Must-see attractions in Mekong Delta

  • Bai Sao Beach, Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam.

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    Sao Beach

    Phu Quoc Island

    With picture-perfect white sand, the delightful curve of beautiful Sao Beach bends out alongside a sea of mineral-water clarity just a few kilometres from…

  • Hon Son Island

    Mekong Delta

    Hon Son, also known after its main village of Lai Son, is a solitary and beautiful mountain island about 50km southwest of Rach Gia on the southern shores…

  • Cai Rang floating market, Can Tho, Vietnam.

    Cai Rang Floating Market

    Can Tho

    The biggest floating market in the Mekong Delta, Cai Rang is 6km from Can Tho in the direction of Soc Trang. There's a bridge here that serves as a great…

  • Ba Chuc Tomb

    Chau Doc

    Ba Chuc’s memorial, 40km south of Chau Doc, stands as a ghastly reminder of the horrors perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge. Between 18 April and 30 April 1978…

  • View over Hon Thom Island coast from Phu Quoc cable car with a speed boat down on the sea and rainforest with som small hauses and the horizon in background.

    An Thoi Islands

    Phu Quoc Island

    Just off the southern tip of Phu Quoc, these 15 islands and islets are a paradise of white sand and blue waters. They can be visited by chartered boat for…

  • Pirate Island

    Ha Tien

    This small speck of an island, covered in lush vegetation and with clear blue waters, has a sordid 500-year history as a pirate haven that only came to an…

  • Xeo Quyt Forest

    Mekong Delta

    Around 35km southeast of Cao Lanh is the magnificent 52-hectare Xeo Quyt Forest near My Hiep village. One vast swamp beneath a beautiful thick canopy of…

  • Cavern Pagoda

    Mekong Delta

    Also known as Phuoc Dien Tu, this temple is halfway up the western (far) side of Sam Mountain, with amazing views of the surrounding countryside. The…

  • Tra Su Bird Sanctuary

    Chau Doc

    This immense 800,000-hectare forest is home to an astounding number of wading birds. Much of the wetland is off-limits to visitors so that the birds'…

  • Ong Temple

    Can Tho

    In a fantastic location facing the Can Tho River and decorated with huge, constantly burning incense coils, this Chinese temple is set inside the…

  • Huynh Thuy Le Old House

    Mekong Delta

    This wonderfully atmospheric 1895 house on the riverfront was once the residence of Huynh Thuy Le, the son of a rich Chinese family who had an affair with…

  • Xa Lon Pagoda

    Mekong Delta

    Originally built in wood in the 18th century, this magnificent Khmer pagoda was completely rebuilt in 1923 but proved to be too small. From 1969 to 1985…

  • Kayaks and water bicycle on Long Beach.

    Long Beach

    Phu Quoc Island

    Long Beach is draped invitingly along the west coast from Duong Dong to An Thoi. Development concentrates in the north, near Duong Dong, where the…

  • PHU QUOC, VIETNAM - 2006/02/10: Fish Sauce Nưoc Mam Vats -Besides fishing, fish sauce - a popular form of seasoning in Southeast Asian food, is the other main source of income on Phu Quoc island. Giant vats of fish sauce, such as these, are used for fermentation before bottling.. (Photo by John S Lander/LightRocket via Getty Images)

    Fish Sauce Factory

    Phu Quoc Island

    The distillery of Nuoc Mam Hung Thanh is the largest of Phu Quoc’s fish-sauce makers, a short walk from the market in Duong Dong. At first glance, the…

  • Phong Dien floating market

    Phong Dien Floating Market

    Can Tho

    An intimate floating market, Phong Dien has more stand-up rowing boats than motorised craft, with local vendors shopping and exchanging gossip. Less…

  • Binh Thuy ancient house is one of the rare French-style houses remaining in South, Vietnam.

