Starfish Beach (Rach Vem), Phu Quoc

Do you need a boat? What it costs

There's no entry fee — the beach and village are open to everyone. On arrival you'll almost certainly be offered a boat to the "real" Starfish Beach. You don't have to take one: the better stretches can often be reached on foot along the shore, sometimes through shallow water. A boat saves time and drops you where starfish are more often seen, but agree the price before boarding — it depends on bargaining and season.

Everything else is optional: loungers and umbrellas at the cafés, and food at the stilt restaurants (around 150,000–300,000 VND a dish, unofficial). A taxi there and back from Duong Dong runs about 400,000–600,000 VND. Bring cash in dong — there are no ATMs in the village.

What is Starfish Beach?

Rach Vem (Rạch Vẹm) is a small fishing village and shallow bay on Phu Quoc's north coast, in the Ganh Dau area. Travellers know it as Starfish Beach: in the dry season, dozens of bright red starfish lie on the sandy bottom in knee-deep water, visible just by standing in the sea.

It isn't one neat beach but a stretch of shore by the village, with wooden boardwalks, boats, floating seafood restaurants on stilts and several patches of sand. The first spot you're dropped at can look scruffy; cleaner, quieter stretches are usually further along. There are no big resorts yet, and it's one of the few parts of the island that still feels like a working fishing village.

Things to do

• See the starfish in the shallows — best on a calm, sunny day when the water is clear.
• Swim — the water is calm and shallow; no need to go far out.
• Eat over the water at a stilt restaurant: crab, prawns, squid and fish. Confirm prices and weights before ordering.
• Walk the boardwalks out to the floating houses and watch village life.
• Take photos on the piers, swings and under the palms by the water.
• Paddle a kayak — rentals are available in places along the shore.

When is the best time to see the starfish?

The best season is the dry season, roughly November to April, when the sea is calm, the water clear and the starfish more numerous and closer to shore. In the wet season, May to October, the water is murkier, there are noticeably fewer starfish and the dirt road gets slippery after downpours.

Within the day, morning to early afternoon on a sunny day is best — strong light makes the starfish easy to spot. On a cloudy or windy day you may see almost none, so check the forecast before you go.

Is Starfish Beach worth it?

Yes, in the dry season and if you're heading north anyway. Seeing dozens of starfish in knee-deep water and having lunch over the sea is a rare combination, and with kids it's one of Phu Quoc's highlights.

The YesGo take: it's not as pristine as the photos suggest. The last stretch of road is rough, boats are pushed hard and the first area by the parking can be messy. Don't make a special trip in the wet season — there may be hardly any starfish. It works best paired with the safari or Grand World, giving Rach Vem half a sunny day.

Beaches on Phu Quoc: compare and choose

Beaches and seaside spots on Phu Quoc rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

How to do it right

• Photograph the starfish from above through the water in bright sun — a polarising filter or your hand's shadow cuts the glare.
• Wear water shoes: the bottom is stony in places, and there are starfish underfoot.
• Before ordering at a restaurant, ask the price per kilo and have the seafood weighed in front of you.
• If a boatman says you can't see starfish without a boat, walk the shore first — they're often close by.
• Pair the trip with the safari, also in the north of the island.

Questions