Vinh Long Travel Guide 2024, top 13 must-experience places


Tra On floating market in Tra On district, Vinh Long province

Due to its location in the tropical monsoon climate zone, Vinh Long has two distinct seasons: the dry season (from December to April) and the rainy season (the remaining time). The average temperature is 12 degrees Celsius, with the highest temperature around 4 degrees. 

Vinh Long is one of the provinces with large fruit orchards in the West. In addition, there are about 20 ethnic groups living together with many different religions, creating cultural diversity, cuisine and lifestyle. The province also has many historical and cultural relics. 

Transportation

Vinh Long is about 100 km from Ho Chi Minh City and 30 km from Can Tho, so visitors can choose many different means of transportation such as plane, car, bus, motorbike, depending on the starting point.

Passenger buses departing from Mien Tay bus station (HCMC) to Vinh Long have Phuong Trang, Tri Nhan, Hoa Hiep, Nguyen An brands with ticket prices from 180.000 VND to 280.000 VND, travel time about 3 hours. There are sleeper buses and limousines. From Can Tho, there is a bus with a ticket price of about 20.000 VND one way, with a frequency of 30 minutes per trip.

Taxi from Can Tho to Vinh Long costs 250.000 to 300.000 VND per trip.

From Ho Chi Minh City, tourists coming to Vinh Long by road will pass through My Thuan Bridge.

Vinh Long does not have an airport but is very close to Can Tho airport so tourists from the Central and Northern provinces can travel by air to Can Tho airport. Currently, airlines Vietnam Airline, Vietjet Air operates flights to Can Tho. Round-trip fares from Ha Noi to Can Tho ranges from 2,5 million VND to 4,5 million VND, ticket prices from Da Nang to Can Tho ranges from 2 to 3,5 million VND.

By traveling by bus or personal vehicle, visitors will admire My Thuan Bridge (1 and 2), the first cable-stayed bridge and bridge across the Mekong River in Vietnam.

Stay

Hotels in Vinh Long are mainly concentrated in the city center, with a variety of room types, from motels, homestays to 2-3 star hotels. 

Saigon Vinh Long, Cuu Long, Vinh Sang, Phuoc Thanh hotels are highly rated accommodation establishments, room prices range from 400.000 VND to 1,1 million VND per night, depending on type.

Vinh Long also has many homestay accommodation businesses such as Ut Trinh, Mekong River, Thuy An, Phuong Thao, Ut Thuy, Ngoc Phuong, Nam Thanh, Bay Trung, Hai Dao with prices from 350.000 VND per night. 

Where to play?

From the city center, within a radius of about 40 km, Vinh Long has many entertainment spots. If you only come to Vinh Long without other provinces, you can choose a 3-day, 2-night itinerary to explore the most typical destinations. 

 

Zones Travel Ecological

With the advantage of rich land, river and canal systems, Vinh Long has many eco-tourism areas and unique orchards. These locations are where visitors can fully enjoy the river scenery as well as experience recreational activities. 

Vinh Sang eco-tourism area


Working as a farmer in Vinh Sang eco-tourism area.

Vinh Sang tourist area (about 15 km from the city center), also known as Vinh Sang farm, has a green landscape similar to fruit farms. Vinh Sang is located on the Co Chien River, divided into separate play areas, the most prominent of which are the rare animal area and the folk game area. In addition, Vinh Sang also has typical experiences of the Southern river region such as taking a boat into small canals, visiting riverside gardens, making coconut candy, making traditional sticky rice wine, and visiting a bird garden. Tour price per person ranges from 300.000 VND to 400.000 VND.

Truong Huy tourist area 

Located right on Highway 1A, about 5 km from My Thuan bridge towards Vinh Long city, Truong Huy tourist area has a total area of ​​10 hectares, a place for entertainment, recreation and relaxation. Coming here, visitors will immerse themselves in the fresh space of the Western garden and participate in games such as canoeing, kayaking, balance cycling across suspension bridges, monkey bridges, and ditches to catch fish. In addition, visitors can also visit the food court specializing in cooking Western specialties to enjoy.

Nha Xua ecological area

Nha Xua ecological area. 

Nha Xua ecological area (Long Ho district) was built according to the three-compartment house architecture of the ancient Southwest region. Surrounding the house are fruit gardens and trees creating an airy, green space. The ancient house's architecture and surrounding landscape are also a backdrop for people to freely take photos. The house is tinged with time, reminiscent of old memories and memories. Therefore, even those who have little understanding of art must be impressed by the beauty of one of the oldest houses in Vinh Long.

Hoang Hao tourist area

Hoang Hao tourist area has characteristics of the Southwest region, located on a campus of more than 70 hectares with fields, lotus ponds and many miniature landscapes. Besides the cool green space, this place also offers folk games such as slapping ditches to catch fish, going to monkey bridges, canoe swimming competitions, and driving across plank bridges. In addition, there is also an empty land area covered with green grasslands for camping and organizing outdoor picnic activities.

