Tourism and cuisine of the eastern Mekong River Delta showcased in Binh Phuoc Province
The display is part of tourism promotion campaigns for the Mekong River Delta in eastern Vietnam.
In 2020, associated with the Covid 19 pandemic, Vietnamese people cannot travel internationally and choose domestic tourist destinations as destinations for themselves, family, and friends. The Mekong Delta has many beautiful scenes, delicious and cheap food, so it is chosen by many people as a top destination.
The Mekong Delta is a network of tributaries in southwest Vietnam, between Ho Chi Minh City and Cambodia. The river itself starts in the Himalayas and passes through China, Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia before reaching Vietnam, which partly explains why the waters are so murky.
More than half of Vietnam’s rice and fish comes from the delta region, so you can see how vital it is to the Vietnamese economy and diet. Life in the area revolves around water, from the famous floating markets to the vast agricultural industries; a variety of fruits, flowers, and livestock grow in the region.
Mỹ Tho
Architectural Landmark
Hundreds, if not thousands, of tour groups come to this city every day, making it the most visited city in the Mekong Delta. Besides their famous floating market, there are also impressive pagodas and local orchards to visit at this city, just two hours from Ho Chi Minh City by bus. Don’t expect to find many off-the-beaten-track kinds of experiences here, as the destinations are all designed for day-trippers; most of the tourism in this city is packaged by the local tourism bureau.
Cần Thơ
Natural Feature
Cần Thơ is the biggest city in the Mekong Delta region and home to the Cai Răng floating market. Here, you’ll see hundreds of boats packed with more varieties of fruits than you ever thought possible. Although Cần Thơ is a large, somewhat industrialized city, it also serves as the cultural center for the surrounding rural areas. The nice thing about this city is you can get the best of both worlds: comfortable accommodations in the city centre, with easy day trips available to head out and see the picturesque agricultural communities. There aren’t the dance clubs and cocktail bars you find Ho Chi Minh City, but the nightlife is still vibrant. It takes approximately four hours to get to Cần Thơ from Ho Chi Minh City by bus.
Sóc Trăng
Architectural Landmark
Sóc Trăng is home to the largest population of Khmer people outside of Cambodia, which is why this city has an interesting cultural feel to it that’s different from the Vietnamese cities in the area. The best examples of Khmer culture are the Clay and Bat pagodas, both famous for their intricate designs. This city may not have many flashy things to do, but those who prefer a relaxed experience will enjoy the calm vibes here, especially in the rice paddies that surround the city. If you’re in the area around November or December, be sure to check out the Oc Om Boc festival.
Cần Giờ Biosphere Reserve
Forest
The Cần Giờ Biosphere Reserve, protected by Unesco, is valuable for its rich mangrove forests and wetland ecosystems. This biosphere reserve also helps to protect the region from corrosion – without it, a lot of rich agricultural land would wash out to sea. There are many tours available to the biosphere reserve, and since it’s so near to Ho Chi Minh City, it makes for a great day trip, or a starting point for your trip through the Mekong River Delta.
Rạch Gia
Architectural Landmark
If you plan on visiting Phu Quốc Island, a trip to Rạch Gia is the perfect way to get there. Several companies operate fast ferries out of Rạch Gia, arriving at various spots around Phu Quốc. Another option is the town of Ha Tien, which is a little to the northwest from Rạch Gia; ferries leave from there as well, or you can cross into Cambodia. And if boats aren’t your thing, Rạch Gia also has an airport with daily flights.
Chau Đốc
Architectural Landmark
For those of you making your way between Vietnam and Cambodia, Chau Đốc is an easy stop along the route. It’s known for its religious and ethnic diversity, which includes Khmer, Chinese, Cham and Vietnamese people. Like most of the Mekong Delta, the surrounding areas are lush with rice paddies and spectacular rural scenes. For a real treat, stay at the Victoria Nui Sam.
Thoi Son island
Natural Feature
This lush island, the largest of four in this part of the Tiền River, with about 1,200ha (3,000 acres), is crisscrossed by canals and waterways. It’s best known for its natural beauty and abundant fruit trees, including rambutan, longan and sapoche that line the shore and supply many of the markets in Tiền Giang province. You can explore the island by boat, before visiting the orchards and spending an afternoon relaxing in hammocks. The island’s historic homes are another attraction: Mr Tam’s house, open to visitors, is an exemplary model of a traditional home, with antique furnishings and a bonsai garden. To reach Thoi Son island, catch the bus from Ho Chi Minh City to My Tho, then take a 45-minute boat ride on the Mekong River.
Sao Beach
Natural Feature
Head to Sao Beach on Phu Quốc, a Vietnamese island just off the coast of Cambodia, if you’re looking for a quintessential tropical beach paradise – it has crystal clear waters, white sand and swaying palm trees. The picturesque beach takes its name from the Vietnamese word for “starfish” as the waters used to be full of white starfish at sunset. The south of the beach is often crowded with tourists, but the north is much quieter (and cleaner), and is ideal for snorkeling, swimming and strolling along the shoreline. There are a number of beachside restaurants, as well as the Paradiso Beach Club, which offers showers, massages, a restaurant and a bar.
