Walking around the main town Duong Dong on the island of Phu Quoc, we saw a cute little restaurant with a blue porch. The fresh catch of the day was displayed on ice – when it is gone, there is no more! The overpowering sign, too big for the little place, displayed in bright red letters the restaurant name, Thu Phuong.
Spicy Grilled Prawns
Although there was no more space on the porch area, or in spite of, we entered the busy restaurant and sat at the only remaining table. We were immediately greeted by a lady with a huge, contagious smile; she took our drink order and disappeared leaving the menus behind.
When our drinks arrived, we were asked what we would like to eat. As I was once again craving Asian carbs, I ordered the mì xao gà which is yellow noodles with chicken and vegetables. Promising we would share with each other, my husband ordered barbecued Tiger Shrimp and a starter of chả giò tôm or better known as Shrimp Spring Rolls. Our server / owner pulled him out of his chair and scurried him over to the iced seafood, telling him “you pick”.
Fresh Fish Selection of the NIght
The spring rolls arrived first (not an easy feat in many restaurants world wide!) with a side dipping sauce similar to sweet chili thai. The hand made rolls were crispy, crunchy and delicious. Although they tasted like more, our next course was begging to leave space!
Spring Rolls / Cha Gio Tom
The huge shrimp were barbecued in a garlic chili butter, giving just the right amount of spice, similar to monster firecracker shrimps. The noodles were a very good accompaniment to the shrimp, but most certainly could be a fine stand alone price worthy meal as well.
Dinner for Two!
A plate of watermelon from the house, no charge, nice touch!, finished our delicious feast. Following our meal and goodbyes, a romantic walk along the beach helped with digestion!
On another night, we found ourselves visiting this delight of a restaurant once more. As delicious and friendly as the first time we had:
– Cà ri gà, a curried chicken, with lemongrass, veggies & rice for 95.000 dong / €3.55 / USD$4.20
– Spicy BBQ Prawns with rice – 150.000 dong / €5.60 / USD$6.60
– Beer – 25.000 / €0.93 / USD$1.10
– Ginger Tea – 25.000 / €0.93 / USD$1.10
– Finishing with free watermelon Total: 295.000 dong / €10.96 / USD$12.99
On the Island of Phu Quoc, Vietnam the charming local restaurant AceroLa can be found. This is my review.
Note: This is an independent restaurant review based on my experience.
AceroLa Restaurant Patio
Restaurant Name: AceroLa Bar and Restaurant Address: Gia Thanh Phu Quoc Guest House, 6, 91 Trần Hưng Đạo, tt. Dương Đông, Tp. Phú Quốc, tỉnh Kiên Giang, Vietnam
We stayed at the Guest House Gia Thanh while on the island. On the motel premises is the restaurant AceroLa which is owned and operated by the same family. It is conveniently located an approximate 5 minute walk from the main road of Duong Dong or 10 minutes from the beach. Parking is available.
AceroLa Restaurant Kitchen
For more info about Phu Quoc and the top things to do click the link. For my independent review of Gia Thanh Guest House, click the link.
We ate breakfast every morning in the restaurant. The prices were fair and it allowed us a relaxing way to start the day. They had a nice variety of offerings including the traditional American style breakfast in addition to the typical Vietnamese soups.
AceroLa Breakfast Eggs
Presentation / plating was always appetising to the eye and served with a big smile. The food always tasted fresh, hot and delicious. Really, I do not give out praise easily, but this place is wonderful. The iced coffees were the perfect cooling java jolt and a great accompaniment to the meal.
AceroLa Morning
Due to the fact that we were literally on the run every day trying to see as much as possible, it was not until the last day of our stay that we had a lunch at Acerola Bar and Restaurant. It was then that we realised what we had missed out on.
Chicken, Bell Pepper & Cashews
We ordered Sautéed chicken with bell pepper with cashew for 75.000 dong / €2.80 / USD$3.30, Tamarind Spicy Shrimp for 85.000 dong / €3.20 / USD$3.75 and 2 passion fruit Mojitos for 35.000 dong / €1.30 / USD$1.55 each.
Tamarind Spicy Shrimp Dish
The food was delectably delicious! Each morsel was a taste explosion in the mouth! This guy knows how to cook and obviously enjoys doing it.
