Jakarta (VNA) – Vietnam’s Phu Quoc island has topped Condé Nast Traveller’s 2026 list of the best islands in Asia, surpassing Indonesia’s Bali and other renowned destinations in the magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards.
According to the US edition of the magazine, Phu Quoc scored 95.26 points, ahead of Boracay and Palawan in the Philippines, Langkawi in Malaysia, Koh Samui and Phuket in Thailand, and Bali in Indonesia.
The result is notable given Bali’s long-standing status as one of Asia’s best-known island destinations and a major international tourism hub in Indonesia. Phu Quoc’s top ranking underscores intensifying competition among resort destinations across Southeast Asia.
The ranking highlights Phu Quoc’s natural beauty, including its long white-sand beaches, clear waters and diverse ecosystems. These assets offer visitors a variety of experiences, from beach holidays and sightseeing to coral diving, island-hopping in the south, national park visits and pearl-farming tours.
Tourism offerings on Phu Quoc have diversified in recent years, combining resort stays with nature-based activities, local cuisine and cultural experiences.
Organised annually by Condé Nast Traveller, the Readers’ Choice Awards polls readers on destinations and tourism products worldwide. Phu Quoc’s top ranking in Asia signals growing interest of international travellers in the island, and highlights the rising competitiveness of Vietnamese destinations in the regional tourism market.
As Southeast Asia continues to attract international tourists, Phu Quoc, Bali and other island destinations are likely to compete increasingly on visitor experience quality, rather than natural attractions alone.
The Readers’ Choice Awards stand as one of the international travel industry’s most authoritative and enduring honours, spanning nearly four decades of history for the US edition. This year’s 39th annual edition drew 798,867 votes. The awards derive their prestige directly from the voices of genuine travelers, who rate destinations and services based on their firsthand journeys.
To qualify, candidates must satisfy a minimum threshold of responses and overall scores. Readers evaluate each category against specific criteria on a 5-point scale from "poor" to "excellent," which is subsequently indexed to a 100-point scale. For island destinations, scoring reflects overall natural beauty, pristine beaches, culinary culture, service quality, and local hospitality.
This year’s milestone marks a remarkable ongoing ascent for Phu Quoc on the US edition's rankings: rising from 8th in Asia in 2023 to 2nd in 2024, seizing the crown in 2025, and defending its title in 2026. In 2025 alone, the island earned 95.51 points, placing among the top three highest-scoring islands globally./.
