🌍 Travel: A Blissful Tropical Month in Phu Quoc Vietnam (June 2026)

No Sunset Town. No crowds. Just an Island Girl Relaxing Returning to Asia and Island Life.

The Island I Didn't Know I Needed

My spirit team outdid itself again. I'd been asking where I could go to shed the dense energy I'd collected since arriving in Crete in December 2025 — then Athens in January and February, then city after city in Türkiye from March to May.

They led me to a tiny island sixteen times smaller than the one I'm from, where I felt relaxation again for the first time since last fall. This magical little island was everything I wanted and needed.

I landed at a family-owned, boutique resort (exactly what I searched for). Spacious rooms, lovely women at the front desk, excellent housekeeping, a breakfast worth waking up for. After the winter I'd had, it was a glorious place to land. I extended for a second week without hesitating.

I Did Almost Nothing, On Purpose

I relaxed so thoroughly here that I didn't want to go on tours or anywhere crowded. The most crowded place I went was Grand World, and it's off season, so it wasn't packed. The busiest beach I saw was Bãi Khem in the southeast — and even there, rows of loungers and bean bag chairs sat empty. The water had more people than the chairs. It was wonderful.

I spent my days on the balcony in the hot, humid tropical weather that feels like home to me. Journaling. Listening to kids and adults in the pool. I didn't use the pool — I'm not a fan of chlorine on my skin. Writing on my little Mac, like I'm doing now. Client finance work here and there. Grab motorbikes out to whatever café or shop I felt like that day.

My entire stay was wonderful. I found the cutest, friendliest, and well-ran cafes with excellent local food at wonderful prices.

Palm Bay Resort in Phu Quoc Vietnam

Where I Stayed, and Where I Didn't

Three quarters of my time was in the Central West. I spent a stretch in a remote pocket of the North, went once to a beach in the Southeast, and lived mostly among locals rather than foreigners.

I never went to Sunset Town in the southwest — the one you see all over social media. It's European-inspired: the buildings, the restaurants, the cafés all emulate Europe. I'd just come from there. I was thoroughly European'd out. I wanted to be in Vietnam, not a replica of somewhere I'd just left.

It was so easy to get around, order food, get help whenever you needed it, and the best part is that Vietnamese people are pleasant, easygoing and friendly.

I stayed in the Central West resort for two weeks total. I extended.

One of my favorite cafes in the island 40six Beach Haus in Phu Quoc Vietnam

Reading nook at Bamboo Cottage Resort in the northwest of Phu Quoc Island

Vietnamese-Owned Resorts & Cottages — and the Café That Moved Me Across the Island

The women at the resort told me about a café called 40six Beach Haus. What a hidden gem. Not even the local girl I'd befriended knew about it — she only found it later, through TikTok, and turned up there during one of my visits.

It was at 40six that I watched the most stunning sunset of my life. Not joking. I sat there mesmerized for what felt like hours. It was also where I ate the best four-cheese pizza I've had since Naples — what a pleasant surprise. I like to stick to the food of the country I'm visiting, but this place was a fusion of traditional Vietnamese dishes worked into western food like pasta and pizza. This pizza had the best crust I have tasted in a long, long time.

I loved that coffee shop so much I booked my third week at a cottage resort nearby, in the northwest, purely to be closer to that café. And then — funny how this happens — I loved the vibe and the food at cottages so much that I only made it back to 40six a couple of times. That’s because I enjoyed some beautiful sunsets at my own resort too.

I didn’t go to the Southern tip or the East but two times while I was staying in the Central West. I visited Bãi Tắm Khem beach in the Southeast.

Airwaves Beach Club, and a Server Who Really Wanted Me to Have Ice Cream

Early on, a local young woman I'd met told me about Airwaves Beach Club, five or ten minutes from where I was staying. I kept it in my back pocket, assuming it would be another bland western place.The service turned out to be above and beyond and the food was high quality and genuinely well made. The dish I ordered would've run $20 or more in the States. I got a cappuccino and a smoothie too. The server asked me for a Google review in exchange for ice cream, and he was so genuinely excited about the ice cream that I had to tell him I'd take it later, because I was completely full.

