Duong Dong market is a famous destination in Phu Quoc (Source: Collected)
Traveling to Phu Quoc island, visitors should visit Duong Dong market once, which is known as the busiest and most bustling market. It has not only a wide range of seafood, diverse commodities but also delicious local dishes. Those products are offered at extremely reasonable prices.
1. About Duong Dong Market
1.1. Location of Duong Dong Market
- Location: 21 Tran Phu street, Duong Dong town, Phu Quoc island
- Opening hours: 5 a.m. – 7 p.m
Located 2.5 kilometers away from Duong Dong town to the north and close to Duong Dong port, Duong Dong market is the most dynamic and significant market in Phu Quoc island. The market is open every day for people to exchange goods, especially seafood such as barracuda, shellfish, etc. According to local residents, travelers should visit Duong Dong fish market between 6 and 7 in the morning to enjoy freshly-caught seafood there.
Duong Dong market on the map (Source: Collected)
>>> Phu Quoc Island: Note the essential info for your upcoming trip
1.2. Highlights of Duong Dong Phu Quoc night market
Duong Dong market Phu Quoc is always bustling from early morning. The boats and cargo ships alternately land and leave the port full of all kinds of goods, while the market is crowded with sellers and buyers shopping around. The market is well-known for a variety of fresh seafood at reasonable prices such as squid, sea sharks, sea urchins, catfish, barracuda fish, octopus, etc. If you want to buy seafood as a souvenir, dried seafood is a good choice with many types such as dried shrimp, dried squid, etc.
The market is a paradise of fresh seafood (Source: Collected)
Visiting Duong Dong market, visitors can not only buy seafood but also all kinds of commodities from daily utensils to souvenirs. Moreover, you should not miss out on the local dishes there such as echinus porridge, cylindrical glutinous rice cake, vermicelli, etc. You can easily find many food stalls serving famous local specialties at low prices but with excellent flavors while exploring the market.
2. A comprehensive guide for first-timers to Duong Dong market Phu Quoc
2.1. When is the best time to visit Duong Dong Phu Quoc night market?
As mentioned above, Duong Dong market is open daily from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Therefore, tourists can freely choose a suitable time to visit the market. However, it is suggested that you should reach the market in the early morning or the late afternoon, when the market is the busiest and offers fresh food.
Visitors should visit the market in the early morning (Source: Collected)
If you are wondering how traders work here, you can visit Duong Dong market before 5 a.m. to watch them prepare for the stalls and products.
2.2. How to get to Duong Dong Market?
To get to Duong Dong market, first you have to arrive at Phu Quoc island. Tourists can travel to Phu Quoc island by airplane or boat based on your personal preferences. If you are already on the island, it would be easy to reach Duong Dong market by using personal motorbikes or renting cars.
The market is located in a densely populated area (Source: Collected)
The two routes below are highly recommended to reach the location:
- Route 1: Duong Dong town center – Cach Mang Thang Tam street – Tran Phu street
- Route 2: Duong Dong town center – DT45 Hung Vuong street – Vo Van Kiet street – Tran Phu street
2.3. What to eat at Duong Dong Market Phu Quoc?
- Fresh seafood
Duong Dong market has gained a reputation for fresh seafood, thus it is a must-try when visiting there. If you are confused about which dishes to have, you can try some typical dishes with the main ingredients as grilled fish, barracuda fish and mackerel. As they are freshly caught and carefully cooked, you can have extremely tasty meals.
Fresh seafood is a must-try when visiting the market (Source: Collected)
- Banh tet mat cat (Cylindrical glutinous rice cake with honey)
The outer layer of a rice cake is honey leaves, while the fillings are glutinous rice, green beans and fatty meat. The cake is cooked for hours in botanic leaf juice to have an eye-catching green color. The harmonious combination of different ingredients creates a unique and mouthwatering flavor for the cake.
The cake has a distinctive green color (Source: Collected)
- Bun Nham (Nham vermicelli)
Unlike other vermicelli, “bun nham” is a type of dried vermicelli. The dish consists of vermicelli, fennel and salted shredded pork as the main ingredient. It is served with sweet chili fish sauce made from Phu Quoc fish sauce, fish broth, coconut milk, minced garlic and chili, and lemonade. The dish has a unique and memorable flavor that no visitors can forget after trying once.
Bun nham is a famous Phu Quoc specialty (Source: Collected)
2.4. Best gifts to buy for family and friends at Duong Dong Market
- Dried seafood
If you want to buy gifts for friends and relatives, Duong Dong market has a diversity of dried seafood at lower than average prices such as dried shrimp, dried squid, dried flea fish, dried mackerel, dried lychee, etc.
If you want food that lasts long, dried seafood is a perfect choice (Source: Collected)
- Phu Quoc fish sauce
It will be a mistake if you don’t buy Phu Quoc fish sauce as a gift, since it is the quintessence of Vietnamese cuisine. It is recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage and a famous Vietnamese trademark in the international market. Phu Quoc fish sauce is made mainly from anchovies. After being caught, the fish are cleanly washed and salted right on the boat. The fermenting process normally lasts from 9 to 15 months to have a briny, fishy and savory puce liquid at the end.
Phu Quoc fish sauce has high quality (Source: Collected)
- Chou Chou caramelized peanut
Chou Chou caramelized peanut is a must-try Phu Quoc specialty, which originates from France. The peanut is deep fried, then mixed with caramel to have a fatty and sweet flavor. There are 30 different flavors of Chou Chou caramelized peanut for you to try.
Chou Chou caramelized peanut is very tasty (Source: Collected)
2.5. Tips for buying fresh seafood at Duong Dong fish market
- Tourists should visit Duong Dong market in the early morning or the late afternoon to get the freshest seafood.
- If you have a tight budget and don’t want to spend much money on seafood, you can ask several stalls or local residents to give you the best price.
- The seafood stalls in the middle of the market usually have lower prices. Therefore, if you are in a hurry, you should choose to buy from those.
- Goods from peddlers have lower prices, however, bear in mind that they don’t have equipment like foam boxes to pack the goods for delivery.
- To avoid trouble during transportation, especially for those traveling by airplane, you should ask the shop owner to pack the food carefully.
- As the market is normally crowded with sellers and buyers, wearing tight clothes and high heels would prevent you from enjoying the bustling atmosphere. It is advisory for you to dress loosely, comfortably and choose sandals or sneakers for convenience.
- Since the market is very crowded, especially at weekends, you have to keep an eye on your personal belongings to avoid pickpockets.
Coming to Phu Quoc, you should include VinWonders Phu Quoc in your trip. VinWonders Phu Quoc is regarded as one of Vietnam’s largest theme parks. This destination attracts a large number of visitors thanks to a variety of awesome activities. The park is divided into 6 subdivisions, each inspired by one of the world’s 12 civilizations. You can attend spectacular festivals at European Streetmosphere, take part in thrilling games at Typhoon World, or dress up as Viking warriors at Mysterious Viking Village, and so on.
VinWonders Phu Quoc
Visitors have an opportunity to experience many interesting activities
>>> Book entrance tickets to VinWonders Phu Quoc to take part in a lot of awesome activities!
Duong Dong market is on the list of top-rated destinations in Phu Quoc thanks to its bustling atmosphere and a diversity of seafood and commodities. If you are making plans for your trip to Phu Quoc, don’t hesitate to visit Duong Dong market to explore the daily lives of local people.