National Park on Phu Quoc Island: Things You Need to Know

Phu Quoc National Park is situated in the North-East of Phu Quoc Island and the Northern and Eastern boundaries with the coastline. This National Park covers of 31,422 ha, accounting for 70% of Phu Quoc Island.

Location: Phu Quoc Island, Kien Giang Province, Vietnam
Opening Hours: Every day and 24 hours
Entrance Fee: Free of Charge

Phu Quoc National Park

Phu Quoc National Park has a mixture of continental and coastal climate, creating a rich ecosystem of primeval, secondary and indigo forests. Its indigo forests are distributed in the wetlands flooded in the rainy season and sloping hills.

1. Topography of Phu Quoc National Park:

The topography of Phu Quoc National Park is hilly with the highest point is Mount Chua, at 603 m above sea level. Being drained by seasonal streams, the only sizeable river on Phu Quoc island is the Cua Can river, which drains the southern part of the Phu Quoc national park, and flows into the ocean on the west coast of the island.

Phu Quoc Trekking Tour

Phu Quoc National Park covering more than 27,000 ha of forest, including 6,000 ha of buffer land and 20,000 ha of surrounding sea area, the national park has a very rich ecosystem due to the co-existence of species of the Malaysian, Burmese and Himalayan.

2. Biodiversity Values of National Park:

• Flora of Phu Quoc National Park:

Phu Quoc National Park is the ideal area with more than 470 species of plants and several types of coral reefs offshore. The Island is lowland evergreen forest and the Phu Quoc National Park supports 12,794 ha of forest, equivalent to 86% of the total area.

Up to date, there are about 929 plant species recorded on Phu Quoc Island. At lower areas, Phu Quoc National Park supports distinctive formations of Melaleuca – one kind of trees with evergreen leaf, alternately arranged, dark green and also grey-green in color.

• Fauna of Phu Quoc National Park:

There are 43 mammal species belonging to 18 families and 6 others was compiled in here. Among these recorded species, 6 of them are listed in the Red Data Book of Vietnam (2000), 6 others in the 2005 IUCN Red list and also another 11 species in the Governmental Decree 32/2006/ND-CP.

There are also silvered langur, slow loris, pygmy loris, crab-eating macaque, stump-tailed macaque, small-clawed otter and fruit bats in the most conservation concern. Besides that, there are also 125 species of fish, 132 species of mollusc and 62 species of seaweed due to the extremely plentiful coral reefs in the south of this island.

Phu Quoc is also one of the only two places in all over Vietnam where a marine species – Dugong - on the brink of extinction can be found.

3. Conservation Aspect of National Park:

Vietnam Government decided to upgrade the park to preserve its ecology in 2001, and then the National Park Management Board has coordinated with military units and local residents to implement forest protection measures, particularly fire prevention.

There are 2 main seasons on the Island with shorter rainy season and longer dry. So, the gorvernment has established a forest fire prevention steering board and firefighter units which are on standby.

4. Tourism Activities in National Park:

Traveling to Phu Quoc Island, visitors wil have chance for sightseeing of historical sites; admiring with veneration beauty spots of forests, caves and grottoes, streams, beaches, coral reefs and mountains, etc. as well as visiting local villages famous for making fish.

• Trekking Activity.

There are 2 trekking trails available to choose in Phu Quoc National Park. The simplest and most popular trail in Phu Quoc is Ganh Dau Trail, as you can explore by motorbike or even on foot. Along with the 5-km long trail, you will also have a opputinity to witness the beauty of Ganh Dau fishing village, which is very famous for making fish sauce throughout the country.

• Snorkeling Activity.

Snorkeling is one of the best things to do on Phu Quoc Island. The island has many beautiful sandy beaches with gorgeous coral reefs underwater. Once visiting Phu Quoc Island, do not forrget to take a snorkeling tour for swim in the clear blue water and snorkel to see colorful fish and alive coral.

5. What to Eat on Phu Quoc Island?

Once visiting Phu Quoc Island, you should not miss some of the most typical and best food to eat listed below.

• Ken Noodles (Bún Kèn)

Ken Noodle (Bún Kèn) is a unique food that you can’t find anywhere outside Phu Quoc Island. The noodle is made with special broth of fish broth, shredded fish, curry powder and coconut milk. A completed bowl of Ken Noodles includes: thin noodles, bean sprouts, sliced cucumber, raw papaya, cilantro, basil and a little bit of fish sauce for flavor.

• Raw Herring Salad (Gỏi Cá Mai)

To make Raw Herring Salad (Gỏi Cá Mai), people will mix sliced raw herring, shredded coconut with onion and mint. Then wrap them with fresh green vegetables in the rice paper. The dipping sauce is made of authentic Phu Quoc fish sauce along with chopped chilli, roasted peanuts, shallots and garlic. Some people also squeeze lemon on the fish to enhance the flavor when they eat.

• Slipper Lobster (Tôm Vỗ or Tôm Mũ Ni)

There are 2 ways to make Slipper Lobster (Tôm Vỗ or Tôm Mũ Ni). The first way is boiling the lobster in fresh water to enjoy the freshness and sweetness of its thick meat and delectable fragrance. And use a combination of lime juice and black pepper salt for dipping sauce. The second way is to BBQ the lobster with cheese, then stir-fry it with garlic, butter and spring onion.

6. Where to Stay on Phu Quoc Island?

•   Capella Resort Phu Quoc: Location in Bai Thom, Phu Quoc, Kien Giang - Tel: +84 91 221 29 11
•   The Garden House Phu Quoc Resort: Location at Cua Duong, Phu Quoc, Kien Giang - Tel: +84297 3844 555
•   Ninila Fruit Farm Bungalows: Location at Ong Lang, Phu Quoc, Kien Giang - Tel: +8493 814 57 03

Adventure Journey

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