I ended up staying five hours to work. Moved chairs three times — a storm rolled in, everyone went inside, and then I needed something more comfortable. They brought fans and regularly checked up on me. Again, excellent service.

I made friends- locals and foreigners- at the different cafés I visited. I was told by three people on this island that they loved my vibes. While writing this I'm nostalgic — I can't wait to go back. As I write this I'm in Thailand, in Koh Lanta, which is actually in the same section of the world as Phu Quoc. It was supposed to be a visa run to Bangkok and back, but I ended up using Bangkok as a layover to the coast and decided to stay and explore. It's been very zen here too, but I honestly can't wait to go back to Phu Quoc.

The Food Alone Was Worth It

I was exposed to Vietnamese culture as much as you can be in San Jose, California, where I grew up from age twelve. My brother had a close childhood friend who was Vietnamese, but my own experience was mostly limited to their cuisine. Pho was everywhere in San Jose, and because there were so many places, they were fiercely competitive about having the freshest ingredients and highest quality. I've been eating Pho since my teenage years. When I started partying at 21, Pho shops were the only places open at 2am when the nightclubs closed and you were starved from dancing all night. Unfortunately, I didn't make many Vietnamese friends in Silicon Valley.

The food in Phu Quoc was a huge part of what made the month wonderful. Without good food, humans can't thrive. I wish everybody understood that. “Food is life” my Italian best friend said once and I never forgot that.

Xu Linen, and the Dress I'm Wearing Right Now

I went to maybe three clothing stores total. Only one shop I visited twice: Xu Linen, where she makes the cutest skorts and dresses. I bought the house dress I'm wearing as I type this. It's what we call a "bata" in Puerto Rico. It’s often made fun of in PR for being what you wear when you’re either depressed or let yourself go.

I don’t care. In the second half of life, we prioritize comfort over style — although I try to do both as much as I can.

The Beach, and the Jellyfish I Wasn't About to Test

I went to the beach, of course. I didn't swim. I read about the box jellyfish in rainy season and thought, nope. Even more than sharks, I worry about jellyfish. I was stung in Puerto Rico when I was six. All I remember is pain, pain, and more pain. I don't think I'll ever be caught in the ocean wearing long sleeves — it's not what Caribbean people tend to do. But I understand the people who work in the sun and need to cover themselves.

Nobody Walks Here (but I find this to be a thing in islands, go figure)

A foreigner living on the island mentioned that people don't walk — everyone's on a scooter. That reminded me that just a week before I'd been walking from my hotel to a café when a young man came out of his house on his motorbike and asked me where I was going. I was puzzled, until I realized he was asking so he could give me a ride. I was practically at the café, said so, and thanked him.

If you're walking here, a stranger might offer you a lift. It's happened to me three times that I can remember: once in Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic; once on Rhodes, Greece; now here. I accepted the first two because I genuinely needed them. These are all places that are very community-based where people lend each other a hand and there is almost no crime.

It's a beautiful thing when someone is willing to help another human being without a financial transaction attached.

I noticed the no-walking thing on my first day too, when I set out to explore and found nobody else on foot. Then I realized that I was walking at the hottest hour of the day — when locals stay inside, out of the sun. They cover up: long sleeves, hats. I wondered why so many people still wore masks. Turns out it's less about illness and more about sun protection — shielding the face from direct sun exposure, since fair skin is prized here the way it is across most of Southeast Asia.

In my island of Puerto Rico this lady I was talking to at the laundromat while I was nomading there for a two months was telling me a story about an “Americano" (even though we’re americans too we call the people from the states “Americanos” but really meaning “foreigner.”) who walked all over and she said to me in Spanish, “Tu sabes como a los Americanos les gusta caminar.” (You know how the Americans like to walk) LOL I am that American now! I like to walk! It’s one of the few ways I get any exercise! This is why I always lose weight when I solo travel.

