# Starfish Beach (Rach Vem), Phu Quoc > Starfish Beach is the shallow bay by Rach Vem (Rạch Vẹm) fishing village on the north coast of Phu Quoc: in the dry season, red starfish lie in clear, knee-deep water, and seafood restaurants stand over the sea on stilts. There's no entry fee, and boat rides along the shore are optional. Look at the starfish, but never lift them out of the water. Allow 2 hours; it's 45–60 minutes from Duong Dong. Web page: https://yesgo.io/vietnam/phu-quoc/phu-quoc-starfish-beach - City: [Phu Quoc](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/phu-quoc), Vietnam - YesGo score: 26/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 2 h - Opening hours: Beach and village open at all times; restaurants roughly morning to evening - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free, no tickets - Boat: Optional, to further stretches of beach; agree the price before boarding - Starfish: Look, but never lift them out of the water — they die in the air - Starfish season: Dry season, roughly November–April; fewer in the wet months, water murkier - Road: The last few kilometres are unpaved and slippery after rain - Taxi return trip: Around 400,000–600,000 VND from Duong Dong; Grab is hard to find for the way back - Payment: Cash in VND - Coordinates: 10.37368, 103.93804 - Facts checked: 08.11.2026 ## Key facts - **Free** — to visit the beach and village; you pay only for boats, loungers and food (source: Local Vietnam guide (06.05.2026); Sun Paradise Land (12.08.2026)) - **November–April** — the best season: calm sea, clear water and starfish closer to shore (source: Sun Paradise Land (12.08.2026); Local Vietnam guide) - **Knee-deep** — water where the starfish lie — you can see them just standing in the sea (source: Local Vietnam guide; Sun Paradise Land) - **Leave them in** — the water: starfish die when lifted into the air — every guide asks for this (source: Local Vietnam guide; Sun Paradise Land) - **≈ 24 km** — by road from Dinh Cau Shrine in Duong Dong; the last ~5 km are unpaved (source: OpenStreetMap; OSRM route; Sun Paradise Land) - **150,000–300,000** — VND per dish at the floating restaurants — crab, prawns, squid (unofficial) (source: Sun Paradise Land (12.08.2026)) - **On stilts** — the restaurants stand over the water, linked to shore by wooden boardwalks (source: Local Vietnam guide; Sun Paradise Land) - **North** — of the island, Ganh Dau area — the same side as the safari and Grand World (source: Sun Paradise Land; OpenStreetMap) > **Never lift a starfish out of the water** Starfish breathe through the water and die if held in the air, even briefly. Photograph them where they are — don't pick them up, turn them over or step on them, and watch your feet in the shallows. If a guide or boatman offers to hold one up for a photo, say no. ## 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. ## How to get to Starfish Beach 1. **From Dinh Cau Shrine and the night market in Duong Dong** it's about 24 km north — 45–60 minutes by taxi or Grab: paved road ĐT973 via Cua Can, then the turn towards Suoi Cai – Ganh Dau and the last ~5 km on a dirt road. Search for "Rạch Vẹm". 2. **By scooter** is the most popular way, but the final stretch is gravel and red clay. It's manageable in the dry season; after rain it's slippery, so take a taxi if you're not a confident rider. 3. **On a northern island tour** — many combine Rach Vem with the safari and Grand World, which solves the ride back. 4. Where you're dropped off matters: from the first stop you may need to walk along the shore or take a boat to the better stretches. 5. **Getting back**, Grab is hard to find at Rach Vem. Ask your driver to wait, or book a car in advance. ## 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. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Going in the dry season on a sunny day - [ ] Cash in dong for a boat, food and the taxi - [ ] Water shoes — the bottom is stony in places - [ ] Ride back arranged in advance - [ ] Remember: never lift starfish out of the water - [ ] Boat and seafood prices agreed before ordering ## Beaches on Phu Quoc: compare and choose Beaches and seaside spots on Phu Quoc rated by YesGo. - [Dinh Cau Shrine](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/phu-quoc/dinh-cau-shrine) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free - [Starfish Beach (Rach Vem)](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/phu-quoc/phu-quoc-starfish-beach) — YesGo score 26/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free; boat optional - [Sunset