Long Beach and Dinh Cau, sunset by the town

Long Beach, Bai Truong, is the stretch most visitors see first. Its northern end runs into Duong Dong, the island's main town, and the hotels there are close together, with the noise and traffic of a resort town behind them. Further south the beach gets longer between buildings, and large resorts take over: the InterContinental, with 459 rooms, suites and villas about 15 minutes from the airport; the Regent, an all-suite and villa resort listed with one MICHELIN Key; Salinda at Cua Lap, with 121 rooms and villas. In town, La Veranda has 74 rooms in a French-colonial style on Duong Dong beach.

For couples, the reason to stay here is simple: the sun sets in front of you, over open sea, and you can walk from the sand to dinner in town, or take a short car ride from the resorts further south. The reason not to is that it is a built-up, busy stretch of the island's west coast. If the first thing you want from a honeymoon is an empty beach, read about the north-west coast in the quiet-beaches guide first.

The dry season, November to April, is when Long Beach does what it promises: calm water for swimming and a clear horizon at sunset. April and May are the hottest months, with highs up to 35 °C. From May to October the south-west monsoon brings large waves and rough sea to this coast. You will still see sunsets between the showers, but swimming in front of the hotel is often not possible.

The good side of the wet season is space and price: late in the year the island is less crowded than in the summer peak, and tours were reported to be 30 to 40 percent cheaper than in summer in a 2022 report.

Phu Quoc International Airport is about 10 km from the town centre. The drive to Duong Dong takes about 20 to 30 minutes. A taxi from the airport rank to Duong Dong costs about 180,000 to 220,000 VND; a Grab car is about 120,000 VND for the airport transfer and 30,000 to 60,000 VND for short rides in town.

A car with driver for a full day costs about 1,500,000 to 2,000,000 VND. Scooters rent for 150,000 to 250,000 VND a day, but foreign riders need an International Driving Permit under the 1968 Vienna Convention together with their home motorcycle licence; 1949 Geneva permits are not recognised, and insurers may refuse claims from unlicensed riders. For a honeymoon we suggest cars.

• If you are travelling from May to October and swimming in front of the hotel matters. Base yourselves on the south-east coast and visit Long Beach for an evening.
• If you want a beach with no buildings in sight. The northern end is town; the north-west coast is quieter.
• If your whole reason for coming is the Kiss Bridge. Sunset Town is 20 to 30 minutes from Duong Dong; staying in the south saves the evening drive.

The five-night honeymoon spends its first three nights here, with Dinh Cau and the night market on day three. The sunset boat for two can leave from Duong Dong, and the photo session has a sunset version on a west-facing stretch of this beach.