Phu Quốc National Park
Park, Natural Feature
The Mekong Delta isn’t just about the rivers—many of the tours also explore the nearby islands in the Gulf of Thailand. Phu Quốc is Vietnam’s largest island and is a relatively unknown tropical paradise where you can immerse yourself in wild nature, deserted palm tree-lined beaches, and forested mountains. More than half of the island’s northern region is protected as a national park and was declared a Unesco Biosphere Reserve in 2010. Here, there are plenty of opportunities for hiking, camping and bird-watching—and the possibility to see rare wildlife, such as long-tailed macaques, silver langurs, slow lorises and hornbills.
Cai Rang Floating Market
Market, Vegetarian
There are plenty of floating markets in the Mekong Delta but the biggest and most impressive is Cai Rang, which is 6km from Can Tho towards Soc Trang. The best time to visit is early morning before the boatloads of tourists arrive, so plan to get there around 6am. There are hundreds of vendors crowding the river, selling an astonishing array of fruits and vegetables, as well as clothes and wholesale food products – look at what’s hanging from the long pole above the boat to see what it’s offering. The smaller boats sell food, coffee and souvenirs to tourists. Follow (theculturetrip)
The Mekong Delta or the West has many very attractive tourist attractions. If you like to travel, you can refer to the Top 10 tourist attractions in the Mekong Delta according to the number of visitors in the first 9 months of 2020.
In 2020, associated with the Covid 19 pandemic, Vietnamese people cannot travel internationally and choose domestic tourist destinations as destinations for themselves, family and friends. The Mekong Delta has many beautiful scenes, delicious and cheap food, so it is chosen by many people as a top destination.
1. Ecotourism area Tan Lap Floating Village, Long An – Top 10 tourist attractions in the Mekong Delta Bằng
Tan Lap floating village located in Moc Hoa District, Long An province is the first destination most loved by many people. It can be said that this is a famous tourist destination thanks to natural time, geographical advantages, and human harmony. Thien Tho, Tan Lap Floating Village has an area of 135 hectares covered by the vegetation of the melaleuca forest. Convenient location, you can move to this tourist destination very easily, you can move by many forms of motorbikes, tourist cars, Grab Bike, …. Nhan Hoa, on popular social networking sites Tiktok, Facebook on a “hot trend check-in” Tan Lap Floating Village.
A small and beautiful wooden bridge is chosen by princesses, ladies, queens, etc. as a very cute photo taking place to earn millions of likes. If you have millions of likes, you can do whatever you want, gentlemen can sit and drink, enjoy delicious food without nagging, swearing, or banning. But if you want to go, you take the car away. If you have an unexpected job, you can get in the car and go to Ho Chi Minh City very quickly and easily.
Ticket price is 60,000 VND for boat passengers and 130,000 VND for motorboat passengers.
Address: Highway 62, Tan Lap commune, Moc Hoa district, Long An province
2.Con Phung tourist area, Ben Tre – Top 10 tourist attractions in the Mekong Delta
Con Phung is a very famous tourist destination in Ben Tre located in the population of “four spirits” which are islands named Long, Lan, Qui, and Phung. About 2 hours from Ho Chi Minh City by car. Coming here, visitors can participate in many unique games such as cycling on the monkey bridge, swinging the rope across the river, fishing for crocodiles, feeding the fish with a bottle, etc. Price is about 10,000 – 40,000 VND per turn.
You can visit Cu Lao Tan Phong, Tien Giang. This tourist destination also has a lot of interesting points.
3.Dong Tam Snake Farm, Tien Giang – Top 10 tourist attractions in the Mekong Delta
Dong Tam Snake Farm is a horror tourist destination that was once voted in the Top 10 horror tourist destinations in Vietnam . And the cooler the human nature, the more I like it. This place is full of snakes and snakes and snakes.
Dong Tam snake farm has about 400 species of snakes, more than 50 species of venomous snakes here are raised for venom, medical needs and export. Coming to this “snake museum”, visitors can see live snakes with their own eyes and be instructed by experts on how to avoid being attacked. Snakes here are raised freely in a fenced area, divided into areas according to the nature of each species such as python breeding area, venomous snake area, water snake area…
In addition, this place also has a small zoo, where you can learn some rare animals such as Bengal tiger, bear, crocodile, tortoise, ostrich, swan… Snake farm is open at 7am – 17h30, adult ticket price is 30,000 VND and children over 6 years old is 20,000 VND.
If you travel here, remember to take good care of small children.
