Day Itinerary for a Charming Trip with Friends to Tân Lập Floating Village

If time is a constraint, a day trip to Tân Lập Floating Village, immersing yourself in nature, is enough to refresh your weekend or holiday.

Day Itinerary for a Charming Trip with Friends to Tân Lập Floating Village

Transportation:

Tân Lập Mangrove Forest is situated within the Tân Lập Floating Village tourist area, approximately 100km from Ho Chi Minh City, in Mộc Hóa district, Long An province, near the Cambodian border. Due to its proximity to Ho Chi Minh City, you can conveniently use motorcycles or cars for both travel and sightseeing.

From Ho Chi Minh City, you can travel in two ways:

Option 1: For motorcycle enthusiasts, take QL1A towards the West, cross Tan An Bridge, and turn right onto QL62. Continue on QL62 for 57km until you reach the picturesque Tân Lập floating village on the left. For car travelers, take the HCM – Trung Lương expressway towards the West, cross the Vàm Cỏ Tây River to the intersection of the expressway and QL62. Turn right onto QL62 and proceed straight to your destination.

Option 2: This is an alternative route, QL22 starting from An Sương Intersection, follow Nguyễn Văn Bứa – ĐT824 – QLN2 – QL62 – Tân Lập floating village. The advantage of this route is fewer large vehicles, allowing for comfortable sightseeing and photography. The downside is that the ĐT824 section is currently under construction, so it may be a bit dusty with some potholes and mud due to rain. Once completed, this road will be a crucial traffic junction connecting various provinces in the Western region.

Day Trip Itinerary in Tân Lập Floating Village:

Before setting out, prepare some packed lunch, fill up your gas tank, and double-check your route on Google Maps. A handy tip to save on data usage is to use the 'Maps.me' app (available for both IOS and Android) for offline navigation.

7:30 AM – 10:30 AM: Depart from Pandora Shopping Mall, experiencing a completely different atmosphere once you leave the suburban area. Along QLN2 and QL62, you'll encounter golden ripe rice fields, fragrant pineapple plantations, and occasionally, the lively scenes of a bustling rural market that will captivate your interest.

10:30 AM: Easily spot the welcoming entrance gate of Tân Lập floating village along QL62. Follow the guidance to park your vehicle and head to the guest reception area to purchase tickets. Under the enthusiastic introduction and guidance of the receptionist, acquire tickets for the tour (55,000 VND/person) and three-leaf paddleboat rides (30,000 VND/person) to explore the pristine mangrove forest here.

Don't misunderstand; Tân Lập floating village is not a typical village. Instead, it's a vast original mangrove forest teeming with diverse flora and fauna, including turtles, snakes, storks, and catfish. It takes just 4 minutes from the guest reception area to reach the opposite dock, where a path cuts through the mangrove forest.

Embarking on the aquatic route, our group ventures into this pristine forest. The winding path weaves through towering reeds, shedding leaves that guide the entire group into a mysterious labyrinth reminiscent of adventure movies.

Amidst the lush green mangrove forest, an observation tower standing over 30m tall not only provides a panoramic view of the entire forest but also serves as an ideal spot to feel the refreshing breeze and enjoy the rustling sound of leaves.

Following the path, the group stumbles upon the 'Bird Sanctuary' preserved and nurtured by Tân Lập floating village in its natural environment. Further down the trail, the group notices an arrow pointing towards Crescent Moon Lake and decides to follow that guidance.

2:00 PM: The group boards a boat, leaving the mangrove forest behind and returning to the boat dock. The exploration of Tân Lập floating village concludes. Next, on the way back, we stop by Thạnh Hóa agricultural market located near the intersection of QL62 and QLN2. This long-standing market supplies various agricultural and forestry products from the Western provinces. You'll witness a bustling and lively scene with numerous vehicles entering and leaving the market.

As per the plan, our group intended to visit the ancient village of Phước Lộc Thọ on ĐT824 (located in Đức Hòa, Long An province), renowned for having the highest concentration of wooden houses in Vietnam. However, due to heavy rain, we had to skip this spot, promising to visit another time. But if you happen to go on a sunny day, don't miss this place. Spanning over 30,000m², Phước Lộc Thọ ancient village consists of 22 ancient houses representing the distinct characteristics of the Northern, Central, and Southern regions. The collections of ancient items include various materials such as wood, ceramics, and porcelain, creating a nostalgic atmosphere for visitors. The entrance fee is 40,000 VND/person.

On the way back, you can stop to purchase Long An rice paper, fragrant fruits like guavas, and watermelons sold along the roadside as souvenirs.

Credit: Mai Nguyễn (Photos: Mai Nguyễn & Trà My)

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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour