Xuong Island and the An Thoi archipelago
Xuong Island sits about 15 kilometers south of An Thoi port, in the southern waters of Phu Quoc. It is part of the An Thoi archipelago, the cluster of small islands that forms the main island-hopping area in southern Phu Quoc. Most visitors explore these islands on day tours by boat, combining snorkeling, swimming, and beach stops across two to four islands in a single day. Other well-known islands in the group include Gam Ghi, Mong Tay, and the May Rut Islands.
Within the archipelago, Xuong Island is one of the smaller and quieter options. It has a single restaurant on the beach, no other permanent facilities, and no accommodation beyond a glamping setup run by the same operator. You may come across it referred to as Southern Fingernail Island, but that name causes some confusion — Fingernail Island more commonly refers to Mong Tay, which is a different island nearby. Xuong Island is known for its sheltered cove, a notable sea cave, and a small white sand beach. It does not appear on every island-hopping itinerary, which is part of what keeps it relatively uncrowded compared to some of the busier stops in the archipelago.
What to expect on Xuong Island
Xuong Island is genuinely beautiful, but it is smaller and more limited than most photos suggest. The cave and the cove are the real highlights — everything else is a bonus. Come with the right expectations and it is a rewarding stop; come expecting a full beach day and you may find yourself running out of things to do after an hour.
1. The beach and cove
The beach is small — around 50 meters of white sand tucked into a sheltered cove, surrounded by rocks and jungle. The water is calm, clear, and a good shade of turquoise. It is a genuinely pretty spot, and the view across the water towards the nearby islands is one of the better scenes in the An Thoi archipelago.
The limitation is size. When two or three tour boats arrive at the same time, the beach fills up quickly and the peaceful atmosphere disappears. The best time to be here is early in the morning, before the main wave of tours arrives. If your itinerary gives you a choice, push for an early departure.
2. The sea cave
The sea cave is the most distinctive thing about Xuong Island and the main reason it stands out from other stops in the area. It is a large limestone cave facing the sea, reached by a short walk along the shore from the beach. Inside it is cool, quiet, and atmospheric — noticeably different from anything else in the archipelago. It is worth the short walk even if you only spend ten or fifteen minutes there.
Like the beach, it gets busier as the morning progresses. Going early gives you a better experience. Some overnight tours use the cave for a BBQ dinner after the day boats have left, which by most accounts is a memorable way to spend an evening on the island.
3. Snorkeling
Snorkeling is possible around Xuong Island but it is no longer a highlight. The coral near the pier and the main beach area has been significantly damaged over the years by boat anchors, foot traffic, and general tourist pressure. You can still see fish — reef fish, pufferfish, parrotfish — but the underwater scenery is a shadow of what it once was in the shallower areas.
If you want good snorkeling, Gam Ghi is the better choice and worth prioritising on your itinerary. At Xuong Island, treat snorkeling as an optional add-on rather than a reason to visit.
4. Swimming
The cove is a good spot for swimming. The water is calm, sheltered, and clear enough to enjoy. One practical tip: swim away from the pier area, where water quality is noticeably worse due to boat traffic. Parts of the shoreline are rocky, so water shoes are worth bringing if you have them.
5. Dining – Dugong Bay restaurant
There is one restaurant on the island, Dugong Bay, which sits right on the beach. Reviews are consistently positive — the seafood is fresh, the staff are friendly, and the setting is pleasant. Prices are slightly higher than on the mainland, which is standard for an island location and not unreasonable given the surroundings. If your tour stops here for lunch, it is a good experience. If you are visiting independently, it is worth factoring into your plans.
6. Overnight stays and camping
Dugong Bay offers a glamping option for visitors who want to stay overnight. The reviews from guests who have done this are genuinely positive. After the day boats leave, the island becomes very quiet, and the experience — BBQ on the beach or in the cave, sleeping under the stars, watching the sunrise — is quite different from a standard day visit. Independent camping is not permitted. Overnight stays need to be arranged in advance through the island operator or a tour that includes this option.
How to get there
Xuong Island is only reachable by boat, and getting there takes a bit more planning than visiting the more frequently visited islands in the An Thoi archipelago. It is not included on every island-hopping tour, so it is worth checking before you book.
