Areas · South-east coast
Bai Sao and the south-east, the morning coast
White sand, calm water and the sunrise. Bai Sao is the island's most popular beach, so the hour you arrive matters more than the day. This side is also the calm one when the monsoon turns the west coast rough.
At a glance
Sources: VinWonders, Phu Quoc beaches guide, 17 Dec 2025 (agency source); vietnam.travel, Vietnam National Authority of Tourism; Mia.vn, Phu Quoc seasons, 5 Apr 2026 (agency source); VnExpress, when to visit Phu Quoc, 11 Nov 2022 · checked .
What it is, plainly
Bai Sao is a curve of white sand and pale, calm water on the south-east coast. The national tourism guide calls it the island's most popular beach and advises going early on weekdays for quiet. A local guide recommends being on the sand between 06:00 and 08:00 for shoots. After that, day visitors arrive and the beach fills.
It faces the morning. A 2022 travel report recommends Bai Sao for sunrise and Long Beach for sunset, and that is the right way to use it. Couples who book a whole stay on the south-east coast in the dry season and expect evening colour over the water will be disappointed; the sun goes down behind the island.
South of Bai Sao, Bai Khem is home to large resorts: the JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay, designed by Bill Bensley around a fictional 19th-century university, and New World Phu Quoc Resort, with 366 thatched villas, each with a private pool. A local guide describes Bai Khem's water as calm and clear, with fewer people early in the day.
Sources: vietnam.travel, Vietnam National Authority of Tourism; visitphuquoc.com.vn, couple photo spots, 29 May 2026 (agency source); VnExpress, when to visit Phu Quoc, 11 Nov 2022; Marriott, JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay page (operator); New World Phu Quoc Resort, hotel page (operator) · checked .
When the south-east coast is the right choice
From May to October the south-west monsoon brings bigger waves and murkier water to the west coast, while the east-coast beaches, Bai Sao and Bai Khem, become calm. In those months we move most of a couple's nights to this side and treat west-coast sunsets as evening outings, decided on the day.
3 = calm and settled, 2 = good with some rain, 1 = rough on that coast. Built from the seasonal pattern and monthly rainy days; check the forecast.
In the dry months the east side is still the place for an early swim: calm, clear and, before 08:00, uncrowded. On the five-night honeymoon you stop here at about 07:00 on the way south.
Sources: Mia.vn, Phu Quoc seasons, 5 Apr 2026 (agency source); Phu Quoc climate table, Wikipedia (encyclopedia) · checked .
Ho Quoc pagoda and Ham Ninh
Ho Quoc pagoda, Thien vien Truc Lam Ho Quoc, stands on the east coast north of Bai Sao, about 18 km from Duong Dong. Construction began in October 2011 and it was inaugurated in December 2012. It is open from 06:00 to 18:00, entry is free and modest dress is required; covering shoulders and knees is the safe choice. Go in the early morning, before the heat.
Further north on the east coast, Ham Ninh is described as one of the island's oldest fishing villages, about 14 to 15 km east of Duong Dong and about five minutes from the airport. Its restaurants serve Ham Ninh blue swimmer crab, around 300,000 to 400,000 VND per kilo depending on season, and grilled sea urchin with scallion oil. The old wooden jetty is closed because of damage. A late lunch here works well on an arrival or departure day.
Sources: Vinpearl blog, Ho Quoc temple, 27 Oct 2025 (agency source); phuquocislandguide.com, Ho Quoc pagoda (agency source); Vietnam Airlines travel guide, Ham Ninh fishing village · checked .
How many nights, and why
In the dry season, none to two. The beaches are a morning trip from either Long Beach or the south, and evenings here have no sea sunset. Two nights make sense if you want very early swims without a drive, or if a resort on Bai Khem is the hotel you chose for its own sake.
From May to October, three or four nights. This is then the calm side of the island, and a west-coast evening is one car ride away when the sky looks clear.
Getting there and what things cost
Bai Sao is about 25 km from Duong Dong; from hotels in the south the drive is shorter. A car with driver for a full day costs about 1,500,000 to 2,000,000 VND; for a morning at Bai Sao and the pagoda, a half-day booking or a Grab car each way is enough.
| Item | Published price | Read |
|---|---|---|
| Ho Quoc pagoda | Free entry | October 2025 |
| Ham Ninh blue swimmer crab | about 300,000 – 400,000 VND per kg | October 2026 |
| Car with driver, full day | 1,500,000 – 2,000,000 VND | September 2026 |
Published prices; confirm before travel.
Sources: VinWonders, Phu Quoc beaches guide, 17 Dec 2025 (agency source); vietnamtourism.com, Phu Quoc daily budget, 19 Sep 2026 (agency source); Vietnam Airlines travel guide, Ham Ninh fishing village · checked .
Pictures of the south-east coast
When to skip Bai Sao
- Between about 10:00 and 16:00 on weekends and holidays, if crowds bother you. It is the island's most popular beach.
- If a sunset over the sea is the point of your stay. This coast faces east.
- Between 11:00 and 14:00 for swimming on any day: beach-safety guides advise staying out of the water then because of the UV.
Trips that use the south-east coast
The couple photo session uses Bai Sao and Bai Khem for its sunrise version. The five-night honeymoon stops at Bai Sao on day four, and the seven-night plan on day seven, both at about 07:00.
Plan your trip
Travelling between May and October?
Send your dates. We reply with a plan that puts your nights on the calm side and your evenings where the sky is clear.
Sources: Sun Paradise Land, beach safety guide, 1 Jul 2026 (agency source) · checked .
Common questions
Questions travellers ask most
What time should we arrive at Bai Sao?
Before 08:00, ideally around 07:00, and on a weekday if you can. Later in the morning it fills with day visitors.
Can we watch the sunset at Bai Sao?
Not over the sea. It faces east. Come for the sunrise and the morning swim, and go to the west coast for sunset.
Is the south-east coast good in the rainy season?
It is the calmer side from May to October, when the west coast takes the monsoon waves. That is when we base couples here.
What should we wear at Ho Quoc pagoda?
Modest dress is required; covering shoulders and knees is the safe choice. Bring a light layer if you are coming straight from the beach.
Related
Read next
Example journey
Couple photo session
Half a day with a photographer, at sunrise or sunset, with locations and a rain plan.
View this journey
Example journey
Phu Quoc honeymoon 5 nights
Six days, two bases, Dinh Cau and the Kiss Bridge at sunset, two empty days.
View this journey
Plan · Beaches
Quiet beaches
Which Phu Quoc beaches stay quiet, and when they get crowded.
View this journey
Areas · West coast
Long Beach & Dinh Cau
Long Beach and Dinh Cau: the west-coast sunset base near Duong Dong.
View this journey
Areas
Areas
The three areas compared for couples: sunset, crowds, distance, season.
View this journey
Plan · Sunsets
Sunset calendar
Sunset times, direction, rainy days and the right coast for every month.
View this journeyStart planning
Tell us about the trip you have in mind
Dates, party size and the places you care about are enough to start. You get a draft route and an indicative price, not a brochure.