Phu Quoc Island
Suoi Da Ban is a white-water creek tumbling across some attractive large granite boulders. There are deep pools and it’s nice enough for a dip. Bring…
Must-see attractions in Mekong Delta
Mekong Delta
During the 1st to 6th centuries AD, when southern Vietnam and southern Cambodia were under the rule of the Indian-influenced Cambodian kingdom of Funan,…
Mekong Delta
Bordered by Ca Mau, the largest mangrove forest beyond the Amazon basin covers 1000 sq km. Home to endangered mammals, including the hairy-nosed otter and…
Mekong Delta
Buu Son Tu (Precious Mountain Temple) was founded over 200 years ago by a Chinese family named Ngo. The temple is highly unusual in that nearly every…
Ha Tien
This pagoda was founded in the mid-18th century by Nguyen Thi Xuan. Her tomb and that of one of her female servants are on the hillside behind the pagoda…
Mekong Delta
This bird sanctuary is notable for its 50-odd species of birds, including a large population of white herons. Bird populations peak in the rainy season –…
Mekong Delta
This temple is dedicated to Nguyen Trung Truc, a leader of the 1860s resistance campaign against the newly arrived French. The first temple structure was…
Mekong Delta
You need to walk through the market at the far end of Duong Beach to reach the cave pagoda, set against the base of a stony headland. The entry to the…
Mekong Delta
Mahatup Pagoda, also called the Bat Pagoda, is a large, peaceful Khmer monastery compound with a resident colony of fruit bats. Hundreds of these…
Mekong Delta
A high-ranking official, Thoai Ngoc Hau (1761–1829) served the Nguyen Lords and, later, the Nguyen dynasty. In early 1829 Thoai Ngoc Hau ordered that a…
Mekong Delta
This mottled gold pagoda could have been transported straight from Cambodia. Originally built from bamboo in 1533, it had a complete concrete rebuild in…
Tra Vinh
Five kilometres southwest of Tra Vinh, this large, lotus-filled, square pond is a favourite with local picnickers, and a spiritual site for the Khmers. It…
Ha Tien
Founded by Mac Cuu in 1730, Tam Bao Pagoda is home to a community of Buddhist nuns. In front of the splendid, many-tiered pagoda is a statue of Quan The…
Phu Quoc Island
With displays on Vietnamese medicines, Stone Age tools, a boatful of barnacle-encrusted ceramics, oddly compelling shell-covered furniture and a small…
Tra Vinh
The very ornate, brightly painted Ong Pagoda is a fully fledged Chinese pagoda and a very active place of worship. The red-faced god on the altar is…
Chau Doc
The pretty, pastel Mubarak Mosque, where local Cham Muslim children study the Qur'an in Arabic script, is on the riverbank opposite Chau Doc. Visitors are…
Chau Doc
This temple was built in 1926 to worship the Nguyen dynasty official Thoai Ngoc Hau, buried at Sam Mountain. The yellow structure is decorated with both…
Ha Tien
The name translates as East Lake, though Dong Ho is actually an inlet of the sea. It's said to be most beautiful on nights when there is a full or almost…
Phu Quoc Island
Compared with the waterlogged Mekong Delta, Phu Quoc has very little surface moisture, but there are several springs originating in the hills. The most…
Mekong Delta
Even though the signage is in Vietnamese only, the upstairs exhibition on the Oc-Eo culture is well worth a look, with pottery, fine gold jewellery and a…
Phu Quoc Island
This is an appealing northern beach accessible via the coastal road. The waves are rough and it's a little neglected, with rubbish in parts, but it means…
Vinh Long
The most popular and easiest island to visit is An Binh. You can take the public ferry across and cycle around on your own, but it's better to be on the…
Chau Doc
Stretching from the main market to the Victoria Chau Doc Hotel, this park is the city’s main promenading spot and a superlative area for river gazing…
Can Tho
This large, well-presented museum brings local history to life with mannequins and life-size reproductions of buildings, including a Chinese pagoda and a…
Tra Vinh
Built on temple ruins adjacent to Ba Om Pond, Ang Pagoda is a venerable Khmer-style pagoda, fusing classic Khmer architecture with French colonial…
Tra Vinh
The newest of Tra Vinh's Khmer pagodas is best appreciated from the other side of the river on Kho Dau. From there, the golden peaks reach into the sky…
Mekong Delta
From Duong Beach, just beyond Hon Chong village, you can see rocky remnants of Father and Son Isle, several hundred metres offshore. It was said to be…
Tra Vinh
The most central of Tra Vinh's Khmer pagodas is active, with monks sweeping, studying in the library and going about their business. They will show you…
Phu Quoc Island
The most accessible of the northern beaches, Cua Can is about 11km from Duong Dong. It remains mercifully quiet during the week, but can get busy at…
Can Tho
This small golden pagoda was originally built in 1946 to serve Can Tho’s Khmer community. The ornamentation is typical of Khmer Theravada Buddhist pagodas…
Chau Doc
You need to get up at the crack of dawn to see the best of this floating market. The action is busiest around 5am to 6am, when locals gather to buy fresh…
Mekong Delta
Part of the old Cong Tu family house has been turned into the Cong Tu Bac Lieu Museum, which offers a mishmash collection of antique furniture, old…
Mekong Delta
Traditionally Ca Mau life was lived facing the water, and while the floating market has disappeared in recent years, the main market still sprawls along…
Mekong Delta
Like all Cao Dai places of worship, this temple (built in 1966) is a riot of colour and ornamentation, though there are more impressive ones elsewhere in…
Khmer Minority People’s Museum
Tra Vinh
This nicely presented Khmer Minority People’s Museum displays photos, costumes and other artefacts of traditional Khmer culture.
Phu Quoc Island
A relatively isolated northern beach that retains its remote tropical charm.
Mekong Delta
The tomb of Ho Chi Minh’s father, Nguyen Sinh Sac (1862–1929), is the centrepiece of a pretty 9.6-hectare park and model heritage village of wooden houses…
Chau Doc
Because of its network of connecting caves, Tuc Dup Hill (216m) served as a strategic base of operations for US soldiers during the American War. Tuc dup…
Mekong Delta
Just beyond Hon Chong, a headland road hugs grubby Duong Beach for 3km, passing a Khmer temple. The sparse karst rock formations in the sea are unusual,…
