Gành Dầu: the far north-west

Ganh Dau (Gành Dầu) was a commune at the island's north-west corner and is now part of the special zone. It contains two very different things. One is the Bai Dai strip, the most developed part of the north, a long stretch of large resorts and visitor attractions that bring day traffic. The other is the older coast: Ganh Dau fishing village, where most local people live, the small cove of Ganh Dau beach, and Rach Vem, a fishing village of stilt houses.

A travel guide describes Rach Vem as about 800 m wide and 4 km long, with around 160 households and roughly 1,100 people, and notes that its floating seafood restaurants on stilts opened in 2016. The same guide calls the Chua Vic area a less visited resort area with a few resorts and restaurants. It also says plainly that Ganh Dau village itself is not the cleanest place in the region. We agree that the village is a place to walk through, not to stay in.

Ganh Dau sits on the same west-facing coast as Ong Lang, so the same seasons apply. In the wet months, boat trips to the small islands off this coast are as weather-dependent as anywhere on Phu Quoc, and we do not plan them.

Ganh Dau market, near the cape in the north of the island, is small and traditional, open 06:30 to 21:30, with fair prices by one agency's account. For anything beyond fresh food, the shops are on the resort strip or in Duong Dong.

Health care is where Ganh Dau has an edge. The Vinmec international hospital is in the Bai Dai area, began operating in June 2015 and lists an emergency department and ground and air ambulance transport. For a long stay with older travellers or a known health condition, that proximity is worth weighing.

For food, the floating restaurants at Rach Vem are best around noon by one guide's advice. Mid-range seafood meals on the island run about 200,000 to 400,000 VND per person without drinks.

• On a first visit of a week or less; it is far from the rest of the island.
• If you want a long sandy beach; Ganh Dau beach is about 500 m of coarse sand.
• If being near a large resort and attractions strip would spoil the quiet for you; parts of Ganh Dau border it.
• From May to October, if sea swimming is your priority.