After adding 2 more Mojitos?, our bill came to a total of 300.000 dong / €11.18 / USD$13.20.
Coconut Prison heartache, dream Beaches, friendly People, Fabulous prices, delicious Seafood, Markets and more. This is our Phu Quoc, Vietnam experience!
Palms and Sunshine at Sao Beach
From Ho Chi Minh, we had planned to go to Hue, Vietnam, but it was pouring rain as far as the weather app could see (2 weeks)?, so we looked for sun and found we had to book a trip to the sun island of Phu Quoc!
Skyscanner quickly located 2 Tickets from Ho Chi Minh to Phu Quoc on Jestar Airlines via Vueling for 1,555.000 dong or USD$66 ($33 ea.). As seems to be the theme, we had a 1/2 hour delay.
Upon arrival, we walked out the door and headed to the parking lot across the road. As there is no Uber on the island yet, we spoke with a taxi driver and paid the 150,000 dong from the airport to our hotel, Gia Thanh Phu Quoc Guest House. Read my independent review here.
Our Room – Gia Thanh Guest House
The restaurant adjacently joining the guest house is called Acerola Bar and Restaurant and this is where we had breakfast – every morning. We bought a jackfruit at the market and they prepared us a wonderful smoothie- we left a generous tip for their kindness. Can’t say enough good about this family!
Breakfast Pho Bo Soup at Acerola Restaurant
Dinner found us at a little restaurant just off the main street and a short walk to the beach called Thu Phuong. Read about what we ate, how much it cost and how it tasted here: Thu Phuong Restaurant Review. A romantic walk along the beach helped with digestion!
Barbecued Shrimp at Thu Phuong Restaurant
The next day, after a breakfast of beef noodle soup and an iced coffee to the sound of Vietnamese music, we walked down to the corner street and rented a moped for 122.000 per day, and filled in 60.000 dong of petro.
Our first stop was the Mui (Peninsula) Dinh Cau Buddhist Temple, located on a small cliff on the beach adjacent to a fishing village. We climbed the few stairs to the top, took some pictures and were on our way!
Gorgeous Water at Dinh Cau
45 minutes later found us at Bãi tắm Sao / Sao Beach, also known as Paradiso beach. This is an unfortunate stretch of a beautiful, long, white sand beach which is strewn with garbage and many people. Too bad they do not clean this up!
Beautiful Sao Beach
Dirty Sao Beach, The unfortunate other view
Lunch found us on the beach at a restaurant called Nha Hang My Lan – Not memorable, not great food, but a fabulous view.
Pho Ga (chicken noodle soup) 60.000 dong / €2.25 / USD$2.65, Mi Xao Rau (Noodles w/ vegetables) 80.000 dong / €3 / USD$3.50, Coke 20.000 dong / €0.75 / USD$0.90, Beer 25.000 dong / €0.94 / USD$1.10Total: 185.000 dong / €7 / USD$8
Mi Xao Rau Noodle Dish
A glorious, relaxed drive back through mountains followed the beach lunch. In the evening we went to the Phu Quoc Night Market for Dinner. After walking the market twice to see the offerings and prices, we settled on Quan An Mien Trung Restaurant. Thevery friendly owner is from Da Nang, speaks English a little and understands a lot!
Seafood at the NightmarketStreet action at the Night Market
Day 3 found us checking out Long Beach, about a 5 minute drive from our hotel. Trip Advisor had great reviews for RoRy’s Bar, so eventually we headed there to chill. It is a beautiful and popular location, but…
Long Beach
For Lunch we went to the Fabulous Bun Cha Ha Noi. This would become our favourite go to when it was open!
Bun Cha Ha Noi
My husband hit the Barbershop Duy for a 50.000 dong much needed shave.
After dinner, we went back to Rory’s Beach Bar for drinks on the beach. Fabulous atmosphere, bonfire, lots of people and a good DJ.
On Day 4, when looking for a local dinner spot, we discovered the restaurant Quán Ốc Bình Dân and this is where we ate every night after! Simply put, the food flavours are a music explosion on the tongue!!!!
