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Traveling to Mekong Delta, you shouldn’t skip An Giang, which is called Seven-mountain land (Thất Sơn or Bảy Núi). An Giang is a very special land with massive mountains in the Mekong Delta. The most famous is Sam mountain where Ba Chua Xu temple (đền Bà Chúa Xứ) is located, and Cam mountain (núi Cấm) with the biggest Maitreya Buddha statue in Asia.
Some must-see beauty spots of An Giang include Tra Su melaleuca forest (rừng tràm Trà Sư), which is the home of various birds, the immense Sky Lake (Búng Bình Thiên) covered with the yellow of Dien Dien flowers, Vinh Te canal with busy traffic during the flood season. Moreover, An Giang also has many cultural attractions, such as mosques and pagodas of Khmer’s architecture. Besides, visiting An Giang, visitors may have chance to enjoy the cow race festival.
> Check Out 50+ Hotels in Chau Doc – An Giang – Vietnam
How to get to An Giang?
An Giang has 2 big cities: Long Xuyen and Chau Doc. There are many different tourist attractions in these two cities.
– In Chau Doc, you can visit Tra Su melaleuca forest, Sam mountain, Cam and Ket mountain and Chau Doc market. You can also travel to Tri Ton to join Bay Nui cow race festival, or visit Khmer’s pagodas, Co To mountain, or Ta Pa hill, or pass the border gate to Cambodia.
– In Long Xuyen, you can visit Uncle Ton memorial, or get to Thoai Son to visit Ba The mountain (núi Ba Thê), Sap mountain (núi Sập) and Ong Thoai Lake tourist resort (khu du lịch Hồ Ông Thoại).
From Saigon (Ho Chi Minh city), there are many buses to An Giang departing from Western bus station (Bến xe Miền Tây). Buses may arrive at either Long Xuyen or Chau Doc. You should choose Phuong Trang high quality bus (sleeper bus). It often takes 1 night to arrive at Chau Doc.
Phuong Trang bus agency is at 272 – 274 – 276 De Tham – District 1 – Ho Chi Minh city. Tel: +8483.837.5570
When arriving in Chau Doc, you should rent a motorbike (or car) to travel around.
Things to do & see in An Giang Vietnam?
* Chau Doc town
1. Queen Land temple is a sacred temple located at the foot of Sam mountain. Queen Land festival is annually held from 23rd to 27th day of the lunar April. It attracts thousands of people to come and and join the procession of the Queen from the summit to the foot.
2. Thoai Ngoc Hau mausoleum is 50m (160ft) higher than Queen Land temple.
3. Huynh Dao pagoda is located near route 91. The pagoda has a very beautiful campus.
4. Chau Doc market is called the kingdom of Fish Sauce. As I have seen, many foreign tourists are afraid of fish sauce, probably because of its smell. However, in fact, it’s very tasty, so I highly recommend you to try it out.
Another specialty in Chau Doc is fish vermicelli (bún cá). You can find it at any food stall on the pavements with the price of less than $0.5/bowl.
In addition, Chau Doc market also has many other specialties of An Giang, most of which are different kinds of fruit. They are tasty, fresh and very cheap.
5. Chau Doc Fish village stretches from Chau Doc town to Con Tien bridge. The village is very gorgeous and owns all typical features of a village in Mekong Delta.
6. Bung Binh Thien lake is 25km (15 miles) from the town. This is a big lake with clean water. There are many residents living around the lake, most of whom are from Cham ethnic group.
To get to Bung Binh Thien, if you start from Con Tien bridge, go along provincial route 956 for about 25km to Quoc Thai market. There you will see a 3-meter wide road to the left. Take this road for about 2km (1.2miles), you will arrive at Bung Binh Thien lake.
7. Mosque is near Bung Binh Thien, close to provincial route 956.
8. Tra Su melaleuca forest. Personally, I think this is the most beautiful place in Chau Doc. You definitely have to visit this place. Tra Su is a water forest, home of many animals. It is located inside the mysterious That Son mountains.
Visitting Tra Su melaleuca forest, you will be taken to the heart of the forest by boat and observe many rare birds and animals.
How to get to Tra Su forest? the easiest and cheapest way is traveling by bus with the price of less than $1. From Chau Doc, you catch a bus to Tinh Bien (Tịnh Biên) and tell the driver that you want to get down at Tra Su station (trạm Trà Sư).
* Thoai Son district
There’s a very interesting place near Long Xuyen: Thoai Son An Giang (Thoại Sơn An Giang). From Bon Ngon intersection (ngã tư Bốn Ngon), turn left and go straight ahead for about 25km (15 miles) to Nui Sap town (thị trấn Núi Sập). Thoai Son is just round the corner.
1. Ho Ong Thoai tourist resort has a beautiful campus, which is very suitable for a resting day.
2. Sap mountain (núi Sập) does not have many things to see.
3. Ba The mountain (núi Ba Thê) is located in Oc Eo town and has many beauty spots. The mountain has 2 summits with a landscape like in Dalat city.
> Read more: Dalat city travel guide
* Tri Ton district
1. Co To mountain (or Phung Hoang mountain) has many interesting attractions: the immense fruit gardens on the slopes, fairyland – which is believed to have a Buddha’s footprint, Nam Can temple – a small temple hiding behind the forest, and Vo Hoi (Vồ Hội) – a small house standing in the middle of a large space and an ideal stop for those who love silence and peace. During rain season, you will have the chance to observe the beauty of 2 streams O Thum and O Sora.
