Three parts of the island, and what a guide adds

Phu Quoc is a special zone (dac khu) of An Giang province, an island of about 589 square kilometres including its islets, roughly 50 km long and up to about 25 km wide. The main town, Duong Dong, sits on the west coast where the Duong Dong river meets the sea. The airport is about 10 km south of it. The north is mostly national park and a cluster of large resorts and theme parks at Bai Dai; the east coast has old fishing villages and the ferry port at Bai Vong; the south has An Thoi, the prison relic, Sunset Town and the beaches at Bai Sao and Bai Khem.

The pattern is simple once you know it. In the dry months, from November to April, the northeast monsoon brings sun and the west coast is calm and clear. From May to October the southwest monsoon turns the west coast rough and murky while the east coast, including Bai Sao and Bai Khem, is calmer. Heavy rain comes in short bursts rather than all day, and April is the hottest month, with middays often at 34 – 36 °C.

The three areas link up in a rough triangle. Duong Dong to Ham Ninh is about 14 to 15 km across the middle of the island; the airport and Bai Vong port sit close to Ham Ninh. Duong Dong to Ganh Dau is about 30 km, 40 to 50 minutes by car, partly on red-dirt roads. Going from Ham Ninh straight to the north means crossing back through the middle or taking forest roads, so most routes treat the north as its own day.

That is why our full days stay mostly on one side of the island. An eight-hour day can join Duong Dong and the east coast comfortably. It cannot join the north and the south without turning into a driving tour, which is the one thing a guide cannot make interesting.