4.Sa Dec City, Dong Thap – Top 10 tourist attractions in the Mekong Delta
This place is loved by many people because of their interest in photography and tiktok. This locality is inhabited by a diverse population of Vietnamese, Chinese, Khmer… so the architecture here is very special, making the backgroud is number 1.
Huynh Thuy Le and Kien An Cung ancient houses are two outstanding works, next to many ancient houses. This place is also known as the flower capital of the West, with a flower village over a hundred years old. What impresses many visitors is the image of flower beds that “do not touch the ground”. Coming in the flood season, you will see farmers rowing between the beds to take care of flowers.
5. Cai Rang Floating Market, Can Tho – Top 10 tourist attractions in the Mekong Delta
Cai Rang Floating Market is a famous tourist destination in Vietnam on the world map. Many world famous travel magazine pages put it in the must-visit tourist destination when traveling to the West. Therefore, “Western guests” are very passionate, at least take a picture to feel good. For many years, Western tourists traveling to this place are more numerous than our own.
You sit on the canoe, the boat floats on the water “take pictures to earn millions of likes” and enjoy delicious food, float along the water and sing:
“The surface of the lake shakes, bringing raindrops through my heart
Big heart captures the world in sad eyes
My own sky lullabies me to tell you not to go far”
I think it’s a bit crazy but it’s fun.
6. Garden of Phong Dien, Can Tho
Tourists come to Phong Dien garden to enjoy the fruit-laden orchards. This year, due to drought, the fruit is slightly less than every year. Traveling to Phong Dien, you can enjoy western specialties, participate in bold local games such as wading ditches to catch fish, rowing boats, going monkey bridge… Tickets to experience at Phong Dien garden houses from 20,000 VND to less than 100,000 VND depending on the service.
7. Wind power fields, Bac Lieu – Top 10 tourist attractions in the Mekong Delta
This place emerges through the “virtual living” photos of young people, described by many tourists as the scenery of the West sky, a new image among the nature of the Western rivers.
Standing from the city center. In Bac Lieu, you can see giant propeller turbines nearly 20km away. This is the only and largest offshore wind farm in Vietnam.
The ideal time to take photos in the wind power field is from early morning until about 9am to watch the sunrise and avoid the sun, or in the afternoon to watch the sunset. The largest wind power field in Vietnam for visitors to visit and take pictures from 6am to 4pm. Entrance fee 30,000 VND one time.
8.Chau Doc Market, An Giang – Top 10 tourist attractions in the Mekong Delta
It is also a culturally diverse city like Sa Dec (Dong Thap), but Chau Doc has cultural characteristics of the Cham, Khmer, in addition to the Kinh and Chinese. Especially the culinary style here, famous for all kinds of fish sauce. Chau Doc Market is known as the “kingdom of fish and dried fish” with hundreds of products made from local fish, the most delicious is floating season fish such as fish sauce, carp, snakehead…
The market is located in the city center. Chau Doc, is the place where not only fish sauce and dried fish are concentrated, but also many different dishes. In the market, you can find famous specialties such as fish vermicelli, num-bo-hok vermicelli, jaggery juice, beefcake, Nam Vang noodle soup… at affordable prices.
9. Tra Su Melaleuca forest, An Giang – Top 10 tourist attractions in the Mekong Delta
Tra Su Melaleuca forest in An Giang is one of the outstanding stars of Vietnam Tourism. But in 2020 there is a drought with little water. Visiting Tra Su Melaleuca Forest with “little water” is not fun. Because of that, it dropped to 9th place.
This is one of the largest and most beautiful Melaleuca forests in the West, about 20 km from Chau Doc. The flooded forest is covered with immense green by the branches and leaves above and the carpet under the water surface.
Arriving at Tra Su at about 7am – 9am, visitors can see many species of birds going to feed, gathering throughout the forest, even flying close to people. If you come from 16:00 to 18:00, go to the high observatory to watch the flocks of birds descending to their nests in the tall trees.
In addition, the bamboo bridge through the forest will help visitors fully explore the space of Tra Su primeval forest. Tickets to visit the Melaleuca forest cost 190,000 VND per person because they have to rent a boat. If traveling in groups of 7 people or more, the ticket price is 95,000 VND per person.
10.Dat Mui, Ca Mau – Top 10 tourist attractions in the Mekong Delta
As the southernmost point of the country, Ca Mau cape is the end of the S-shaped strip of land. Combined with Dat Mui check-in, many tourists stop to explore more U Minh Ha forest or Ca Mau floating market, buy special famous crab products here.
Going to Ca Mau is most convenient in the rainy season and in the flood season from May to November, because traffic through the waterway system is very convenient at this time.
For guests traveling from Saigon and neighboring provinces, the most convenient means of transport are passenger cars, cars or motorbikes. From Hanoi, Hai Phong, Vinh, Da Nang, Quy Nhon, Da Lat, and Ho Chi Minh City, visitors can take a plane to Can Tho airport, then travel by bus to neighboring provinces.
Photo: Internet
