Section I · The Ranked Twelve
From best to twelfth.
Sorted by what each pocket does well at its price point. The number-one pick is the one we would book first given a free pick from all twelve.
No. I
The Khem Beach and the south villa, five-bedroom.
Typical: 5 BR, sleeps 10. Pocket: Khem Beach and the An Thoi south. Peak rate: $18,000 to $30,000 / week. Usually included: housekeeping, pool maintenance, resort access where branded, security. Usually not: standalone privacy.
Why it ranks here: Khem Beach in the south holds the island's best white sand and its top resorts, including the JW Marriott Emerald Bay designed by Bill Bensley on the site of a former French university, with pool villas, the Sun World cable car to Hon Thom nearby, and the An Thoi archipelago for diving. It clears the rest because no other pocket pairs the sand, the resort quality, and the southern sights at this level.
What we would change: the south is the most developed and visited corner, so the marquee villas sit within resort estates rather than standing alone. Take a branded pool villa for the service and the beach, accepting a resort setting over total seclusion.
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No. II
The Long Beach and Bai Truong villa, five-bedroom.
Typical: 5 BR, sleeps 10. Pocket: Long Beach (Bai Truong), the west coast. Peak rate: $16,000 to $28,000 / week. Usually included: housekeeping, pool maintenance, resort access where branded. Usually not: seclusion, a quiet beach.
Why it ranks here: Long Beach, Bai Truong, is the long west-coast strand near Duong Dong town, the main resort belt with the Regent and the InterContinental, the best sunsets on the island, and the most restaurants and services close by, the pick for a group that wants the central, lively west and the sundown sea. A five-bedroom here is the pick for the west-coast sunsets and the convenience.
What we would change: Long Beach is the busiest and most built-up stretch, so the beach is shared and the road behind it is developing fast. Book it for the sunsets, the dining, and the access, taking a villa toward the quieter southern end of the strand.
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No. III
The Ong Lang villa, five-bedroom.
Typical: 5 BR, sleeps 10. Pocket: Ong Lang, the central west coast. Peak rate: $14,000 to $26,000 / week. Usually included: housekeeping, pool maintenance, garden. Usually not: nightlife, a big town near.
Why it ranks here: Ong Lang sits just north of Duong Dong, a quieter west-coast pocket of coves, rocks, and palm-backed sand with small resorts and private villas, the same sunsets as Long Beach with far fewer people, the pick for a group that wants the west coast calm and close to town. A five-bedroom here is the pick for the quiet west.
What we would change: Ong Lang's beach is a series of coves rather than one long strand, so the swimming spots are pockets between rocks. Book it for the calm and the sunsets, with Duong Dong and Long Beach a 15-minute drive south.
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No. IV
The Cua Can and the northwest villa, five-bedroom.
Typical: 5 BR, sleeps 10. Pocket: Cua Can, the northwest. Peak rate: $14,000 to $26,000 / week. Usually included: housekeeping, pool maintenance, garden. Usually not: a town near, nightlife.
Why it ranks here: Cua Can in the northwest is the river-mouth village of rustic-luxury villas and small lodges, a green, quiet pocket of forest and beach where the island still feels undeveloped, the pick for a group that wants nature and privacy over the resort strip. A five-bedroom here is the pick for the rustic northwest.
What we would change: Cua Can is rural and the roads are rougher, so the dining and the services are a drive south toward town. Book it for the forest, the river, and the quiet, with Long Beach and Duong Dong a 20 to 25-minute drive.
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No. V
The Bai Sao and the southeast villa, five-bedroom.
Typical: 5 BR, sleeps 10. Pocket: Bai Sao, the southeast. Peak rate: $14,000 to $26,000 / week. Usually included: housekeeping, pool maintenance, garden. Usually not: sunsets, a town near.
Why it ranks here: Bai Sao, Star Beach, on the southeast coast is the whitest sand and the most photographed beach on the island, a crescent of fine sand and clear water near An Thoi, the pick for a group whose week is about the single best beach. A five-bedroom here is the pick for Bai Sao itself.
What we would change: Bai Sao faces east, so it gets sunrises rather than the west-coast sunsets, and the beach draws day-trippers by midday. Book it for the sand and the morning light, taking a villa above the bay and the beach early before the boats arrive.
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No. VI
The Vung Bau and Bai Dai villa, five-bedroom.
Typical: 5 BR, sleeps 10. Pocket: Vung Bau and Bai Dai, the northwest beaches. Peak rate: $13,000 to $24,000 / week. Usually included: housekeeping, pool maintenance, resort access where branded. Usually not: a town near, quiet from the resort builds.
Why it ranks here: Vung Bau and the long Bai Dai beach run up the northwest coast, broad strands of soft sand with sunsets and large resort estates including the Vinpearl developments, the pick for a group that wants a long, open beach and resort facilities away from the central strip. A five-bedroom here is the pick for the long northwest sands.
