Travel to The Mekong Delta in the afternoon, where to go and what to do to have the most enjoyable experiences? Here are eight suggestions from Wanderlust Tips.
[rpi]LONG TUYEN ANCIENT VILLAGE – TYPICAL BEAUTY OF SOUTHERN VILLAGE
Far from Can Tho’s city centre about 5 kilometres is Long Tuyen Ancient Village, which is considered as a place of convergence of cultural values, symbolising the beauty of the waterland, and it is one of the five Vietnam ancient villages recorgnised by Vietnam Record Association. Although over 100 years old, surviving the test of time, Long Tuyen Village still retain its ancient beauty and unique cultural identity.
Long Tuyen’s scenery is as beautiful as a painting with a crossing river called Binh Thuy. Binh Thuy River is 15 kilometres long, seperating the village into two symmetrical halves and from the village it is divided into 30 interlacing canals. To this day, Long Tuyen Ancient Village has preserved many old architectural works bearing historical and cultural values: Binh Thuy Ancient house, Binh Thuy Communal house, Nam Nha Pagoda, Hoi Linh Pagoda, Long Quang Pagoda.
Must see: Bui Huu Nghia Historical Monument.
Cuisine: The ancient village has many cafés such as Hong Nhung, Khanh Ly, Loc, Pho Xua, Tuyet Hang Anh My …
MY KHANH TOURIST VILLAGE – AN ATTRACTIVE ECO-TOURISM SITE
Located between Cai Rang and Phong Dien Floating markets, My Khanh Tourist Village with an area of 8ha belongs to My Khanh Commune, Phong Dien District, Can Tho City. This ecotourism site attracts visitors with its beautiful gardens in the waterland and a variety of exciting entertainment activities.
Top tips:
Coming here, visitors can explore, and learn about the local life when visiting Southern ancient houses, enjoying “Don Ca Tai Tu” show, working as a farmer for one day, visiting the traditional cultural village, visiting fruit gardens, travelling by horse-drawn carriage or electric taxi, boat rowing, watching pig and dog racing, monkey shows and crocodile fishing. In My Khanh Village, you can find homestays with fully equipped bungalow for guests. Admission fee: VND50,000 per adult and VND30,000 per child.
Cuisine: The restaurants in the tourist village: Da Da, Luc Giac, Ancient House, Nha Xua, Bat Giac, Thuy Ta, My Khanh.
CAN THO GARDENS – ENJOY THE FRUITS OF THE MEKONG DELTA
One of the experiences that can not be missed while visiting the Mekong delta is to visit the orchards. The gardens often have an area of a few hectares, with luxuriant orchards with a variety of fruit: mango, rambutan, mutant coconut, green skin pomelo, dragon fruit, mangosteen, … Here, visitors to the garden can enjoy fruit all year round. In addition, visitors can also try working as a farmer when fish catching at the canal or harvesting fruit. Through these activities, visitors will somewhat learn more about the idle working life of the locals.
Top tips:
Can Tho has a lot of fruit gardens for tourists to visit such as Lung Cot Cau Tourism Site (Nhon Nghia Commune, Phong Dien District), Con Son (Binh Thuy Ward, Binh Thuy District) Vam Xang Orchard (My Khanh Commune, Phong Dien District), Muu Cuong Tourist Garden (My Khanh Commune, Phong Dien District), Bao Gia Trang Vien Eco-Park (Thang Thach Ward, Cai Rang District).
Cuisine: Enjoy the specialties of the Mekong delta Vietnam in the garden.
SA DEC FLOWER VILLAGE – A TOURIST ATTRACTION IN DONG THAP
Sa Dec Flower Village is located in Tan Qui Dong Commune, Sa Dec City, Dong Thap Province. This village is windy, fertile, and full of sunshine all year round and is home to hundreds of exotic species of flowers. The flower village has an area of about 60 hectares, with 600 households and 3,600 workers specialising in growing flowers and ornamental plants. In every month of the year, visitors can admire a forest of flowers, mire ysillage a forest of flowers featuring various colours and aroma. Along with typical plants, such as starfruit, areca nut, carmona retusa, cluster fig trees, banyan, and apricot, there are rare plants over a hundred years old.
Top tips: From Can Tho’s inner city, follow National Highway 1A, then cross National Highway 80 to Tan Qui Dong Commune, Sa Dec City, Dong Thap Province. The distance is more than 60 kilometres.
Must see: Sa Dec Flower Village Park.