Starters at Quán Ốc Bình Dân Restaurant
By Day 5 we had so fallen in love with Vietnam, we were frantically looking for an option to extend a visa, only to discover it can not be renewed easily ( German husband had only 15 days). If we would have pushed it, you need 3 days and $75. So we were sad to decide we would leave Vietnam after our Phu Quoc stay – very disappointed as Hue, Da Nang, Halong Bay were high on the top of our Vietnam list of where to go.
Drive to Kem Beach & Emerald Bay was on our 6th day in the morning. We had a backpack packed with drinks to take to the beach. We found our way in through the jungle on a dirt path and a big, almost private beach opened up. Only some fishermen shared the stretch of sand, trees and gorgeous water. We headed to a private spot and enjoyed the seclusion and scenery stretching through the bay.
Fishermen Sort their Catch at Kem Beach
After the beach, we stopped at a roadside restaurant calledBia Ruou Phu Quoc / Bia Tuoi Phu Quoc Craft Beer. It is located close to Coconut Prison and Emerald Bay so it was a perfect stop while waiting for the prison to open.
Bia Tuoi Phu Quoc Restaurant – Rice and Shrimp
After our delicious lunch, we went to the Coconut Prison; theentrance fee of 20,000 dong was worth every penny. The perspective does not change the the horror of what took place in this prison. There are plaques throughout describing what is happening.
Outer Perimeter at Coconut Prison
The next day found us at the huge Day Market in the streets by the fishing harbour. It was an interesting walk and we bought a Jackfruit (mit Thai) for 40.000 & a pear like bag of fruit called Rose Apple 25.000.
Meat Vendor Sits on her Stand Eating an Egg
Our 8th day found us at Suoi Tranh Waterfalls. TheEntrance fee was 10.000 dong per person plus a parking fee of 2000 for our moto. It is really nice gardens, a restaurant, colorful sculptures of animals and people throughout. We did the 1/2 hour hike over stones and rocks up to the waterfall. Not a lot of water this time of year, but it is a nice hike and pretty.
Almost Dry Suoi Tranh Waterfalls
Back in town we found a restaurant called Quan Ra Koi. It was packed with locals so we decided it must be good; we walked in and found ourselves a seat. Based on all the shocked and smiling stares, I do not think they are used to foreigners! Read about our experience here.
Ladies Selling Fish at the Market
Day 10 we went to get our Passport photos for our visa on arrival in Laos. Pho Bien, down by the Dinh Cau temple did our pictures for us. 200.000 for 10 photos – overpriced, but necessary. Our guest house said he ripped us off. The rest of the day was spent visiting our favourite spots and saying our goodbyes.
Fruit Lady – Long Beach
On the Last day, we had lunch at Acerola Bar Restaurant – read about prices and my review – before regrettably heading out.
Flight Jetstar Phu Quoc to Ho Chi Minh: 1,876.000 for 2 €77.49 or €38.75
1 hour delay
Flight Air Asia Ho Chi Minh to Bangkok: 3,024.000 for 2 €124.90
Flight Bangkok to Vientiane, Laos: $50 pp
Note: 2 weeks is NOT long enough in Vietnam- all nationalities with "free" visa, apply for minimum 1 month visaNote: It seems most locals speak NO English, not even in tourist places - everything works with pointing, calculators and smiles
Costs:
Flight from Ho Chi Minh to Phu Quoc: €32.23 per person
Taxis: €10.75
Lodging: €21.50 per night (€215 for our 10 nights)
Moped: €5 per day or €45 for the stay
Petro / Gasoline: €6.25
Entry Fees: €2.56
Food, Drink & Snacks: €211.19
Our Total Cost for 2 persons, 10 days in Phu Quoc, excluding flight: €490.75
Phu Quoc island on an extreme budget? Yes! For example:
– Stay at Langchia Hostel for $7 per night (includes breakfast & swimming pool)
– Buy fruits and veggies at the market
– Buy Noodles in the store & make your own noodles with a kettle and big bowl (borrowed or bought) – throw on market herbs and spice for great flavor
– Buy all beverages at the market (side street)
– Take towel and own food / beverages to beach
Maybe $10 per day???
Tip: book flights at least 4 days out for best prices!
Cheap location, delicious food, nightlife bar hopping and dripping with history, Ho Chi Minh city, otherwise known as Saigon will steal your heart and keep you busy no matter how long your stay. Let us be your shoestring budget travel guide!
