If you are wondering to find a place to have fun with fresh air, close to nature, and beautiful scenery, then try setting foot in the Sen – Dong Thap region to enjoy the beauty here!
Dong Thap is in the Mekong Delta, where the Tien River flows into Vietnam, and has a border with Cambodia. Neighboring provinces of Dong Thap include Long An, Tien Giang, Vinh Long, Can Tho, and An Giang. The provincial capital of Dong Thap is Cao Lanh city, in addition there are two other cities, Sa Dec and Hong Nghi, and 9 districts.
Dong Thap is located in the tropical monsoon climate zone, with two distinct seasons every year: the rainy season and the flood season from mid-May to November (the peak of the wet season is usually September to mid-October) and the dry season (usually the peak of the wet season is September to mid-October). still hot season) from around December to the end of April next year.
Dong Thap is famous for its lotus ponds, a part of the ancient Dong Thap Muoi region.
Move
Dong Thap does not have an airport yet, visitors should fly to Ho Chi Minh City or Can Tho and then use road transportation.
The distance from Ho Chi Minh City to Cao Lanh city (Dong Thap) is about 145 km, travel time is 3 hours. From Can Tho to Cao Lanh is 85 km, travel time is about 1 hour 45 minutes.
Passenger buses from Ho Chi Minh City to Dong Thap depart from Mien Tay bus station or a few points in the city. Popular bus companies: Phuong Trang, Tam Nong, Tai Loi, Quang Phat, Kim Cuong. Ticket prices range from 80,000 to 100,000 VND depending on time of booking and bus company.
Between Can Tho and Dong Thap, tourists can also travel by waterway on the Hau River, through Bang Tang – Cai Dua, Ba Gua – Vinh Thoi, Tan Loc – Tan Thanh, Tan Loc – Cai Doi and Bo Ot wharves. – Dinh An. Ferry time is from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Ticket prices range from 1,000 VND to 20,000 VND depending on the means of transportation.
Accommodation
Hotels in Dong Thap are mainly concentrated in two big cities: Cao Lanh and Sa Dec. Room prices range from 300,000 VND to 700,000 VND. Some highly rated hotels on booking websites include: Thu Le, Tri Le, De Vuong, Bao Ngoc.
Next to Tram Chim, Wildbird hotel with many options, conference room accommodating 50 guests, restaurant. In addition, in Tram Chim town, Tam Nong district, a few hundred meters from the garden, there are a number of hotels, motels, and farmstays.
Where to play?
Lotus Leaf Pagoda (Phuoc Kien Tu)
Located in Chau Thanh district, Phuoc Kien pagoda is one of the curious destinations for tourists because the pagoda has ponds full of giant lotus leaves, each leaf has a diameter of 2 to 3 m. Visitors can step into the leaves, stand or sit to take photos. Lotus leaves can withstand weight up to 140 kg.
Visitors can visit the lotus pond for free, but to sit on the lotus leaf to take pictures, there is a service to put a wooden board on the leaf and then take pictures. Price from 30,000 VND per visit. Note that on the way there are many houses with signs “Send car to the temple” offering motorbike taxi services to take them to the temple. If traveling by car, visitors should come close to the bridge before parking, but motorbikes can cross the bridge into the temple yard. The lake is in front of the small pagoda. Visitors go around to the right and will reach the large lake, where there are many large lotus leaves.
Tram Chim National Park
Tram Chim National Park, Tam Nong district, is home to more than 230 bird species, including 32 rare species, 16 species are in the red book. In 2012, Tram Chim was recognized as the 2,000th Ramsar site (wetland of international importance) in the world and the fourth in Vietnam. This is also a place to preserve red-crowned cranes.
February every year is the best time to go to Tram Chim to watch the birds fly back. To visit, visitors can choose to take a motorboat or a tugboat. There are two travel routes with distance of 12 km and 21 km, duration of 1.5 hours and 3 hours. Along the route, visitors will see miniature Dong Thap Muoi with melaleuca forests, grass fields, ghost rice fields, and lotus fields. The floating water season is from August to November, Tram Chim opens sightseeing routes that combine experiences of catching fish, setting nets, laying roofing, and catching mice.
