How to Get from An Thoi to Ham Ninh, Phu Quoc: Options, Time & Cost

How Far Is An Thoi from Ham Ninh, and What Is the Route Like?

An Thoi sits at the southern tip of Phu Quoc, home to the island's main harbour and the gateway to the southern archipelago. Ham Ninh is an old fishing village on the east coast, facing the Vietnamese mainland across a shallow, tide-influenced sea. Between them lies almost the entire length of the island: the drive measures roughly 40–45 km depending on which road you take, and takes 50–70 minutes at a relaxed local pace.

The most common route runs north from An Thoi on the island's main artery, passing the Duong To area near the airport, before turning east toward the coast at the Ham Ninh turn-off. From there it is a short ride down a narrow village road to the pier. The road surface is smooth asphalt for nearly the whole journey, with the final stretch into the village being quieter and occasionally dotted with potholes after heavy rain.

One practical note for riders: fuel stations thin out noticeably once you leave the main north–south road. Fill up in An Thoi or around Duong To before heading east, because options near Ham Ninh are limited to small roadside fuel sellers with hand-pumped bottles. The full round trip of 80–90 km is well within range of a scooter on a single tank, but you do not want to start it on half a tank.

Option 1: Motorbike Rental — the Cheapest Way to Ham Ninh

A rented motorbike is by far the most economical way to make the trip. Rental shops on the island, including Sabrina Rental, charge around 120,000–180,000 VND ($5–7) per day for an automatic scooter, and the fuel for the An Thoi–Ham Ninh round trip costs roughly 40,000–70,000 VND. That puts the entire day's transport at under $10 per bike — unbeatable compared with any driver-based option.

The route is straightforward and mostly flat, making it an easy half-day ride for anyone comfortable on two wheels. The road through the island's interior passes rubber and eucalyptus plantations, and traffic thins out dramatically once you turn east toward Ham Ninh. Allow a full morning or afternoon so you can stop at viewpoints and ride the village lanes at the end rather than rushing.

Check the brakes, lights and tyres before leaving the shop, photograph any existing damage, and confirm the helmet fits properly. Traffic police do operate on the main road, so carry your licence and wear your helmet at all times.

Option 2: Taxi, Grab and Private Car — the Easiest Way

If you do not ride, a car is the practical choice. A metered taxi or a Grab car from An Thoi to Ham Ninh costs approximately 600,000–800,000 VND ($25–33) one way, depending on the exact starting point and whether you book through the app or negotiate with a local driver. The journey time is similar to a motorbike, around 50–70 minutes.

The catch is the return. Ham Ninh is a small working village, and finding a car or app-based driver there in the evening can be difficult — drivers from the south are often unwilling to make the empty run back. The standard solution is to arrange a round trip with the same driver and pay a waiting fee of roughly 100,000–150,000 VND per hour while you eat. For a three-hour dinner stop, budget around 900,000–1,250,000 VND ($37–52) total for the evening.

Who cars suit: families, groups splitting the fare, and anyone carrying camera gear or arriving for a big seafood dinner in clean clothes. Who they are a poor fit for: solo budget travellers — the fare is the same for one person as for four, which makes a solo taxi trip to Ham Ninh hard to justify when the motorbike costs a tenth of the price.

Is the Trip from An Thoi to Ham Ninh Worth It?

Yes — if you are going for the seafood. Ham Ninh is a working fishing village, not a beach destination: the water near the pier is shallow and murky at low tide, and the beach is a strip of broken shells rather than white sand. What the village offers instead is the freshest crab on the island, pulled from rafts and baskets metres from your table, in a rustic plank-and-plastic-stool setting that has barely changed in decades.

For travellers staying in the far south around An Thoi, the honest comparison is this: An Thoi town has plenty of seafood restaurants, but Ham Ninh is where local Phu Quoc residents themselves drive for crab. The 50–70 minute journey is part of the experience — you cross the island's forested interior, watch the landscape shift from resorts to fishing hamlets, and arrive at a pier where blue boats still unload the day's catch.

It is a poor fit for travellers with only one or two days on the island who want to maximise beach time, or for anyone expecting a polished tourist attraction. There is little to do in Ham Ninh beyond eating, photographing the pier, browsing the small market, and watching the tide move across the flats. Come for lunch or dinner, not for a full day.

What to Do in Ham Ninh Village Before or After Eating

The old wooden pier is the centrepiece — one of the most photographed spots on the island, especially in early morning light when fishing boats come and go. Walk its full length for views back toward the village's stilt houses and the forested hills behind them. Entry to the pier area is free, and there is no ticket or checkpoint.

The village lanes around the market are worth 30–45 minutes of wandering. Vendors sell dried seafood, pearl trinkets and snacks, and around meal times street food stalls and market carts appear at the village market and the main intersections — good for a cheap grilled corn or banana cake while you wait for a table. The east coast faces the mainland, so early risers get the best of it: sunrise over the water here is genuinely beautiful, and the village is at its most active before 9:00 AM.

Where to Eat: Ham Ninh's Floating Seafood Restaurants

Ham Ninh's restaurants sit on wooden rafts and open-air decks along the shore and around the village's bridges. Prices are quoted either per person for a set meal or per kg for seafood by weight, and the crab is the dish that justifies the drive. Here is a rundown of the established names, with their listed hours and price ranges:

Beyond the big names, a few spots have earned specific reputations. Be Ghe Floating Raft specialises in crabs and sea urchins at reasonable prices, while Thuan Kieu 2 Floating Raft is a top choice for space and quality, with open sea views from its tables. Hanh Nhung Restaurant is the place for crab sticky rice and garlic butter baby crab — two dishes worth ordering even if you eat elsewhere. Song Le Restaurant (Raft Village Seafood) has a diverse menu and fast service, which matters when you are on a driver's clock.

As a rough budget, expect $10–25 per person at the mid-range rafts for crab, rice, vegetables and a drink, or under $10 per person at the per-kg bridgeside spots like Be Tu Thang if you order small shellfish and fish rather than premium crab.

Timing Your Trip: When to Leave An Thoi

For a dinner run, leave An Thoi between 3:30 and 4:30 PM. That gets you to Ham Ninh around 5:00 PM with time to walk the pier in the best light before sitting down at 5:30–6:00 PM — early enough to get a raft table before the evening rush and to let your crab order come straight off the boat. Most kitchens close their last orders around 9:30–10:00 PM, so a 7:00 PM departure from An Thoi is cutting it fine; only Tình Biển 2, open until 11:00 PM, reliably accommodates a late arrival.

For a lunch trip, the reverse works well: depart An Thoi by 10:00 AM, eat at one of the rafts that opens early — Thảo Nhi, Hà Quyền and Sơn Trang Quán all open at 08:00 AM, and Be Tu Thang at Tau Bridge serves all day — then ride back via the interior road in the early afternoon. If you are on a motorbike, avoid the ride back after dark if you can: the interior road is unlit, and local traffic mixes motorbikes, trucks and the occasional dog.

Rainy-season note: short afternoon downpours are common from May to October. They rarely last more than an hour, but they will delay a motorbike trip, so build in buffer time and check the forecast the morning you go.