Central Duong Dong to the main resort strip of Duong To at Bai Truong is about 10 km down the coast — a 20-25 minute drive. A metered taxi or Grab car costs roughly 120,000-180,000 VND (USD 5-8) one way, a Grab bike 50,000-80,000 VND, and a rental motorbike (120,000-200,000 VND, about USD 5-8 per day) is the cheapest option for anyone making the trip more than twice. Phu Quoc's international airport also sits inside Duong To, so most visitors ride this exact stretch of road on arrival day.
Where Is Duong To and How Far Is It from Duong Dong?
Duong To is the commune immediately south of Duong Dong, Phu Quoc's main town. The boundary sits only about 5-6 km from the Dinh Cau lighthouse at the foot of town, but the places travelers actually mean when they say "Duong To" are a little further out: the Bai Truong (Truong Beach) resort strip, roughly 8-11 km south. This is where you find Sailing Club Phu Quoc at Lot B7, Bai Truong Complex; the InterContinental Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort with its Sora & Umi restaurant on the 2nd floor; Rice Market at Regent Phu Quoc; and Nemo Restaurant at 189 Tran Hung Dao Street in the Cua Lap area.
The commune stretches inland and south to Phu Quoc International Airport, about 9-10 km from central Duong Dong — which is why the Duong Dong-Duong To corridor is the busiest road on the island. Every arriving flight, hotel transfer and airport taxi uses it. Duong To's food scene matches its beach-club setting: Tripadvisor's listings for the area show seafood and barbecue as the dominant cuisines, from barefoot seafood shacks to hotel fine dining.
Practically, this geography makes transport simple. Every major sight, restaurant and resort in Duong To sits on or just off Tran Hung Dao street, so whether you take a taxi, a Grab or a rented scooter, you follow the same single coastal road the whole way — no turns to memorize, no maze of side streets.
Taxi, Grab, Motorbike or Bus? Every Option Compared
| Option | Typical time | One-way cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metered taxi (Mai Linh, Vinasun and local operators) | 20-25 min | 120,000-180,000 VND (USD 5-8) | Airport runs, luggage, arrival day |
| Grab car | 20-25 min | 100,000-160,000 VND (USD 4-7) | Fixed up-front fare, no haggling |
| Grab bike | 25-30 min | 50,000-80,000 VND (USD 2-3.50) | Solo travelers with a backpack |
| Rental motorbike | 25-35 min | 120,000-200,000 VND per day (USD 5-8) plus fuel | Stays of 2+ days, flexible exploring |
| Private car or hotel transfer | 20-25 min | USD 15-25 per trip | Families and groups of 4-6 |
| Local public bus | 45-60 min | From about 5,000-10,000 VND | Very tight budgets, no luggage |
For taxis, insist on the meter for trips within Duong Dong and Duong To — a fair metered fare from Dinh Cau to the Bai Truong strip lands around 120,000-180,000 VND. Drivers offering fixed airport quotes of 200,000-250,000 VND are common; politely counter or open the Grab app instead, which usually undercuts street taxis by 10-20% and shows the price before you get in.
Grab coverage is excellent in Duong Dong and good along the main Duong To strip as far as Sailing Club and the big resorts; waits in the far south of the commune can stretch to 5-15 minutes. The public bus technically runs along the same north-south corridor, but headways can be 30-60 minutes or more and stops are signed only in Vietnamese — with fares so low it is a curiosity rather than a practical choice for visitors carrying bags.
The Route: Tran Hung Dao Street the Whole Way
Leave central Duong Dong past the Dinh Cau tower and night market area (the market itself opens roughly 5:00 PM to 10:30 PM) and head south on Tran Hung Dao. For the first few kilometers you are still in town, passing hotels, dive shops and cafes; Long Beach appears on your right almost immediately and stays with you for the entire journey. Around kilometer 5-6 the town quietly becomes Duong To, marked less by any sign than by bigger resort gates and wider gaps between buildings.
