1. Where is Sao Beach?
Sao Beach is located in An Thoi ward, Phu Quoc city, Kien Giang province, Vietnam. It is about 24 km southeast of Phu Quoc city center and about 355 km southwest of Ho Chi Minh City.
2. How is Sao beach unique?
The origin of the name Sao beach is also very interesting. According to the locals here, since ancient times, every time the sunset falls. Thousands of starfish from the ocean come close to the shore to “enjoy the moon”. That is why this place is called “Bai Sao”.
Moreover, Sao Beach has a 7km coastline with smooth white sand, cool green coconut trees. And the sea is calm and cool for you to experience. This is definitely the most attractive feature of this place.
When coming to Sao Beach, swimming is definitely an indispensable activity. Imagine yourself immersing yourself in the cool blue water in the middle of the vast ocean. After swimming in the sea, you can go ashore to sunbathe and enjoy some cool drinks, which is great.
Besides, this is also a place to watch the sunrise or sunset super beautiful. When you can watch the first rays of sunlight on the sea or the romantic scene when the sun sets at Sao Beach. This will definitely be a ‘one of a kind’ experience in your life.
3. When is the best time to visit Sao Beach?
The ideal time to travel to Sao Beach on Phu Quoc Island is from June to October every year. Especially around September and October, when there are the most starfish of the year. During this time, although it is the rainy season in Phu Quoc, because of its location away from the southwest wind, Sao Beach has calm weather, calm waves, and clear blue sea water. It is very convenient for moving, admiring starfish and participating in interesting activities underwater.
4. How to get to Sao Beach?
4.1 Traveling to Phu Quoc
To get to Sao Beach from Ho Chi Minh City or other provinces. You need to travel to the center of Phu Quoc city firstly. So, you can consider the following means of transport to Phu Quoc:
4.1.1 By plane:
This is the fastest and most convenient means of transport, it helps you save time and health for the next journey. Moreover, there are many international and domestic airlines landing at Phu Quoc International Airport. After landing, you can take a taxi, rent a tourist car or motorbike to continue to Bai Sao.
4.1.2 Bus and speedboat:
You can take a bus from Saigon or neighboring provinces to Rach Gia or Ha Tien, travel time is about 6-8 hours. Then, you take a speedboat to Phu Quoc Island, travel time is about 1.5-2 hours. Some famous bus companies such as Phuong Trang, Kumho Samco and reputable high-speed ferry companies such as Superdong, Phu Quoc Express will be quick and safe choices for you.
4.2 Traveling from Phu Quoc city center to Sao Beach
Sao Beach is not too far from Phu Quoc city center, about 24 km to the Southeast. Moreover, this route has been upgraded so the travel is quite convenient. Therefore, you can easily travel here by tourist car, taxi, bus or motorbike.
Starting from Duong Dong ward, you go in the direction of Phu Quoc airport. From here, you follow Nguyen Van Cu street towards An Thoi ward. When you get near An Thoi 2 primary school, you will see a sign indicating the way to Long Beach Resort. From here, you go about 1km more to a three-way intersection. Here, there are 2 branches leading to Bai Sao, you can choose which branch.
5. Activities and experiences when traveling to Sao Beach
5.1 Swimming and sunbathing at Sao Beach – a paradise beach
As one of the most beautiful beaches, Bai Sao is an extremely suitable “coordinate” for you to swim and sunbathe. Located in a position sheltered from the southwest wind, the sea water at Sao beach is calm all year round. In addition, Sao beach is also characterized by a gentle slope, shallow water surface, quite safe for tourists, especially children or the elderly.
In addition, the sun at Sao Beach is not harsh nor burning. Therefore, it is an ideal place for you to sunbathe at this beach. You can lie on the smooth white sand or under the cool shade of green coconut trees to enjoy the sunshine.
5.2 Snorkeling to see corals and lovely fish
If you have come to Sao Beach in Phu Quoc Island, you definitely cannot miss the experience of scuba diving. The trip to explore the seabed is an opportunity for you to admire the colorful coral reefs, along with countless lovely fish.
5.3 Kayaking to visit Sao Beach
Kayaking is an ideal way to relieve stress during picnics. You will have a new and interesting feeling when rowing a boat by yourself to travel in the middle of the clear blue sea.
