Buzz
Fed up with the hustle and bustle of urban life? Experience the tranquility of rural living during your leisure days at various eco-tourism destinations in the Mekong Delta
Eco-tourism destinations in the Mekong Delta
1. Historical Landmark Site Xeo Quyt
Xeo Quyt Historical Site is located between the two communes of My Long and My Hiep, about 170km from Ho Chi Minh City. It's a fantastic destination for a weekend getaway as you can easily travel by motorcycle or private car to the tourist area. Once a remote and desolate place, covered with wild grass and rugged terrain, it was chosen as a resistance base during the war. But now, it has transformed into a wonderful eco-tourism destination with stunning natural scenery that attracts tourists.
Eco-tourism Area Xeo Quyt in the Mekong Delta (Photo by ST)
This place boasts a diverse ecosystem with around 170 species of wild plants such as mangroves, palms, reeds, water lilies, lotuses, and more than 200 species of wild animals including fish, frogs, reptiles, etc. Particularly, if you're lucky, you might catch a glimpse of rare animals listed in the red book like pythons, cobras, etc. As you venture deeper, you'll explore historical relics that have been restored on the old site, such as bomb shelters shaped like the letter A, Z, L, secret bunkers, bomb craters, kitchens, meeting rooms, etc. Here, you'll savor traditional dishes like grilled frogs, roasted field mice, sour eel soup, and participate in fun recreational activities like fishing in huts, weaving baskets, and many more.
Eco-tourism Area in the Southwestern Mekong Delta (Photo by ST)
2. U Minh Ha National Park
U Minh Ha National Park, known from the Southern Land movie, is situated between U Minh and Tran Van Thoi, located in Ca Mau province. This is a flooded area on a layer of peat formed by the remains of plants with diverse ecosystems such as mangroves, palms, pandanus...; birds, otters, long-tailed monkeys, wild boars...
But here, it's mostly mangrove forests. Visiting U Minh Ha forest, you will enjoy countryside dishes like grilled fish, smoked eel with starfruit leaves, python soup with green beans, lemongrass stew or grilled snakehead fish and especially fresh bee larvae. You can also have fun by joining the locals in the forest to set up traps to catch eels, lay nets to catch fish..., go picking water lilies, lotus, ferns, cattail buds... Immerse yourself in the wonderful natural space of the forest
Eco-tourism Area in the Western U Minh Ha (Photo by ST)
3. Phung Islet Ecotourism Area
Phung Islet Ecotourism Area is located between Tien Giang and Ben Tre. In the past, it was just a floating islet, but thanks to the sedimentation of alluvium every year, its area has now increased. Here, you will enjoy everything with a strong rustic flavor. The countryside meals of the Mekong Delta such as giant gourami fish fries, savory pancakes, puffed fried sticky rice cakes, grilled chicken with herbs, fried coconut worms… or recreational activities like crocodile fishing, horse cart rides to visit orchards, monkey bridge crossing,… and especially you will enjoy a special spiritual dish that you cannot forget when you come here, which is the 'don ca tai tu'
Phung Islet Ecotourism Area (Photo by ST)
4. My Khanh Ecotourism Area
Everyone knows the Mekong Delta is an ideal place for developing eco-tourism. My Khanh Ecotourism Area is a typical destination for eco-tourism in the Mekong Delta region.
Photo of My Khanh Ecotourism Area in Southern Vietnam (Photo by ST)
The tourist area is located 10km from Can Tho City. You can get here by road or by waterway. In the Western region, everywhere is filled with fruits, but here you'll find the most delicious fruits, ripe and fragrant, enticing visitors. Here, you will enjoy unique specialties such as homemade wine, rice paper…
Visit fruit orchards and enjoy fresh fruits right in the orchard such as rambutan, durian, avocado,…
Visit fruit orchards (Photo by ST)
Join traditional festivals like pig racing, duck catching… or especially here you can visit ancient houses and experience the feeling of being a landlord, which is very unique
Join traditional festivals (Photo by ST)
5. Tram Chim National Park
One of the prominent eco-tourism destinations in Dong Thap is Tram Chim National Park. This national park is located in the administrative areas of 7 communes Tân Công Sinh, Phú Đức, Phú Thọ, Phú Thành A, Phú Thành B, Phú Hiệp, and Tràm Chim town, Tam Nông district, Ðồng Tháp province. With an area of 7588ha, this place is considered a miniature Đồng Tháp Mười with beautiful natural landscapes and the rare red-headed crane species found only here. Visitors to Tram Chim National Park can enjoy rustic countryside dishes such as grilled snakehead fish, braised fish in sugarcane, steamed snails with pepper, river crab hotpot, simmered eel with lemongrass, crispy fried fish cakes, dried snakehead fish, grilled snakehead fish, and grilled tilapia… Visitors can also experience the life of people in the floodplains by rowing three-leaf boats, experiencing activities like netting, building huts, and trying their hand at Tram Chim Tam Nong fishing; exploring areas where bird species concentrate for breeding with thousands of bird nests, observing cute baby birds of some species up close: storks, painted storks, and other bird species…
Tram Chim National Park in the Mekong Delta (Photo by ST)
If lucky, visitors will witness the dance of the red-headed crane species – one of the 15 crane species facing extinction with a height over 1.7m, smooth gray feathers, tall necks, red heads, and wide wings
Diverse wildlife (Photo by ST)
6. Tan Quy Islet
Tan Quy Islet is situated amidst the Hau River, with most of its area belonging to Tra On district, Vinh Long province, and a small part belonging to Cau Ke district, Tra Vinh province. From the mainland, visitors can reach the islet by using the local ferry service to admire the picturesque landscapes of land and water. Alternatively, visitors can also take a speedboat ride on the Hau River to enjoy the refreshing and cool atmosphere.