 

Cocohome coconut house

Coco Home coconut house. 

The house was conceptualized and built by the family of Mr. Duong Van Thuong and Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Giac (Mr. and Mrs. Tam) in 2009 with more than 4.000 coconut trees. Except for the tiled roof, every detail such as panels, rafters, columns, partitions, and furniture are all made from coconut wood. To increase longevity, Mr. Thuong said that when purchased coconut trees will be soaked in water for about a year, peeled off the shell, and then treated against termites. The coconut house complex creates a unique, close living space, linked to nature. Cocohome is not only a place to live, live, and worship, but also a place where the homeowner wants to introduce to everyone the value of coconut trees.

 

Phuoc Hau Pagoda

Phuoc Hau Pagoda (Tam Binh district) is a spiritual tourist destination not to be missed in Vinh Long. This is a famous ancient pagoda. Except for the main hall, which was newly built in 1962 according to the East-West architectural model, other parts such as the central hall, the rear, the palace, and the stupa system all date back to 1894. 

Sutra garden in Phuoc Hau pagoda. 

The Dhammapada Sutra Garden consists of 213 blue stone slabs, engraved with 423 sutras on both sides. The stone slabs are arranged to simulate Bodhi leaves spreading out in eight directions, symbolizing the Noble Eightfold Path. The center of the garden is a mountain with four Shakyamuni Buddha statues. The front of the pagoda is built in the style of an ancient building, the middle is decorated with a seven-storey tower model. The temple grounds are spacious with many ancient trees, creating a feeling of sacredness mixed with the purity of a place of practice. Located next to Tra On River, visitors will always feel a gentle, relaxing atmosphere when coming to the temple. 

 

Jade Buddha Relics Temple

Jade Buddha Relics Temple. 

The Emerald Buddha Pagoda is located about 7 km from the city center. At the pagoda's stupa, there are three Buddha relics imported by Venerable Narada Maha Thera (Sri Lankan) from Nepal and India in 1970. Vinh Long Temple of the Emerald Buddha is like a miniature ancient town because Architecture imbued with Vietnamese Buddhist cultural identity. According to the abbot's share, the special thing about the pagoda is the two large dragon stone pillars at Tam Quan gate, cast from monolithic granite, 9 m high, 1,5 m wide, weighing about 20 tons, rare in the region. West.

 

Vinh Long Museum

A tank displays in Vinh Long Museum

The museum is located in the center of Vinh Long city, in front of the tourist wharf on the Co Chien river, across the river is An Binh island with fruitful orchards. In the museum grounds, there are many ancient trees that have been recognized as "Vietnamese historical and cultural relic trees" blending with the exhibition buildings to create an overall ancient, open, shady space. Museums have long become a place for entertainment and community activities, an attraction for the public to research, study, visit, and travel.

 

Tu Buoi Pottery House

Vinh Long is famous for its traditional pottery village, so take the time to explore pottery and visit houses built from ceramics, notably Tu Buoi pottery house (ward 5, Vinh Long city). . The house has a unique model in the Western region. The owner of the house is Mr. Nguyen Van Buoi, an experienced artisan with more than 30 years of experience in the industry. With the natural red color of the ceramic plus the typical three-compartment house architecture of the Southern people. 

 

Mang Thit ceramic tile village 

Mang Thit ceramic tile craft village is located on the Co Chien river and the Thay Cai Kinh has existed for many generations. The craft village used to be likened to a "Brick Kiln Kingdom". Ceramic brick production here not only brings a large source of income to brick kilns but also brings high economic efficiency to Mang Thit in particular and Vinh Long province in general, while contributing to job creation. jobs, creating stable income for local people. Having gone through many ups and downs, now that kingdom has gradually formed "Mang Thit Contemporary Heritage", becoming a destination for many tourists.

 

Memorial area Prime minister Vo Van Kiet

The memorial area for late Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet (Vung Liem district) has an area of ​​1,7 hectares, including a gallery, office, worship area, and garden. This is a cultural project with open, intimate space, showing respect and a place for local people to have fun and entertainment. The exhibition house has many documents, artifacts, and images showing the revolutionary activities of the late prime minister. The most special is the portrait of the late prime minister with a radiant smile on a background of 15.000 photos about his life and career. This place is open from 7:30 a.m. to 17:00 p.m.

 

Tra On floating market

Along with Cai Be, Cai Rang, Ca Mau, Nga Bay, Tra On floating market, about 40 km from Vinh Long city center, is a traditional cultural feature of the West, attracting a large number of domestic and international people. Cai On has existed for more than a century and still retains many unique cultural features of trade of the people of the Mekong Delta. The market is held on a 300 m stretch of river, most bustling on holidays and early mornings. There are times when the water is high in the early morning, the market attracts hundreds of large and small boats from Vinh Long province and neighboring provinces to trade and exchange goods.

