South island heritage day: prison, pagoda and Sao Beach

This is the day for people who want to understand a little of where they are, not only see beaches. It mixes a hard piece of history, a place of worship and a swim, in that order, and the order matters: the morning asks something of you, the afternoon gives it back.

It suits first-time visitors, older travellers, people who do not swim much, and anyone who has had enough sun and wants a day with some shade and some context. The activity level is 1 of 5. There are short walks between buildings and around the pagoda grounds, and the rest of the day is in the car or on the sand.

Because the day is private, the pace is yours. If the museum holds your attention, stay longer there and shorten the beach. If you have children with you, the guide can keep the prison visit brief, which is worth discussing before you book; see the note for families below.

Phu Quoc Prison is the island's wartime prison camp, kept today as a historic site and museum. Walking through it, you see the layout of the camp and the conditions in which prisoners were held, and you hear from your guide about the people who were kept there.

Parts of the site use life-size reconstructions to show how prisoners were treated. Some of these are graphic. They are meant to be uncomfortable, and for most adults they are the reason the visit stays with them. They are not suitable for every child, and some adults prefer to skip particular rooms. That is your call, and the guide will tell you in advance what is in each part so you can decide.

Your guide does not lecture, and does not ask you to take a side. The aim is to explain what happened at this place in plain terms and answer the questions you actually have. Bring them.

Ho Quoc Pagoda stands on the east coast of the island, facing the sea. It is a working Buddhist pagoda, not a museum, and people come here to pray as well as to look. The contrast with the morning is part of the point of the day: after the prison, the pagoda is quiet, open and full of air.

Your guide explains what you are looking at as you walk the grounds: the halls, the statues and what visitors do when they come to pray. You are welcome to light incense or make an offering if you wish; nobody expects you to, and any offering is your own choice.

Dress and behaviour

• Shoulders and knees covered, for men and women. A sarong or light trousers in your bag, pulled on at the gate, is the simplest answer on a hot day.
• Take your shoes off where you see others doing so or where signs ask.
• Speak quietly in the halls, and do not stand with your back to a statue for a photo.
• Ask before photographing monks or people praying.

The afternoon is for Sao Beach in the south-east of the island: white sand and water for swimming. After a morning of history and a pagoda, two hours or so with your feet in the sand is the reward, and nothing more is planned.

Sao is a well-known public beach, not a private cove, so you will share it. Anything you hire or buy on the beach, such as a sunbed or a drink, is paid on the spot and is not in the price. Swim where the guide suggests and where others are swimming, and keep children close.

If you do not swim, the beach is still a good place to sit in the shade and watch the water, and the guide can shorten the stop if your group would rather head back earlier.

The pricing page shows the reference prices of all ten tours, and how to book explains the steps from request to pick-up.

This day runs all year. Most of it is on land and in the car, so it is the natural back-up when the sea is too rough for a boat day or when the forest is too wet for a trek. In the rainy season, roughly June to October or November, showers are common in the afternoon; if the beach is rained off, the guide shortens it or changes the order of the day.

If we cancel for weather or safety, you get a full refund or another day. If you cancel: more than 48 hours before the start, a full refund less any card fee; between 48 and 24 hours, 50%; under 24 hours or no-show, no refund.

The when to go page shows which of our tours work in which months, and the island days page compares this day with the north island kayak day.

• A sarong, scarf or light trousers to cover shoulders and knees at the pagoda
• Swimwear and a towel for Sao Beach
• Hat, sunscreen and sunglasses
• Comfortable shoes that slip off easily
• Some cash for drinks, a sunbed, an offering or tips

• Families with young or sensitive children who would rather not see graphic reconstructions, unless you have agreed a short prison visit with us first.
• Anyone not willing to cover shoulders and knees at the pagoda.
• People who want an active day. This is level 1 of 5; for effort, see the forest treks.
• People who want an empty beach. Sao is a well-known public beach.
• Anyone wanting snorkelling and islands. That is the An Thoi canoe day.