2. Tuc Dup hill is also known as 2-million-dollar hill. This name has existed since 1968 during the Vietnam war. At that time, the US troops in An Giang couldn’t attack this hill. General Et-ca had to reward 2 millions dollar for any unit that could destroy the hill.
* Tinh Bien district
– Cam mountain is the highest mount in That Son (Thất Sơn). There are many attractions to visit such as Linh Son pagoda, Phat Lon pagoda, Asia’s biggest Maitreya statue and Vo Bo Hong (Vồ Bồ Hông) – the highest summit of the mountain. You may get there by car, motorbike or on foot. Services (accommodation, transport, etc.) are adequate but a bit expensive.
– Ket mountain is in Nha Bang town – Tinh Bien district. The mountain has many religious sites: Chu Than , Phat Thay, Ngoc Hoang temple.
– Tinh Bien market has nearly no special things. It mainly sells fruits and Thailand products. The goods are of good quality and reasonable price.
What to do in An Giang for a 4-day trip
Day 1. Visit Chau Doc – Sam mountain – Nha Bang – Tinh Bien in the morning, back to Tra Su forest in the afternoon and spend the night there.
Day 2. In the morning, wake up early and enjoy the dawn at Tra Su. At noon, go to Tuc Dup – Pa Ta. In the evening, sleep in Tri Ton or Tuc Dup.
Day 3. In the morning, climb Co To mountain. You should start as early as possible so that you can reach the summit early. The journey from the foot to summit takes about 4 hours (trekking + resting time). From the summit, you can have a stunning view of Long Xuyen quadrilateral fields (including Pa Ta, Thoai Son, Western Cam mountain and Southern Hau river). The view is really amazing. I think its beauty can be comparable to that of the terraces in Sapa in Northern Vietnam.
In the evening, rest in Tri Ton or Tuc Dup.
> Read more: Sapa town Vietnam travel guide
Day 4. Back to Sai Gon. You may take Thoai Son road. On returning, you may visit Ba The mountain. You can drive to the summit, visit Oc Eo town, and then get back to Long Xuyen, and finally to Saigon.
Best Hotels and motels in An Giang
1. I stayed at An Long hotel, 281 Tran Hung Dao – Long Xuyen city. There are rooms with 2 double beds of about $8/day. Contact: +8476.3843.298, +8476.2210.676 or +8491.8375.927
2. In Chau Doc, you may stay at Hoan Chau hotel with the price of less than $10/day. Tel: +8476.3866.069 or +8476.3561.400. Hotels in Chau Doc and Nha Bang town have the average price ranging from $8 to $10/day.
Some other hotels in An Giang:
3. Gio Song hotel (River Wind hotel) at 472/24 Quan Co Thanh – Long Xuyen city. Tel: +8476.3953.049 or +8476.3956.032
4. Thang Loi hotel 2 at 9 Le Hong Phong – Long Xuyen. Tel: +8476.3854.490 or +8476.3852.561
5. Hang Chau 2 at 10 Nguyen Van Thoai – Chau Doc town. Tel: +8476.3868.891
6. Lam Hung Ky hotel at 138 Trung Nu Vuong, Chau Doc. Tel: +8476.3561.564 or +8476.3561.981
7. Thuan Loi Hotel at 18 Tran Hung Dao, Chau Doc. Tel: +8476.3866.134
8. Hotel – Restaurant Satisfy at 1 – 30-4 street, Chau Doc. Tel: +8476.6260.260
9. An Thanh Hung Hotel on Cong Binh, Nui Sam ward – Chau Doc. Tel: +8476.3862.999
10. Sam Mountain Post Office Hotel at Nui Sam ward – Chau Doc. Tel: +8476.3861.999
>> Check Out 50+ Hotels in Chau Doc – An Giang – Vietnam
What & Where to eat in An Giang?
If you have the chance to visit Long Xuyen, you shouldn’t miss Huong Duong rice-chicken which is a very popular dish. Some other must-try specialties include grilled beef or Kieu Thu buffalo hot pot.
Some well-known restaurants
* In Long Xuyen
1. Cay Diep broken rice at 67 Ly Tu Trong – Long Xuyen city. This restaurant is said to serve the best breakfast in Long Xuyen. Their opening hours are from 9am to 10am.
2. 3P restaurant on Phan Dinh Phung street – Long Xuyen has a wide range of dishes. The tastiest dishes are Blood cockle porridge (Cháo sò huyết) and Crab noodle soup (bánh canh cua).
3. Fish sauce hot pot opposite to Long Xuyen bus station
4. Kieu Thu buffalow hot pot. Go towards Long Xuyen – Chau Doc, through Quay bridge. At the junction, turn left and go straight for 50m (160ft) to an intersection, then turn right. You will see the restaurant.
* In Chau Doc
5. Mi Hue restaurant in the center of Chau Doc market is famous for fish dishes which are very tasty and very “Chau Doc”.
6. Chau Doc fish noodle opposite the old movie theater or near Bo De pagoda (in Chau Doc town)
* In Tinh Bien district
7. Grilled beef, beef porridge, and other dishes from beef is 4km (2.5 miles) towards Cam mountain (Tinh Bien district).
8. Phuong Huong grilled beef opposite Ket mountain (Tinh Bien district). The price is $2 – $2.5/set. All dishes are very tasty and cheap.
>> Check Out 50+ Hotels in Chau Doc – An Giang – Vietnam
