A private fishing trip in Phú Quốc with our family
Out on the boat with Dad, our uncle and cousin Ân, who have fished these waters for thirty years. Catch small fish, snorkel for scallops, then eat what you caught on a quiet beach. Four to eight people, and nobody else on the boat.
From 9,750,000₫ for the boat · morning or afternoon
Group
4–8 people
Departs
7:15 or 14:30
From
9,750,000₫ for the boat
Guide
English speaking
Meal
Cooked on the beach
Canceling
Free until 12h before
Fixed prices, no bargaining
What it costs
A private boat for your group, with our own family running it. Prices are fixed, they are all on this page, and nothing gets added at the end.
The boat, up to 4 people
Minimum price, whatever the mix
9,750,000₫
about $375 for the group
Each extra person
5th to 8th, 13 and over
1,500,000₫
about $58 each
Children 7 to 12
Half the extra-person price
750,000₫
per child
Children 6 and under
Free, but read the warning below
Free
The more of you there are, the less it costs each. Four people works out at 2,437,500₫ a head. Eight works out at under 2,000,000₫. The boat costs what it costs either way.
| People | You pay in total |
|---|---|
| 4 adults | 9,750,000₫ |
| 5 adults | 11,250,000₫ |
| 6 adults | 12,750,000₫ |
| 7 adults | 14,250,000₫ |
| 8 adults | 15,750,000₫ |
Fewer than four of you? The trip still costs 9,750,000₫, because it is the same boat and the same crew whether two of you come or four. You are welcome to take it at that price — some couples do. If that is more than you want to spend on one day, the Fishing Village Combo is 750,000₫ each and gives you the boat to Starfish Beach, five seafood dishes and a drink.
Cash or card. Card +3%. 15% deposit
Two departures
Morning or afternoon
Same price, same boat, same food. The morning is the long, slow version. The afternoon is shorter, and ends with the stunning sunset.
Morning trip
7:15 – 13:30 · about 6 hours
- The long, slow version. Plenty of time in the water and on the beach.
- Calm water and good light early. Best for photos.
- Lunch cooked on the beach in the middle of the day.
- More time to fish, and more time to stop wherever your group likes it.
Take this one if you want a full day on the water.
Afternoon trip
14:30 – 19:00 · about 4½ hours
- Shorter, less waiting, more doing.
- Dinner on the beach as the sun goes down revealing a beautiful sunset.
- Squid fishing, when the season and the weather allow. We cannot promise it.
- Back by early evening, so it still leaves you your morning.
Take this one if you want the sunset, or if a full day is too much.
Why they cost the same. The afternoon is shorter, but the boat, the crew and the meal cost us the same either way. We would rather charge one price than pretend the short trip is a cheaper product.
The day
What happens on the day
The order changes with the weather and what your group wants to do more of. This is the usual shape of it.
Coffee at the floating house
You start on the water, at our house 200 m off shore at the end of the wooden bridge. Coffee or tea, a hammock, and a look at the fish farm under the bridge — the baskets of snails and scallops we grow ourselves.
Out on the boat
Dad, our uncle or cousin Ân takes you out to the nearshore spots they use themselves. They will show you how they do it. The fish here are small, three or four fingers long, and some days you catch a lot and some days you catch fewer.
In the water
Snorkel over the sea grass, look for scallops, sea urchins and snails, and see the red starfish the area is known for. What you collect goes in the basket and gets cooked later. Life jackets in every size, including children’s.
Afternoon trip only
Squid, if the season is right
From roughly the dry months onward, and only when the water is calm enough, you can try squid fishing the way the village does it. It is seasonal. Ask us on the day and we will tell you honestly whether it is worth trying.
Eating on the beach
We pull into a quiet part of Starfish Beach where a stream comes down off the mountain. The crew cooks what you caught, plus three or four of the dishes from our own kitchen. You eat sitting on the beach enjoying the beautiful views of the Vietnam/Cambodia border.
Then either the beach or home
Stay on the beach and swim, or come back to the floating house and make shell jewelry with the family. Your group decides.
Guide showing one of our guests how to hold the rod.
Baiting a line. Children pick this up faster than adults.
Lunch on the sand. This is what it actually looks like.
Scallops and sea urchins from the water you just snorkeled in.
The price covers this
What’s included
Included
- Covered medium-sized speedboat, private to your group
- English-speaking guide, plus a fisherman with 30+ years on this water
- Fishing gear and bait
- Snorkeling mask and snorkel
- Life jackets, adult and children’s sizes
- Lunch or dinner — your catch plus 3–4 dishes from our kitchen
- Cold drinks all day, and fruit
- Seasickness tablets, if you ask us for them
Not included
- Sunscreen, hat, towel, swimwear
- Swimming fins (flippers)
- Any meal other than the one on the beach
- Getting to us. Hotel pickup can be arranged for an extra fee, depending where you are staying — ask us and we will give you a price
Read this before you book
This trip is not for everyone
This is not a tour. It is a day out on the water with a fishing family, doing what they do. The point is the boat, the water and the meal at the end of it — not the size of the catch. We would rather you booked something else than had a bad day with us.