Huynh Thuy Le ancient house
Located in the center of Sa Dec city, on Nguyen Hue street, Huynh Thuy Le ancient house is not as large as Binh Thuy ancient house in Can Tho . The traditional three-room house in the Southwest region has an area of about 250 m2, with the main materials being precious wood and a boat-shaped roof covered with yin and yang tiles. The house is still almost intact compared to the original, with many corners for visitors to take beautiful photos.
In addition to the value of combining East and West architectural styles, the house is also famous for its connection to the borderless love between a French girl and a wealthy Chinese-Vietnamese gentleman in the early 20th century. the owner of the house. The love story is also the content of the literary work The Lover (L’Amant), once made into a movie, and filmed in this very house.
Kien An Cung Pagoda
The pagoda is also called Ong Quach Pagoda, more than 100 years old, with Chinese cultural architectural style. The pagoda has three compartments: East hall, West hall and main hall. The roof is tiled in 3 layers, the top is tiled, the middle is tiled, and the bottom is tiled. The tiles are covered with dragon waves, creating a tile roof in the style of the five elements. Each end of the wave is a miniature palace, including 6 palaces. The entire pagoda does not have a truss, only a wooden beam. On the walls are images from Journey to the West and Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The pagoda was recognized as a national historical site in 1990, open from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. every day of the week, free admission.
Xeo Quyt tourist area
Xeo Quyt relic site is a meaningful destination, where from 1960 to 1975 the Kien Phong Provincial Party Committee (now Dong Thap) chose to be the base in the resistance war against the US. Xeo Quyt is located 30 km from Cao Lanh city, convenient to travel from both Cao Lanh and Sa Dec cities, with an area of about 50 hectares, including 20 hectares of primary cajuput forest.
Xeo Quyt historical and ecological relic site will give visitors the feeling of being lost in a primeval forest with wild natural scenery. To Xeo Quyt, you can go by road or river. If you like to weave under the canopy of forest trees, visitors can walk along the unique path in the relic, about 1.5 km long. Recognized as a national historical site in 1992, Xeo Quyt is a tourist destination that returns to its origins, a place that preserves traces of the struggle period of Dong Thap’s army and people.
Dong Sen Thap Muoi eco-tourism area
This is where visitors can admire the most lotus flowers in Dong Thap. The best time is from June to November every year. If you can’t come during the peak blooming season, you can still come here at any time because the air here is fresh and quiet.
If you come here, you can notice the unique color change of the lotus flower. Usually in the morning, the flowers will be light pink, then turn pink at noon. And the time the lotus is considered the most beautiful of the day is around 3pm because at this time the flowers will bloom quite large, showing off their black and yellow sepals sparkling in the sunlight. Then in the afternoon, the lotus color gradually becomes darker pink, and then when the sun sets, the lotus color is as red as the sunset.
Opening hours are from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day. Entrance ticket: 20,000 VND on weekdays and 30,000 VND on weekends.
Lai Vung tangerine garden
Lai Vung, about 10 km from Sa Dec, located between the Tien and Hau rivers, is blessed with fresh water and fertile alluvium, so it has become a fruit growing area. In particular, Lai Vung persimmon garden is quite famous, becoming a destination that attracts a large number of tourists.
Tangerine season usually falls at the beginning of the year. The time from when the tree bears fruit until it can be harvested is about a month and a half, around the time of the Lunar New Year. This is also the time when tangerine gardens open to visitors and begin trading. Visitors can walk around, take photos, pick fruits and buy them to take home. In addition, around March-April, the tangerine garden blooms with white flowers, with a gentle fragrance like grapefruit, orange, and lemon flowers.
Dinh Yen mat village
Located along the banks of Hau River, about 15 km from Cao Lanh city, Dinh Yen mat village was formed hundreds of years ago. Coming to the village, visitors will enjoy the bustling working atmosphere of the people. This place is always colorful, from inside the house to the alley with green, red, yellow, white, purple threads along with laughter.