Tan Quy Islet Ecotourism Area (Photo by ST)
This place is known for its variety of fruit trees, especially the Tan Quy mangoes, which are popular both domestically and internationally. The peak tourist season is during the Doan Ngo Festival on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, when the island hosts the Vu Lan Festival at Van Nhien Phong Cung Pagoda, Cau Ke town. Visitors to the islet also get to enjoy the famous and exotic local delicacies such as snakehead fish hotpot, chicken hotpot with giang leaves,… During the dry season, a beach emerges on the islet, where visitors can freely splash around in the cool water. Before leaving, visitors should not forget to pick some fresh fruits from the orchards as souvenirs
Exploring Mekong Delta Fruit Orchards Tours (Photo by ST)
7. Tra Su Melaleuca Forest
Heading towards An Giang, make sure to visit Tra Su Melaleuca Forest at least once in your lifetime to fully immerse yourself in the peaceful atmosphere and picturesque landscapes of the Mekong Delta.
Mekong Delta Immersive Orchard Tours (Photo by ST)
Tra Su Melaleuca Forest is located approximately 30km from Chau Doc, and there are plenty of coaches available at reasonable prices for tourists. The most enjoyable way to explore is by boat. Each tourist will be given a conical hat when boarding the boat. The boat will glide smoothly through the marshlands thanks to the skillful paddling of the boatwoman, allowing tourists to admire the natural scenery of the melaleuca forest, various birds, and storks in the forest, as well as see the lush green water lilies covering the water's surface. After the tour, visitors will stop at leafy huts and savor delicious countryside dishes such as grilled snakehead fish with straw, sour soup with wild carp flowers...
A corner of Tra Su Melaleuca Forest (Photo by ST)
8. Tan Lap Floating Village
About 100km west of Ho Chi Minh City, you will find Tan Lap Floating Village in Moc Hoa District, Long An Province. For 50,000 VND, you can enter the forest by boat, then you will hike to explore the forest. You will walk on a cement path winding through the trees and see a 38m-high watchtower. From the tower, you can admire the entire forest scenery. Along the road are towering melaleuca forests, and when the sun shines, the light filters through the branches, creating a feeling as if you are lost in a fairy tale. This place has attracted many photographers and couples for wedding photoshoots. You can take a day trip or camp overnight here, grilling chicken. The romantic scenery, fresh, cool, and peaceful atmosphere create a wonderful space for your family, friends, or loved ones' trip
Tan Lap Floating Village Path (Photo by ST)
9. Be Village Tourist Area
Located about 90km from Ho Chi Minh City, Be Village Tourist Area is in 81B/6B An Khanh Commune, Chau Thanh District, Ben Tre City, across Rach Mieu Bridge. The beautiful landscape here is closely associated with the local people's fish farming profession. If you don't have much time and money for travel, you can immerse yourself in the atmosphere here. For just 40,000 VND, you can rent a set of ba ba clothes and a turban to resemble a person from the rivers and canals region and participate in activities such as monkey bridge crossing, balancing bike riding across the bridge, catching fish in the ditch, swinging across the river...
Traveling to the Mekong Delta - Be Village (Photo by ST)
Rent a three-leaf boat to paddle along the canal and cut coconut water. After experiencing the fatigue, it's the perfect time to enjoy Ben Tre cuisine like shrimp hotpot, coconut shoot salad, salt and chili grilled chicken... Spending a day relaxing after a tiring week of work here is the best thing ever
Mekong Delta ecotourism tour with traditional folk games (Photo by ST)
10. Gao Gieng Ecotourism Area
Gao Gieng Ecotourism Area is about 15km from the center of Cao Lanh City. To get here, visitors can travel by road or waterway. This tourist area has a 36ha bird garden with 15 species of birds and hundreds of species of flora and fauna. Before visiting the bird garden, you will be given a telescope to climb up the 18m high observation tower, where you can observe the surrounding scenery, flora, and fauna. Then you will row a boat to approach the bird garden, creating a feeling of harmony with nature. Whether at dawn or dusk, Gao Gieng always becomes lively and bustling with the sound of birds calling, each flock of white storks returning to their nests. Enjoy the wonderful nature and local cuisine here such as grilled snakehead fish with young lotus leaves dipped in tamarind fish sauce, stewed snakehead fish with fermented rice, sour soup with sesbania flowers, water lily buds... Don't forget to enjoy the additional rice wine mixed with tràm honey to make the dishes more flavorful
Gao Gieng Ecotourism Area (Photo by ST)
