Crabs and stilt houses in Ham Ninh

An old fishing village on the east coast where a long jetty runs out over the shallows, crabs are sold by the basket and the light at dusk turns everything silver.

Area

East coast & interior

Start from

Duong Dong

Distance

about 20 km

Time needed

half a day

Best season

All year; calmest in the wet season on this side

Difficulty

Easy

Transport

Taxi or scooter

Tickets & rules

None

Why go

Ham Ninh is one of the oldest fishing villages on Phu Quoc, spread along the east coast with stilt houses leaning over shallow water. A long concrete jetty runs out from the village into the sea, and on calm days the water around it is like a mirror, dotted with small boats, poles and floating nets.

The village is best known for its crabs, especially the small blue swimmer crabs called ghẹ, which are caught in the shallows and sold boiled or steamed in seafood restaurants along the waterfront. Eating them with salt, pepper and lime while watching the boats come in is a very Phu Quoc pleasure.

It feels a world away from the resorts, even though it is only half an hour from Duong Dong.

The story

Ham Ninh was settled early in the island’s history, by families who fished the sheltered waters of the east coast and traded with the mainland. Its name appears in older records as one of the island’s main communities, alongside Duong Dong and An Thoi.

Life here follows the tides. At low tide, the mudflats are exposed, and people walk out with buckets to collect shellfish, snails and small crabs. At high tide, boats can come right up to the stilt houses, and fishermen unload directly into family kitchens.

The east coast faces the mainland of Vietnam and the shallow waters around it are rich in seagrass, which in the past supported a population of dugongs. These gentle sea mammals are now very rare around Phu Quoc, but local fishermen still tell stories of seeing them grazing in the shallows when they were young.

Tourism has brought new restaurants and souvenir stalls along the jetty, but the village is still primarily a fishing community. Early in the morning or in the late afternoon, you will see people mending nets, sorting catch and drying fish on racks in front of their homes.

Getting there

From Duong Dong, take the main road east across the island towards Ham Ninh, about 20 to 30 minutes by car or scooter. The road passes through pepper gardens and patches of forest before dropping down to the coast.

Taxis and ride-hailing cars can take you there, but it may be harder to find a ride back in the evening; ask your driver to wait or agree on a pick-up time.

A suggested plan

1. 15:00Leave Duong Dong, stopping at a pepper farm or the Ho Quoc pagoda area on the way if you have time.
2. 15:45Walk through the village lanes and out along the long jetty.
3. 16:30Watch fishermen at work and the boats returning; buy a coconut or sugar cane juice.
4. 17:30Eat crab and grilled fish at one of the waterfront restaurants.
5. 18:30Drive back across the island in the cooling evening.

Where to stay

Ham Ninh is easily visited as a half-day trip from Duong Dong or Long Beach. There are a few homestays and small hotels on the east coast if you want to stay overnight and see the village at sunrise.

Good to know

• Ask the price of crab per kilo and how many pieces you’ll get before ordering.
• Bring mosquito repellent for the evening, especially near mangroves and mudflats.
• Try ghẹ with salt, pepper and lime; it’s the classic way.