Off of the coast of Cambodia and in the Gulf of Thailand lay a number of beautiful islands owned by Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand. One of the most scenic of these is Phu Quoc, which unbeknown to many is actually extremely easy to visit from Kampot in Cambodia.
How though does one go about visiting Phu Quoc from Cambodia, what is it like on the island and indeed is it worth visiting at all? Here is the Cambodia Lifestyle guide to visiting the inland of Phu Quoc.
How do you get to Phu Quoc, Vietnam
Getting to Phu Quoc from Cambodia is not only relatively quick, but also easy to arrange independently or through one of the many travel agents in Kampot and beyond.
If you do decide to go with an agent a bus to the Vietnamese city of Ha Tien will set you back around $14, as opposed to $12 if you go to the bus station, but means they come and pick you up.
From here you are taken over the Ha Tien border, and on to the ferry terminal. Ferries and speedboats to Phu Quoc island cost anywhere between $7-10, with the price reflective of journeys time, which can take anywhere between 1.5 and 3 hours.
You can read our full guide on getting from Kampot to Phu Quoc here.
What the Phu Quoc?
Officially the biggest island owned by Vietnam it is not only home to one of the biggest nature parks within the country, but also as expected a beautiful coastline alongside the bars, restaurants and nightlife you would expect in such a locale.
Home to around 180,000 people it is estimated that over 500,000 foreign visitors arrived in 2023, no doubt encouraged by the new visa free policy introduced for visitors to the island.
These numbers mean that the island thus enjoys great tourist infrastructure, whilst avoiding being trampled and ruined by millions of visitors, as one often sees in many Thai islands. This for the time being at least makes Phu Quoc a real off the beaten track hidden gem, at least for now.
Why visit Phu Quoc from Cambodia?
With Cambodia already offering the islands of Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem one might ask the question why would you visit Phu Quoc? For this there are a number of answers. Firstly getting here from Kampot is actually quicker and cheaper than heading to our southern islands, but more importantly perhaps it is a completely different experience.
Essentially Phu Quoc has all the advantages of a well developed island, whilst also offering its own rustic charms. And there is plenty to do on the island from simply resting on the beach, to waterspouts, island hopping and even a bit of dark tourism at Phu Quoc prison. And then there is the nightlife.
Phu Quoc Nightlife guide
Islands come in many shapes and sizes, as I can very much attest to letsbuyanisland.com, with some offering remoteness as their draw, while other particularly in Thailand using their pumping nightlife as draws. Phu Quoc in this respects sits somewhere in the middle of all this.
This means that while you will not mostly find quiet streets and laid back resorts unlike the bright lights of Pattaya, there is also a nightlife scene at least in the capital on Duong Dong. This is particularly epitomized by the Blue Monkey Bar, apparently the first on the island to offer craft beer and live music, which at least on the nigh we were there was filled to the rafters, particularly with Russians who started flocking to so-called friendly countries since the start of the war in Ukraine.
And when it come to picking your hotel it is fairly hard not to find a bargain, with prices good even by the obscenely good standards of Vietnam. For context this means spending $40 for a seaside villa, a price that will barely get you a box in Sihanoukville.
All in all this makes Phu Quoc not only a great place in general to visit, but a truly excellent choice for those needing a visa run, have a hankering for pho, or simply want to do something a little different.
If you are looking for bespoke travel around Cambodia and Vietnam check out Young Pioneer Tours.
Author: Gareth Johnson
Gareth Johnson is the founder of Young Pioneer Tours and has visited over 180+ countries. His passion is opening obscure destinations to tourism and sharing his experience of street food.
