15 Adventures to Have with Your kids in Phu Quoc

We started our journey in Vietnam from Ha Noi in the Northern Vietnam. It was January at the time and to no surprise it was the coldest month and also very rainy. We were in tam Coc when We opted to head to Phu Quoc due to being so cold and not being able to explore around. Not to mention all the rain as we had to sit inside our homestay for 2 days . So We booked tickets with VietJet Air ( you can browse for the tickets on their website: VIETJET AIR – they have pretty great deals on flights) just 24 hours before the flight 9and they were only 25$ US each with checked in luggage included.

The flight from Ha Noi took about 2 hours and we landed in Phu Quoc to discover 30 degree weather and abundant sunshine. It was such a relief to be able to enjoy outdoors again. Once we got to the place we were staying, we started to explore the island. We ended up staying for more than 3 weeks on this island and we are very glad that the bad weather got us there as we planned only on going to Phu Quoc IF we had time at the end of exploring Vietnam. Anyways- we had so many precious moments and explored so many things on this stunning Island.

Here are 15 Things to do with your Kids on this Beautiful Island:

• VISIT THE FAMOUS STARFISH BEACH – this is a MUST do activity when you are in Phu Quoc. Even when I read the BAD reviews, I decided we should give it a go and explore and see for ourselves what it is all about. We got a GRAB taxi to get to the North Side of the Island – (the road is bad and it takes longer than expected to get there). Once we got to the parking lot- we immediately had a ton of people offering boats to get to the Starfish Beach. We declined as I talked to the locals and knew that they overcharge tourists (they were offering a boat ride for about 300K VND per person- ~12$ US which is quite steep. But if you walk along the shore for a bit, the restaurant near by will offer the boat ride two way for the same amount for the whole family). You can also reach the beach just walking along the shore for 1-1.5 km. We went to a closer part of the beach which had just a few people around. They had sun beds and umbrellas for a small fee to rent and just one stand where they were selling drinks. There were also swings there for free. We spent there 3-4 hours and had such an amazing time. No hassle, crystal clear water, lots of starfish. Kids did not want to leave.

• TAKE A TOUR AT THE NGOC HIEN PEARL FARM – Phu Quoc is known as a Pearl Island. Ngoc Hien pearl farm is the only one on the island. It was established in 1994 and the owner has a great story behind it (which you will hear on the tour at the pearl farm). Once You walk into the Pearl Farm, you will see different type of jewelry and cosmetics that is made with or from pearl. They also make all kinds of art from the shells. They make everything in this farm and You can watch locals working on jewelry right there behind the window. The tour is totally free – they show you how the pearl is grown, tell you everything about the pearl farming and the history behind it. The best part and added bonus is that they have a MUSEUM on the lower floor,- all the artifacts at the museum is actually brought by the owner from the ships that are laying on the Ocean floor as his hobby is diving! There are artifacts from the Chinese Dynasties dating back to 4-8th Centuries! How cool is that?

• VISIT SUN WORLD HON THOM – located on the Island of Hon Thon, you can only get there by an epic LONGEST CABLE CAR in the World! It is almost 8 km long and you go through a few islands on the south until You reach the Nature Park of Sun World. They have an epic Waterpark- that has something for everyone from babies to adults. My kids and my husband where the last ones to leave when the park was closed at 5 pm. Get there early as the crowds are coming in around 12-1 pm. The tickets are 500.000 VND for kids under 140 CM and 650.000 VND for adults. The night show (water, fire and laser with fireworks)at the Sunset World Marina was included when we visited but not sure if it was promotion or it is always included. The ticket is for the Cable Car ride (round trip) and the Waterpark as well as the nature park and their Beach. This was a highlight for my kids and they wanted to go again the next day.

• EXPLORE SUNSET TOWN – the whole village of Sunset TOWN was built a few years back and is fairly new and a lot of buildings are still empty. When you walk down the streets of this town, you feel like you are in Italy or in France. It has lots of restaurants and small cafes, and every night there is a local night market with different street food vendors on the street parallel the beach where you can enjoy local delicacies. It also has a Marina and a Beach as well as the Kiss Bridge – both places have an epic view of the sunset.

• ENJOY SUNSET AT A PUBLIC BEACH BAI TRUONG – this is a great place to soak in the sunset views for sure. Grab something to eat, bring your drinks and enjoy the beautiful views. This beach also has crystal clear water so it is nice to cool off after a hot day around the island. It also sometimes bring in some starfish. Location is here: Bãi Trường .

