If you’re looking for a beautiful chilled resort, on a stunning part of Phu Quoc, this article will dive into where we stayed, plus tips on where to eat and hike.
Some places are just exactly what you need when you need it.
Last May, after yet another hectic term at school, I was looking to totally get away from it all. Away from the concrete, the chaos of Saigon, and to plonk myself on a remote beach somewhere.
To be honest, this southern island wasn’t exactly at the tippy top of my list of places to visit. After hearing mixed reviews about Phu Quoc from convos with mates and comments online, I had the impression it was too touristy and overdeveloped, with enough trash polluting beaches. The classic overdevelopment rhetoric is a feature of many islands in Southeast Asia, sadly.
But I’m glad we didn’t wait too long to come here because it completely took me by surprise.
Like anywhere, I think your experience in Phu Quoc depends on where you stay. It’s a huge island, yet the majority of visitors end up staying in the centre around Dương Đông. (There is also a lot of absolute crap posted about it online. Ignore the trolls on Reddit!)
I made sure to book well away from the main strip, and our stay couldn’t have been more heavenly.
Selfishly, I’ve been a tad delayed in publishing this article because I wanted our accommodation to remain our secret beach house for a little longer! But this place deserves to be raved about, and you need to find it. As it’s a new stay, the algorithms hadn’t caught up yet, and it took me ages to sniff out. 🐽
Meet Phu Quoc’s newest beach villa
We stayed in a refreshingly local neighbourhood called Gành Dầuat. Apart from a couple of cool spots to wine and dine, and a few small-scale resorts like ours, most of the time it felt like there was a Berlin Wall between us and tourism on the island. It was almost an hour away from the main centre, and most of our journey up was through tropical bushland and local villages, with jungle-clad mountains visible from almost every angle. Yes, I was frothing.
Our resort, Casa D’Elysea, is perched right on the beach in between the rainforest and the reef. We were, in fact, closer by sea to Cambodia than the town centre. It felt like an island within an island.
It’s owned by the loveliest Hanoians, and I could still smell the fresh paint and wood when they showed me around. Tracy and Polly fell in love with the area when they got stuck here during Covid (lucky gals), which is when the seeds were sown to build a resort. Most school holidays, they come here with their young son, but still live in Hanoi and manage the stay remotely. It looks like a luxury hotel but has a warm Airbnb feel.
Casa D’Elysea only has a few bookable rooms, all of which come with sea views, and the ocean was just ripples away from my bed. I barely wore thongs (flip-flops) for the next few days, and I completely melted into this setting. I honestly couldn’t have picked a more relaxing stay; it was just what the doctor ordered.
Most of our stay was spent marinating in the ocean, which was like holy water. I don’t think I’ve swum in water this gorgeous since holidaying in Koh Lipe over six years ago. It was warm as a bath, glassy and shallow, and no taller than your thighs by the shore. The dark hues you can see in the pictures are coral and seagrass, where we saw the owner’s son and guests snorkelling for hours.
When I shared a drone picture of the beach with my Grade 2s and asked them to guess where I went, a few answered confidently, “The Maldives”. It must be spots like this which give Phu Quoc the title of ‘The Maldives of Vietnam’. It was even voted as the 2nd best island to visit in the world last year by Travel & Leisure readers, beaten only by (you guessed it) the Maldives. Though thankfully, it comes without the complicated journey or the price tag. My little wombats have a good eye.
There were just a couple of small-scale resorts nearby, which are the only access points to Chuồng Víc Beach, so it was extremely quiet and felt like our own private escape. Its remoteness meant that the beach was pretty clean too, although I still picked up pieces here and there. Even when we lived in Western Australia, on one of the most remote coastlines in the world, we’d still collect enough rubbish to fill a couple of bin bags every few months, especially after a storm. Most of it was actually crap from fishing vessels, which we found here too. There was a fishing barge perched a hundred metres in front, which I suspect was responsible for some of it. They even sent us origami boats one day.
After enough beach bumming, drinking my weight in fresh coconuts, and shamefully spending half of my holiday editing a video of the kids due to lack of time at work (one reason for the lack of Vietnam articles so far.. my little wombats), we slipped our shoes back on and peeled ourselves away from our little island.
The northwest tip of Phu Quoc has fewer Grab taxis, so we rented scooters from Tracy to get out and about. It was my first time driving in Vietnam because anyone who has visited Saigon will know that driving (and indeed crossing the road) is completely madhouse! Which is why I still haven’t mustered up the courage (or will) to drive there yet. On the whole, the roads in Phu Quoc are delightfully wider and quieter, and were a joy to ride on.
One day, we took a dirt road to a nearby walking trail (which I’d take any day over Ho Chi streets!). Hiking isn’t a thing in Vietnam like it is in Queensland, with fewer trails and a lack of willing participants, so we got to enjoy our jungle walk alone.
Most evenings, we headed out for dinner and a sunset in Gành Dầu, which had a charming little centre and only a handful of beachfront stays. If I could pack up my city life and move somewhere else in Vietnam for the rest of my time here, it would happily be this place.
