Thanh An Island is an island commune in Can Gio District, 70 km east of Ho Chi Minh City center. This is an ideal destination for those who love peaceful rural life, away from the dust of the city. Coming here, visitors will discover a pristine natural area with a warm welcome from the gentle and hospitable fishing villagers.
Thanh An Island has an area of about 131 km2 with about 5,000 inhabitants. This was once considered an important gateway of Saigon - Gia Dinh. The island lies between two large rivers: Thi Vai River and Long Tau River. This place was also the logistics area of the 10 Rung Sac Special Forces Group in the past.
Due to the geographical isolation, life here is still difficult. The people of this poor island commune still have to live entirely on fishing, salt making and forest care.
Photo: Vic for ten.
a Destination of the Day
Thanh An is not a tourist attraction. There is no beautiful scenery to "live virtual". In fact, tourists come to Thanh An because they want to find a sense of peace, experience the simple life with the gentle fishing villagers with smiles always on their faces.
Thanh An Island is wild and peaceful (photo: Vic for ten).
Coming to Thanh An, you can walk on the long dikes that curve around the island, watch the sea, feel the waves lapping in the wind. Or you can simply wander through the pure white salt fields.
Lonely tree, a check-in location on Thanh An island (photo: Vic for ten).
Because the island is still wild and has not been exploited for tourism, there are no motels or hotels on the island. Tourists who come here usually come and go on the same day. However, recently, due to the increasing number of visitors to the island, many households on the island have opened affordable homestay services.
Photo: Vic for ten.
fresh seafood
The attraction of Thanh An Island is seafood. Tourists can buy seafood directly from fishermen when their boats have just landed and then stop by a local's house to have it prepared or can ask the host where they are staying to buy and prepare it for them. Although not as rich as Can Gio, seafood on Thanh An Island is always fresh because it is just caught, and the price is quite cheap. The seafood that cannot be missed are oysters, crabs, clams, mantis shrimp, etc.
In addition to seafood at the market, the island also sells snacks such as: noodles, pho, banh canh, steamed bread, grilled chicken feet, skewers, grilled yellowstripe scad, grilled rice paper, grilled bananas, etc.
Not famous for delicious food like Binh Ba or possessing beautiful scenery like many other islands, Thanh An brings its own beauty of a peaceful island commune, suitable for those who want to find a quiet, fresh atmosphere, away from the dust and noise of the city.
How to get to Thanh An Island?
There are many ways to get to Thanh An. If you go by motorbike or car, you can take the Binh Khanh ferry, go straight for about 40 minutes to reach Can Thanh. Here you can park your vehicle and take a boat to the island.
If you go by bus, from Ben Thanh, you can take bus number 20 to Binh Khanh ferry, cross the ferry in about 15 minutes. Then take bus number 90 to Thanh An ferry wharf, get on the ferry and after about 45 minutes, you will arrive in Thanh An.
Photo: Vic for ten.
There are two different ferry terminals on the island, which can be in different places when you go there and when you return. You should ask the locals in advance to find the ferry. However, Saturday and Sunday are crowded, so you should arrive at the terminal about 30 minutes early to avoid missing the ferry.
