Phu Quy Island in the season of… beautiful sea

The high-speed ferry carrying hundreds of passengers departed from Phan Thiet, heading straight for Phu Quy Island just as the sun was rising over the East Sea. Before they had even settled into their seats, many left to enjoy the cool breeze on the deck, forgetting their earlier anxieties about seasickness…

"Oh, it's so beautiful!" - exclaimed a passenger, prompting everyone on the ship to exclaim in agreement: Phu Quy Island is truly beautiful this season. Before their eyes stretched a vast expanse of ocean, the first rays of sunlight casting a golden glow on the calm, blue sea, creating a shimmering white light that stretched all the way to the horizon… Everyone eagerly took photos, letting their spirits drift with the gentle breeze, a mix of excitement and anticipation as they set foot on this strategically important island located 56 nautical miles (approximately 120 km) southeast of Phan Thiet City.

Tourists take the opportunity to check in on the cruise to Phu Quy Island.

The sea voyage ended in just over two hours. The island welcomed us with a bustling atmosphere as soon as the speedboat docked at Phu Quy Port. Very quickly, a series of vehicles providing transportation services in the island district were ready to take passengers, mostly tourists from other provinces, to their accommodations. Among them, many young people chose to rent cute, brightly colored CUXI motorbikes as their personal means of transportation to explore the island and… take photos for social media. Mr. Thanh, a local driver, said: Phu Quy is currently in its most beautiful sea season of the year, attracting many tourists to visit and experience the island. Therefore, all four 29-seater buses currently available on the island have been mobilized to serve tour groups; after this season, 4-7 seater vehicles will be sufficient to meet the needs of visitors.

The number of visitors to the island increases when Phu Quy enters its peak sea season.

Entering the beautiful sea season coincides with the time when Binh Thuan 's "pearl island" is preparing for the April 30th - May 1st holiday, followed by the 2025 summer tourist season with increasing appeal to tourists from all over. Therefore, tourism in Phu Quy is predicted to continue to be vibrant, especially from now until the end of the third quarter of this year thanks to sunny weather and calm seas, making travel from the mainland to the island smoother and easier. It is known that the entire island district currently has 68 hotels and guesthouses (totaling 1,239 beds) and nearly 100 homestays (approximately 1,500 beds), but even so, a "fully booked" situation is still possible during the peak holiday season. Mr. Do Phuong Nam - the owner of a hotel in Tam Thanh commune - reported that all 16 rooms there have been booked a month in advance for the holiday, and now they are only accepting bookings for summer stays…

During this time, many young tourists also participate in experiencing recreational water sports activities in the island district.

The increase in tourist numbers during the beautiful sea season also provides an opportunity for restaurants, eateries, and entertainment services on the remote islands to develop their businesses before the monsoon season arrives (usually from November to April of the following year). Speaking with us, Mr. Bui Van Phanh, who runs a food and beverage business on a floating raft in Phu Quy, expressed great enthusiasm because he has had a stable number of customers in recent days. This is also the time when tourists can enjoy a variety of fresh seafood specialties such as baby lobsters, slipper lobsters, king crabs, sea urchins, grouper, and various types of shellfish… all naturally caught in the waters of Phu Quy. In addition, SUP paddling and snorkeling to see coral reefs in the Bai Can area of ​​Long Hai commune – a new tourism product of the island district – are also thriving due to attracting young tourists to participate in the experience. According to Mr. Vo Van Minh, a tourist support staff member on the raft, this service was launched in mid-April and will be busy during the beautiful sea season, which lasts until September. Especially on weekends, each raft has to add more support staff to keep up with guiding and meeting the recreational needs of dozens of guests at once from morning to evening.

Tourist services on Phu Quy Island are bustling from morning till night...

Having visited the island many times for work, we've noticed it becomes more vibrant as the beautiful sea season begins, with an increased frequency of high-speed passenger ferry departures on the Phan Thiet - Phu Quy route. The roads around the island are also crowded with vehicles, and restaurants and roadside eateries are packed with people, especially at tourist spots like the Phu Quy Flagpole, Doc Phuot, Ganh Hang, and Cao Cat Mountain… And it seems Phu Quy also stays up late during the beautiful sea season, with food and entertainment activities extending until midnight, then waking up earlier as many tourists "make a date with the sunrise" to welcome the new day on the island.

It can be said that entering the second quarter of this year, the island district, located at the forefront of the waves, is undergoing a transformation and flourishing during the beautiful sea season. According to the local authorities, in the first quarter alone, Phu Quy welcomed approximately 24,025 visitors, but by April 2025, it is estimated that more than 17,000 tourists will visit the island. Similarly, in terms of seafood exploitation, due to unfavorable weather conditions in the early months of the year for offshore fishing, the catch decreased compared to the same period last year. However, in April, the weather became more favorable, allowing boats to venture out to sea to catch seafood to meet the consumption needs on the island. Statistics from the Phu Quy District People's Committee show that in the first four months of the year, the entire district is estimated to have harvested about 5,858 tons, with April alone reaching nearly 3,020 tons (including various types of fresh fish, fresh squid, and other seafood)...

Besides services catering to tourists, Phu Quy's beautiful sea season also brings opportunities for lottery ticket vendors on the island, like Ms. Mot, a resident of Tam Thanh commune. She confided: "Because I don't return the tickets to the agency at the end of the day, each 'lottery' only receives 150 tickets, and I have to start selling them the night before, mainly at pubs and restaurants, to hopefully sell them all. However, this season sees many tourists visiting the island, and many have bought 5-7 tickets or even a whole pair (more than 10 tickets), which helps ease the fatigue on my journey to make a living..." Meanwhile, the Phu Quy District Tourism Association, with its young and enthusiastic members who own businesses in accommodation, restaurants, travel, and entertainment on the island, is also considering how to best capitalize on this opportunity. Through intensified media promotion, the "pearl island" of Binh Thuan has become more well-known, and many are eager to pack their bags and travel to Phu Quy to experience it during this year's beautiful sea season. Therefore, those involved in the tourism and service industries here are not only determined to contribute to maintaining the impressive image of the island district, but also to work together to develop Phu Quy as a green and sustainable destination.

Source: https://baobinhthuan.com.vn/phu-quy-mua-bien-dep-129811.html