All boats depart from An Thoi port, at the southern tip of Phu Quoc, about 25 to 30 kilometers from Duong Dong. Getting to An Thoi from the main town takes around 30 to 40 minutes by taxi, which costs roughly 250,000 to 400,000 VND. Some tours also offer hotel pickup from central Phu Quoc, which saves you the trip to the port independently. From An Thoi, the boat ride to Xuong Island takes around 30 to 45 minutes depending on the vessel.
If you want to visit as part of a group tour, look specifically for itineraries that include Xuong Island as a named stop — it is sometimes swapped out for other islands depending on the operator and conditions. Tours that do include it typically combine it with Gam Ghi and one or two other stops for a full day on the water.
For independent visits, commissioning a private boat from An Thoi port is straightforward. Fishermen and boat operators at the port are used to this arrangement. A half-day private boat trip costs around 800,000 VND per boat, and food is sometimes included — worth confirming when you negotiate. This option gives you more flexibility over timing and how long you spend at the island, which matters given how much the experience improves when you arrive before the crowds.
Read everything you need to know about Phu Quoc boat tours and island hopping.
Practical information
Best time to visit
The best time to visit Xuong Island is during the dry season, from November to April. Seas are calm, skies are clear, and conditions are good for swimming and exploring the cave. May and October are shoulder months — generally still manageable, with fewer visitors and lower prices. From June to September, rougher seas can affect boat trips and some tours may not run.
For a full month-by-month breakdown of weather in Phu Quoc, check our guide on the best time to visit Phu Quoc.
Go early
The beach at Xuong Island is small, and the cave gets busy once the main wave of tour boats arrives, typically from mid-morning onwards. Arriving early — ideally before 10:00 — makes a noticeable difference. The water is calmer, the beach is quieter, and the cave is at its best in the morning light. If you are organising a private boat, this is easy to arrange. If you are joining a group tour, check the departure time before booking.
What to bring
There are no shops or card payment facilities on the island. Bring enough cash for food, drinks, or any extras at Dugong Bay restaurant. Water shoes are useful given the rocky shoreline. Pack reef-safe sunscreen, a hat, and enough drinking water for the day — especially if you are not on a tour that includes lunch and drinks.
The Fingernail Island naming confusion
Xuong Island is sometimes referred to as Southern Fingernail Island, which can cause confusion when booking tours. Fingernail Island more commonly refers to Mong Tay, a different island in the same archipelago. If you specifically want to visit Xuong Island, confirm the island’s Vietnamese name — Hon Xuong — with your tour operator before booking to make sure you end up at the right place.
Protecting the reef
The coral around Xuong Island has already been significantly damaged in the shallower areas near the beach and pier. What remains further out is worth protecting. Do not touch or stand on coral while snorkeling, and use reef-safe sunscreen before entering the water. The island sits within the Kien Giang Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO-designated marine protection area, so environmental care is especially relevant here.
Is Xuong Island worth visiting?
It depends on how you visit and what you are expecting.
The setting is genuinely beautiful. The cove, the white sand, the sea cave — these are real highlights that hold up in person. Xuong Island has a distinct character that sets it apart from the more developed and busier stops in the An Thoi archipelago, and that quieter, more rugged feel is exactly what makes it appealing to the right kind of traveler.
That said, the beach is small, the snorkeling is no longer a strong reason to visit, and the island can feel underwhelming if you arrive expecting a full beach day or a pristine reef. As a standalone destination requiring its own boat trip, it is a hard sell for most visitors. There simply is not enough to fill more than an hour or two.
Where Xuong Island works well is as a short stop — around 45 to 60 minutes — within a well-planned multi-island day. The cave and cove give it something genuinely different to offer compared to the other islands nearby, and that variety makes a day on the water more interesting. Pair it with Gam Ghi for snorkeling and one of the May Rut Islands for a beach stop, and the combination works well.
The most compelling reason to make Xuong Island a destination in itself is the overnight glamping experience. After the day boats leave, the island is a different place — quiet, dark, and peaceful in a way that is hard to find elsewhere in the archipelago. If that appeals to you, it is worth arranging.
For most visitors though, the formula is simple: include it as one stop among several, go early, visit the cave, and move on. Done that way, it earns its place on the itinerary.
