48 hours in Chau Doc, Vietnam

Visitors coming to Chau Doc during the flood season will better understand people's lives in the Western River region.

Chau Doc is a large city of An Giang near the Vietnam - Cambodia border. This is a land of cultural interference of the Kinh, Cham and Khmer ethnic groups with rich nature, spiritual stories, and river life characteristics.

September to November, flood season, is the best time to visit places in Chau Doc. The itinerary was suggested by Ly Thien Phong, a local tour guide, and experienced by a VnExpress reporter.

Day 1

Morning

Have breakfast with Chau Doc's famous snakehead fish noodle dish. The dish has a rich broth, fragrant with shrimp paste, lemongrass, chilli, garlic and the yellow colour of fresh turmeric. If you like to eat fish heads, you can order it separately. The side dishes are typical of the West, such as sesbania, water lily, bitter vegetables, banana ears, grated water spinach, and bean sprouts. Many diners eat roasted pork or pork rolls with it.

Some reference addresses: Be Hai fish noodle soup, Chau Doc Co Nga fish noodle soup, and Roundabout fish noodle soup on Phan Dinh Phung Street. Each vermicelli bowl ranges from 25,000 VND to 30,000 VND, not including side dishes.

Taking a boat on the Hau River to visit colourful rafting villages is the newest experience in Chau Doc. Since mid-September, thanks to a community project, 161 fish cages stretching over 1 km have been covered in colours such as red, yellow, orange, green, blue, and purple. Phase 1 has about 80 rafts completed. The rafting village is on the tour route to learn and experience the river life and culture of the Cham community in An Giang. You can stop to buy souvenirs, see how fish are raised, and experience fishermen's life.

Another destination right near the boat harbour along the Hau River is the Basa fish monument. The project honours fish associated with life and praises the fishermen who domesticated fish and other aquatic products to bring about a prosperous life.

Near noon, if you want to know what Chau Doc has, you must visit the central market. The market is open daily from 5:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with a wide range of items from food to souvenirs, traditional Khmer-style clothes or An Giang specialties. A highlight in the market is the eye-catching and "smell-catching" fish sauce stall.

Have lunch at one of the famous restaurants with Western dishes. Some reference addresses include Bay Dong restaurant, Dong Que restaurant, and Hong Phat restaurant.

Afternoon

When coming to Chau Doc, you must attend Sam Mountain, with Ba Chua Xu Temple. This destination attracts tourists to An Giang, located about 5 km from the city centre. At the beginning of the new year and on the full moon or first days, this place is always crowded with visitors from all over. With a sacred and majestic space, the Ba Temple is a place to express the Vietnamese people's belief in Mother Goddess worship.

The time you stay at Ba Temple depends on your needs, whether sightseeing or going to worship and other experiences.

Late afternoon, watching the sunset from the top of Sam Mountain is the next experience. This place is considered one of the most beautiful sunset spots in the Mekong Delta because of its wide view and rice fields below.

The road to Sam Mountain is steep but quite easy to go. You should be there before 4:30 p.m. to ensure you get the sunset. At the top of Mount Sam, visitors can experience mountain climbing and breathe fresh air.

Have dinner at La Giang restaurant on top of Sam Mountain with a buffet menu, and return to Chau Doc.

Take a night stroll around the city with My Van grapefruit sweet soup at the mobile sweet soup cart at the end of Trung Nu Vuong Street. This is a snack restaurant recommended by local people. The price of each dish ranges from 10,000 VND to 25,000 VND. Overnight at Victoria Hotel in the centre of Chau Doc city, with a direct view of the Hau River confluence, near Chau Doc market and convenient transportation.

Day 2

Morning and noon

Have breakfast in Chau Doc with noodles, fish sauce, or plain noodles at restaurants along Hau River Wharf and Chau Doc market.

Depart for Tra Su cajuput forest. This is a "must-visit" place to visit An Giang, especially during the flood season. Travel time from Chau Doc city centre to the forest is about 30-40 minutes. Visitors will buy entrance tickets for 100,000 VND per person.

There will be two forms of experience. If you don't have time or want to check in, you just need to buy an entrance ticket for 100,000 VND and 50,000 VND for a motorboat ride for about 30 minutes.

If you love nature exploration, spend maximum time here, from morning to afternoon. You should experience walking on the longest bamboo bridge in Vietnam, leading into the forest's heart. It's best to walk the bamboo bridge once, then switch to a motorboat to go further and further in the forest. You can witness rare flora and fauna with your own eyes. You can ask the boat driver to stop to feel the quiet space.

Go up to the observation deck to see the entire space of Tra Su Melaleuca forest with a 25 km telescope to have a more comprehensive view of this entire "valuable" forest of the West. The lookout tower is located within the premises of Tra Su restaurant, so stop here to enjoy lunch.

Delicious and outstanding dishes include grilled snakehead fish, sesban ling fish hotpot, crispy fried ling fish, fish sauce hotpot, coconut tofu salad, and banh xeo. The restaurant is on a lush green campus, with tall sesban flower beds growing around.

Afternoon

Return to the Melaleuca forest by dinghy. After experiencing the motorboat and walking on the bridge, transfer to a dinghy; you will take a shorter trip, weaving into small canals. The afternoon is also when birds and storks return to the forest in large numbers. Sitting in a canoe and walking slowly will help visitors feel the peaceful nature of the Melaleuca forest.

Return to Chau Doc City around 4:00 p.m.

In addition to the above itinerary, tourists can choose alternative destinations such as Chau Phong Cham village along the Hau River, Chau Phong mosque, a textile factory, and Hang Pagoda (Phuoc Dien Tu).