Tien Son Dinh Mountain Jungle Trek, Phu Quoc

Tien Son Dinh: the trail to the summit

Tien Son Dinh is a forested ridge in the hills of central Phu Quoc, reached by a narrow trail of more than six kilometres that climbs to about 280 metres. It is a real hike rather than a stroll: the path is rocky and rooty, with steep sections where trekking poles help. The climb takes about two hours at a steady pace, with short stops to catch your breath, drink and listen to the guide.

If you are wondering whether this Phu Quoc trekking tour is right for you, think of it as moderately challenging. Reasonable fitness and good shoes are enough; the guide sets the pace for the group and there is no rush. The route is kept by the guides for safety, so recording GPS tracks or sharing the trail online is not allowed.

The rainforest: plants, wildlife and legends

Most of northern and central Phu Quoc is still covered by lowland evergreen forest, much of it protected within the national park and the wider Kien Giang Biosphere Reserve. On the trail you pass huge strangler figs, rattan, wild orchids and medicinal plants that islanders have used for generations, and the guide shows you which leaves heal, which fruits are edible and which plants to avoid.

Listen for hornbills and the calls of long-tailed macaques, and look for giant millipedes, colourful butterflies and lizards on the rocks. The guide also tells the story of the man who gave the mountain its name, a local legend passed down in the villages below. Insects can be active in the forest, so repellent and long trousers are a good idea.

Summit views and a hammock rest

Near the top the forest opens to wide views over the green hills, the coastline and the sea beyond. One unusual sight is Phu Quoc International Airport seen from above, with planes landing over the trees, which gives a real sense of how wild the interior still is just a few kilometres from the runway.

Here the guide strings up hammocks for a rest of about thirty minutes. Water, soft drinks and seasonal fruit are served while you cool down and take photographs. It is the quiet reward of the morning: no crowds, only birdsong and the breeze. The descent follows a different section of the trail and takes around an hour and a half to two hours.

Suoi Tranh waterfall swim

On the default option, from June to November, the trek ends with a swim at Suoi Tranh, a stream that tumbles down the hills in a series of small cascades and clear rock pools surrounded by forest. This is the green season, when rain fills the stream and the waterfall is at its best; in the dry months it shrinks to a trickle, which is why this option runs only in the wetter half of the year.

Allow time to swim, sit in the cool water and rest your legs after the hike. The rocks are slippery, so move carefully and follow the guide's advice on where to enter. From December to May another option replaces the waterfall with an exploration of a large bat cave in the hills; you can choose it in the booking panel.

Ham Ninh fishing village and banh xeo lunch

The trek finishes on the east coast at Ham Ninh, one of Phu Quoc's oldest fishing villages, where stilt houses and a long pier reach out over shallow water and boats bring in crab and squid. Lunch is banh xeo, a crisp rice-flour pancake folded around fillings and eaten wrapped in herbs and lettuce with dipping sauce, a simple and much-loved local dish.

Banh xeo usually includes shrimp and often pork; tell us when booking if you need a no-pork or vegetarian version and we will pass the request on. Halal kitchens are limited on Phu Quoc, but seafood and vegetables are always available. After lunch our vehicle drives you back to your hotel in Duong Dong; the whole outing lasts about six hours.