Living in Phu Quoc

Hello Everyone,
My wife and I are currently in Phu Quoc evaluating the option of living here. We love Vietnam, but Phu Quoc does check a lot of our boxes. I know a lot of expats live in Duong Dong, my question is more specific, what streets/buildings are more popular for expats to live in/on?? In Sunset town, do many expats actually live there? If so, where?

Thank you everyone in advance for taking the time to help us out

Dave - @sundogds

Hi Dave,

Aidan (our Vietnam expert) lives on the island and will hopefully chime in with specific replies to your questions.

Personally, based on my having lived there for a couple of months in 2021 AND due to trends in new arrivals throughout Việt Nam, I would avoid actually residing in Dương Đông, for a couple of reasons:

It's a great area to visit for a night out at places such as The Cheeky Traveller English Pub & Bar (Google Maps link) just south of the official border of Dương Đông; a great place to meet and compare notes with fellow foreigners who can most likely give you their opinions regarding your questions.

However, my experience 5 years ago was that foreigners there are mostly transient and not good sources of information or opinions for expats who are seriously interested in relocating to the island long term.

You would likely get much better feedback regarding real life on Phú Quốc from an expat in a partnership with a Vietnamese citizen (such as Aidan).

If my Vietnamese wife and I were to move back to the island from Đà Nẵng, we would almost certainly choose to live near the southern coast of the island in An Thới town (GMaps link).

We talk about that area of the island and the pros & cons of living there in this thread that features many great photos of the area shared by Aidan:

https://www.expat.com/en/forum/asia/vietnam/phu-quoc/1003404-phu-quoc-the-reality-of-life-with-a-young-child.html

Good luck with your search for the best place that suits you.

Cheers!

O.B.

Hello Everyone,
My wife and I are currently in Phu Quoc evaluating the option of living here. We love Vietnam, but Phu Quoc does check a lot of our boxes. I know a lot of expats live in Duong Dong, my question is more specific, what streets/buildings are more popular for expats to live in/on?? In Sunset town, do many expats actually live there? If so, where?

Thank you everyone in advance for taking the time to help us out

Dave - @sundogds

Hi Dave, fellow Canadian. Welcome to the expat.com Vietnam forum.

Most of the long-term expats I know here on the island don't live in Duong Dong.

Ong Lang Beach, Cua Duong (my area), and An Thoi are much more popular.

If you're really set on Duong Dong, I can make some inquiries for you tomorrow, but as mentioned by member OceanBeach92107, most foreigners there will be found in short-term holiday rentals. There is a spot in Cua Lap, at the southern end of Duong Dong that rents small single room separate units, sort of tiny-home/cottage units . If I recall, the monthly rent was ~5 million/month (~$275 CDN), and included electricity (let the air conditioner blow!).

I've not been in Sunset Town for a couple of years, but in the thread linked by OceanBeach92107  you'll see that I included the signage with phone numbers for a few of the property managers there. I suggest you reach out to them and if it sounds like something you might like, take a run down there for a look-see.

Do either you or your wife speak Vietnamese? I ask because things would be much more cumbersome for me, living in Cua Duong, without the help of my GF.

@sundogds

I just remembered that to better view an agent's signage in the pictures on that other thread, right click the pic and open in a new tab/window. There you'll be able to enlarge further to read the ph #s