Phu Quoc's Rise as the Hawaii of Asia Combines Tropical Beaches, Luxury and Lower Costs

An Island Drawing Global Attention

Phu Quoc, Vietnam's largest island, is gaining international attention with a combination of tropical beaches, expanding entertainment complexes and prices that put luxury holidays within reach of more travelers. The island welcomed nearly 7.6 million tourists in the first 11 months of a recent year, including 1.6 million foreign arrivals, with reported growth of 35% from a year earlier and visitor numbers exceeding its annual targets.

By December 30, 2025, the island had also secured third place worldwide in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards list of The World's Most Wonderful Islands. Its score of 95.51 put it ahead of the Maldives, Maui in Hawaii, Bali and Phuket. Phu Quoc was Vietnam's only representative on the list.

The description of Phu Quoc as the "Hawaii of Asia" captures the appeal driving that attention: beaches, mountainous jungle, tropical forests and a growing choice of resorts and attractions. Its family appeal and relatively affordable accommodation are helping broaden interest beyond backpackers and travelers seeking a quiet coastal retreat.

Located in the Gulf of Thailand near the Cambodian border, Phu Quoc was historically a quiet fishing outpost. Its transformation into a major holiday destination reflects Vietnam's rapid tourism development, while offering an experience far removed from the busy streets and motorbike traffic of Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.

International enthusiasm comes alongside a more complicated local picture. Some bloggers previously described the island as a "tourist trap" and criticized excessive development. The same expansion that has brought resorts, transport and entertainment has also raised concerns about public access to beaches, waste and the loss of natural landscapes.

Two Beaches at the Heart of the Appeal

Sao Beach and Kem Beach help explain why Phu Quoc has become such a recognizable tropical destination. Sao Beach is a favorite among tourists for its powdery white sand, calm turquoise water and lively beach bars. Its appeal combines a picturesque shoreline with places to eat, drink and spend the day.

Kem Beach, just over a hill, is often described as Sao Beach's "twin sibling." It previously appeared among the Top 50 Most Beautiful Beaches on the Planet and now hosts some of Vietnam's most exclusive resorts, including the JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay.

Phu Quoc's wider coastline is backed by a mix of coastal plains, tropical forests and mountainous jungle. Those landscapes give the island an identity beyond its resort districts and provide the natural setting behind comparisons with Hawaii.

The island is roughly the same size as Phuket in Thailand but is much less densely populated. That difference contributes to a greater sense of space and tranquility, even as parts of Phu Quoc develop into busy centers for tourism.

Sao and Kem also show how different holiday experiences sit close together. One is associated with beach bars and a popular shoreline; the other with exclusive resort accommodation. Both are central to an island selling beach holidays across a broad range of budgets.

Forests, Fishing Villages and Coral

Northern Phu Quoc remains relatively undeveloped, with paperbark forests and fishing villages such as Ganh Dau and Rach Tram. These places offer a glimpse of the island life that preceded the recent tourism boom, away from the large entertainment developments elsewhere.

Phu Quoc National Park covers more than half of the island's landmass. Described as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the protected area contains hiking trails, waterfalls and diverse wildlife, giving visitors opportunities for trekking and bird watching.

The park provides an ecological counterweight to construction along the coast. For travelers, it also means a visit can include forest walks and wildlife as well as beaches and resorts.

At sea, the Phu Quoc Marine Protected Area safeguards 260 species of coral. That marine environment supports the island's appeal for snorkeling and diving, adding another dimension to holidays built around the coastline.

The contrast between the northern villages, protected interior and developed coastal areas is central to understanding Phu Quoc. Traditional livelihoods, nature tourism and large commercial attractions now form parts of the same destination.

A Cable Car and a Mediterranean Style Waterfront

Sun Group, a major Vietnamese developer, has played a leading role in turning southern Phu Quoc into a center for luxury tourism and entertainment. Large integrated complexes, where several attractions and services are developed together, have become a major part of the island's tourism infrastructure.

The cable car to Hon Thom Island is among the most prominent examples. Described as the world's longest three-wire cable car, it stretches more than 8 kilometers and gives passengers panoramic views of the sea and the An Thoi archipelago. The journey functions as an attraction as well as a means of transport.

