All you need to know for Snorkeling in Phu Quoc - Vietnam Travel Guide

​Are you tired of the big group tours? Snorkeling with a private tour is the best way to experience this activity in Vietnam, and the best part is that it’s actually affordable!
 
By far one the best memory I have of visiting Vietnam is the amazing day we spent snorkeling in the warm waters of the Gulf of Thailand. As we rented a private boat for the 4 of us, the clouds parted over our heads and let the sun shine through. Coral reefs and shiny blue fish greeted us as we jumped in, and with no one else disturbing the waters around us we quickly got to see much more marine life. 
 
Here is everything you need to know in order to make your own snorkeling dreams come true in Phu Quoc Vietnam!

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There's plenty more activities to do on Phu Quoc island, click here to check out these 13 Awesome Things to do in Phu Quoc!

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Snorkeling in Phu Quoc Vietnam

Where to go for a Phu Quoc Snorkeling tour

​The best snorkeling in Phu Quoc is on the southern tip of the island near the village of An Thoi. There are two main options to choose from for your snorkeling adventure. You can hire a private boat (with a captain) or join an existing group tour by heading over to the marina. 
 
If joining a group tour, it’s best to book in advance – your hotel can help you with that by making a call. There are a few different tour companies that offer the same type of snorkeling tour and Trip Advisor is a great tool to ensure you’re picking the right one. We recommend reading for recent reviews as those will give the most accurate representation of what you will encounter If you like to haggle, you can try your hand at it, but usually unless it’s for a group of people there’s not much wiggle room on a group tour. Also keep in mind that with these you will likely be hanging around a group of strangers for an entire day. 
 
The private tours are taken on a speedboat, taking you to your snorkeling spots quickly, avoiding the crowds and assuring you the best pick of the snorkel equipment which is pretty important! You can also book these directly at the port, or with your hotel’s help. Remember though that the speedboats are usually small and have no toilet facilities. They can also get pretty rough in high sea. We thought it was all good fun though as none of us have motion sickness. Just make sure you don’t open a drink before starting on your way because you’ll end up with more of it on your lap than in your mouth! 
 
Any way you choose, they will likely take you to the three most popular islands to snorkel: Mong Tay, Gam Ghi and May Rut island.
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When to go Snorkeling on Phu Quoc

Although it’s warm year-round, December to April are the driest months on Phu Quoc island making it ideal for snorkeling. The shoulder months of November and May can also be good times to visit if you have some flexibility to change activities around depending on weather. To really have the best experience, you ideally want to head out to the water on a day that is sunny, with very little to no clouds in the sky. 
 
The Vietnamese New Year occurs during Tết which is usually between the first two weeks of February. As this is a national holiday, these weeks are super busy with Vietnamese tourists flocking to the island for a beach holiday and is best avoided unless you love crowds. We went for the last week of March and it turned out to be a great time of year for weather and in consideration of the number of tourists we saw (or didn’t see rather!)
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What you need to know about Snorkeling on Phu QUoc

​It can be hard to find English speaking tours, especially if you are arranging a private boat. We were sent off with a Vietnamese only speaker which made it hard to communicate. Fortunately, our signing and pointing was good enough for him and made us all laugh. Make sure you bring a map of the islands (we had a copy of a brochure) to be able to point out what you’re looking for if something comes up.
 
The sun shines hard on you when you’re in the water, and although the water is warm, its cooling effect can mean that you won’t notice the sun burning your skin until it’s too late. Make sure you protect yourself so to avoid that very painful shower in the evening!
 
Your guides are always looking to make the most money out of their day, and as nice as they might be, that can sometimes have an impact on your experience. As we were having lunch on a small beach in the middle of our day, our captain came along to ask if it was okay for him to leave us about 20 minutes in order to take another family who was stranded here, over to an island we could see nearby. We expected to be eating at least another 15 minutes and as typical helpful Canadians we thought sure, why not. We can wait 20 minutes! Well, 20 quickly turned into an hour, at which point we started wondering if we had been abandoned and should be asking around for a ride back to An Thoi. Fortunately, our captain came back another half hour later, but with his lack of English, we had no way of telling him we weren’t impressed. Honestly though at this point, we were just happy that he was back and immediately hopped on the boat to head to our next snorkel spot! So, the moral of the story is: don’t let your boat captain leave without you!
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First time snorkeling?

