Bãi Dài — cảnh quan ven biển

A beach that was once a secret

In 2008, ABC News featured five hidden beaches around the world, and Phú Quốc's Bãi Dài topped the list, ahead of names in California, Florida, Mexico and Barbuda. At the time there was almost nothing on the beach: fishing boats moored close to shore, a rented motorbike to get around, and a fisherman's boat to hire if you wanted to reach the small islands.

Five years later, in 2013, CNN ranked Bãi Dài 93rd among the world's 100 best beaches, and likened it to the beaches of Thailand in the late 1980s, before the crowds arrived.

Fifteen kilometres of golden sand

The beach stretches about fifteen kilometres along the island's northwest coast, from the Cửa Cạn creek up to Mũi Gành Dầu. The sand is golden and soft, and the water is clear close to shore. The beach is so long that from one end you cannot see the other.

About 800 metres offshore lies Hòn Đồi Mồi. People still hire boats out there to see the coral and go fishing.

When the west coast changed its look

In November 2014, Vinpearl Phú Quốc Resort opened on 300 ha at Bãi Dài, with 750 rooms, a 27-hole golf course and the Vinpearl Land park. From then on, the northwest of the island changed: VinWonders, Vinpearl Safari and Grand World rose one after another, along with resorts such as Wyndham Grand and Crowne Plaza Starbay right on the beach.

A traditional fishing village still survives nearby. A beach with fishing boats at one end and big resorts at the other: that is Bãi Dài today.

The sun sets straight into the sea

Bãi Dài faces west, so the sun goes down straight into the sea in front of you. In November, sunset falls at about 5:40 in the evening; in midsummer, in July, it is later, at about half past six. The dry season, with its clear skies, is when you are most likely to get a perfect afternoon.