What I'd Tell You Before You Go

Visas — Getting Into Phu Quoc

Phu Quoc is the easiest entry point in Vietnam. Since 2014, under Decision 80/2013/QĐ-TTg, foreign nationals of any nationality can enter, stay, and exit Phu Quoc Island visa-free for up to 30 days — no e-visa, no advance application, regardless of what your passport normally requires for mainland Vietnam. The catch: this exemption only covers Phu Quoc itself. If you fly in and decide to hop to Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang, or anywhere else on the mainland, you're immediately outside the exemption and need a proper Vietnam e-visa (valid up to 90 days, covers the whole country). You also need to show proof you'll leave the island within 30 days — a return or onward ticket — and your passport needs at least 6 months validity remaining. You can qualify even connecting through Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi on the way, as long as you stay in the international transit area and never clear mainland immigration.

Jellyfish season in Phu Quoc runs April through August, peaking during warmer water months, with the highest concentrations at Ganh Dau, Cửa Cạn, Bãi Thơm, Hàm Ninh, and the An Thới area — activity spikes after rain and during high tide, when currents wash them closer to shore. Most jellyfish you'll actually encounter are harmless — comb jellies, moon jellies — but fire jellyfish (painful sting, not dangerous) are common, and box jellyfish, while genuinely rare, have been recorded in the island's southern waters. A four-handed box jellyfish sting is a real medical emergency, not exaggeration — this species is responsible for serious injuries and deaths across Southeast Asia. The risk is low, not zero. Local guidance: avoid swimming right after rain or at high tide, and long-sleeve swimwear cuts your exposure if you're nervous.

This was my first room which was behind another bungalow but they upgraded me for free to an oceanfront one after a couple of days. I could hear the waves from here though. This place was so simple yet magical. It felt like you were in a corner of the world where no one would find you. I can’t wait to be back.

Wifi Quality for Remote Work - I was actually impressed with the wifi. It was so much better than Türkiye, where the speeds were frustrating and it dropped constantly. It didn't block any website or app I used, either — in Türkiye I couldn't access Substack or Discord at all.

Off-Season vs. Peak — A lot of locals were almost apologetic about it being slow and being the rainy season. I had to explain that it was absolutely perfect. That is what I enjoyed most about the island- the serenity and the lack of crowds. I guess it’s because I get to move more like a local when there aren’t so many tourists around. If you’re a digital nomad and you don’t mind a little bit of rain- June was the perfect month.

I got curious about what I'd missed in the three months before I arrived, so I looked it up. I can't speak to March, April, or May from experience — I wasn't there — but here's what I found, and it's honestly making me consider timing my next trip differently.

March through May is the tail end of the dry season: hot, sunny, calm seas, water clear enough for real reef exploration. March is the quiet shoulder month once the European crowds thin out — apparently a sweet spot for affordable luxury. April gets a small tourism bump from regional holidays but stays relaxed. May is the hinge month — still plenty of sun, but the air turns heavier and humid, with sudden tropical showers rolling through, and tourist numbers drop enough that deals get noticeably better.

Then June, when I actually landed, is full monsoon. Heavy rain, high humidity, rougher seas, boat tours getting canceled. But here's the part that makes me want to come back and see it for myself: apparently the island turns a deep, saturated green in June, waterfalls start running, everything gets quieter, and hotel rates drop even further. I got the quiet and the deals. I didn't get the dry season clarity or the calm water. Which means I already know what I'm doing differently next time — landing in March or April instead, and catching the island in both moods.

Getting Around - Grab availability and whether you need a scooter. I didn’t use it this time but they have Bolt as well. As I write this I’ve already been in two locations since I left Phu Quoc: Klong Kong Beach, Krabi and Kantiang Bay in Koh Lanta. I’ll tell you, not having the convenience of Grab and Bolt is hard! I can’t just up and go when I want. I have to depend on Tuk Tuk’s and I have not used one. I left any exploring for the last 5 days of my stay.

Stay In The Loop

🔵  Next: Krabi and Koh Lanta Thailand are my next stops but I might be catching up on old trips! Who knows!

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