City

An Thoi

At the southern tip of Phu Quoc, An Thoi wakes up before dawn. By 4 AM the harbour is already loud with the business of unloading — anchovy, tuna, barracuda, mackerel moving from net to crate to the hands of traders who've been doing this for years. The fish-sauce smell drifts over everything, a reminder that this town has a working life quite apart from the resort island to its north.

An Thoi carries more history than its modest size suggests. A prison that once held thousands of wartime detainees now stands as a national museum. A cable car stretches nearly eight kilometres over open sea to a cluster of offshore islands. The port handles hundreds of thousands of tonnes of cargo a year, and in 2025 was reshaped to serve the logistics of APEC 2027. It is a place where the functional and the remarkable sit close together.

💛 What travellers fall for

People who come back tend to set an alarm for 4 AM at least once. The harbour at that hour — boats low in the water, traders calling prices over the noise of engines, the chance to buy directly off the vessel — is the part of An Thoi that doesn't photograph easily but stays with you. Sao Beach in the early morning, before the cable-car crowds arrive, is the other consistent recommendation.

Good to know

An Thoi is about 20 minutes from Phu Quoc International Airport and 30 minutes from Duong Dong by taxi or Grab. Three days covers the main draws at an easy pace. Come between November and April for dry-season weather; the east-coast beaches — Sao and Khem — are the better call during the May–October rains.

Tips

Experiences you don't want to miss

All tips →

World's longest sea crossing

Hon Thom Cable Car

Saltwater, sunrise & squid

An Thoi Market (Chợ An Thới)

Creamy sands, zero crowds

Bai Khem (Kem Beach)

Golden light on fishing boats

An Thoi Harbour at Sunrise & Sunset

Freshwater legend by the sea

Gieng Tien (The Fairy Well)

Deals in An Thoi

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Museums & attractions in An Thoi

Tiqets

Activiteit

Tours, activities & tickets in An Thoi

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The story

How An Thoi came to be

The French colonial administration built what became known as Coconut Tree Prison here between 1949 and 1950, covering 40,000 square metres of the island's southern end. During the Vietnam War it held Viet Cong and North Vietnamese prisoners of war; in early 1968, at the height of the Tet Offensive, 2,665 of those prisoners broke through the fenceline and escaped. The prison closed in April 1975 after the Fall of Saigon and is now a museum designated as a special historical relic of national significance.

The port came later and changed the town's character again. An Thoi Harbour, established in 2008 and completed in 2012, was formally designated an international port by Prime Minister's decision in May 2010. It now moves up to 700,000 tonnes of cargo and 360,000 passengers a year, with a 2025 restructuring positioning it for the demands of APEC 2027.

People & landmarks

Who and what shaped it

Landmark buildings

Phu Quoc Prison (Coconut Tree Prison)

Built 1949–1950 by French colonialists; held Viet Cong and North Vietnamese POWs during Vietnam War; 2,665 prisoners escaped during Tet Offensive in 1968; now a museum designated special historical relic of national significance.

An Thoi Harbour (International Port)

Established 2008, completed 2012; handles 500,000–700,000 tons cargo and 360,000 passengers annually; restructured in 2025 to support APEC 2027 logistics.

Ho Quoc Pagoda

Built 2012 in Ly–Tran Dynasties architectural style; largest temple on Phu Quoc Island and in Mekong Delta provinces.

Hon Thom Cable Car

World's longest sea-crossing cable car at 7,899.9 meters, connecting An Thoi to offshore islands.

An Thoi Lighthouse

19.4 meters high, located 650 meters from the harbour.

Watch

See An Thoi in motion

Practical

Plan your visit

On the map

When to go

November through April is the dry season — warm, sunny, with temperatures sitting mostly between 27°C and 28°C, climbing toward 35°C in late April. The southwest monsoon brings heavy rain from May to October, with August seeing up to 545 millimetres; during those months, Sao Beach and Khem Beach on the east coast remain relatively sheltered and swimmable.

Right now

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29°C

Rain

Wed

🌧️

30°

28°

Thu

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30°

27°

Fri

⛈️

29°

27°

Sat

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28°

26°

Weather data: Open-Meteo

Reviews via Google

What travellers say about An Thoi

4.4 19 Google reviews

★★★★★

Quan Dao in An Thoi is a beautiful island area that offers a calm and natural experience away from the busy tourist spots. The place is known for its clear blue water, peaceful surroundings, and scenic island views. It’s perfect for swimming, relaxing by the sea, and enjoying the fresh ocean breeze. The atmosphere is quiet and refreshing, making it a great stop during an island-hopping tour around An Thoi. The water is clean, and the natural beauty makes it ideal for photography and short beach walks. Facilities are limited, which keeps the area more natural and less crowded.Overall, Quan Dao is a great place for travelers who enjoy simple island beauty, nature, and a peaceful seaside escape.

★★★★★

In the An Thoi Archipelago, people may not know that there exists a coral mountain which is about 200-300 sq meter undersea and only approximately 0.2 meter under the water surface. Amazingly, these vivid coral reefs are still be well- preserved as not many tourists can reach out to this hidden place. Thanks to OnBird Phu Quoc, a dedicated snorkeling tour operator on the island, my parents & I could come here once & took some great photos of them before they bleach in the future who knows.

★★★★★

we were lucky enough to have a cabin for ourselves also no waiting time for us(around 11:30).we enjoyed the stunning view for about 20 min.the ticket was 150K for return.

★★★★★

Located south of Phu Quoc, from An Thoi town, visitors can explore many beautiful islands collectively known as the "An Thoi archipelago". These islands are affectionately nicknamed "the Ha Long Bay of the Western region" by tourists, highlighting the beauty and charm of the An Thoi archipelago in the hearts of visitors.

★★★★★

This is a fantastic tourist destination, with many beautiful sights for everyone, and especially the world's longest cable car system, offering visitors a wonderful experience.

Background & history adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) · specs from Wikidata (CC0) · weather from Open-Meteo · map data © OpenStreetMap contributors · photos from Wikimedia Commons / Unsplash with per-image credit. No third-party reviews or social posts reproduced.

An Thoi

💛 What travellers fall for

Experiences you don't want to miss

Deals in An Thoi

How An Thoi came to be

Who and what shaped it

Landmark buildings

See An Thoi in motion

Plan your visit

On the map

When to go

Right now

What travellers say about An Thoi

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