For most visitors — especially first-timers, foodies and anyone staying fewer than five nights — Duong Dong is the better base on Phu Quoc: rooms from about 350,000–800,000 VND (~$14–31) per night, just 10–15 minutes from the airport, and the island's best food and nightlife within walking distance. Pick An Thoi and the south instead if you're a honeymooner, luxury seeker or beach purist: resorts there run roughly $100–800 per night on the island's prettiest bays, but you'll trade convenience — the airport is 25–40 minutes away and the town of Duong Dong is about 25 km north.
The Short Answer: Who Each Area Suits
Duong Dong, the island's capital on the northwest coast, sits at the lively northern end of the 20-km sweep of Long Beach (Bai Truong). It's vibrant, convenient and unapologetically touristy: the night market, Dinh Cau temple, hundreds of restaurants and most of the island's tour operators sit within a 5–10 minute walk of a town-centre room. Recent area guides name it the pick for first-timers, food and nightlife — while also flagging it as busy and traffic-heavy, particularly around sunset.
An Thoi anchors the far south, together with Sunset Town and the resort bays of Khem Beach. Guides describe this corner of the island as luxury, quiet and isolated — beautiful beaches and a slower pace, with the Hon Thom cable car and the southern archipelago as headline attractions. The flip side of that seclusion: it's the farthest corner of the island from the airport and from almost everything else.
Choose Duong Dong if you…
…are visiting Phu Quoc for the first time, travelling solo or as a couple, staying 2–4 nights, want restaurants and bars in walking distance, or are renting a comfortable room on a budget of $14–31 per night.
Less suited to: travellers seeking silence, honeymooners who want a private stretch of sand, and anyone allergic to scooter traffic on the coastal road.
Choose An Thoi / the south if you…
…are on a honeymoon or resort holiday, want to swim at Khem Beach or island-hop from An Thoi pier, plan to ride the Hon Thom cable car, and don't mind a 25–40 minute airport transfer.
Less suited to: backpackers who want cheap, central beds (village guesthouses are basic and the location offers little beyond the cable car), foodies chasing the night market, and short-stay visitors who will lose half a day to transfers.
Which Area Is Cheaper? A Price Breakdown
It depends what you're buying. If you compare typical hotel and resort rates, Duong Dong wins easily: one 2026 comparison puts Duong Dong accommodation at roughly $25–350 per night versus $100–800 per night for the south's resort strip. In town itself, decent double rooms start around 350,000 VND, so a comfortable night at $14–31 is entirely realistic.
If you compare the cheapest beds on the island, though, An Thoi actually wins: its village guesthouses are the lowest-priced of any Phu Quoc area compared, from about $8–15 per night, with more solid mid-range options at $20–35. The catch, which guides note honestly, is that An Thoi village itself offers little beyond proximity to the cable car — you're paying less to stay somewhere with less going on around you.
| Cost item | Duong Dong / Long Beach | An Thoi / south coast |
|---|---|---|
| Budget guesthouse room | 350,000–800,000 VND (~$14–31) | $8–15 basic; $20–35 mid-range |
| Typical resort/hotel spread | ~$25–350 per night | ~$100–800 per night |
| Airport transfer time | 10–15 minutes | 25–40 minutes (Khem Beach 30–45) |
| Walk to the beach | 5–10 minutes from town centre | Often on the sand — resort beaches |
| Evening entertainment | Night market, beach bars (free to stroll) | KISS of the Sea show, resort lounges |
Bottom line: budget travellers find the absolute cheapest rooms in An Thoi village, but the best price-to-location value on the island is a $14–31 room in Duong Dong, where you spend almost nothing on transport in the evenings. Luxury seekers will find the $100–800 south-coast resorts hard to beat anywhere in Vietnam.
Beaches: Long Beach Convenience or the South's Postcard Bays?
Long Beach isn't one beach but roughly 20 km of sand arcing down the northwest coast, and Duong Dong sits at its liveliest northern end. The sand is golden rather than dazzling white, the water is calmest from November to March, and because the whole coast faces west, the sunsets are the best on the island. The practical advantage is unbeatable: from a town-centre room you're 5–10 minutes on foot from the water, a bar and a swim whenever you like.