    Binh Thuy Ancient House

    Can Tho

    Dating from 1870, the Binh Thuy house was built by wealthy merchant Duong Chan Ky and extensively renovated in the French colonial style in the early 20th…

  • Nam Du Islands

    Mekong Delta

    The Nam Du archipelago is a cluster of 20 islands located more than 80km off the coast and ringed with sandy coves. The main island of Hon Lon (Big Island…

  • Tay An Pagoda

    Mekong Delta

    Founded in 1847 on the site of an earlier shrine, Tay An’s current structure dates from 1958. Aspects of its eclectic architecture, particularly its domed…

  • Sa Dec Flower Village

    Mekong Delta

    There are many small nurseries lining the river and canals here, each with a different speciality, although the town is most famous for its roses. The…

  • Thach Dong Cave Pagoda

    Ha Tien

    This Buddhist cave temple is 4km northeast of town. Scramble through the cave chambers to see the funerary tablets and altars to Ngoc Hoang, Quan The Am…

  • Bang Lang Stork Garden

    Mekong Delta

    On the road between Can Tho and Long Xuyen, this magnificent 1.3-hectare bird sanctuary has astonishing views of thousands of resident storks and snowy…

  • Tram Chim National Park

    Mekong Delta

    Tram Chim National Park is around 40km north of Cao Lanh and notable for its rare red-headed cranes (Grus antigone sharpii), although more than 220…

  • Duong Dong

    Phu Quoc Island

    The island’s main town and chief fishing port on the west coast is a tangle of budget hotels catering to domestic tourists (although foreigners are…

  • Phu Quoc Prison

    Phu Quoc Island

    Not far from Sao Beach in the south of the island, Phu Quoc's notorious old prison, built by the French in the late 1940s, contains a small museum that…

  • Hang Pagoda

    Tra Vinh

    This modern Khmer pagoda is also known as the stork pagoda after the birds that nest in the tall trees here. It’s a beautiful, peaceful complex, and…

  • Mui Nai Beach

    Ha Tien

    The best of the Gulf of Thailand beaches, Mui Nai is 8km west of Ha Tien. The water is incredibly warm and becalmed, so great for taking a dip, and the…

  • Floating Houses

    Chau Doc

    These rustic houses, the floats of which consist of empty metal drums, are both a place to live and a livelihood for their residents. Under each house,…

  • War Martyrs Monument

    Mekong Delta

    On the eastern edge of town off Hwy 30, the War Memorial is Cao Lanh’s most prominent landmark, a Socialist Realist–style sculpture featuring a large…

  • Ho Quoc Pagoda

    Phu Quoc Island

    Climb the stairs of this pagoda, on a remote stretch of coastal road 10km north of Sao Beach, for one of the best views from any temple in Vietnam: blue…

  • Pitu Kohsa Rangsay Pagoda

    Can Tho

    Trying to hide down a quiet backstreet, but gloriously gilded in gold, this rare three-level Khmer Theravada Buddhist pagoda from 1948 contrasts sharply…

  • Van Thanh Mieu

    Mekong Delta

    At the heart of the city and encompassing a temple and lake with a topiary outline of Vietnam in the middle, this lush park is a wonderful place to…

  • Ong Lang Beach

    Phu Quoc Island

    Ong Lang Beach has a series of sandy bays sheltered by rocky headlands, and several midrange resorts in the area service those wanting to get away from…

  • Dong Thap Museum

    Mekong Delta

    The Dong Thap Museum is among the Mekong's best museums, despite having only limited English captions. The ground floor of the handsome building displays…

  • Dinh Cau Temple

    Phu Quoc Island

    This combination temple and lighthouse was built in 1937 to honour Thien Hau, the Goddess of the Sea, who provides protection for sailors and fishers…

  • Thom Beach

    Phu Quoc Island

    The road from Dai Beach to Thom Beach via Ganh Dau is very beautiful, passing through dense forest with tantalising glimpses of the coast below. Thom…

  • Temple of Lady Xu

    Mekong Delta

    Founded in the 1820s to house a statue of Lady Xu that’s become the subject of a popular cult, this large temple faces Sam Mountain, on the same road as…

  • Jungle landscape with flowing water at deep tropical rain forest. National Park Phu Quoc Vietnam.

    Phu Quoc National Park

    Phu Quoc Island

    About 70% of Phu Quoc is forested and the trees and adjoining marine environment enjoy official protection. This is the last large stand of forest in the…

  • Tranh Waterfall (Suoi Tranh)

    Suoi Da Ban

    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…

  • Oc-Eo

    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,…

  • U-Minh Forest

    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…