Vietnam Travel guide

U-Minh Forest The town of Ca Mau borders the U-Minh Forest (admission 10,000d; 6am-5pm, closed Mar-May), a vast mangrove forest covering 1000 sq km of Ca Mau and Kien Giang provinces. Local people use certain species of mangrove as a source of timber, charcoal, thatch and tannin. As well as being an important habitat for waterfowl, [...]

On the swampy shores of the Ganh Hao River, Ca Mau is the capital and sole city in Ca Mau province, which covers the southern tip of the Mekong Delta. It’s a remote and inhospitable area that wasn’t cultivated until the late 17th century. Owing to the boggy terrain, the province has the lowest population [...]

Few people stop in Bac Lieu, but bird – watchers pass through en route to the excellent sanctuary near town. The town has a few elegant but forlorn French colonial buildings lining the waterfront, but little else of interest. The grandest of these buildings is the Cong Tu Hotel ( 0781-395 3304; 13 Ð Dien Bien [...]

 It’s a useful base for exploring Khmer temples in the area, although you can probably skip these if Cambodia is on your radar.  Sights Bat Pagoda BUDDHIST TEMPLE The Bat Pagoda (Chua Doi) is a large, peaceful, Khmer monastery compound with a resident colony of fruit bats. Literally hundreds of these creatures hang from the [...]

Arguably the biggest drawcard of the delta is its colourful floating markets, which hug the banks of wide stretches of river. Most market folk set out early to avoid the daytime heat, so try to visit between 6am and 8am and beat the tourist tide. The real tides, however, are also a factor, as bigger [...]

The epicentre of the Mekong Delta, Can Tho is the largest city in the region and feels like a metropolis after a few days exploring the backwaters. As the political, economic, cultural and transportation centre of the Mekong Delta, it’s a buzzing town with a lively waterfront lined with sculpted gardens and an appealing blend [...]

The capital of Vinh Long province and plonked about midway between My Tho and Can Tho, Vinh Long may not be the largest town in the Mekong, but as a major transit hub it can be noisy and chaotic nonetheless. Flee the mayhem by heading to the riverfront, where plenty of cafes and restaurants afford [...]

The boulevards of Tra Vinh, one of the prettiest towns in the Mekong Delta, are still lined with shady trees, harking back to an earlier era. With more than 140 Khmer pagodas dotting the province, Tra Vinh is a quiet place for exploring the Mekong’s little-touted Cambodian connection. The town itself sees minimal tourist traffic, [...]

As tourism took off in the Mekong Delta, the picturesque little province of Ben Tre was always one ferry beyond the tourist traffic of My Tho and consequently developed at a more languid pace, although the opening of the Rach Mieu Bridge from My Tho funneled more visitors into the area. The town’s sleepy waterfront, [...]

Phoenix Island Until his imprisonment for anti-government activities and the consequent dispersion of his flock, the Coconut Monk (Dao Dua) led a small community on Phoenix Island (Con Phung), a few kilometres from My Tho. The Coconut Monk left his family to pursue a monastic life and for three years he sat on a stone [...]

Gateway to the Mekong Delta, My Tho is the capital of Tien Giang province and an important market town – although for the famous floating markets, you’ll need to continue on to Can Tho. My Tho was founded in the 1680s by Chinese refugees fleeing Taiwan after the fall of the Southern Ming dynasty. The [...]

Join in the throngs amid the bustling commerce of the floating markets on a boat trip from Can Tho. Meander along the canals between My Tho and Ben Tre, then step ashore a lush river island to feast on fresh fish. Kick up red dirt on a motorbike ride to the far-flung corners of Phu [...]

Why Go? The ‘rice bowl’ of Vietnam, the Mekong Delta is a landscape carpeted in a dizzying variety of greens and slashed with mighty waterways. It’s a water world where boats, houses, restaurants and even markets float upon the innumerable rivers, canals and streams that flow through the region like arteries. At times you can [...]

. It was formed from silt washing downstream from the river, so don’t expect any white-sand beaches. A few hopeful resorts have sprung up along the murky 10km shoreline and more are planned, although it’s hard to imagine them appealing to international visitors. Of more interest is the forest. This listed Unesco Biosphere Reserve contains [...]