What we would change: the northwest is under heavy resort and theme-park development around the Grand World complex, so the setting can be a building site as much as a beach. Confirm the current state of the immediate surroundings before booking, and take a villa on an established estate.
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No. VII
The Ganh Dau and the northwest cape villa, five-bedroom.
Typical: 5 BR, sleeps 10. Pocket: Ganh Dau, the far northwest tip. Peak rate: $13,000 to $24,000 / week. Usually included: housekeeping, pool maintenance, resort access where branded. Usually not: a town near, central access.
Why it ranks here: Ganh Dau is the northwestern cape closest to Cambodia, home to the Vinpearl safari and theme parks and several big resorts on quiet bays, the pick for a group with children who want the parks and the attractions on the doorstep. A five-bedroom here is the pick for the family-attractions corner.
What we would change: Ganh Dau is the furthest pocket from the airport and town, a 40 to 50-minute drive, and the appeal is the parks rather than the village life. Book it for the attractions and the quiet bays, accepting the distance from the south and the center.
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No. VIII
The An Thoi and the archipelago villa, four-bedroom.
Typical: 4 BR, sleeps 8. Pocket: An Thoi, the southern port. Peak rate: $13,000 to $22,000 / week. Usually included: housekeeping, pool maintenance, garden. Usually not: a swimming beach at the door, quiet.
Why it ranks here: An Thoi is the southern port town and the base for the An Thoi archipelago, the cluster of islands reached by the over-sea cable car and the dive and snorkel boats, the pick for a group that wants the islands, the diving, and the cable car close at hand. A four-bedroom here is the pick for the archipelago and the boat trips.
What we would change: An Thoi is a working port rather than a beach village, so the swimming is at Bai Sao and Khem nearby rather than in town. Book it for the islands and the cable car, with the southern beaches a short drive.
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No. IX
The Ham Ninh and the east coast villa, four-bedroom.
Typical: 4 BR, sleeps 8. Pocket: Ham Ninh, the east coast. Peak rate: $12,000 to $20,000 / week. Usually included: housekeeping, pool maintenance, garden. Usually not: white sand at the door, sunsets.
Why it ranks here: Ham Ninh is the old fishing village on the calm east coast, with seafood jetties, the national park behind it, and a quieter, more local feel than the west, the pick for a group that wants the working-island side and the calm water of the bay. A four-bedroom here is the value pick for the local east coast.
What we would change: the east coast has mudflats and mangroves rather than the white sand of the west and south, so this is a calm-water, local pocket rather than a beach one. Book it for the fishing village and the quiet, with the west-coast beaches a 20-minute drive.
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No. X
The Duong Dong town villa, four-bedroom.
Typical: 4 BR, sleeps 8. Pocket: Duong Dong, the main town. Peak rate: $12,000 to $20,000 / week. Usually included: housekeeping, pool where present, parking. Usually not: a beach at the door, quiet.
Why it ranks here: Duong Dong is the island's main town on the central west coast, with the night market, the fish-sauce factories, the harbor, and the most restaurants and shops, the pick for a group that wants the town life, the markets, and the easiest access to everything. A four-bedroom here is the pick for the town base.
What we would change: Duong Dong is a busy town rather than a beach, so the sand is at Long Beach and Ong Lang nearby rather than in the center. Book it for the markets and the convenience, with the west-coast beaches a few minutes out.
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No. XI
The Rach Vem and the northeast villa, four-bedroom.
Typical: 4 BR, sleeps 8. Pocket: Rach Vem, the northeast. Peak rate: $12,000 to $18,000 / week. Usually included: housekeeping, pool where present, garden. Usually not: white sand, services near.
Why it ranks here: Rach Vem in the northeast is the starfish-beach village, a rustic pocket of stilt houses, calm shallows, and a few simple villas where the island feels furthest from the resorts, the pick for a group that wants the most undeveloped, local-feeling corner. A four-bedroom here is the value pick for the rustic northeast.
What we would change: Rach Vem is remote and the sand is plainer than the west and south, so this is about the calm and the village rather than a marquee beach. Book it for the quiet and the local life, accepting the distance from the airport and the beaches.
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No. XII
The Bai Thom and the far north villa, four-bedroom.
Typical: 4 BR, sleeps 8. Pocket: Bai Thom, the far north. Peak rate: $12,000 to $18,000 / week. Usually included: housekeeping, pool where present, garden. Usually not: services near, central access, a busy beach.
Why it ranks here: Bai Thom on the far northern tip is the most remote pocket, forest running to a quiet shore at the edge of the national park, the contrarian pick for a group that wants the emptiest part of the island and the lowest rates with a pool. A four-bedroom here is the lowest-number pick for the far north.
What we would change: Bai Thom is the furthest from the airport, the town, and the marquee beaches, a real drive on quiet roads, with few services. Book it for the solitude and the forest, accepting the distance and planning supplies in advance.
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