Beside the cable car terminal, Sunset Town takes its architectural inspiration from Sorrento, the Mediterranean resort town in Italy. Colorful buildings and upscale dining create a setting quite different from Phu Quoc's fishing villages and forested interior.

Sunset Town's Kiss Bridge has a gap in its middle designed for couples to lean across and kiss. Friends can photograph them from a lower tier, making the structure both a waterfront landmark and a deliberately staged setting for visitors' pictures.

At night, the Kiss of the Sea show combines fireworks, lasers and water effects. The multimedia production holds a Guinness World Record, adding another internationally promoted attraction to the southern development.

These projects help explain the island's changing audience. A holiday can now be organized around performances, architecture and entertainment as much as swimming or relaxing on the sand.

Family Attractions and a Wider Choice of Rooms

VinWonders and Grand World, on the northwest coast, add another concentration of family entertainment. Attractions include an aquarium claimed to be the fifth largest in the world, a Ferris wheel described as Vietnam's tallest, and a canal system inspired by Venice, complete with gondolas.

Theme parks and beaches described as safe for families give parents several ways to plan a visit. Adventure travelers have a different selection, including water sports, excursions between islands and jungle treks.

Accommodation ranges from inexpensive mini hotels to luxury villas with private pools. A hotel night can be found for around SGD50, presented as a fraction of the cost of comparable accommodation in Singapore or other major regional hubs.

At the luxury end, the JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay is already part of the island's resort scene. The upcoming Rixos Phu Quoc is described as set to become the first "all-inclusive" hotel in Southeast Asia. An all-inclusive stay generally brings accommodation, meals and specified services into one package.

This range helps Phu Quoc appeal to travelers with very different spending limits. The island's reputation increasingly rests on the ability to choose between a modest room and a resort holiday, while still having access to a substantial menu of attractions.

Why the Holiday Budget Matters

Phu Quoc's prices are a major part of its growing appeal as costs rise in destinations such as Phuket, Bali and the Maldives. International travel coverage has described the island as one of the world's most affordable tropical destinations, with luxury experiences available below the prices travelers might expect elsewhere.

A villa with a private pool can be found for $100 to $120 a night. Thailand's hotel rates, by comparison, rose by approximately 15% in 2024, while Phu Quoc continued to be presented as competitively priced.

South Korean travelers have highlighted the contrast in everyday spending. A full meal in Phu Quoc might cost about 5,000 won, while a single coffee on South Korea's Jeju Island can cost nearly 10,000 won. Using those examples, the meal costs roughly half as much as the coffee.

South Korean television network KBS described how lower spending after arrival could outweigh the cost of getting to Vietnam:

Despite higher airfare than to Jeju Island, accommodation and dining costs made Phu Quoc a more attractive choice,

Thai journalist Thasaneya Ratwong also observed that food and seafood prices in Phu Quoc were much cheaper than in Thailand. Lower prices for activities and services extend the attraction beyond accommodation alone.

The practical comparison is the cost of the whole holiday: flights, rooms, meals and activities. For travelers who find Hawaii or the Maldives too expensive, Phu Quoc offers another route to a tropical break, including the possibility of a luxury stay.

Those examples also explain why the island is attracting attention across different markets. Visitors seeking cheaper everyday meals and those seeking private villas can both find reasons to consider it, even though their holiday budgets differ substantially.

Visa Rules and New Air Connections

Vietnam grants international tourists from all countries a visa exemption of 30 days upon arrival in Phu Quoc. A visa exemption allows a traveler to enter without obtaining a visa for the permitted stay, reducing one administrative step in planning a holiday.

The island's policy is presented as an advantage compared with travel to other parts of Vietnam or Southeast Asia. Alongside prices and attractions, easier entry is another factor supporting its international appeal.

Sun PhuQuoc Airways, a new airline named after the island, has officially begun operations and is expanding its route network. Its launch marks a new stage in the island's aviation development as businesses prepare for further growth in visitor numbers.

Air connections matter because travelers need convenient ways to reach the destination before they can benefit from cheaper rooms or meals. The airline's expansion is therefore part of the wider effort to support the island's tourism growth.