Cuisine: Restaurants in Sa Dec City: Sadec Riverside Restaurant (397 Tran Hung Dao), Hai Lua Restaurant (Ton Duc Thang Street), and the Sa Dec Flower Village Café.
PHUONG NAM ZEN MONASTERY – THE LARGEST MONASTERY IN THE MEKONG DELTA
Located in Lo Vong Cung Historical Site, Phuong Nam Zen Monastery was inaugurated on 17th May 2014 in My Khanh Commune, Phong Dien District, Can Tho City. The monastery was built on an area of nearly 4 hectares, with a total construction cost of VND145 billion. The building of the monastery restored the monastery of Buddhist Monk Tran Nhan Tong.The main hall and ancestral house were built in the cultural architectural style of the Ly and Tran dynasties. The bell tower and drum tower resemble the bell tower of the Keo Pagoda in Thai Binh. In particular, these four structures are made of ironwood, from about 1,000 logs imported from South Africa. The Shakyamuni Buddha statue in the main hall is made of bronze, weighing 3.5 tons; the great bell weighs 1.5 tons. The statue of Bodhisattva and Patriarch of Zen Buddhism is carved from 800-year-old coniferous evergreen wood. The interior is well-proportioned with Guanyin Hall, Maitreya Buddha Hall, One Pillar Pagoda, Lecture Hall, Guest House, a prayer hall, a library, and the Oriental medicine room.
Cuisine: Along Province Road 923 in Phong Dien District, there are restaurants such as Ha Chau Restaurant, Riverside Café, and SaKe Garden Café.
ONG PAGODA – 100-YEAR-OLD PAGODA CHARACTERISTIC OF THE CHINESE ARCHITECTURAL STYLE
Ong Pagoda was built by the Chinese community of Guangzhou and Zhaoqing (Guangdong Province, China) in Can Tho from 1894 to 1896 on an area of over 500m² for religional purposes. Therefore, the pagoda is also called Quang Trieu Hoi Quan. The pagoda boasts a unique Chinese architectural style.
Top tips:
The pagoda is located at 32 Hai Ba Trung, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City. Ong Pagoda has three main ceremonies of worshipping Guan Gong (on the 24th of the 6th Lunar month), Holy Mother (on the 23rd of the 3rd Lunar month), and the most quintessential activity of Ong Pagoda Festival: the lantern auction ceremony (auction of six-sided lanterns) that takes place every 10 years with the belief that the lantern will bring luck and success to the owner.
Cuisine: Southern Restaurant (1 Ngo Quyen), Royal Palace Restaurant (55 Phan Dinh Phung), Hoa Cau Café (4 Hai Ba Trung), and V18 Club (Hai Ba Trung Street).
CAN THO’S KHAM LON PRISON – NATIONAL HISTORIC RELIC SITE
Kham Lon Prison is also known as the Prison Provinciale, built by French colonialists in 1878-1886 for the colonial government. Surviving more than a hundred years, it is evidence of cololonial and imperial crimes, as well as honourable evidence for the indomitable spirit of the Vietnamese people.Can Tho’s Kham Lon Prison is divided into two locations, with 21 collective cells (with a capacity for 30 people but in fact there were more than 100 people kept in each cell) and many small cells for solitary confinement. In addition, there are other structures such as pagodas, churches, kitchens, a supervisors’ department and vocational hall. Additionally, there are also displays of torture tools, artifacts made by prisoners, pictures, and precious documentation.
Top tips: Address: No. 8 Ngo Gia Tu Street, Tan An Ward, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho.
Cuisine: Ninh Kieu Restaurant and Ninh Kieu Sky Bar (2A Hai Ba Trung), Rooftop Bar (16 Tran Quoc Toan), and Senior Coffee (36 Ngo Gia Tu).
CAN THO BEACH – RELAX WITH THE WAVES AND ESCAPE HEAT IN CAN THO
In fact, Can Tho Beach is an artificial beach by Hau River in Bai Cat Area (Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City). About 400 metres of the riverbank were covered with 1 million cubic metres of sand to create an artificial beach. From here, visitors can admire Can Tho Bridge nearby.
Top tips:
The ideal time to visit Can Tho Beach is about 14:30pm – 10pm because it is cool, mild and not intensely sunny. Entrance fee: VND20,000 per person. Here, visitors can swim in the cool water and participate in many exciting underwater games such as water motorbike, kayaking, banana floats and high speed boat trips along the beach. Especially, by Can Tho Beach, there are magic shows, exciting dances.
Cuisine: Prince Restaurant and beverages stalls by the beach.
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