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The Mekong Delta boasts many charming features, including vast rice paddies, picturesque rivers, and numerous delicious local specialties. A summer trip to the Mekong Delta is an experience you should try. Let's start with Ben Tre, the famous homeland of coconuts.
Weather
Located in the Southwestern region of Vietnam, with a year-round warm and sunny climate, Ben Tre can be visited at any time of year. However, the most suitable months are June, July, and August, when you can admire the colorful natural scenery and enjoy fresh, delicious fruits picked directly from the trees, such as mangosteen, durian, and rambutan.
Try your hand at being a farmer in the Mekong Delta by catching fresh fish and enjoying them right there. The best dish is grilled snakehead fish. (Photo)Fotopedia.
Tourist attractions
Determining your itinerary will make it easier to prepare convenient transportation and save time. Ben Tre has many attractions, and here are a few suggestions.
- Quy Island: Located in Chau Thanh district, it is known for its delicious fruits and seafood. While visiting Quy Island, tourists can also enjoy traditional Southern Vietnamese folk music performances.
- Con Phung Island: Located on an islet in the middle of the Tien River, in Tan Thach commune, Chau Thanh district. Here, visitors can take a motorboat along the islet to visit coconut candy processing facilities and souvenir shops made from coconuts, or take a horse-drawn carriage to visit fruit orchards, stopping by a thatched house to enjoy tea with honey and kumquat, and savor tropical fruits.
- Vam Ho Bird Sanctuary: Located in the communes of My Hoa and Tan Xuan, Ba Tri district, this is a gathering place for many rare bird species. Visiting in the afternoon, tourists will encounter a fascinating natural spectacle with vibrant sounds and dazzling colors.
- Fruit orchards: There are two places you can visit: the Cai Mon orchard in Cho Lach and the Tien Long and Tan Phu areas in Chau Thanh district. You can enjoy the cool green space of the orchard, and savor fresh fruits that you pick yourself and eat right there. The ticket price includes one entry to the orchard and unlimited fruit tasting; however, souvenirs must be purchased.
- The tomb of Nguyen Dinh Chieu: located in An Duc commune, Ba Tri district, is the resting place of the great poet, patriot, and physician of the people. Every year on July 1st, the people of Ben Tre always hold a traditional festival here to commemorate the famous poet, a son of Southern Vietnam.
- Dong Khoi Guerrilla Village: located in Dinh Thuy commune, Mo Cay district. Here, visitors can visit the exhibition area, which displays the rudimentary weapons that the people of Ben Tre used to fight against invading forces in the past.
You can freely enjoy fresh fruit while strolling through the orchards in Cho Lach and Cai Mon. (Photo)Vietnamtourism.
Means of transportation
If you're departing from Saigon, you can go to the Western Bus Station in District 6 to find a suitable bus, with prices ranging from 80,000 to 120,000 VND. The journey takes 1.5 to 2 hours.
Alternatively, you can travel by motorbike to enjoy the scenery along the way. It's best to depart at 4 AM or 9 AM (as traffic jams are common between 6 AM and 8 AM). Follow National Highway 1A to My Tho city, where you can stop for breakfast with a bowl of noodle soup. Afterwards, ask for directions to Rach Mieu Bridge; after crossing the bridge, turn right and you'll be in the center of Ben Tre city.
Alternatively, you can choose a tour from travel companies in Saigon that suits your preferences and is convenient for sightseeing.
Rest
If you're a backpacker traveling by private vehicle, you should look for homestays to rest, combine it with learning about the local lifestyle, and enjoy traditional folk dishes typical of the countryside and riverside areas.
Additionally, there are many guesthouses and hotels in Ben Tre city center for you to easily choose from, such as: Cong Doan Hotel, Ham Luong 3-star Hotel, Cuu Long Hotel, Thu Thu Guesthouse, and Que Huong Guesthouse. At night, you can go up to the rooftop of these hotels to enjoy a coffee and admire the streets of Ben Tre along the riverbank.
Specialty dishes
- Flattened bananas: Bananas are flattened and grilled over charcoal, served with coconut milk. The hot, crispy, and fragrant banana combined with the rich, creamy coconut milk will delight you.
- Banh canh bot xat: noodles made from rice flour, a thick broth cooked with duck meat, served with ginger fish sauce. This is a quintessential specialty of the Mekong Delta.
- Pomelo peel dessert: made from pomelo peel, with the green outer layer removed, soaked in salt water, and then cooked. Durian is added to the dessert, giving it a unique flavor.
- Coconut rat meat: This animal, which lives in coconut trees, is prepared into a popular dish among locals. You can enjoy it in many ways, such as grilled, steamed, curry, and most notably, steamed rat cooked in a rice cooker.
- Coconut beetle larvae: This is a unique dish found only in Ben Tre, the land of coconuts. The larvae are soaked in a bowl of fish sauce and then fried in butter. This unique dish is considered a specialty and one of the most nutritious foods in Ben Tre.
- Fruits: Nature has blessed the Mekong Delta with fertile alluvial soil, resulting in an abundance of fruits. You can enjoy almost any kind at a relatively low price, such as mangosteen, durian, rambutan, longan, pomelo, and don't forget the waxy coconut.
Keepsake
If you're traveling a short distance, you can buy specialty fruits like mangosteen, Cai Mon durian, green-skinned pomelo, and Five-Finger pomelo. For longer-lasting purchases, you can buy My Long rice paper, Son Doc puffed rice cakes, various coconut products such as coconut jam, coconut candy, coconut wine… and some beautiful handicrafts made from coconut.
Don't forget the unique souvenirs made from coconut. (Photo:)Magyar1975.blogspot.