• VISIT A PEPPER FARM – Vietnam is known for their PEPPER. Phu Quoc has a few Pepper Farms that you can visit, but we opted to a small family owned pepper farm that grow peppers on the side of their pepper store. They do not really do any tours or anything, but You can observe the pepper garden and learn about different uses of it (did you hear they have Pepper Sugar?- me neither). We visited this Farm: Family Pepper Farm .

• VISIT A FISH SAUCE FACTORY – Vietnam is the leading maker and exporter of fish sauce. So visiting a fish sauce factory (if you really want to learn how it is made) is a must. The smell may be not the best, but local family run fish sauce factories will be happy to host you for free and show you around explaining how they make their own family recipe fish sauce. While there are a few factories, we opted to visit a family run business- Huynh Khoa Fish Sauce Factory .

• SPEND A DAY AT SAO BEACH – This was so special for us so we went there twice. it is located in the South East part of the Island of Phu Quoc. It has crystal clear water and white sand beach. This is a truly beautiful beach. You can also rent a jet ski and have a blast riding the waves. The location is HERE: SAO BEACH.

• HIKE Tiên Sơn Đỉnh – it’s a combination of rope, ladder, rocks, not too tough for a beginner so feel free to give it a try! The route is very clear with signage and colored rope tied to the trees. The view at the top is a plus. The hike takes around 30 minutes and is about 2 km long. It is an extraordinary experience of tropical hiking with panoramic views toward the sea, valley and airport. Plan your hiking with departures and arrivals schedule for airplane photo. The location for this is HERE: TIEN SON DINH HIKE.

• SPEND A DAY AT VinWONDERS THEME PARK – It is the Disney of Asia. This one has a lot of rides for all ages and a fountain show every hour or so. They also have a huge aquarium (this one is actually very impressive) and have a mermaid show 2 times per day. The ferris wheel gives you a glimpse of fantastic views from up high. It is very clean and surprisingly – not that crowded (could be because we were there in low season). Be prepared to spend the whole day there. They have a lot of restaurants and outdoor stalls with all kinds of food, drinks and sweets. There is a FREE bus (green, number 17) that goes all the way from the airport and takes you to the GRAND WORLD where you can take another FREE bus to the VinWonders. With your ticket you get access to the Teddy Bear Museum at the Grand World. Location for the GRAND WORLD is HERE: GRAND WORLD . Vin Wonders location: VinWonders

• EXPLORE VinWONDERS SAFARI – we got the two day ticket that included the theme park and safari (for the record- We typically do not go to the closed in safaris or zoos because we do not support this circus). I truly went for educational purposes, as I was told that at the safari the animals are freely roaming. If you are into it – go for it- they have rhinos, elephants, giraffes, lions, zebras etc. They also have a huge zoo (which we just passed by going to the bus to attend the safari ride (which takes around 30-40 minutes in total). you can reach the Safari Park either with a taxi, motorbike or a FREE bus from the main parking lot of VinWonders Theme Park. Location for the Safari: VinWonders SAFARI

• TREK AT THE NATIONAL PARK – they have great trails at the national park and very untouched nature. Location: Phu Quoc National Park . Have in Mind that they have a few different entrances, so you will need to ask locals which one is better for your preferance as the National Park is pretty big.

• EXPLORE LOCAL MARKETS – there are a few of those, but nevertheless it is quite the experience. We went to 3 of them and every time it had something different to offer. Here are the most famous markets: Phu Quoc Night Market that is located in the heart of Duong Dong – MAIN NIGHT MARKET. There is a local market where you can buy vegetables, fruit, fish , meat etc- LOCAL MARKET DUONG DONG . And there is also a night market that is located in the heart of Sunset Town – SUNSET TOWN NIGHT MARKET .

• GO DOWN THE HISTORY AT PHU QUOC PRISON – this prison was a military prison and was built in 1949–1950 by French colonialists as a place to detain political dissidents. During the Vietnam War, it was used for detention of captured  Viet Cong and North Vietnamese soldiers. It is ranked a special historical relic of national significance by the government of Vietnam. The prison covers an area of 40,000 square metres (0.015 sq mi). It may not be suitable for young kids. Location: PHU QUOC PRISON .

• EXPLORE SUOI TRANH WATERFALL – Location: Khu du lịch Suối Tranh. The entrance is through a Park, very well landscaped and beautiful. There is a small entrance fee and you trek through the jungle to the waterfall. This is only available in the wet season as the water dries out when there is no rain. We were there during the dry season and while it was a great trek through the jungle – we did not have a chance to enjoy the waterfall in all its glory.

These 15 adventures is a starting point to explore the island. There are a few more that we did but did not quite make the list. If you are looking for more adventures, look into Snorkeling trips to the near by islands and Squid Fishing.