Staying here gave me a taste of exactly what I missed most about living in Australia. For the best part of the last 5 years BS (Before Saigon), my home was also sandwiched between the rainforest and the reef. It was like my thrice-weekly drug to hit the ranges and forest bath, and relax by the coast the rest of the time. Walking anywhere from my home these days usually involves dodging a chaotic beehive of scooters, and trying not to accidentally step in street juice. Minus extra days where the smog and rain keeps us inside, I have barely walked anywhere in the past year, and I’ve missed wild spaces more than anything else.
We extended our stay here by one more day, which was all the time we could give, sadly. On the last night, it was just us and another couple, and it felt like our own private villa on this gorgeous beach.
Needless to say, this place was like therapy, and I’m already planning my return visit.x
Extra Deets // Casa D’Elysea
Tracy and Polly had no idea I’d be writing a post, or even knew about the blog. I never tell people about Travel Mermaid on my travels, because for me it feels a bit pompous, and I want people to be themselves.
Casa D’Elysea is a mix between a small boutique hotel and an Airbnb, and it’s run like one too as communication with Tracy is done through WhatsApp. She’s very quick to respond. When Polly and Tracy are staying, the place really feels like a family-run stay, and they’re both super lovely.
As mentioned in the post, we stayed in a room on the ground floor. It was generously spacious (at 45 m²), chic and minimalist with high-end Mediterranean finishes. We loved that it was basically right on the beach.
Four more rooms have also opened on the fourth floor since our stay. They’re even bigger and more private as they have a balcony that isn’t overlooked, and they each have an al-fresco spa bath. Polly was sweet to offer us a tour of them, and they’re lush- ideal for a romantic getaway.
As the villa had only opened two months before our visit, they’re still learning things as they go and making improvements. Perhaps in a few months, when they start filling out, they may want a manager who can be there full-time, or it might get a bit too much. But, Rome wasn’t built in a day, as I learnt with The Glass House.
Tip: Bring your snorkel and booties if you have them. They have life vests, kayaks and a couple of snorkels for guests to use, but the masks didn’t fit my face well. 🤿 Also worth noting, in an effort to be sustainable, their pool is saltwater and they don’t use harmful chemicals. While they figure out the chemistry of the cleaning process, the steps can be a bit slippery, so watch how you go.
How to get there & About
Fortunately for fellow Saigoners, this is one of the sweetest flights you can experience from Ho Chi Minh City. The island is only an hour’s flight away, so you’re taking off and landing for longer than you’re in autopilot. There’s barely time for a drink.
Flights ✈️
Every teacher who’s been here for a few years recommended that I NOT travel with VietJet Airlines if I can help it, and to go with Vietnam Airlines instead. Apparently they’re notorious for delays.
As I booked at the last minute, I flew outbound with VietJet, which had many available flights. The plane was only delayed by about 1 hour, but I can concur they’re a bit shit. They reminded me a lot of Ryanair in Europe- annoyingly inexperienced staff who I wouldn’t trust with a bargepole if something happened on board. They also had small pokey seats, everything is an add-on (like luggage, etc), and the passengers could be a bit feral too.
We came back with Vietnam Airlines. Ironically, they were more delayed (2 hours), but the whole experience was heaps better, and I’ll always be going with them if I can help it. Their economy seats also include checked luggage as a standard (no Ryanair business model here), so the price ends up being about the same anyway.
Cab 🚖
We ordered a Grab from the Airport to Casa D’Elysea via the app, which was very quick and easy. It took about an hour to get to the resort, and cost about 440’000 VND (approx. $26 AUD), which I think is pretty standard.
Getting short-distance Grabs around Casa D’Elysea was quite tricky though, so renting a scooter is handy if you want to venture out a bit.
The night before, I pre-booked a return Grab to the Airport without issues, although Polly can also organise one for you.
Good to know
Where to chow 🍜
Casa D’Elysea: Due to guest demand, a couple of weeks before we arrived, Polly and Tracy hired a wonderful home cook. The menu is simple, like Pho (the Sailor was addicted to the beef one), noodles and seafood, etc, and everything is brought fresh each morning from the market. The food isn’t fancy (thankfully), but it’s uber fresh, delicious, and cooked with love. If you know you’re staying for dinner, just let the chef know what you’d like so she can prepare everything ahead and get extra bits from the market. The food here is also very reasonably priced, unlike most hotels (check the map below for the menu).
Drinkwise, they sell a range of soft bevvies, fresh daily coconuts from the casa (divine) and beer only.
They have also kitted out a guest kitchen just in front of the chef’s kitchen, where you can cook your own food, or prepare brekkie if you wish. It’s really well-equipped and has a big fridge if you need to store your bits. The owners are trying to avoid people eating in the room, understandably, to avoid pests. The downstairs rooms only have tiny bar fridges, FYI.
Five Minutes Away: If you have a scooter or manage to get a taxi, then you have to visit 40 Six Beach Haus. If Vietnam and Greece had a love child, it’d be this place aesthetically! Perched on a hilly cove, the vibes here are awesome, the drinks are divine, and the Asian fusion food is banging. It’s also a great ocean sunset spot as it’s on the northwest coast. We came here a few times because we loved it so much.