The road surface is good asphalt with occasional speed bumps near resort entrances and beach accesses. Fuel is not a problem: petrol stations and roadside fuel sellers line the route, with prices around 25,000-30,000 VND per liter, so a full scooter tank costs roughly 50,000-60,000 VND. Parking at beach clubs is typically free for motorbikes, while car parking at the busier clubs can run 10,000-20,000 VND.
Heading south you pass, in rough order: the mid-strip resort cluster around the InterContinental, Sailing Club Phu Quoc and neighboring beach bars, then Nemo Restaurant at 189 Tran Hung Dao in Cua Lap, before the airport turnoff and the southern reaches of the commune. Street lighting is reliable along the main strip but patchy on the southern stretches and side roads after dark — one more reason the trip takes a few minutes longer by scooter at night than by car.
Local tip: If coastal traffic slows near the resorts at sunset, the parallel inland road toward the airport moves faster. For anything between the town center and Sailing Club, though, Tran Hung Dao is almost always quicker — and far prettier.
Which Option Is Right for You?
Best overall: rental motorbike
At 120,000-200,000 VND per day, a scooter costs less than one return taxi trip and gives you freedom to hop between beach clubs, seafood places and viewpoints. It is the natural choice for anyone on the island more than a day.
Best for arrival day: taxi or Grab car
Landing at the airport with luggage? A Grab car or metered taxi covers the 9-10 km into Duong Dong (or vice versa) in 20-25 minutes for USD 5-8, with air conditioning and space for two large bags.
Best on a budget: Grab bike
At 50,000-80,000 VND, a Grab bike is unbeatable for solo travelers with a backpack — cheaper than a coffee-and-smoothie lunch and often faster through evening traffic.
Best for families: private transfer
For four or more people, a pre-booked private car at USD 15-25 per trip beats four Grab bikes on both price and sanity, and hotel-arranged drivers will wait if your flight is delayed.
Equally important is knowing what each option is a poor fit for. A rental motorbike is a bad idea if you have never ridden one, if you are traveling without a valid motorcycle license, or if you are carrying small children — Vietnamese traffic enforcement is active on Tran Hung Dao and insurance will not cover unlicensed riders. The public bus is a poor fit for anyone on a schedule, with infrequent departures and unmarked stops. And a bicycle, while rentable for about USD 3-5 per day, makes the 10 km ride in the midday heat miserable for most people; save it for short evening spins.
Making the Ride Worth It: What to Eat Along the Way
The smartest way to do this trip is to plan it around a meal, because the corridor between Duong Dong and Duong To contains some of the island's best eating. Start in the morning before you leave town: pho stalls near the Duong Dong morning market run from roughly 6-10 AM and sell out when they sell out, and a banh mi opla can cost as little as 10,000 VND. For a casual lunch, the quan com rice restaurants on the side streets off Tran Hung Dao serve filling plates for about 40,000-55,000 VND per serving, and most authentic street-food orders on the island come in well under 30,000 VND.
In Duong To itself you are spoiled for choice. Nemo Restaurant at 189 Tran Hung Dao Street opens daily from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM, making it an easy late-lunch or dinner stop. Sailing Club Phu Quoc at Lot B7, Bai Truong Complex runs from 6:30 AM to 10:00 PM — breakfast on the sand, then a lounger for the day. Sora & Umi on the 2nd floor of the InterContinental serves in three separate slots (6:30-10:30 AM, 12:00-3:00 PM and 6:30-10:00 PM), Rice Market at Regent Phu Quoc handles Vietnamese and rice dishes on Truong Beach, and Lang Ca Seafood Restaurant keeps things local with dishes from USD 3.50-10.50.
Heading back north in the evening, Duong Dong takes over. Dinh Cau Night Market — the island's most popular food destination — opens about 5:00 PM to 10:30 PM, while the Locals' Night Market is the better bet for seafood from 30,000 VND. Away from the markets, Xin Chao Phu Quoc covers Vietnamese classics for USD 1.46-12.29 per dish, BBQ KOZE fires up its grills from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM, Ganesh serves Indian food from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM, and The Home Pizza runs 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM for homesick palates.
