to this, we ordered 20 oysters, 2 large shrimp and crab soup. The oysters were fresh, we first asked for them fresh lemon juice, as we usually ate at a fish restaurant in Moscow. there was a lot of meat in them and the taste was completely different. Sometimes there was a smell from dirty tables that were not covered with tablecloths. Perhaps this also spoiled the whole appetite. Next we were offered wine; we have never drunk worse than byrl. The shrimp looked more like meat than shrimp, they were not salted and just as tasteless, although they were grilled((((. Okay, one day doesn’t count. We decided for ourselves that we won’t go there again, the crowd there is strange, as I understand it, mostly Vietnamese who drink a lot of beer and throw dirty napkins with empty cans right under my feet, I even took a photo of it.

The next day it rained, no, it wasn’t rain, it was a downpour, and it rained non-stop from the morning until 3 o’clock in the afternoon, then everything calmed down and we happily ran to the sea, which is where we never went, huge waves brown crashed on the shore and the wind simply carried away everything that was lying badly. We moved to the pool and oh hallelujah I even swam in it. But while we were running and looking for shelter from the wind, it was already dark; at about six o’clock there was complete darkness on the island. So two hours spent by the pool was not enough for us. In the evening, we decided to have dinner at a restaurant next to the hotel, since the prices at the hotel were outrageous. Everything is in dollars, and they recalculate them to you at the highest rate. If the hotel has an exchange rate of 21, then be sure that they will calculate you at an exchange rate of 25. Well, you could eat at a hotel for 60 dollars, but when there is an almost worse restaurant nearby with delicious food and a price three times less, then eat the same thing I didn’t want it to be three times more expensive. Le cocotier restaurant has the most delicious crab soup in the city. And we tried it in the city and at Let’s Trai and Hai Nam (that’s the name of the restaurants). Even in our expensive hotel we also tried it. There are more peas and carrots than crab meat generally. So, go there for crab soup, although I think everything is changeable in terms of food. According to reviews from tourists, they praised the restaurant closer to our hotel, it’s called Palm. I address you with full responsibility - the food there is bad not in terms of taste, but in terms of rottenness. This is the only establishment that made both my husband and I feel bad all day.

The next morning it rained again, there is nothing to say about it, we sat in the room. It was raining constantly.

The next day we planned an excursion to the island of Bao Sao, along with fishing and visits to other islands. I even caught a fish. We met some Australians, a great couple, spent the whole day together and laughed a lot. There was no rain, but the sky was too overcast. Sorry for the jargon. The only danger that awaits you there is that when jumping into the water from a boat, you can get hurt on the caral reefs, so the Englishman cut his stomach, only two scratches, but it was unpleasant! Attention, do not jump into the water.

The next morning. It's raining again.

It's the morning of another day, it's raining again.

And it was like this all week.

Since I tried to find reviews about the rainy season in Fukuoka and did not find them, I want to help people who are planning to go here from May to October. This is not Thailand or Phuket with its rains for 5 minutes, and the rest of the time the scorching sun through the overcast clouds. There are persistent rains and gloomy weather. And we Russians love the sun and calm sea. So let my review help someone make the right choice.

The impression was terrible only because of the rain. And the people are friendly and kind.