Pho Tom
Due to our early flight, we woke up 4:30am, checked out and flagged down a taxi. The first taxi tried to rip us off, so
we had to change taxis. Our fare to the airport was 220 baht, but we shared with 1 other person, so it was only 120 baht?
Vietjet, the airline we have our ticket with, doesn’t want us on the flight because we do not have a ticket going back out of Vietnam. Finally they allowed us to board, based on our ticket home from Bangkok. Note: make sure you have a ticket out of Vietnam, even if you book a cheap bus ticket out or flight where the date can be changed or cancelled if you need to change dates/stay longer. Ticket cost: bkk (Bangkok) to sgn (Ho Chi Minh) usd $54 pp
Reunificaton Palace Rooftop Landing Pad
Tip: On arrival in Vietnam, before getting in the customs immigration lineup, make sure you have completed your landing visa at the counter to the left. Take passport photos with you to speed the process. Only then proceed to the immigration line. Note: at this point in time, visa on arrival is possible. Prices are: single entry usd$25, 3 months $50, 6 months $95. 2 to 5 years $155
⚠️Warning: I had completed a pre-visa application over the internet – it is a money grab rip off; just get your papers and fill them out at airport arrival.
Currency: Vietnamese Dong
Note:Bank atm machines in the airport did not work- none of them, all empty . Everyone was trying to get money and could not. ?
We paid for a taxi inside the terminal, but when we went outside with our ticket, got a shuttle instead. Cost 180.000 dong for the approximate 1/2 hour ride. ⚠️Tip: Use Uber instead!!!
We were meeting friends who were in town, so our first stop was the Rex Hotel Rooftop Gardenwhere we had a light lunch and drinks on the airy open patio.
View from Rex Hotel Rooftop Bar
After going separate ways from our friends, we grabbed a taxi from the Rex Hotel to the DDA Hotel (my review) for 33,000 dong. We booked the hotel through booking.com and it had a perfect location – basically right at the corner of Bui Vien Street. Be sure to read the review to find out the costs, tips, positives, negatives and more.
DDA Hotel Room
We had lunch at the Pho Hai Thien Restaurant, which quickly became our go to favourite! Make sure to check out my review for costs, service, location and more.
Mixed Dried Pho with Chicken
We headed up the busy Bui Vien Street where we sat on a corner and watched the action while sipping away on 3 “Crazy” Pina Coladas 208.000 dong and 3 Tiger Beer 118.000 dong. Why 3? Happy ? Hour! Admittedly, the prices weren’t great, but the view was.
Bui Vien Street, Day
We started the following day with a good A la carte breakfast which was included in our hotel price; there was lots to choose from. I had pho soup and my husband had fried eggs with a baguette; fruits, juices, coffee, tea and water were self serve.
At 8 am we were picked up at our hotel for 1/2 Day luxury tour (8 people or less) with KimTravel.com to the Cu Chi Tunnels. We had booked through a wonderful agency across the road from our hotel called VN Lotus Travel for a cost of $23 usd per person. Our small bus was very comfortable and spacious. FYI info: Non luxury -up to 30 people – $6usd pp
Exiting Cu Chi Tunnel
It was a 2 hour drive with a bathroom break a little past 1/2 way, where there was also a factory called Handicapped Handicrafts you could tour; beautiful eggshell art was hand made by disabled Vietnamese and you could buy pieces if you chose. The views on the drive were wonderful.
Rice Field Workers
We had an accident about 10 minutes from the tunnels. A truck drove into our bus, but rather than wait for police and commotions, we were quickly loaded into a van which drove us the remaining short distance to tunnels. Our guide from start to finish was a very informative young man named Kim. He spoke very good english, was open to all questions, did not rush us and was a wealth of information. Do not miss the Cu Chi Tunnels – they are a must see.
Truck Drives Into our Bus!
Our original bus picked us up again after our tour, and we were back at our hotel by 2:15 pm. After our late lunch, we went to Sam Spa where I had a 30 minute leg massage for USD$4, a USD$2 Pedicure and my husband had a 1 hour full body massage for USD$7, after which they threw in a leg massage for him too!
