Buzz
If the hustle and bustle of urban life leaves you weary, consider An Giang, where expansive mangrove forests and a refreshing breeze will help dissipate any lingering worries.
'Indulge in Delicious Food and Admire Beautiful Landscapes' - A 3-day, 2-night Itinerary to An Giang's Floating Season
An Giang, a land newly discovered for over 300 years, though not steeped in history like many other regions, converges various cultures, unique natural landscapes, and distinctive culinary styles, forming a prominent attraction for tourists. If urban chaos has you fatigued, consider traveling to An Giang, where endless green rice fields and a refreshing atmosphere will help you dispel any worries.
How to Reach An Giang?
There are two means of transportation to get to An Giang: motorbike and bus.
If you opt for a bus journey, consider reputable companies like Hùng Cường, Phương Trang, Huệ Nghĩa, offering tickets priced around 140,000 - 150,000 VND, taking approximately 5 to 6 hours on the road.
For a motorcycle adventure, take the Tân An route to the Trung Lương intersection in Tiền Giang. Continue straight for another 60km until you reach the An Hữu intersection. If you turn right, you'll head to Hồng Ngự Tam Nông, possibly through Long Xuyên – An Giang via the Bắc Cao Lãnh ferry. Going straight will take you across the Mỹ Thuận Bridge. Turn right to head to Sa Đéc, and turning left will take you to Vĩnh Long. Following the Sa Đéc direction will lead you to the Bắc Vàm Cống ferry at the Vietnam-Denmark friendship border. After crossing the ferry, travel 50km straight to reach Long Xuyên city in An Giang.
Where to Stay in An Giang?
In Châu Đốc, there are two luxurious resorts for you to choose from. Victoria Nui Sam Lodge is situated on Mount Sam, about seven kilometers from the Châu Đốc market. The rooms are elegantly simple, with tiled floors and mostly wooden furniture. The resort boasts a famous swimming pool with panoramic views of the peaceful rice fields. Alternatively, you can stay at the 4-star Victoria Châu Đốc on the banks of the Hậu River, right in the city center. Here, you'll have a view of the river, floating markets, fish farming villages on rafts, and the Cham villages.
Additionally, Châu Đốc and Long Xuyên offer numerous hotels along the central routes. In Long Xuyên, near Trần Hưng Đạo Street, you have various choices, with the well-equipped Hòa Bình 1 Hotel, or other options like Sao Mai, Phương Nam, Thắng Lợi, ranging from 300,000 to 500,000 VND.
In Châu Đốc, the areas around Lê Lợi, Trưng Nữ Vương, near the Châu Đốc market, offer many hotels and guesthouses, with prices ranging from 200,000 to 800,000 VND.
Day 1: Sam Mountain – Búng Bình Thiên – Masjid Jamiul Azhar Mosque – Châu Đốc Market – Bà Chúa Xứ Temple
Morning: Sam Mountain, also known as Vĩnh Tế Mountain or Học Lãnh Mountain, stands at 284m with culturally significant sites nationally recognized, such as Tây An Pagoda and Thoại Ngọc Hầu Tomb. Drive straight to the summit to enjoy panoramic views of Châu Đốc city and the Vĩnh Tế Canal. Along the way, explore famous spots like Tao Ngộ Garden, Dr. Mô's villa, and the stone slab where the phenomenon of Bà Chúa Xứ was discovered.
Next, head to Búng Bình Thiên, located 35km from downtown Châu Đốc in An Phú district, An Giang province. Here, you'll experience the pristine, peaceful, and cool atmosphere thanks to the lush surroundings of the lake.
Conveniently on the way to Búng Bình Thiên, visit the Masjid Jamiul Azhar Mosque in An Phú district, An Giang. The mosque features common Islamic architectural elements: arched doors and roof, predominantly green and white tones, always adorned with sun and crescent moon symbols. The evenly spaced parallel windows create a spacious and generous feeling typical of Cham people.
On the return journey, stop by Châu Đốc Market, a paradise for An Giang specialties like various types of fish sauce, dried fish, and thốt nốt sponge cake. Alternatively, try a refreshing coconut water with thốt nốt, filled with thốt nốt rice inside.
Evening: Châu Đốc city comes alive at night. The streets blend with the aroma of fruits and the continuous smoke of incense as visitors flock to Bà Chúa Xứ Temple in the evening.