There are a few other spots around here for drinks and dinner. We ate at Mun’s Kitchen a couple of times, too, which I’d recommend. The food is tasty, it’s nice and chilled, and you’re right next to the beach.
In Phu Quoc Town Centre (Dương Đông): I bookmarked Bánh Xèo Cuội 3 Restaurant when passing by from the airport, and we loved the crispy pancake here.
A Phu Quoc specialty dish is also Bún Kèn, a type of noodle soup that has a flavour-packed broth with coconut milk, curry, minced fish and five-spice, and is described as crunchy, fishy and fruity. We didn’t get to try it sadly, but I heard that Bún Kèn Út Lượm is the best place to get it.
Into The Wild Hike
This is an awesome little hike to do in Phu Quoc and by far, the most enjoyable walk I’ve done in Vietnam so far. They don’t happen often enough these days, sadly, but this one is so peaceful and pleasantly flat compared to some steep AF mountains that seem to have been blazed to inflict torture, instead of joy (like Tây Ninh’s Black Virgin Mountain. Never again!).
I can’t say exactly how long the trail is, but it took us about an hour return, plus stopping time to take photos. It was created as a conservation trail so there’s lots of wildlife signage throughout, and it’s filled with heaps of cool structures, sculptures and bridges made of bamboo and wire. You can see all the love that went into creating it.
Unfortunately, it seems neglected these days and isn’t maintained, so many of the bridges are falling apart. But don’t let that put you off because it makes for a more interesting walk and gives it a Blair Witch vibe; you just need to be careful walking over the bridges. There is one towards the end that’s completely fallen down, which you need to walk around. However, if it’s the wet season or there’s been a lot of rain, you may not be able to cross.
Getting to the trailhead
Ten minutes away from Casa D’Elysea is a long dirt road called Suối Cái. It travels east to the highway and connects to more remote spots, like Starfish Beach (which lives up to its name), and this hike. The road was fairly busy with Jeeps trailing groups of tourists to these remote strips for an excursion. You need to go carefully in places, but it’s not as hairy and rocky as the dirt roads I’ve taken in Phuket.
The trailhead is about 20 minutes down Suối Cái. The start and the path don’t show up on Google Maps, unfortunately. But check the map below for a marker, or here’s the coordinates: 10°21’18.6″N 103°52’40.6″E
The trailhead is located on the left, marked by a ‘Restricted Area’ sign attached to a tree in front (see pic below). This is because the structures inside are no longer maintained, but you can still hike here. On the opposite side of the trail to your right, there’s a big green sign in Vietnamese, plus another trail with a Restricted Access sign.
Note: I’ve seen pictures of this trail from a few years ago, and there’s an ‘Into The Wild’ sign welcoming you at the start, which has since been taken down, hence the name.
There are signs at the entrance welcoming you to the National Park. Then it’s a well-marked path that’s easy to follow, which steers north-east towards the beach. The whole trail is shaded by the canopy, so it’s humid but pleasantly a few degrees cooler than the beach.
After about half an hour of leisurely walking through the forest and crossing a series of bridges, the return point is when you get to a bamboo platform (pic below). Beyond this is ‘Indochinese Silver Langur Bridge’, which leads down to the beach and takes another 15 minutes. We were initially intending to go all the way, but the bridge has completely fallen and the trail down looks steep. I think it looks worse than it is from the top, and energetic hikers may want to have a go, but I was done by that point! Casa D’s gorgeous spot was beckoning me back.
Phu Quoc Map
To make things easier, I’ve added all the recommendations in this post to the map below 👇 so you can use it on the road. Hit the top right icon (that looks like a square), and it’ll open up on your phone in Google Maps.
Phu Quoc V Phuket
If you’ve read this blog before, you’ll know that I’m no stranger to tropical islands in the region, particularly across Malaysia and Thailand, so I couldn’t help but draw comparisons.
Although Vietnam and Thailand have been shaped by very different histories and are distinct from one another, many of you will probably be more familiar with Phuket, which has been a popular tourist hub since the 1980s. In that regard, Phu Quoc is kind of what I’d imagine Phuket to have been like 40 years ago.
They’re almost identically sized, their countries’ biggest islands, and stunning. However, unlike action-packed Phuket (which offers a lot, and I love it), Phu Quoc’s population is less than half, and it’s far less busy, developed or commercial (bar the Vinpearl and Sun World monstrosities). Here you won’t find weed shops littering the streets, no seedy little shithole centre like Patong, or suburbs like Karon that have turned into a little Moscow. It’s also still predominantly covered in lush national park by about 56% (compared to 6% in Phuket).
While there are chilled areas in Phuket, I think you generally go there to have fun, and head to Phu Quoc to relax. This southern Vietnamese gem is now, by far, my favourite beach spot in the country for R’n’R.
This was one of my most enjoyable island stays in Southeast Asia. I’m editing this from a less relaxing Vung Tau, wishing I were back here instead! As always guys, don’t be shy, flip a comment below if you have any Qs or just fancy sharing some love.x