The south plays a different game. Khem Beach, reached through the An Thoi area, is widely called the island's most beautiful bay — white sand, turquoise water — and it's exclusive and secluded, with much of the shoreline controlled by high-end resorts. Sao Beach, a short drive east of An Thoi, is the classic postcard beach with casuarina shade and a small maintenance fee at the busier sections. From An Thoi pier, boats leave around 8:00–8:30 am for the southern archipelago — May Rut, Gam Ghi, Mong Tay — on snorkelling day tours that typically cost $20–30 per person including gear and lunch.
Then there's the cable car. The Hon Thom cable car runs 7,899 m over open sea from near Sunset Town to Hon Thom island — about 25 minutes each way and one of the longest over-sea cable cars in the world. Tickets run around 500,000 VND (~$20) round trip and usually include the Aquatopia water park on the far side. If that's on your must-do list, sleeping in the south saves you the 25 km trip from town.
Tip: Swimmers should time the trip. Long Beach can pick up seaweed and chop from around October to December, while the south-coast bays like Khem and Sao usually hold their colour longer — one more reason beach purists gravitate to An Thoi.
Food and Nightlife: Where Should Foodies Stay?
Duong Dong is the food capital, full stop. The Phu Quoc Night Market near 30 Thang 4 street fires up around 5 pm and runs well past 10 pm: grilled scallops, sea urchin, fried squid, crab sold by weight, and bun quay — the island's signature rice vermicelli that you mix yourself at the table with a spicy seafood sauce. Around the harbour you'll find the Dinh Cau temple, fish-sauce houses offering tastings, and a compact grid of local eateries where a filling seafood dinner still costs well under $10. Afterwards, Long Beach's bars keep the night going.
An Thoi is the opposite experience. The village has a handful of simple restaurants — bun quay has deep roots in this southern fishing town — but most visitors eat at their resorts or in Sunset Town's restaurants. The evening centrepiece is the KISS of the Sea multimedia show at Sunset Town, staged nightly around 9 pm over the water amphitheatre, with tickets from roughly 600,000 VND. It's a memorable night, but it's a planned night: beyond the show, the south goes quiet early.
Honest verdict: if food and nightlife rank first or second on your list, Duong Dong is the only real choice, and An Thoi is a poor fit for night owls. If your evenings are about a beachfront dinner and an early night, the south suits you perfectly.
Getting Around: Distances, Airport Transfers and Scooters
The two areas are about 25 km apart — figure 40–50 minutes by scooter or car between Duong Dong and Sunset Town/An Thoi. That's close enough for a day trip, but not close enough that you'd want to commute daily for dinner.
Arrival logistics favour Duong Dong decisively. It's 10–15 minutes from Phu Quoc International Airport; a taxi or Grab costs roughly 200,000–300,000 VND (~$8–12). An Thoi sits 25–40 minutes away, with Khem Beach resorts the farthest out at 30–45 minutes — expect roughly 400,000–550,000 VND (~$16–22) and add a buffer if you land at night.
Scooters, rented for around 150,000–200,000 VND (~$6–8) per day, change the math. With a bike, Duong Dong becomes a launchpad for the whole island: Sao Beach is about 30 minutes southeast, the pepper farms and fish-sauce factories 20–30 minutes away, and the south an easy morning ride. In the south, a scooter is closer to essential — An Thoi village, Sao Beach and the cable-car station are scattered, and ride-hailing cars are thinner on the ground. One caveat: police checks happen on the island's main roads, and riding legally means a valid motorcycle endorsement on your licence or IDP.