5.4 Checking – in “virtual life” with super cute background
If you have read reviews about Sao Beach, you will definitely be overwhelmed by the “super cool” check-in photos of tourists when coming here.
As a beautiful beach in Phu Quoc Island, Sao Beach has countless valuable “virtual life” angles. You just need to stand there and press the camera to automatically have beautiful photos. For example, the clear blue sea with creamy white sand and brilliant golden sunlight. Along with rows of green coconut trees providing shade and legendary swings lying next to it, … These are truly iconic images of Bai Sao, …
5.5 Immersing yourself in the super romantic sunset scene
Sao Beach is also known as one of the “coordinates” to admire the beautiful sunset. When you come to Sao Beach at sunset, you will be immersed in a majestic but also extremely romantic scene.
5.6 Watch the sunrise and walk around Sao Beach in the early morning
In addition to the sunset scene, the moment of dawn at Bai Sao beach is also extremely wonderful. When the sun gradually rises with the rays of morning sunlight dancing in the sky. This will definitely be an unforgettable scene for anyone who has ever witnessed it with their own eyes.
5.7 Challenging yourself with adventure games on the sea
When traveling to Sao Beach, you cannot miss the series of adventure games that challenge yourself “extremely hard”. If you have a strong heart and love thrills, you will definitely have fun when paragliding, jet skiing, surfing, or banana floats, …
6. Specialties when traveling to Sao Beach
When traveling to Sao Beach, you will enjoy extremely fresh seafood dishes. They are processed from fresh ingredients and the processing method is also extremely rustic. Let’s explore the cuisine here right away.
6.1 Enjoying fresh seafood dishes
6.1.1 Herring salad
There are many ways to prepare herring such as frying, steaming, grilling, and hot pot. However, only herring salad brings an irresistible delicious flavor. Herring salad is the most attractive and favorite dish and creates a unique brand of Phu Quoc. How to make herring salad is extremely simple: Fresh herring is cleaned and thinly sliced, then mixed with onions, lemon, chili and other spices.
6.1.2 Grilled clams
Bien mai is a type of sea clam that is triangular in shape, about the size of an adult’s palm and sticks deep into the sea. This is a nutritious food and is prepared in a variety of ways such as soup, hot pot, sweet and sour stir-fry, porridge, steamed, … And the most special is grilled clams. The salty taste of salt, the spicy taste of chili and the sweetness of the clams blend together and melt in the mouth, making visitors remember it forever.
6.1.3 Grilled anchovies
Grilled anchovies – a dish known as “the best in the sea” in Phu Quoc. Anchovies have a slightly flat body, pure white, shiny like silver bars. Anchovies are loved because they are delicious from the meat to the intestines, have very little fishy taste and are rich in nutrients. The best part is the intestines and flank of the mackerel. Fresh fish just need to be cleaned and grilled on a charcoal stove and you will have a delicious, flavorful grilled mackerel dish.
6.1.4 Grilled sea urchin with scallion oil
Sea urchin is also known as sea urchin or sea urchin. Sea urchins live in places with many reefs and corals. After cutting off the spines of the sea urchin, you need to split it in half and put it on the grill. When it is just cooked, the sea urchin meat will be light yellow. Just add scallion oil and roasted peanuts and you will have a fragrant grilled sea urchin with scallion oil dish.
6.2 Some special restaurants in Sao beach
6.2.1. Long Beach Resort & Restaurant
Has a 300m long coastline and a capacity of up to 700 guests
- Address: No. 124 Tran Hung Dao, Ward 7, Duong Dong Ward, Phu Quoc City, Kien Giang Province.
- Reference opening hours: 9:00 – 21:00.
- Menu: BBQ on the beach, rich seafood (shrimp, crab, oysters, …).
6.2.2 My Lan Hotel & Restaurant
Can accommodate about 600 people. With a beautiful location, a view of the sea and a unique design of leaf hut models. This will be a suitable place to fully enjoy the immense ocean view at Bai Sao.
- Address: Group 9, Hamlet 4, An Thoi, Phu Quoc City, Kien Giang Province.
- Reference opening hours: 7:00 – 21:00.
- Menu: coi bien mai, shark hotpot, grilled sea urchin, Western dishes, Russian dishes, Vietnamese dishes, …
6.2.3 Paradiso Restaurant
Stand out with the form of dining right on the beach. Open space, affordable prices and a diverse menu are plus points of this restaurant.
