6 Best Sights in Mekong Delta, Vietnam

This beach in Phu Quoc's northwest used to be what tropical island paradises are all about—fine golden sand and warm turquoise water. Vinpearl Land and Vinpearl Resort now dominate this section of the island and it's no longer a secluded secret paradise. That being said, there are still beautiful stretches that are still accessible, with a few food shacks handy for refueling. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: sunsets; swimming.

With powdery white sand and an ocean that seems to change colors throughout the day, this beach is just what you'd expect from a tropical island paradise. This is where the grandiose JW Marriott Phu Quoc is located, on the southern end of the island. If they are allowing guests (sometimes they don't) then you can spend a day enjoying their chairs and food, but you will have to pay for them. There is also a hard-to-find access road to the beach beside the Coconut Prison. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: walking; swimming.

With its pebble-strewn brown sand, Mui Nai, 6 km (4 miles) west of Ha Tien, is definitely not the prettiest beach around, but the sea is calm and shallow and the water is relatively clean so it's a nice place to take a dip. There are deck chairs for rent and shacks selling seafood, and in the late afternoon the locals play volleyball and swim. There's sometimes an entrance fee, but usually only when the beach is busy.

More of a series of coves than one long beach, Ong Lang is still very pretty, with its rocky outcrops and narrow strips of white sand. Mango Bay Resort, Bo Resort, and Phu Quoc Eco Beach Resort front the beach, so you can follow the signs to these resorts to enjoy wonderful views of the beach from their in-house restaurants. Public access to the beach is slightly tricky as the network of roads in this area aren't named. Head toward Mango Bay Resort and look for the "public beach" signs (in English) just south of the resort. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: snorkeling; solitude; sunsets; swimming.

This is one of Phu Quoc's prettiest beaches, but it's also one of the island's dirtiest. The northern tip of Sao Beach tends to be much cleaner than the rest, with crystal clear water and fine white sand. Make sure you take the third, northernmost entry to the beach—the first two entrances are where the tour buses go, so the beach gets crowded and noisy with Jet Skis buzzing about. To the north of all this activity, you'll find Paradiso Beach Club, which has free showers, food and drinks, and a massage service upstairs. Amenities: food and drink; showers. Best for: snorkeling; sunrise; swimming; walking.

The golden sand of the generically named Long Beach (not to be confused with Bai Dai, which also translates to "Long Beach") stretches for nearly 20 km (12 miles) along Phu Quoc's western coast, from just south of Duong Dong Town. This is where many of the island's smaller resorts and restaurants are located, which means some parts of the beach can be quite crowded with sunbathers and swimmers. It's still possible, however, to find deserted stretches of this beach. Cassia Cottage Resort, Long Beach Resort, May House Resort, Paris Beach Resort, Salinda Premium Resort and Spa, and La Veranda all front Long Beach. Amenities: food and drink; water sports. Best for: sunsets; swimming; walking.