Around the area of Bà Temple, like the Sam Mountain circular road, Châu Thị Tế, Tân Kiều Lương Street, there are numerous street vendors and eateries offering a variety of dishes from satisfying meals to snacks at very affordable prices. You can stroll or take a cyclo ride around the night market streets for shopping.
When in Châu Đốc, you can't miss the famous local dish, bún cá, featuring golden pieces of snakehead fish, Vietnamese pork sausage, roasted meat, and water spinach, accompanied by a dipping sauce made with fish sauce, sugar, and chili, creating a unique and delicious flavor. You can enjoy this dish at Châu Đốc Market and some eateries in the city center.
Explore dining options in Châu Đốc:
– Bún cá dish: across from the old Tân Việt cinema.
– Cơm tấm (broken rice): at Đồng Quê eatery (108 Trưng Nữ Vương, Ward 8, Châu Đốc), Bảy Bồng eatery (46 Trưng Nữ Vương). Both places offer a variety of dishes like hu tieu Nam Vang, lắc nui, bún chả, and more.
– Pate bread: from Mrs. Vùng's and Mrs. Bé's bread stalls located right in front of Châu Đốc Market.
– Phan Văn Vàng Bun Nước Kèng: Phan Văn Vàng Street, Châu Phú A Ward, Châu Đốc City.
– Trường Nhật Restaurant: Old National Highway 91, Vĩnh Tây 1, Sam Mountain, Châu Đốc City, offering various beef dishes.
– 7-course Beef at Tư Thiêng Beef Restaurant: National Highway 91, Group 6, Vĩnh Tây Ward, Núi Sam District, Châu Đốc City.
Day 2: Floating Village Châu Đốc – Tra Su Melaleuca Forest – Tịnh Biên Market
One of the most unique tourist attractions in Châu Đốc is the floating village, a cultural highlight with a strong riverine style. Boats are the main means of transportation for each family in these floating villages. Here, each boat is like an interconnected apartment, stretching along both riverbanks. Each boat owner has at least 3-4 boats, usually with an additional boat for living. Recently, some residents tend to anchor their boats on the river for settlement. The family's life is condensed on a boat about 4m wide and 7-8m long. To capture beautiful pictures of the floating village, move to Cồn Tiên Bridge from the center of Châu Đốc, and from the bridge, you will have an overview of the floating village from above.
After exploring and taking photos in the floating village, head to the Tra Su Melaleuca Forest. Going towards Tịnh Biên District, An Giang Province, you will encounter a red dirt road leading to the Tra Su Melaleuca Forest. On both sides of the road are vast rice fields and towering palm trees, especially enchanting in the vibrant tropical sunset. The Tra Su Melaleuca Forest, with its characteristic fresh green color and diverse wildlife, will be a fantastic experience for you.
During October and November, Tra Su puts on its most beautiful attire. Sitting on a motorized boat entering the melaleuca forest, tourists will be amazed by the beauty of the forest. The boat glides slowly inside, and the straight rows of melaleuca trees seem to welcome visitors. Going deeper, we switch to a hand-rowed boat to explore the forest.
Afternoon: You can visit the Tịnh Biên Border Market. Travelers to An Giang love to explore this market to buy various fruits and delicious insect-based dishes at affordable prices. Moreover, some items from Thailand and Cambodia are also available at reasonable prices.
Day 3: Ba The Mountain – Long Xuyen City – Saigon
Check out in the morning and head to Ba The Mountain, a solitary mountain in the Long Xuyen Quadrangle (Óc Eo town, Thoai Son district, An Giang province), to enjoy a breathtaking natural landscape. Visit the Óc Eo relics, a significant cultural site in Vietnamese history associated with the Mekong Delta. Additionally, you can explore the four-armed Buddha statue and the footprint of a fairy at the ancient Sơn Tiên Pagoda on Ba The Mountain.
Next, proceed to Long Xuyen City, where you can savor the specialty An Giang fermented fish hotpot at Cây Dừa restaurant (95/4 Trần Hưng Đạo, Mỹ Xuyên, Long Xuyên City, An Giang), located opposite the Metro Long Xuyen supermarket.
Exploring only Long Xuyen and Châu Đốc might not be enough, but these two cities truly represent the most distinctive features of An Giang. As a land that harmonizes modernity and tradition, not too quiet but not too bustling, An Giang is like a miniature painting of the Mekong Delta. The simplicity, friendliness, and straightforwardness of the people have created the charm of this region.
Source: Mytour
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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour
MytourOctober 6, 2017