Korean Spicy Fried Chicken – Ben Thanh Street Food
We quickly returned to Bui Vien for the fabulous evening atmosphere. 158 Miss Saigon was our pub choice (and each night after). We consumed 3 beer for 100.000 dong, 2 Cherry bomb cocktails for 240.000 (very expensive) and 2 N2O balloons ? (not me!) for 50.000 dong. On the walk back to our hotel, we stopped at Via Del Gusto for a large Margherita stone oven Pizza for 120.000 dong. It was not to our liking, but we are very fussy Italian pizza fans!
Bui Vien Street Night
After breakfast the next day, we flagged down a Taxi Vinasun to take us to the War Remnants Museum. Although our driver did not speak any english, he was very kind and considerate. The taxi cost was 30.000 dong. It cost 15.000 dong for entry to the Museum and it was worth every penny. A vietnamese perspective of horror, death and pain experienced during the Vietnam war, truly heart wrenching. You will need at least 2 hours.
View into Jail Cells – War Remanants Museum
The Quán 176 Restaurant is within walking distance. It was our lunch choice as we waited for the Palace, closed for the lunch break, to re-open.
Chicken with Mushroom – Quán 176 Restaurant
After lunch, we walked the short distance to the Independence Palace or also known as the Reunification Palace – opening hours are 8am to 12pm and 1pm to 4pm; entry fee: 40.000 dong per person. This place has lots of history & information through documentary films and information plaques, as well as museum rooms.
National Security Chamber – Reunification Palace
From there we walked 5 minutes to the noteworthy Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon and the historical Post Office before taking a taxi back to our hotel.
Historical Post Office
The following day we were supposed to fly to Hue, but the weather report forcast one week of straight rain. So, we cancelled our plans and booked back into our DDA Bizu hotel for 2 more nights before flying on Sunday February 12th to Phu Quoc where supposedly the sun is shining. Weekend at Bui Vien is slightly different than during the week – the street is full with pub crawls, locals, and weekenders.
Mother with Daughter on a Bike
On Day 5 we ordered an Uber Car for 31.ooo dong to go to Quoc Tu Pagoda. The very friendly driver arrived to pick us up in within 1 minute; clean car, no English but lots of smiles. The Buddha Temple was 7 stories high – 281 steps to top of the pagoda where we had a gorgeous view of the city. Our Uber back to the hotel was 32.000 dong (3.99 km / 13 minutes).
Quoc Tu Pagoda
At Bazzan Coffee, a little coffee shop a few doors down from our hotel, we had 2 Milk coffee ice blends (Ca Phe Da Xay) for 40.000 dong each. They were soooo good and it felt great to just sit by the road sipping away on the luxurious drink!
Vietnamese Iced Coffee – Ca Phe Da Xay
On our last evening in Saigon, we went to Bui Vien street for drinks with some new friends. We had a wonderful time with lots of laughing and of course, overspent. Our bill came in at a whopping 525.000 dong, but it was worth it! We said our goodbyes as they headed to Cambodia and we were on our way to Phu Quoc Island.
Modern Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Day 6 we had breakfast at our favourite restaurant Pho Hai Thien and then grabbed an Uber for 79.000 dong to the airport. Much cheaper than a taxi!!! At the Airport, we stopped at McDonald’s for an iced coffee, burger & fries. Coffee was expensive, but the burger and fries were cheap. Our bill came to 150.000.
Market Stall – Ho Chi Minh
Note: special coffee: Weasel Coffee or Civet coffee - Most expensive coffee in the world - ethical concerns (farmed weasels force fed); animal eats the cherries and then defecates; feces is collected and processed. Interest: in Vietnam they also chemically create / simulate the coffee.
⚠️Warning: If you are unsure how long you want to stay in Vietnam, take a long visa. It is complicated to get an extension, which is very unfortunate because you may fall in love with this country! Next time we will take the longest Vietnam Travel Visa possible!
Costs for 5 nights (6 days):
Flight from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh: €51.25 pp
Flight from Ho Chi Minh to Phu Quoc €32.30 pp
Taxis & Ubers: €19.16
Food and Drinks: €145.38
Laundry: €5.00 (washed twice)
Excursions & Museums: €26.40
Spa Treatments: €12.34
Total cost per person for 6 days: €186.45 or €31 per day (excluding flights) ⚠️Could be a lot cheaper with less party, lighter meals and using Uber right from the start.
If you would like to see more photos of what we did, click here.
