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Ben Tre Province
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Cai Mon flower village in Cho Lach District, Ben Tre Province. Photo acquired by VnExpress |
Visitors to Cai Mon flower village in Cho Lach District of Ben Tre can see thousands of colorful flowers. With Lunar New Year approaching, locals hurry to harvest and sell various types of flowers. Therefore, in the final days of the lunar calendar a trip to the village can fill you with the New Year spirit and dazzle you with the beautiful floral scenes.
Visitors can spend a day in some recreational complexes in Ben Tre and enjoy water biking, zip-lining, sailing, and fishing. Don’t forget to taste exotic tropical fruits like grapefruit, An Phuoc plum, Hoa Loc mango, coconut, and pineapple.
The serene river scenes in this Mekong Delta province will help you forget your daily worries for a while.
Can Tho City
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Ong pagoda in Can Tho City. Photo by VnExpress/Phong Vinh |
Can Tho is one of the most attractive destinations in the south of Vietnam. Despite its rapid economic growth, the so-called "western capital" of Vietnam still retains the typical riverine culture.
If you are visiting here for the first time, you definitely should not miss the floating market early in the morning. The lifestyle of the people and the myriad simple breakfast dishes will make your visit enjoyable.
You should also visit the ancient houses here with their unique architectural features.
In early spring, it is a common practice for Vietnamese to visit pagodas. Ong Pagoda in Can Tho was built by the Chinese from Guangdong more than 120 years ago and is now a notable religious destination for many people. Tourists can also visit Truc Lam Monastery in My Nhon village, Phong Dien District.
In addition to its fruits and seafood, Can Tho has some other specialties you should definitely try such as pancake leaf rolls, Cai Rang grilled pork rolls, silkworm cakes, Ban Phu Sa hotpot, and Can Tho rice cake.
Dong Thap Province
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A paranomic view of Tram Chim national park. Photo by Shutterstock/Tonkinphotography |
Dong Thap is a southwestern province often known as "land of the lotus". A two-day trip to the province is optimal. It is best to visit Dong Thap between December and April when you can enjoy outdoor activities in dry weather.
Transportation is quite convenient here with taxis, rental motorbikes, motorbike taxis, and boats available. You can rent a motorbike in Cao Lanh and Sa Dec towns for VND100,000-200,000 ($4.32-8.64) for a day.
Situated 40 km from Cao Lanh, Tram Chim national park has hundreds of species of animals and around 130 types of plants. This is a place for natural immersion and nature exploration.
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Two farmers are working in a flower village in Sa Dec Town. Photo by Shutterstock/Dory F |
In Sa Dec some of the places to visit are Tan Quy Dong flower village, Huynh Thuy Le ancient house and Kien An Cung Pagoda. To visit all three places only takes 2-3 hours. Visitors can take the time to visit historical sites in some unique spaces such as Cao Lanh Market and Van Thanh Temple.
An Giang Province
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Tra Su mangrove forest. Photo by Shutterstock/Jindowin |
An Giang is the fourth largest province in the southwest. It boasts a range of natural and manmade landscapes. Thoai Son Lake, That Son Mountain, Ta Pa rice fields, and Bung Binh Thien Lake are among its highlights.
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Tay An pagoda. Photo by VnEpxress/Phong Vinh |
If you want to take part in Lunar New Year activities, you should visit Tay An Pagoda at the foot of Sam Mountain in Vinh Te Commune, Chau Doc Town. The pagoda was built in 1847 in Indian architectural style. It is located in an area where there are many other religious places, meaning visitors can see many pagodas.
Visitors to An Giang should try the Khmer soup cake, a famous specialty in the Vinh Trung area.
Bac Lieu Province
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This is the biggest wind farm in Vietnam, located in Bac Lieu Province. Photo acquired by VnExpress/Khuong Nha |
Bac Lieu was once home to many affluent landlords. Children from these families were famous for their extravagant spending, which gave rise to many anecdotes about "princes of Bac Lieu".
The house of one such "prince" is located at 13 Dien Bien Phu Street in Bac Lieu City, the capital of Bac Lieu Province, and is a place with many remnants of the life in early 20th century. Built in 1919, the house was designed by a French architect, combining western European architecture style and Vietnam traditional ornaments.
The city is home to Vietnam's largest wind farm with 62 turbines. This farm, in Dong A Hamlet, Vinh Trach Dong Commune, is another photogenic place.
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Xiem Can pagoda, a beautiful religious destination of the Khmer in Bac Lieu Province. Photo by VnExpress/Khuong Nha |
Xiem Can Pagoda, built 100 years ago with unique sculptures such as snake images and dancing women, is a religious destination to visit in early new year.
The province has other attractive destinations such as Thai Duong clock, the memorial to musician Cao Van Lau, the garden of birds, and the Bac Lieu longan garden.
Giong Nhan crunchy pancake is a dish you should enjoy when visiting the longan garden.
From Ho Chi Minh City, there are many luxury buses to Bac Lieu. You should choose an overnight bus to save time. From northern provinces, visitors can fly to Ho Chi Minh City or Can Tho and take a bus to the city, a drive that takes 3-5 hours.