Not to worry, there is no amount of previous experience needed for enjoying a good snorkeling trip. It’s an easy activity to get into for just about everyone, even children and seniors! Young, responsible children can tag along and have a safe and fun experience with adequate parental supervision and with the use of a life vest. Make sure to continue reading our snorkeling tips below for more information! 
 
Snorkeling is really most, and perhaps only, enjoyable on sunny days. The lack of light really makes the underwater world a grim color making it hard to spot fish and other sea life who all tend to camouflage themselves as a survival mechanism against predators. We have had snorkeling experiences in places which had little to no encounter with fish and it’s definitely not as fun of an activity.
 
Even if you’re a good swimmer, using a life vest is a great way to conserve energy, and in doing so, extend your time in the water. It’s also ideal in areas where the water is shallower, and you need to avoid touching the reefs.
 
On that note, reefs are a very important part of the ocean floor as they store CO2 and are homes to numerous fish and other sea life. As important as they are, they are also very delicate and can be damaged when hit with your fins or with a boat anchor. They can also be dangerous to you as they can be sharp and can also be hiding spots for poisonous sea life such as sea urchins or snakes. It’s best to avoid touching them or stepping on them, and to instead look at them from a distance. If you’re swimming in shallow waters, be careful to look where you’re stepping when getting up in order to avoid them – finding a piece of sand, or swimming to a deeper end is best in this case.
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Best Snorkeling Location Around Phu Quoc

​Our favorite stop was near May Rut island as this is where we encountered the most variety of fish and sea life. Big rock formations made for optimum housing for all those little fish and gave us many beautiful sights! Of all the islands to snorkel around, if you need to choose one it should be May Rut!
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How much does it cost to Snorkel on Phu Quoc

​We paid 2.2 million VND (Vietnamese Dongs) for a private boat. We didn’t do any bartering as our haggling game is not very good, but we thought that was a fair price as it came to around $30 CAD per person for a group of four. Well worth it to us in order to have the privacy of a personal tour. Group tours average around 700,000 VND per person in comparison.
 
We opted to go with John’s Tours as they were the ones available the day we wanted. It was nothing exceptional, but it worked for us as all we wanted really was someone to drive the boat around. They have many boats and can accommodate multiple groups in a day. They also made sure to get in contact with our driver when we were on our way back to ensure we wouldn’t have to wait around for him which was much appreciated! As we mentioned before though, it’s always best to check recent reviews as changes in management or changes in guides even can radically alter experiences from one time to another. It also helps manage your expectations and make sure you really enjoy the experience which after all is the most important part!
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What to bring when Snorkeling

There are a few typical things we usually bring on our snorkel adventures, so we are sharing them here to make sure you don’t forget anything. The organised tours may include some of these items, but we always like to be prepared, especially in the water and snacks area! Nobody likes to see us “hangry”!

​What you'll need for your adventure:

• Waterproof bag for your dry items like clothing, cell phone or 
• Towel
• Swimsuit and a change of clothing 
• Reef-safe sunscreen or UV protective clothing
• Snacks or a lunch for a mid-day break (bring a bag for garbage)
• Enough water for the day
• Hat for the beach or the boat
• Waterproof camera for those cool snapshots
• Some cash for emergencies, but not too much – you’ll regularly be off the boat swimming with no direct sight on your personal belongings 
• Snorkel gear if you have it – your tour should include it, but it’s always more comfortable with your own, properly fitted mask! And make sure to confirm with your tour operator if they have children size or not if the kiddos are coming along.

 
The few things you should not bring are your non-essential electronics, any jewelry or accessories and makeup.
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Responsible Tourism

​With so much on the news about climate change in recent years, most people realize (or should realize) that preserving our oceans is one of the most important things we can do. Snorkeling can be an environmentally friendly way to enjoy the oceans, to see marine life in the wild and to promote respect of the planet. However, it can easily turn into a damaging situation if precautions aren’t taken. 
 