Base in Duong Dong and you can reach:
- Phu Quoc Night Market and Dinh Cau temple — on foot in under 10 minutes
- Long Beach sunset spots — 5–10 minutes' walk
- Sao Beach — about 30 minutes by scooter
- Sunset Town / An Thoi — about 25 km, 40–50 minutes
Which Should You Pick by Trip Type? (And When to Split Your Stay)
Matching the base to the trip is what the 2026 guides consistently get right, so here is the direct mapping — including the cases where one area is clearly the wrong tool for the job:
| You are… | Best base | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A first-timer on a short stay | Duong Dong | 10–15 min from the airport; food, market and beach within a 5–10 minute walk |
| A foodie | Duong Dong | Night market, harbour seafood and bun quay on your doorstep |
| A honeymooner or luxury seeker | An Thoi / Khem Beach | Exclusive, secluded resorts at $100–800/night on the island's best bays |
| A beach purist | An Thoi / the south | Khem and Sao's white sand plus island-hopping from An Thoi pier |
| A budget traveller | An Thoi village | Lowest guesthouse prices on the island, $8–15 — if you accept a quiet location |
| A family with kids | Duong Dong | Short transfers, calm northern Long Beach, easy access to pharmacies and ATMs |
Staying five nights or more? Split it. A 3 + 3 rhythm — three nights in Duong Dong for food, the night market and airport convenience, then three nights in the south for beaches, the cable car and an island-hopping tour — captures both halves of the island and costs you a single 25 km transfer. Check in to the south after lunch, catch the sunset at Sunset Town, and you've lost almost nothing.
Under four nights, don't split. With only two or three nights the transfer overhead isn't worth it — base in Duong Dong, ride south one day for the cable car or a boat tour, and keep your evenings easy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is An Thoi from Duong Dong?
About 25 km. By scooter or car it takes roughly 40–50 minutes via the main coastal road, a little longer when Long Beach traffic builds around sunset. A one-way taxi or Grab typically runs 400,000–550,000 VND (~$16–22), so for a day trip many visitors rent a scooter at about 150,000–200,000 VND per day instead and ride down in the morning.
Which area is closer to Phu Quoc airport?
Duong Dong / Long Beach, at 10–15 minutes by taxi. The An Thoi area is 25–40 minutes away, and resorts on Khem Beach are the farthest at 30–45 minutes. If you land late at night or have an early flight, Duong Dong can save you nearly an hour each way compared with the far south.
Where are the cheapest places to stay on Phu Quoc?
An Thoi village has the island's lowest guesthouse prices, from about $8–15 per night, with better rooms at $20–35. Duong Dong town rooms start around 350,000–800,000 VND (~$14–31). Note the trade-off: the cheapest An Thoi beds are basic, and the village itself offers little beyond proximity to the cable car.
Is Long Beach good for swimming?
Yes, especially from November to March when the sea off Duong Dong is calm and clear. From around October to December the northwest coast can pick up seaweed and chop, while the south-coast bays like Khem and Sao usually stay cleaner. Long Beach stretches roughly 20 km, so conditions vary noticeably section by section.
Is the Hon Thom cable car worth it?
Most visitors say yes: it runs 7,899 m over open sea — among the longest over-sea cable cars in the world — taking about 25 minutes each way, with tickets around 500,000 VND (~$20) round trip and usually including the Aquatopia water park on Hon Thom. Staying near An Thoi or Sunset Town puts the boarding station minutes from your hotel instead of a 25 km ride from Duong Dong.
Do I need a scooter on Phu Quoc?
In Duong Dong, not necessarily — the night market, the beach and dozens of restaurants sit within a 5–10 minute walk of most rooms. In the south, practically yes: Sao Beach, Khem Beach and the cable-car station are spread out and taxis are scarcer. Rental runs about 150,000–200,000 VND (~$6–8) per day; carry a valid licence, as checks happen on main roads.
Which area is better for a honeymoon?
The south. Khem Beach and the An Thoi coast are described as exclusive and secluded, with resorts from about $100–800 per night on the island's whitest sand, plus evening options like the KISS of the Sea show at Sunset Town. Duong Dong suits couples too, but its busy, traffic-heavy waterfront is a very different mood from a private south-coast bay.
Can I stay in Duong Dong and still see the south?
Absolutely — it's about 25 km away. Island-hopping boats leave An Thoi pier around 8:00–8:30 am, and day tours with snorkelling gear and lunch run roughly $20–30 per person, usually with hotel pickup. Alternatively, ride south yourself for the cable car and be back for dinner at the night market. For stays of five nights or more, splitting 3 + 3 between the two areas works even better.
Still deciding — or already sold on both? Sabrina Rental can set you up on either side of the island: scooters delivered to your hotel in Duong Dong or An Thoi from ~150,000 VND/day, rooms from budget guesthouses to Khem Beach resorts, and island-hopping boat tours from An Thoi pier with local captains we know by name.
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