 

An Binh Island 

As a small island in the middle of Co Chien River, An Binh Island is one of the places specializing in providing all kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables to the districts and city of Vinh Long. Not only does it have lush fruit gardens, An Binh island is also a famous eco-tourism area with many attractions such as Mr. Muoi Day's stilt house and Tien Chau pagoda. Therefore, more and more people from inside and outside the province come here to have fun and relax. From Vinh Long city to An Binh island by boat is also an interesting experience. During the trip, you can admire the panoramic view of the rich Southern rivers.

In An Binh island, tourists can visit Cai Cuong ancient house, not as big as famous houses in Can Tho or Dong Thap. But if you love the typical Southern style of old houses, this is a suitable address. Around 1885, the great landowner of the area, Cai Cuong, started construction of a house, currently owned by Mr. Pham Van Bon's family. The interior is well preserved, most of it made from precious wood.

Cai Cuong ancient house

Eating

With the diversity in the residential community, Vinh Long cuisine is also quite diverse and rich, combining many types of ingredients.

Tra On braised fish

Tra On braised fish has a special and unforgettable flavo 

This fish usually lives in a small creek at the intersection of salt and brackish waters on the Hau River. Fish is processed in many different ways from braised, braised to grilled, fried, and cooked in soup. Every dish has a unique flavor that few brackish fish can compare to, including braised fish. According to local people, the secret to a delicious pot of charred fish is to braise it with sugarcane. It takes a lot of effort to process, but the charred fish meat is sweet and fragrant. 

 

Sweet potatoes with raw fish sauce


Sweet potatoes dipped in raw fish sauce

Fish sauce and potatoes are a combination of two seemingly unrelated ingredients that create a unique and impressive flavor, becoming a famous signature dish of Vinh Long. The indispensable side dish is kach leaves. The sweetness of sweet potatoes combined with the saltiness of fish sauce and the aroma of leaves create a special dish that diners can remember forever just by trying it once. 

 

Goby fish grilled in reed tube

Goby fish is golden in color when grilled, its meat is moderately soft, sweet and fatty. 

Goby fish is very familiar in Vinh Long and the Mekong Delta, but grilled goby fish in reed tubes is a completely different way to enjoy fish cooked in hot pot. The goby fish are cleaned, placed in a reed tube and grilled on a charcoal stove until cooked. Goby fish is golden in color when grilled, its meat is moderately soft, sweet, and fatty. Grilled goby fish combined with tamarind sauce will be very suitable. 

 

Rice paper rolls on Luc Si Thanh island

Rice paper on May Island

Luc Si Island (May Island) is a traditional craft village specializing in rice paper for more than 70 years. Currently, this craft village produces many types such as chili rice paper, milk rice paper, sweet rice paper, especially spring roll rice paper. Nem rice paper is made from rice flour, without any additives, dried directly under the sun and produced entirely by traditional methods. The finished spring roll rice paper is thin but difficult to tear, soft, not crunchy and has a mild salty taste, often used in rolls.

Specialties

Vinh Long is famous for its specialty gifts associated with the tropics, including many typical fruits. 

Thanh Tra Vinh Long

Thanh tra a specialty fruit in Vinh Long

Thanh Tra is a fruit with yellow skin, round like a lemon, and has two types: sour and sweet. Sour tea bar usually has round fruit with thin skin. When ripe, it is usually dark yellow and easy to bruise. Sweet Tra Thanh Tra fruit is long, hard-shelled, has a white powdery layer on the outside, and is pale yellow when ripe. There are many ways to eat Thanh Tra, sour fruits are dipped in salt and chili, sweet fruits are dipped in sugar. The price of this fruit is about 50.000 VND per kg.

 

Pomelos

Nam Roi grapefruit is a popular fruit in the Mekong Delta, but if we talk about deliciousness and sweetness, we must mention the grapefruit variety grown in My Hoa commune, Binh Minh town, Vinh Long province. This land is deposited with silt every year from the Hau River and Tra On River, combined with suitable climate and soil conditions, creating a famous grapefruit variety. Nam Roi Vinh Long grapefruit is firm, not dry, very suitable as a gift. 

Nam Roi Grapefruit Vinh Long

Tra On orange

Orange baskets are harvested by people

Orange is a tree that bears fruit all year round, so at any time visitors can enjoy it and bring it home as a gift. This type of orange, when fully ripe, will weigh from about 250 to 300 grams per fruit. Tra On oranges can be eaten whole, including the outer skin, and have a laxative function. Although orange has little juice, it is sweet and fragrant.

 

Source: Vietnam.Vn

Update: 17/10/2024