One of the recent things that has come up in terms of damaging products for our oceans’ reefs is a common ingredient in sunscreen. You have probably been told, as have we, since you were a kid how important it is to protect yourself from sunrays, but one aspect that has been missed all these years is that the same sunscreen which protects us is actually helping the causing of our ocean reefs to die off. Oxybenzone and octinoxate are common ingredients in sunscreen which have been linked to coral bleaching and have actually started being banned in certain regions like Hawaii and Cancun. However, you should also be careful of avoiding sunscreen with a high amount of titanium dioxide as this ingredient reacts with warm sea water and can have a harming effect on all sea life. Look instead for sunscreen that uses zinc oxide as a UV blocking ingredient, or better yet, use protective clothing such as a rash guard. 
 
Another obvious but often overlooked detrimental aspect of snorkeling is the damage cause by over tourism. The more people visit a certain spot, the more damage will undoubtedly be done to the area. Marine life might be affected by the crowds and corals could be damaged by people touching them, hitting them with their fins or even breaking them to take a piece home. Not all tourists are as responsible as you, and sometimes the best we can do is educate and encourage the right behaviours. 
 
The most responsible travelers will leave no trace of their presence and bring back nothing but pictures and memories!
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Extra tips for beginner snorkelers 

Motion sickness: If you experience motion sickness on the boat, look far ahead at the horizon as to steady your gaze. Make sure to find a spot on the boat which allows you a good view of the front, while offering the most stability. Somewhere in the middle of the deck is preferable. Although the water may have waves, it can also help to get into it instead of staying on the boat when anchored as it often feels more solid than being on the boat. If you’re prone to motion sickness though, it might be best to prepare ahead of time and pop some medication before heading out!
 
Life Vests: Use a life vest to conserve energy when you are snorkeling for a long time. If you’re anything like us, you can swim just fine, but after a while it gets tiring. Especially if you have a whole day of it ahead! You don’t want to miss out on that turtle sighting, so grab a life vest as soon as you start feeling your energy levels going down and use it as support as you continue to enjoy the view. This is also a great way for people who are less comfortable or simply not swimmers to enjoy the activity. 
 
Children: The first thing to do when introducing children to snorkeling is to educate them on the best safety practices. Take the time to have a discussion with them and talk about respecting sea life, avoiding risks and being safe while being out in the ocean. 
We recommend always making your children wear a life vest regardless of their swimming ability and to ALWAYS keep a close eye on them. Remember, you’re in the open sea, and even if you can see land close by, a strong wave or undercurrent comes quickly and can take you or your children out of reach of safety. Younger kids should be closely accompanied by a parent or guardian in the water at all time.
For kids who are new to snorkeling, always have them practice breathing in the tube outside of water first, then slowly introduce them to the water while being close by as well. If they’re not comfortable with the tube, don’t worry, they can always enjoy the activity by using a mask and simply holding their breath. The use of a life vest will ensure that they can come up for air at any time.
Ask your tour operator in advance if they have children sized gear. If they don’t, it’s a good idea to at least invest in some masks for them. Fins are generally not needed for kids, we even recommend not using them until they are fully comfortable in the water and can avoid hitting coral reefs on their own.
 
Shallows: In shallow waters, it’s best to avoid the use of fins as to not damage the reefs. The kicking motion can make your fins catch on the edges of corals and easily break them off. Using a life vest can also help you stay higher on the water level so as to not touch anything as well.
Sunscreen: The sun’s UV rays are dangerous for everyone and protecting yourself is especially important on the water where there is no shade to hide into. However, as mentioned above, sunscreen often makes the use of harmful ingredients in order to block those harmful UV rays. Make sure to use reef-safe sunscreen to avoid this. Our favorite way to protect ourselves though when snorkeling is to use protective clothing. Since the water washes away most of the sunscreen’s protection anyway, using protection such as a UV rated rash guard ensures that your back side won’t turn five shades or red. Be careful of your legs and feet as well though! 
 
Snorkeling really is the perfect way to get in the water without the risk or effort of scuba diving. It’s also an activity easily done by family members of almost all ages. Enjoy your trip!

​J&C

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