- This is about the day, not the catch. The fish here are small, three or four fingers long. It is nearshore village fishing, the kind the family does for its own dinner, and nobody is landing anything you would photograph.
- There is no toilet on board. When someone needs one we take the boat in to land.
- Squid fishing is seasonal. We will not promise it and you should not book the afternoon trip only for that.
- The morning trip is around 6 hours. That is a long day in the sun for anyone.
- Children under 7 travel free, but we do not recommend it. Long day, no shade, no toilet on the boat. If you know your child can handle it, that is your call — we only want you to book it knowing what it is.
4.7
★★★★★
570+ Google reviews · Nhà Trên Biển – Joy Adventures
“What we loved most (and why it’s worth every penny) is that it felt “real.” We weren’t just part of a crowd being hoarded around the usual tourist traps… a secluded beach for a private picnic… it was pure magic.“
Kath Willis – Google maps
“Fishing, snorkelling and cruising through Starfish Bay on a fishing boat is great in itself. But dinner on a secluded beach with the freshest produce available? Simply priceless.“
Thomas Schmocker – Google maps
“Elders and kids in my family all enjoyed the fisherman experience very much… The experience ended with a picnic on a private beach with fishes/scallops/sea urchins/crabs that we caught.”
Ping-Han Tsai – Google maps
Practical
Before you book
If we cancel, you get everything back
Bad weather, a government inspection, a problem with the boat — whatever the reason, if we call it off you get a full refund. We would rather refund you than take you out on a day that isn’t safe or isn’t worth it.
If you cancel
Free up to 24 hours before the departure time, and we return your deposit. Inside 24 hours we keep the deposit, because by then the food is bought and the crew has turned down other work.
Weather
May to November the sea can change in a morning. Message us the same day and we will tell you honestly whether it is a good day to go out. We are not going to take your money for a bad trip.
Seasickness
The water here is usually calm, but tell us in advance if anyone is prone to it and we will bring tablets for them.
Toilets
There is no toilet on the boat. When someone needs one, we take the boat in to land. It is not a problem, it just takes a few minutes.
Getting to us
We are in Rạch Vẹm, about 30 minutes north of Dương Đông. Hotel pickup can be arranged for an extra fee — tell us where you are staying and we will give you a price.
What to bring
Sunscreen, a hat, a towel, swimwear and cash. Everything else is on the boat.
Paying
15% deposit to hold the date, the rest on the day. Cash or card. Card adds a 3% surcharge, which goes to the bank and not to us.
Booking
How to book this trip
There is one boat and one family running it, so we confirm every trip by hand rather than letting a calendar do it. Please let us know as soon as possible as we only offer one tour a day.
1
Tell us the date
Message us on WhatsApp, or send the form below. We need the date, how many of you, and morning or afternoon.
2
We confirm and give you the final price
We check the boat is free and the weather looks right, answer your questions, and tell you exactly what you will pay.
3
15% deposit holds it
We send you a payment link. On a 9,750,000₫ trip that is 1,462,500₫. The rest you pay on the day. Please note that you need to cancel atleast 24 hours before to get a full refund.
Or send us the details here
We reply by email and WhatsApp, usually within a few hours. If we don’t message you back in 6 hours please contact us via WhatsApp.
By sending this you agree to our Terms and Privacy policy. This is a request, not a confirmed booking — we will come back to you.
Finding us
Getting here
Nhà Trên Biển – Joy Adventures, Rạch Vẹm, Gành Dầu, Phú Quốc. About 30 minutes north of Dương Đông.
Before you set off, read this. Some taxi and Grab drivers get a commission for taking tourists to a different restaurant, and will tell you we are closed, full, or too hard to reach. It is not true. Tell your driver firmly: Nhà Trên Biển – Joy Adventures, Rạch Vẹm. As you come into the village people may wave you down and try to take you to their own boat. Keep going until you see our sign. If a driver will not take you, call +84 703 397 404 and we will sort it out.
Grab or taxi is easiest
Hard to get one back, so ask us and we will book a driver who waits for you.
At the T-intersection, go straight
The last stretch is red dirt. Fine on a scooter if you are confident.
Turn right at our sign
Free parking, then walk the 100 m bridge out to the house. Be there 15 minutes before the boat leaves.
Come out on the boat with us
Tell us the date and how many of you there are. We will tell you what the weather is doing and whether it is a good day to go.
4–8 people · morning or afternoon · from 9,750,000₫ for the boat
From
9,750,000₫