Plan - packing

What to pack for a tropical forest day

A day in Phu Quoc's forest is hot, humid, sometimes wet underfoot and never far from a stream. You do not need special equipment for most of our days, but the wrong shoes or no spare socks can turn a good walk into a long one. This list covers what matters, why, and what we bring so you do not have to.

Plan my trip Choose a trek

small daypack is enough: 1
pairs of socks on wet days: 2
brand names needed: 0

The short list

Closed shoes with a grippy sole that you do not mind getting wet.
Light, quick-drying clothes, and long trousers for the night walk and wet months.
Insect repellent, a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.
Swimwear and a small towel on any day with a stream, beach or boat.
A small daypack, a dry bag or zip bags for your phone, and a spare pair of socks.
Any personal medication, plus plasters for blisters.

Everything else on this page explains these lines. If you only read one section, read the one on shoes.

Shoes decide the day

Most of our forest routes cross stream rocks, and some climb over boulders. The sole matters more than the brand or the price: you want deep tread that grips wet rock, a toe that protects you from roots and stones, and a shoe that is already broken in. New shoes on a long trek are the usual cause of blisters.

For Trek & Heal, trekking shoes are not included: bring your own. For Tien Son Peak, the boulder scrambling needs the same kind of grip. On the Healing Forest and the stream day, sturdy trainers with a good sole are enough.

Expect your feet to get wet on stream days. Shoes that drain and dry quickly are easier than waterproof boots, which fill up and stay full once water gets over the top. Flip-flops are fine for the beach and the boat, not for the forest path.

Clothing

Light, loose and quick-drying is the rule. Cotton holds sweat and stays wet; synthetic or blended fabrics dry while you walk. A light long-sleeved shirt protects against sun, scratches and insects at once.

Forest days: quick-dry top, shorts or light trousers, a spare top for the drive back.
Rainy months: long trousers and long socks help against leeches; a light rain jacket or poncho for showers.
Night walk: closed shoes and long trousers are a rule, not a suggestion.
Heritage day: shoulders and knees covered for Ho Quoc Pagoda. A light scarf or wrap trousers in your bag solve it.

Leeches

Leeches are possible on forest paths in the rainy season. They are unpleasant rather than dangerous: a bite bleeds for a while because of what the leech leaves behind, then stops. Most people never see one in the dry months.

Tuck trousers into long socks on wet-season treks.
Insect repellent on socks and shoes helps.
Check your ankles and legs at rest stops; the guide checks too.
If you find one attached, do not pull it off. Let the guide remove it, and cover the bite with a plaster afterwards.

Insects and repellent

Mosquitoes and other biting insects are part of any tropical forest, worst at dawn, dusk and after rain. Bring a repellent you have used before on your own skin, and put it on before you leave the hotel rather than at the trailhead.

On the night forest walk repellent is part of the rules. Use it before the walk starts, away from the group, so the smell does not travel to the animals you are trying to see.

Water, food and the sun

Water is included on all five forest days, and the longer treks add snacks of fruit and cakes. A refillable bottle in your daypack makes it easier to drink little and often; on Trek & Heal and Tien Son, drink before you feel thirsty. Lunch is part of every full day: a forest picnic, a packed lunch, a BBQ or a meal at a local restaurant, depending on the tour.

Forest shade does not cover everything. Ridges, viewpoints, beaches and boats are in full sun. Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. On sea days, use a reef-safe sunscreen: on the coral at An Thoi it is part of how we ask guests to behave.

Swimming kit

Several days include water: a foot in the stream on the Healing Forest when there is water, a swim stop on Trek & Heal, Suoi Tranh after Tien Son, rock pools on the stream day, snorkelling on the island trips, Sao Beach on the heritage day and the sunset camp. Wear swimwear under your clothes or carry it, with a small quick-dry towel.

On the An Thoi canoe trip, snorkel masks and life jackets are provided, and the kayaks on the north island day come with life jackets. An underwater camera is not included.

Light, and keeping things dry

You do not need to bring a torch for our tours. Headlamps are provided for the Bat Cave on Tien Son, and red-filtered torches are provided for the night walk. If you own a headlamp, it does no harm as a spare, but switch it off on the night walk: white light and flash photography disturb the animals.

Phones and stream water do not mix. A small dry bag, or two zip bags one inside the other, keeps a phone, money and car keys dry on stream days and boat days. Leave anything you would hate to lose in your hotel safe.

What we provide and what you bring

Type of day	We provide	You bring
Herbal forest day (D1)	Transport, guides, ticket, water, picnic lunch, the farm session and foot soak	Grippy shoes, hat, repellent, a spare pair of socks
Long trek (D2)	Guides 1:5, trekking poles, water, snacks, forest lunch, rubbish bags	Your own trekking shoes, daypack, spare socks, rain layer in wet months
Peak and cave (D3)	Guide, headlamps, water, snacks, lunch, Suoi Tranh ticket	Grippy shoes, swimwear, towel, dry bag
Stream day (D4)	Guide team, BBQ lunch, water	Swimwear, towel, shoes for rocks, children's swim needs
Night walk (D5)	Guide, red-light torches, water	Closed shoes, long trousers, repellent
Sea and island days (D6, D10)	D6: private canoe, snorkel masks, life jackets, lunch, water. D10: cable car return ticket, canoe, lunch	Reef-safe sunscreen, swimwear, towel, seasickness remedy if you need one
Road and beach days (D7, D8, D9)	Transport, guide, kayaks on D7, meals, water	Hat, sunscreen, covered shoulders and knees for the pagoda on D8

Rubbish leaves the forest with us. On Trek & Heal we carry rubbish bags and take out everything that came in, and we ask the same on every day.

Leave at the hotel

Anything heavy you will not use: a large camera bag on a long trek becomes a burden.
Jewellery and valuables you would not want in a stream.
Drones, unless you have asked us first and know the local rules for the place.
Cash beyond what you need for extra drinks, products, or a tip if you want to leave one.

Common questions

Questions travellers ask most

Do I need hiking boots for Trek & Heal?

You need your own trekking shoes with a grippy sole; they are not included. Boots or trail shoes both work, as long as they are broken in and grip wet rock.

Trekking poles are provided.

Will there be leeches?

They are possible in the rainy season, roughly June to October, and uncommon in the dry months. Long socks over trousers and repellent help, and the guide checks at stops.

Do I need to bring my own torch for the night walk?

No. Red-filtered torches are provided, because white light disturbs the animals. Bring closed shoes, long trousers and insect repellent.