Plan around the clock: Sora & Umi closes between meal slots, and Sailing Club's kitchen winds down by 10:00 PM. If you are riding back to Duong Dong after dinner on a scooter, leave by 9:30 PM to make the trip in daylight-quality conditions.
Riding from Duong Dong to Duong To: Practical Checklist
If you choose the motorbike option — and most visitors eventually do — a two-minute check before you set off saves an afternoon of trouble on the roadside.
- Helmet included and strap working — it is the law, and police checks on Tran Hung Dao do happen, with on-the-spot fines for riders without one.
- Brakes, horn and both lights tested before you leave the rental shop.
- Fuel topped up: a full tank costs roughly 50,000-60,000 VND and comfortably covers a full day of Duong Dong-Duong To round trips.
- Your license situation sorted: a Vietnamese license or a recognized International Driving Permit with an A (motorcycle) category, since unlicensed riders void insurance.
- Phone mount and offline maps downloaded — resort entrances are easy to overshoot at 40 km/h.
- Rain plan: afternoon showers are common from May to October; a lightweight poncho fits under the seat.
- Park only in designated or clearly tolerated spots; clamping and polite towing exist near the busier beach clubs.
- Slow down near beach access lanes, where sand drifts across the asphalt and catches front wheels.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Duong To from Duong Dong town center?
The Duong To commune boundary is only 5-6 km south of the Dinh Cau area, but the main resort strip at Bai Truong — Sailing Club, the InterContinental, Regent Phu Quoc — sits about 10 km out. Count on 20-25 minutes by car or taxi and 25-35 minutes by motorbike for the full trip.
How much does a taxi cost from Duong Dong to Duong To?
A metered taxi from central Duong Dong to the Bai Truong strip costs roughly 120,000-180,000 VND (USD 5-8) one way. Always ask for the meter; if a driver insists on a fixed price much above 200,000 VND, open the Grab app, which typically prices the same ride 10-20% lower.
Is Grab available in Duong To?
Yes — both Grab cars and Grab bikes operate across the area. Coverage is strongest in Duong Dong and along the main resort strip as far as Sailing Club; at the far southern end of the commune waits can stretch to 5-15 minutes, so allow a buffer when leaving restaurants after dark.
Do I need a license to rent a motorbike in Phu Quoc?
Legally, yes: either a Vietnamese license or an International Driving Permit with an A (motorcycle) category. Rentals cost about 120,000-200,000 VND (USD 5-8) per day, but riding without a valid license means any insurance is void and police checks on Tran Hung Dao can end in on-the-spot fines.
Is there a public bus between Duong Dong and Duong To?
A local bus does run along the main north-south road with fares starting around 5,000-10,000 VND, but departures can be 30-60 minutes apart and stops are signed only in Vietnamese. For a 10 km journey costing USD 5-8 by taxi, most visitors find the bus more adventure than transport.
How early should I leave Duong Dong for the airport?
Phu Quoc International Airport is inside Duong To, just 20-25 minutes from town. Leave 2.5 hours before a domestic flight or 3.5 hours before international, and add 10-15 minutes if you are traveling between 4:30 PM and 6:00 PM, when airport-bound traffic peaks.
What is there to eat in Duong To once I arrive?
Seafood and barbecue dominate the area's listings. Lang Ca Seafood Restaurant serves dishes for USD 3.50-10.50, Nemo Restaurant at 189 Tran Hung Dao stays open until 11:00 PM daily, and Sailing Club Phu Quoc runs from 6:30 AM to 10:00 PM, so you can cover breakfast through dinner without leaving the strip.
Is the road between Duong Dong and Duong To safe at night?
The main strip is lit and generally safe, but lighting thins on the southern stretches and side roads, and unlit motorbikes plus occasional sand on the asphalt are real hazards. Ride at a steady 30-40 km/h with full lights, or take a taxi or Grab car after 10:00 PM.
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