Dinh Yen mats include white mats, mats printed with patterns, storks, and ornately decorated wedding mats. Dinh Yen does not have stalls, mat buyers often find a fixed place to wait, and sellers carry mats to sell. Previously, the market opened late at night until 2-3 o’clock, so it was also called ghost market or underworld market. In 2013, the mat weaving profession in Dinh Yen commune was recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage.
Temple to worship the owners of Cao Lanh market
Located on Le Loi Street, Cao Lanh City, the temple worshiping the owners of Cao Lanh market (Mr. and Mrs. Do Cong Tuong) is famous for its sacredness throughout the region, especially with the business community. Through the process of existence and restoration, the relic is now an architectural complex including a temple, guesthouse, and tomb built with solid materials, decorated, and carved in the architectural style of the Nguyen Dynasty. , typical of Southern communal houses and temples at the end of the 19th century. Here, along with the Temple of the Goddess of Sam Mountain, are spiritual tourist destinations that attract crowds of people everywhere every Tet holiday.
Sa Dec flower village
Sa Dec flower village is considered the kingdom of flowers, formed in the late 19th century located on the Tien River, nearly 800 hectares wide. Initially, flower growing was only concentrated in Tan Quy Dong ward, now it has developed into 2 more wards, with the participation of more than 2,300 households. The flower village has about 2,000 varieties of ornamental flowers, from flowering trees to leaf trees, construction trees, and fruit trees.
Because of the richness of varieties, hundreds of flowers bloom every season. Many people consider Sa Dec flower village to be a place with “four springs”, but it is most brilliant near the new year. Along with selling ornamental flowers, gardeners in Sa Dec have invested in developing flower village tourism, with many attractions such as: frog flower house homestay, Phong Levent, Happyland Hung Thy, Sa Nhien Garden, Tu Rose Garden Ton, Rose Field
Eat what
Dong Thap is full of typical dishes of the Mekong Delta region such as fish sauce hot pot, goby fish, flexible fish, noodles, beef noodle soup, banh khot and many more typical dishes, especially processed foods. transformed from lotus.
Sa Dec Flour Village culinary area
This is a stopover for many tourists during the day, with dozens of folk cakes from sweet cakes to salty cakes and all kinds of sweet soup. We can mention dishes such as mung bean banh beo, Western shrimp and lice, salty banh duc, banana cake, jackfruit leaf cake, banh it tran, banh bo, banh duc, banh tet, banh tam ta, banh xeo, banh canh . The space is spacious and airy, this place can serve large and small groups of guests with many requests. Each person’s meal ranges from 100,000 VND to 200,000 VND depending on needs. The area is open from 9am to 7pm.
Lotus dishes
For many years, Dong Thap has built a list of ways to prepare 200 lotus dishes to promote to tourists. Therefore, it would be a mistake not to try a meal with this frugal yet delicious dish. Popular dishes include lotus seed rice, lotus root salad, lotus stewed chicken, lotus root stewed soup, lotus seed stewed soup, lotus root sour soup, lotus root salad, lotus leaf tea, lotus sweet soup, dried lotus root with salt and chili.
Reference addresses: Dam Sen ecological cuisine area, Song Sinh restaurant, Co Ba restaurant, Dai Nam restaurant, Sen Le Bo Community Ecotourism Area. This is also where there is a food court with many lotus dishes, prepared by the farmers themselves in a popular style. Visitors can sit and enjoy food right at the lotus pond.
In addition, in tourist areas such as Tram Chim, Xeo Quyt, and Dam Sen, there are restaurants serving specialties of field fish, snails, field mice, fish sauce hotpots, crab hotpots, and lotus dishes. .
Note
In the Mekong Delta region, the roads are small and the road surface is not beautiful, so travel time is long and the average car speed is only about 40 km/h.
Ferries running between Can Tho and Dong Thap mainly serve people, so if tourists require higher service, they should contact travel companies to book a tour.