- Address: Hamlet 4, An Thoi, Phu Quoc City, Kien Giang Province.
- Reference opening hours: 9:00 – 18:00.
6.2.4 Bai Sao Beach Restaurant
Affordable price, view next to the beach, rich menu
- Address: Bai Sao, An Thoi ward, Phu Quoc city, Kien Giang province.
- Reference opening hours: 8:00 – 22:00.
- Menu: Vietnamese food, Western food, Russian food, crab rice, herring salad, grilled scallops.
6.2.5 Ai Si Bungalow
Specializing only in dishes with traditional Vietnamese flavors.
- Address: Bai Sao, An Thoi ward, Phu Quoc city, Kien Giang province
- Reference opening hours: 10:00 – 22:00
7. Accommodation when traveling to Sao Beach
When traveling to Phu Quoc island, you can refer to some of the following accommodations:
7.1 New World Phu Quoc Resort:
Located only 2.26km from Bai Sao, New World Phu Quoc Resort offers a 5-star resort system. With 375 villas with private pools, designed in the style of a coastal village. It brings great privacy and relaxation!
- Address: Khem Beach, An Thoi Ward, Phu Quoc, Kien Giang Province.
7.2 Premier Residences Phu Quoc Emerald Bay:
Impressing visitors with its super spacious, green space next to the beautiful Phu Quoc beach. This place offers 4 high-class room types with super beautiful sea views for visitors.
- Address: Khem Beach, An Thoi Ward, Phu Quoc, Kien Giang Province.
7.3 Xuan Hien Resort – Sea Pearl Phu Quoc:
Located only 1.48km from Sao Beach, Xuan Hien Resort has a diverse room system, high-class restaurants, and a super large outdoor swimming pool. Area with many other high-class amenities.
- Address: Bai Sao Street, An Thoi, Phu Quoc, Kien Giang Province.
7.4 JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Resort & Spa:
With 244 rooms, there are many room types and villas for you to choose from. Visitors can choose to experience the ultimate with a system of 5 high-class restaurants, top-notch bars. And don’t forget to immerse yourself in the famous clam swimming pool.
- Address: Khem Beach, An Thoi, Phu Quoc, Kien Giang Province, Vietnam.
7.5 Paralia Khem Beach Phu Quoc Hotel:
With 4-star class, Paralia Hotel has a total of 113 rooms designed in a youthful style. It is fully furnished with amenities, the rooms have a view of the sea so it is extremely ‘chill’. There is nothing better than watching the sunset from here.
- Address: D107, D109, D111, D115 Sun Premier Village Khem Beach Resort Complex, An Thoi, Phu Quoc, Kien Giang Province.
8. Some important notes when traveling to Sao Beach
Sao Beach is not only a beautiful destination but also home to many precious marine species and ecosystems. When enjoying your vacation here, please remember some of the following necessary notes:
- Preserve the environment and general landscape: Do not litter on the beach or into the sea. Use public trash bins and bring your own trash bags if necessary.
- Do not harm marine life: If you participate in scuba diving, avoid touching or damaging coral reefs. Do not pick up shells, starfish or living creatures as souvenirs.
- Limit single-use plastics: Bring a reusable water bottle or cloth bag to reduce the amount of plastic waste released into the environment.
- Do not arbitrarily remove starfish from the water environment: Starfish need water to breathe and they can only withstand a maximum of 3 – 5 minutes outside the water environment. Therefore, no matter how lovely the starfish look, do not touch them or pick them up from the water.
- Essential items: Remember to bring swimwear, wide-brimmed hats, sunglasses, etc. to avoid sunburn. Especially, you should put electronic devices in waterproof bags to ensure you always have super beautiful photos.
- Safety: When participating in underwater activities at Bai Sao. You must pay attention to sea warnings and follow the instructions of the beach researcher and supervisor.
It is worthy visiting Sao Beach
With its peaceful and quiet beauty, Sao Beach has been voted by Condé Nast Traveler magazine as one of the top 10 most pristine and quiet beaches in the world. When you come to Sao beach, you will be overwhelmed by the image of the long stretch of fine white sand, clear blue sea and gentle waves all year round.
Join Origin Vietnam – a professional tour operator. We will accompany you on the Vietnam tour to explore this breathtakingly beautiful beach with memorable experiences. This will be the number one choice for nature lovers with private and quiet space to relax and rest.
