Ham Ninh (Hàm Ninh) is the fishing village on Phu Quoc’s east coast, under the green slopes of the Ham Ninh mountains and about 15 minutes’ drive from both the airport and Duong Dong. The sea here is shallow and full of seagrass, and the small blue swimmer crabs that live in it — ghẹ Hàm Ninh — are the island’s most famous seafood. People come for one thing above all: to eat crab at a restaurant on stilts over the water.
Set your expectations accordingly. Ham Ninh is a working village, not a resort or a sight in itself, and Google Maps reviews of it (4.1 from 1,047, October 2026) are split between people who loved the seafood and the sunrise and people who found it dusty, untidy and “nothing special”. Go for a meal and an hour by the water, and you will probably enjoy it.
The old pier
For years the symbol of Ham Ninh was its long concrete pier, with seafood restaurants on rafts moored along it. Built in 2002, it was found to be structurally unsafe, and on 3 January 2020 the authorities demolished the section nearest the shore, about 40 m. The rest still stands in the sea, cut off from land. A new pier, costing an estimated 83–94 billion dong, was proposed in November 2024, but we found no news of construction by October 2026 (Tuổi Trẻ).
You can no longer walk out along it, but the stilt restaurants around it are still open, reached by their own wooden jetties.
Photo: BoKent, via Google Maps
Where to eat
Most restaurants keep the seafood alive in tanks or cages; you choose, agree the price per kilo and it is cooked to order. Crab is simply steamed and eaten with salt, pepper and lime, or cooked in tamarind sauce. Ratings from Google Maps, October 2026:
- Nhà bè Thảo Nhi — 4.8 from 112 reviews. On stilts at the end of a dirt track south of the village; very fresh seafood and little English.
- Nhà bè Hải sản Ngọc Hân — 4.5 from 117, open 9:30–22:00. A family-run raft by the old pier; reviewers recommend the small oysters, crab and sea snails.
- Sơn Trang Quán — 4.3 from 95. Prices up front; steamed crab and mantis shrimp.
- Bè hải sản Tình Biển 2 — 4.1 from 808, open 8:00–23:00. By the Rach Goc bridge just north of the village, convenient on the way to or from the airport.
- Hạnh Nhung — 3.6 from 843. The biggest restaurant in the village, with sea views; reviewers are mixed on value.
At the busier places, check the price board (often in Vietnamese only — use Google Translate) before anything is weighed. More stilt restaurants around the island in our floating restaurants guide, and more about the crab in what to eat on Phu Quoc; 2026 crab prices are in our seafood guide.
Photo: Joanna W, via Google Maps
Things to do
- Watch the sunrise. Ham Ninh faces east; at dawn the boats come in against the sunrise.
- Ham Ninh market (3.9 from 562) — a small, colourful local market on the main road; good for fruit and for photographs. Reviewers say seafood here is cheaper than at the night market.
- Hike Tien Son Dinh (Tiên Sơn Đỉnh, 4.8 from 429). A short, steep climb up the mountain behind the village, about 30–45 minutes to the top, with ropes and ladders on the steeper parts. Wear proper shoes and bring water; there is a small shop with scooter parking (about 10,000 dong) at the start. For a longer trek, see Ham Ninh mountain trekking.
- Cay Sao beach, a few kilometres north, has more stilt restaurants and small resorts; see Cay Sao.
- Waterfalls. Suoi Tranh is on the road between Ham Ninh and Duong Dong. The Suoi Tien stream, with its small falls over red rocks, is also close to Ham Ninh.
You will see dried seahorses and seahorse wine on sale. Seahorses are protected under CITES and many countries restrict bringing them home; see the note in what to eat on Phu Quoc.
Getting there and staying
Ham Ninh is about 14 km (15 minutes) from both Duong Dong and the airport by road (OSRM routing estimates), and Grab cars come here easily. The ferry port at Bai Vong is just to the south. Bai Vong is also where the ferry to the remote Tho Chu islands leaves, three times a week.
Most visitors come for a meal and stay elsewhere. If you want to stay on the east coast, Dugong Phu Quoc Resort (4.3 from 280) has bungalows, a large pool and a beachfront by the sand bars, and Hai Anh GuestHouse (4.6 from 156) is a simple option in the village. Cay Sao, just north, has the widest choice of small resorts.
Compare Ham Ninh with the island’s other fishing villages.
Ratings, review counts, opening hours and visitor comments: Google Maps, October 2026. Pier: Tuổi Trẻ (see sources).
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