Get into the flow in a Mekong Delta cajuput forest

By Kieu Duong   October 5, 2019 | 04:15 am PT
Tra Su in An Giang Province is a cajuput forest with long waterways that become an exotic place to float through during flooding season.
Tourists explore the Tra Su Magrove Forest in a motorboat. Situated in Tinh Bien District, about 20 km south of Chau Doc Town, the capital of An Giang Province, the 800-hectare forest is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Mekong Delta region.

Tourists explore the Tra Su Cajuput Forest in a motorboat. 

Situated in Tinh Bien District, about 20 km south of Chau Doc Town, the capital of An Giang Province, the 800-hectare forest is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Mekong Delta region.

Tra Su is a typical mangrove forest for the western part of Hau River, the southern tributary of the Mekong in Vietnam. The typical landscape in the forest is the long and deep waterway path surrounded by green melaleuca (cajeput) trees. This is a great place for visitors to reconnect with nature as they can enjoy fresh air and listen chirping birds and forgest about the buzzing urbang life.

Tra Su is a typical cajuput forest on the western part of the Hau River, a tributary of the Mekong. Waterways that cut through a forest of green melaleuca (cajeput) trees are a great way to reconnect with nature, breathing in fresh hair and listening to the sound of chirping birds, a world away from the noise of bustle of cities.

Symbiotic ferns with cajeput.Tra Su Forest is home to about 140 plant species of which cajeput is the majority. The most suitable time of the year to visit the forest is during the lotus season, from June to September, and the flooding season, from October to November.

Symbiotic ferns grow on cajeput trees.

The Tra Su forest is home to about 140 plant species, but the dominant growth is of cajeput trees. The most suitable time of the year to visit the forest is during the lotus season, from June to September, and the flooding season, from October to November.

In the Mekong Delta, cajeput blooms flower all year round. First time visitors will be able to see locals harvest honey made from cajeput flowers from bees breeding tanks in the forest. Depends on the quality, a liter of this honey can cost VND300,000 to over VND1 million ($12.92-43.08).

In the Mekong Delta, cajeput trees bloom all year round. 

Visitors can enjoy watching locals harvest cajeput flower honey. Depending on the quality, a liter of this honey can cost VND300,000 to over VND1 million ($13-43).

A bittern perches on top of cajecut tree.During the tour, visitors will travel by motorboat and switch to rowing boat when reaching the heart of the forest. Visitors can spot many birds foraging, nesting and hearing their chirps throughout the tour since the forest is home to about 70 species of birds including storks and bitterns.

A bittern perches on top of a cajeput tree.

During a tour, visitors will travel by motorboat and switch to a rowing boat on reaching the heart of the forest. This is when they can see many birds foraging and nesting. The forest is home to about 70 species of birds including storks and bitterns.

After a tour, visitors will be taken to the 120-foot tall observatory located in the middle of the forest to enjoy the panoramic view of the forest, dotted with the white of hundreds of storks sitting on the treetops.Tickets to visit Melaleuca forest is 190,000 VND for a single customer. If traveling in groups of 7 or more, the fare is 95,000 VND per person.After the boat tour, visitors will be taken to the 120-foot tall observatory located in the middle of the forest. From there, they can enjoy a panoramic view of the forest with its green canopy dotted with thousands of birds.
A Tra Su forest tour costs VND190,000 ($8) per visitor. In groups of seven or more, the price drops to VND95,000 ($4) per person.
 
 
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