Visitor Growth and International Recognition

Phu Quoc's reported total of nearly 7.6 million tourists in the first 11 months includes 1.6 million international arrivals. Using those figures, foreign visitors made up about one fifth of the total, showing that domestic tourism remained the larger part of the visitor base.

The figures were described as covering the first 11 months of a recent year, without identifying that year. The reported increase of 35% from a year earlier and the passing of annual targets nevertheless illustrate the scale of the expansion described by December 30, 2025.

The island's third place in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards adds a different measure of visibility. A score of 95.51 placed Phu Quoc above several established island destinations, including Maui, the Maldives, Bali and Phuket.

The ranking reflects reader preferences, while the arrival figures describe the volume of tourism. Together, they help explain why Phu Quoc is increasingly discussed alongside destinations with much longer established international reputations.

The dates and stages identified in the island's development include:

• 1937: Dinh Cau Temple was built to honor the Goddess of the Sea.
• 2024: Hotel rates in Thailand rose by approximately 15%, providing a price comparison for Phu Quoc's competitive accommodation.
• By December 30, 2025: Sun PhuQuoc Airways had begun operations and was expanding its network.
• By December 30, 2025: Rixos Phu Quoc remained an upcoming resort, described as set to introduce its all-inclusive concept.

The Costs of Rapid Development

Phu Quoc's expansion has drawn criticism from independent travelers and bloggers who describe natural areas being bulldozed for resorts and condominiums. Their concerns focus on what happens to the landscapes that originally attracted visitors as more land is devoted to construction.

Some beaches have reportedly been restricted to resort guests, limiting public access to the coastline. For visitors and residents, access determines whether a beach remains a shared place or becomes mainly part of a commercial holiday experience.

Waste management and litter have also been noted, particularly on local beaches away from the principal tourist areas. These problems affect the everyday condition of the shoreline, even while the island's best known beaches receive international praise.

The preservation of local culture is another concern accompanying the shift from a quiet island to a busy tourism hub. Fishing villages, agricultural traditions and religious sites form part of Phu Quoc's identity alongside its new attractions.

Mehmet Kin, vice president of Crystal Bay Group, believes Phu Quoc can surpass Phuket and Pattaya if it continues to improve infrastructure and services while retaining a friendly atmosphere. Other industry views described the potential for a "Hawaii of the East" once infrastructure projects are fully completed.

Those ambitions depend on the quality of the visitor experience as well as the amount of construction. Clean beaches, access to the coast and the survival of natural areas are directly connected to the appeal that tourism businesses are promoting.

An Identity Beyond the Resort Districts

Dinh Cau Temple brings a cultural and historical dimension to a visit. Built in 1937 to honor the Goddess of the Sea, it sits within an island story that extends well before the current tourism boom.

Phu Quoc's fish sauce, a famous export, and its pepper farms provide a connection to local production and agricultural heritage. Along with fishing villages such as Ganh Dau and Rach Tram, they offer experiences outside the theme parks and resort developments.

The island now accommodates several kinds of holiday: luxury stays, modest beach breaks, family entertainment, forest trekking, water sports and trips among nearby islands. That versatility is one reason it is attracting a broader international audience.

The Hawaii comparison is ultimately a description of tropical appeal. Phu Quoc's own identity comes from the combination of Vietnamese island culture, protected forests, coral habitats, expanding entertainment districts and relatively accessible prices. Its challenge is to retain those attractions as visitor numbers and construction continue to grow.

The Bottom Line

• Phu Quoc is gaining international attention as the "Hawaii of Asia," with tropical beaches, family attractions and relatively affordable luxury.
• The island ranked third in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards, scoring 95.51.
• Nearly 7.6 million tourists, including 1.6 million foreign arrivals, were reported for the first 11 months of an unspecified recent year, with growth of 35%.
• Sao Beach, Kem Beach, the national park and a marine protected area safeguarding 260 coral species underpin its natural appeal.
• Major attractions include the cable car to Hon Thom, Sunset Town, Kiss Bridge, Kiss of the Sea, VinWonders and Grand World.
• Accommodation examples range from rooms around SGD50 to villas with private pools for $100 to $120 a night.
• A visa exemption of 30 days and the launch of Sun PhuQuoc Airways support international access.
• Development has brought concerns about habitat loss, restricted beach access, litter and the preservation of local culture.