Which trips work at which age
Phu Quoc is a good island for children, with two or three real constraints. Here is exactly which of our trips work at which age, and what we would not put a five-year-old on.
Minimum ages, all in one table
| Trip | Minimum age | Sweet spot | Why the limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Four islands snorkelling | 4 | 7 – 14 | The smallest buoyancy vest we carry |
| North island by road | Any age | 6 and up | Three hours in a vehicle across a day |
| Sunset and squid fishing | 6 | 8 – 15 | Two hours in the dark on a moving deck |
| Jungle trek, 6 km | 8 | 10 – 16 | Heat, humidity and uneven ground |
| Jungle trek, 11 km | 12 | 14 and up | It is a hard day for adults |
| Scuba, try dive | 12 | 14 and up | The recognised limit for uncertified divers |
| Two- and three-day tours | 4 | 7 and up | Set by the boat day |
| Four- and five-day tours | 8 | 9 and up | Set by the forest walk |
Those are our limits, not the suppliers'. Some operators will take a two-year-old on the An Thoi boat. We will not, because the vest does not fit and a vest that does not fit is worse than no vest at all.
What actually works here
Phu Quoc suits families better than most of Vietnam, for four specific reasons rather than a general impression.
Short transfers
The airport is 20 minutes from most hotels and every trip collects from the door. Nothing on this island involves a three-hour transfer with a tired child.
Shallow, warm water
The southeast beaches shelve very gradually and sit at 28 to 30 degrees. A four-year-old can stand up thirty metres out.
A theme park option
The complexes in the north are genuinely good with children, and they are not something we sell or take anything from. Some days that is exactly what a family needs and we will say so.
Food children eat
Rice, noodles, grilled meat, fruit, and every kitchen on the island can cook without chilli if asked. Fish sauce is the harder one to remove.
The three things that go wrong
Heat, and the timing of it
Between 11:00 and 15:00 in March and April the sun on an open boat deck is punishing for small children and the shade on most boats is partial. This is the single most common reason a family day here goes badly. Our boats have a covered deck and we carry extra shade cloth, and on a private charter we will simply come back early.
The length of a shared day
A shared boat day is fixed: you are on the water from 08:45 to 16:00 and there is no earlier ride home. With a child under seven that is a long commitment. This is the strongest argument for a private boat at any party size — not the exclusivity, the ability to turn round at 13:00.
Seasickness
Children are more prone to it than adults and less good at telling you before it happens. The squid fishing evening is the worst offender because the boat sits at anchor in a low swell for two hours. Medication taken 90 minutes before boarding works; medication taken when they feel unwell does not.
What we do differently for families
- Child buoyancy vests and small masks on every boat, not on request. A mask that leaks turns a first snorkel into a last snorkel.
- A guide who stays with one child in the water. Possible on a boat of twelve, impossible on a boat of forty, and it is the main reason families book with us.
- Children under ten travel free on the shared boat days in the sense that they take a seat and eat at no charge; they still count toward the twelve. Under-tens are half price on the squid boat.
- Pick-up times built around your children, not the group. If 07:15 does not work, say so and we will put you last in the pick-up order.
- We will tell you not to book something. If you describe a five-year-old and ask about the jungle trek, the answer is no, and it will not be followed by an upsell.
A suggested four days with children aged six to twelve
| Day | Plan | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive, Bai Khem in the afternoon, early dinner | Shallow, calm, nothing scheduled |
| 2 | An Thoi boat day, private if you are four or more | The best day, and the one to have energy for |
| 3 | A slow morning, then the north island road day | A vehicle day after a boat day |
| 4 | Free morning, cable car or a pool, fly out | Nothing that cannot be abandoned |
That is close to our four-day tour with the forest day swapped out, which is a change we make regularly for families with younger children and which reduces the price rather than increasing it.
Tell us their ages
It genuinely changes which boat we use and which days we suggest. Ages and dates are enough for a real answer.
Questions travellers ask most
Is Phu Quoc safe for young children?
Broadly yes, with the usual tropical caveats: sun, dehydration, and traffic if you are walking beside a road. The medical facilities on the island handle routine problems; anything serious means a transfer to the mainland, which is a reason to have insurance that covers evacuation.
Mosquito-borne illness exists in Vietnam. Use repellent in the evening, particularly in the wet season, and take medical advice before you travel rather than from us.
Can toddlers come on the boat?
Not on our boats, under four. The smallest vest we carry does not hold a smaller child properly and we are not prepared to run that risk for the sake of a booking.
With a toddler, the southeast beaches and a hotel pool are the trip, and that is a perfectly good week.
Will the guide speak to our children?
Yes, and it is one of the things we actually select for. A guide who can explain pepper to a nine-year-old is worth considerably more than one who can explain it to you, because the nine-year-old sets the mood of the day.
Is the cable car suitable for small children?
Yes, and it is one of the best things on the island for them. It is enclosed, the crossing takes about fifteen minutes and the view down onto the fishing boats holds attention. We do not sell it and take nothing from it; go on a day of your own.
Read next
Tell us what you want out of the island
Dates, party size and the places you care about are enough to start. You get a draft route and an indicative price, not a brochure.