And New World Phu Quoc Resort more than delivered on all of these things.
Having said that, I wished we’d made it the first stop on our Vietnam holiday. This makes it an easy add on to a stay in Ho Chi Minh City.
Traditionally the island’s main industry was fishing. Tourists keen to get off the beaten track were drawn here by adventures in the jungle interior and the chilled out East Coast.
In recent years its popularity has grown meaning there’s just as many rooms at international hotels as at backpacker retreats. It didn’t dampen our stay.
But if you do want less chance of rain, visit in the dry season between October and April. The villas are perfect for multi-generational groups which we saw a lot of during our three night stay.
Couples can book villas and get access to one bedroom for a reduced rate but everyone we saw had kids with them.
There are lots of other accommodation options close by aimed at couples as well as families, such as the neighbouring JW Marriott Resort*.
New World Phu Quoc is part of a larger holiday resort set up by the Sun Group – one of the largest developers in Vietnam. A free shuttle bus can run you between the other five star hotels and Sunset Town which is a shopping, dining and entertainment complex with a nightly firework display.
We booked our stay on booking.com*.
Our stay at New World resort in Phu Quoc
We arrived on day 11 of our fortnight travelling north to south through Vietnam. I’d been in touch with the resort a few weeks before to book our free transfer from Phu Quoc International Airport. Our driver was ready and waiting outside arrivals.
By now the drive south felt familiar through typically Vietnamese streets lined with small local shops, mopeds and pylons strung with dozens of power cables.
And then we reached the arched entrance to the resort.
The buildings around us took on more of a French theme park feel and looked empty, which was slightly weird. Moments later we pulled up outside New World Phu Quoc Resort and were transported somewhere much more tropical.
The large modern reception building looks out over a palm plantation towards the sea. On closer inspection you can see buildings in among the trees. It was still only a five minute walk to the restaurants and pools, and another couple of minutes from the beach.
If that quick spurt of exercise is too taxing in the heat than you could also call for a free golf buggy ride to wherever you wanted to go.
Our villa was a world away from the tiny family room we’d stayed in at the beginning of our trip in Hanoi.
As well as a master bedroom with free standing bath, a double room and twin room, we had a separate living area with lounge seating, a dining table and kitchenette.
The master bedroom and living area are separate buildings to the other two bedrooms with a open courtyard in-between.
It was all beautifully decorated with natural coloured woven wall hangings, rattan lamps and marble floors.
In the courtyard between the three bedrooms and living area was our private pool. A kettle, tea cups, some teas and instant coffees are provided.
But for £215 per night including breakfast we thought it was pretty good value for the private pool and space.
Activities
We had two full days to enjoy the resort and spent both mornings beside the infinity pool overlooking the beach.
Pools at New World Resort in Phu Quoc
The main pool is 1.4m deep so good for children who can swim with supervision. You can bring your own inflatables or hire them for £6 per hour. This created a bit of noise before lunch but it didn’t go on all day.
Water park on Khem Beach
A short walk along the beach there’s a bigger water park. This has a couple of tube slides for adults and older kids, a big splash park and four slides for younger kids my nine and 11-year-old were too tall.
While the park is on the beach it is only available to resort guests. Our girls went to this a few times and it was fun for half an hour or so.
Khem Beach
New World Phu Quoc Resort is right on the beach. Buy a ticket for the cable car and this includes access to the Aquatopia Water Park on Hon Thom Island.
You can upgrade your ticket to include lunch and other entertainment. However the bar was closed during our stay.
Inclusive breakfast
The Bay Kitchen is where you can get your inclusive breakfast.
The restaurant is split across two levels both offering the same amazing spread of local and international hot and cold dishes. There was a good selection of burgers, salads and pizzas.
On our first two evenings we embraced the slower pace of the resort and ordered in room dining. There’s a wide selection of Vietnamese and international items on the room service menu.
You simply scan a QR code in your villa, place your order online and it arrives 45 minutes later.
On our final night in Vietnam we decided to eat at Lua Grill which is a pool side seafood restaurant open for lunch and dinner. I don’t know whether people went off the resort to eat or dine in their rooms but there were very few other people about.
The other option for light bites is the cafe in main reception. We didn’t try this but it would be good for informal drinks and snacks.
If you want to shop around here’s another recommendation: Phu Quoc’s Green Bay Resort.
The kicker
I mentioned earlier that we’d wished we’d made this resort the first stop of our 14 days in Vietnam and the reason was the food and drink. In general we were paying two thirds more for all our food and drink than we did at any other hotel during our trip.
So, if you book New World Phu Quoc Resort, and I suspect any of the other international hotels on the island, it’s best to park any prior knowledge you have about Vietnam being a cheap place to eat and drink.
Getting to New World Resort
We flew to Phu Quoc from Ho Chi Minh City and booked our flights in advance using Skyscanner* to find the best flight times to fit in with the rest of our itinerary.
From the airport we got a free transfer laid on by the resort.
Here’s where to find New World Phu Quoc Resort:
Summary
We had a great time at New World Resort. For two full days we whizzed down slides at the waterpark, dipped our toes in the turquoise sea and pranced around on unicorns.
The accommodation and facilities are excellent and, I think, pretty good value for a gorgeous three bed villa with a private pool and an impressive breakfast buffet thrown in.
This is a super family-friendly five star resort with a chilled vibe. I had to keep reminding myself the prices were similar to the UK and substantially cheaper than Oman where we live.
If you’re looking for a family-friendly beach resort in Phu Quoc then definitely consider this one. The cost per person, per night for the standard of accommodation was really good especially if you are staying with grandparents or friends.
Check prices and availability* for New World Resort.
More reading about Vietnam travel
Phu Quoc was the fifth and final stop during our 2 week Vietnam itinerary which started in Hanoi where we visited the famous Train Street, and then moved on to Ha Long Bay for a two night cruise.
Our next stop was three night in Hoi An from where we flew to Ho Chi Minh City and took a day trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels and Mykong Delta.
You can catch up with the rest of our trip by checking out my Instagram account where there are three Stories about our two weeks in Vietnam.
Usually I’d also recommend the Lonely Planet’s destination guide to help you plan your trip, but I bought the Vietnam 2023 edition and was a bit disappointed.
