An independent guide to Phu Quoc island
Region · West coast
Duong Dong and Long Beach
Duong Dong is the island's main town, on the west coast where the Duong Dong river meets the sea. From the river mouth, Long Beach (Bai Truong) runs south for about 20 km. Most first-time visitors sleep somewhere along this stretch, close to the airport and halfway between north and south.
The town at a glance
Duong Dong is where the island looks like a working town rather than a resort: a fish market, schools, offices, river boats and cafés used by residents. Since 1 July 2025 the former ward has been part of the Phu Quoc Special Zone, but the name is still used every day.
The town centre is crowded, with traffic and building sites. If you are looking for clear water and an empty beach, you will find it in the south or on the islets rather than in central Duong Dong.
Sources: SGGP — Phu Quoc becomes a special zone (1 Jul 2025); An Giang tourism department — Bai Truong (Long Beach); VnExpress — Phu Quoc travel handbook · checked .
Dinh Cau
Dinh Cau is a small shrine on a rocky outcrop at the mouth of the Duong Dong river, facing the western sea. It honours the Lady Ngoc Nuong together with the deities Cau Tai and Cau Quy, who fishing families believe protect people at sea. The structure was rebuilt more solidly in 1937, VietnamPlus reported in September 2026; the An Giang tourism department notes a view that a shrine stood here in the 17th century. Twenty-nine stone steps lead up to it.
Sunset, roughly between 5 and 6 pm depending on the season, is the busiest time on the rocks. The Dinh Cau festival falls on the 15th and 16th days of the tenth lunar month; in 2024 that was 15 and 16 November, when Tuoi Tre reported folk games for visitors.
Cover shoulders and knees inside the shrine, do not climb on altars for photos, and take care on wet rocks at high tide.
Sources: VietnamPlus — Dinh Cau shrine (9 Sep 2026); An Giang tourism department — Dinh Cau; Tuoi Tre — Dinh Cau festival 2024 · checked .
Markets, and the night market question
Duong Dong market, by the river, is the island's main produce market and is busy from very early morning with fish, squid, crab and shellfish; sellers will pack seafood for travel, VietNamNet reported (2014).
The night market on Bach Dang street, behind Dinh Cau, has been in limbo. Its operator's ten-year lease ended on 31 December 2025, trading was allowed through Tet to 28 February 2026, and on 1 April 2026 the special zone's chairman said there was no plan to scrap the night market and that a new site was being studied, Tien Phong reported. We could not confirm where it trades in October 2026, so ask your hotel. In January 2026 VnExpress listed alternatives, including a market along Long Beach open from 4 pm to 11 pm with more than 100 stalls.
- Ask the price per kilogram and watch the weighing before seafood is cooked.
- Treat cheap pearls with suspicion; see the souvenirs section of our culture page.
Sources: VietNamNet — Duong Dong market (Nov 2014); Tien Phong — no plan to scrap the night market (1 Apr 2026); VnExpress — where to go after the Duong Dong night market closes (Jan 2026) · checked .
Long Beach and Cua Can
Long Beach (Bai Truong) runs from the Dinh Cau headland south towards An Thoi. The An Giang tourism department gives more than 20 km, Tap chi Cong Thuong nearly 20 km; it is broken by rocky points and small fishing hamlets. It faces west, so it gets the sunset, and in the south-west monsoon it gets the waves.
North of town, Cua Can beach lies about 6 km from Duong Dong and is about 3 km long, with informal services, according to the tourism department. Further north the coast continues to Bai Dai; see the north page.
Sources: An Giang tourism department — Bai Truong (Long Beach); Tap chi Cong Thuong — Phu Quoc beaches (Jul 2020); An Giang tourism department — Cua Can beach · checked .
Who this area suits
- First-time visitors who want restaurants, pharmacies and taxis within a short walk or ride.
- Travellers without a licence or a car, since Grab and taxis are most available here.
- People splitting their days between the north and the south, as the town is roughly central.
- Anyone arriving late or leaving early by air: the airport is close.
When Duong Dong is the wrong base
Skip the town centre if you want quiet nights, a beach without traffic noise, or calm water between May and October; the south-east beaches are better then. It is also the wrong base if your days revolve around the safari and theme parks in the far north-west or the islets in the south, because you will spend an hour or more in a car each day.
Compare with the south and the east coast.
Around Duong Dong in pictures
Common questions
Questions readers send
Is the Duong Dong night market open?
Its status changed in 2026: the lease ended at the end of 2025 and the special zone said in April 2026 it was studying a new site. Ask your hotel for the current location before you go.
Can I swim at Long Beach all year?
In the dry months the sea is usually calm. From about May to October waves build on the west coast; swim only where lifeguards and flags show it is safe.
When is the Dinh Cau festival?
On the 15th and 16th days of the tenth lunar month. In 2024 that was 15 and 16 November; the solar date changes every year.
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Read next
Region · South
South and An Thoi islands
Bai Sao and Bai Khem, the An Thoi islets, the Hon Thom cable car, the prison site and boat safety.
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Region · North
North and national park
The national park, Ganh Dau cape, Bai Dai, Rach Vem and the north-west resort coast.
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Region · East coast
East coast and Ham Ninh
Ham Ninh village, seagrass, Bai Vong port, pepper gardens, Suoi Tranh and Ho Quoc pagoda.
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Plan · On the island
Getting around
Distances from Duong Dong, taxis and Grab, VinBus routes, motorbike licences and boats to the islets.
View journey
Understand · Culture
Culture and history
Settlement, fish-sauce houses, pepper, the prison site, shrines and pagodas, and souvenirs to avoid.
View journeyStart planning
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