Town](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/phu-quoc/phu-quoc-sunset-town) — YesGo score 25/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Free entry; bridge and shows paid - [Grand World Phu Quoc](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/phu-quoc/grand-world-phu-quoc) — YesGo score 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free entry; shows and boats paid - [Sao Beach](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/phu-quoc/sao-beach) — YesGo score 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free; sunbeds extra - [Hon Thom Cable Car](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/phu-quoc/hon-thom-cable-car) — YesGo score 19/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · 850,000 VND return - [VinWonders Phu Quoc](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/phu-quoc/vinwonders-phu-quoc) — YesGo score 16/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · 1,050,000 VND; under 100 cm free ## Northern Phu Quoc in one day Starfish Beach in the morning while the sun is high and the water clear, the safari in the afternoon, then Grand World in the evening. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Starfish Beach (Rach Vem)](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/phu-quoc/phu-quoc-starfish-beach) — YesGo score 26/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free; boat optional 2. [Vinpearl Safari](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/phu-quoc/vinpearl-safari) — YesGo score 16/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · 950,000 VND; under 100 cm free 3. [Grand World Phu Quoc](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/phu-quoc/grand-world-phu-quoc) — YesGo score 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free entry; shows and boats paid ## Good to know Phu Quoc's Starfish Beach is Rach Vem in the north. It's not Sao Beach in the south-east (whose name means "star"), nor the starfish beaches of Nha Trang or the Bahamas. ## Tips - 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](https://yesgo.io/vietnam/phu-quoc/vinpearl-safari), also in the north of the island. ## Questions ### How do I get to Starfish Beach in Phu Quoc? From Duong Dong it's 45–60 minutes by taxi, Grab or scooter; the last ~5 km are unpaved. Search for "Rạch Vẹm" and arrange your ride back in advance. ### Is there an entrance fee at Starfish Beach? No. You only pay for an optional boat, loungers and food. ### Do you need a boat to see the starfish? Not necessarily — the better stretches can often be reached on foot along the shore. A boat saves time; agree the price first. ### When is starfish season on Phu Quoc? The dry season, roughly November to April. From May to October there are fewer starfish and the water is murkier. ### Can you touch the starfish? Look and photograph them in the water, but don't lift them out — they die in the air. ### Where is Starfish Beach? On the north coast at Rach Vem fishing village, in the Ganh Dau area — about 24 km by road from Duong Dong. ### Is Starfish Beach good for kids? Yes: the water is shallow and calm and the starfish are visible from knee-deep water. Bring water shoes. ### Is Starfish Beach worth visiting? Yes in the dry season and on a sunny day, ideally combined with other northern sights. In the wet season you may see very few starfish. ## How we checked The beach has no official website or rules, so entry, boats, season and prices are marked unofficial. Free entry is per Local Vietnam and Sun Paradise Land; some guides mention charges for loungers and boats, which are services, not admission. Season: Sun Paradise Land gives November–April (and separately January–May as the peak for starfish), Local Vietnam the dry season; we give roughly November–April. We found no confirmed fines for lifting starfish, so we state the rule, not a fine. Taxi and dish prices are from Sun Paradise Land and unofficial. Travel time from Duong Dong: guides say 40–60 minutes, an OSRM route about 55 minutes; distance from OSRM. Airport time is per Local Vietnam. ## Sources - Local Vietnam travel guide (06.05.2026) — beach layout, stretches, boats versus walking, restaurants, road, starfish rule - Sun Paradise Land (12.08.2026) — location, season, road ĐT973 and dirt track, taxi and dish prices, starfish rule - visitphuquoc.com.vn — getting to Rach Vem - OpenStreetMap (node 6359615985) — beach point; OSRM route — distance from Dinh Cau Shrine - YesGo general facts for Vietnam — cash and Grab --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.