Overview of Dong Thap – What to do in Dong Thap
Location
Dong Thap is one of 12 provinces in the Mekong Delta. It is about 165 km from Ho Chi Minh city and shares the same border with Cambodia in the north, Vinh Long, and Can Tho in the south.
Weather
Dong Thap has a tropical climate with two main seasons: rainy and dry. In detail, the rainy season lasts from May to November, and the dry season occurs from December to April. Besides, there is a flood period happening from July to December that makes the province diverse. The average temperature is about 27 °C. The perfect time to visit Dong Thap is during the dry season and flooding time. Let’s explore What to do in Dong Thap with our blog!
What to do in Dong Thap – Top things to do in Dong Thap
1. Sa Dec Flower village – The flower kingdom of the Mekong Delta
Being the most attractive tourist destination in Dong Thap, Sa Dec Flower village never fails to appeal visitors. The flower village is just a 3km drive from Sa Dec city having 1,969 households. Local people formed the village in the 1930s and then becomes the flower capital of the Mekong Delta. There are various ornamental flowers and unique bonsai here. The products supplies to all provinces of the region, Ho Chi Minh city, and the Cambodian market.
Many kinds of flowers are grown and developed very well. Visitors can easily get lost as visiting the village because of the colorful and appealing scent of flowers: apricot yellow, spares, persimmon, daisies, false bon, and others. They can capture beautiful pictures of unique bonsais. The best time to come there is near the Lunar New Year because it is the busiest time of the flower village. There are a lot of beautiful flower and bonsai plants for sale to meet the high demand of New Year.
2. What to do in Dong Thap – Visit Dong Thap Muoi – A gorgeous lotus field
The lotus field located in the Thap Muoi district is always a favorite tourist hotspot. People here believe that lotuses are Buddhist flowers. Thus, they were kindly treated by Vietnamese people. Although they grow in mud, they have their unique fragrance. There is a famous saying in Thap Muoi, “Dong Thap is nothing, but lotus”. This is true because when all lotuses bloom, the field looks like a paradise of lotuses.
Especially, visitors not only watch the elegant flowers but also enjoy the relaxing fragrance of lotuses. They are possible to let their mind relax and immerse in the peaceful serenity here. Some interesting activities involve sitting on bamboo boats to see and touch the flowers. Also, they can have a day of being a farmer to harvest lotus flowers and fishing here. The best time to come to the lotus field is from July to October.
3. Top things to do in Dong Thap – Explore Xeo Quyt Forest
If you are looking for a place having both historical and ecological values in Dong Thap, this will be Xeo Quyt Relic Area. Xeo Quyt is situated in Cao Lanh District with 50 hectares wide. Lush grass, plants, tall wood trees, and vines grow well in this site. More importantly, this place used to be a revolution basement in Vietnam War. When coming here, visitors can capture the stunning natural landscapes.
Besides, the place is famous for its biodiversity because it has many kinds of plants: mangroves, reed, lotus, water lily and so on. Also, this is the habitat of 12 species listed in the Vietnam Red List. Visitors are likely to take a stroll to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the area. Otherwise, they can join a boat trip which goes slowly through a small canal to explore the mystery of the forest here.
4. Nguyen Sinh Sac Historical Site
If you are planning to visit Dong Thap, don’t forget to visit the Revered Nguyen Sinh Sac Historical Site. Nguyen Sinh Sac is the father of Ho Chi Minh, the greatest leader of the Vietnamese people. Nguyen Sinh Sac was a magistrate but he was demoted for being harmed by the others. Therefore, he gave up his position and went to Dong Thap. He started to teach poor children in the village. He was a warm-hearted and kind man, so local people loved and respected him a lot.
The place is located in the central of Cao Lanh city and becomes the most important cultural and historical site in Dong Thap. The site contains two parts: the tomb and the hall. His tomb has nine carved dragons presenting the Mekong Delta. Besides, there are a lotus pond and a stilt house here. The hall displays many pictures and documents written about his life. The surroundings have many kinds of flowers and plants, some of them are over 300 years old.
5. Gao Giong Eco-Tourism Park
Located in Cao Lanh city, Gao Giong Eco-Tourism Park is the green lung of Dong Thap province. The site was established in 2003 and divided into four zones with 70km of canals. Apart from having many mangrove trees, the place is famous for bird-watching because this is also the habitat of numerous water birds such as whistling ducks, wild sucks, white egrets, and stocks. Among them, there 15 species listed in the Red List of Vietnam.
Tourists can climb the tower which is 18 meters high to watch the panorama of the bird yard and the green forest. Coming there, tourists can have a look at the natural beauty and peaceful atmosphere. The best time to go is flood season after harvesting rice fields.. Thus, watching millions of stocks gather to eat left rice makes a wonderful view.
6. Tram Chim National Park
The perfect time to visit Tram Chim National Park is in February and March because this is when the birds fly back from migrating places. Thus, tourists have a chance to watch large flocks of birds on this site. The national park is situated in Tam Nong District with an area of 7,500 hectares. There are more than 200 types of birds living there. Many of them are endangered birds.
Especially, the place is well-known for Sarus Cranes which are precious birds. Coming to Tram Chim National Park, visitors can take part in many interesting activities. They can go fishing, harvest rice, or bathing. Besides, tourists can take a boat to do sightseeing and capture stunning pictures of birds and nature. Moreover, they can enjoy some special food in Dong Thap such as crab hotpot, fish sauce hot pot, and grilled snakehead fish.
7.Lai Vung Mandarin Garden
The Mandarin Garden belongs to Lai Vung province that people call it ‘The kingdom of red mandarins. Thanks to the favorable natural environment, the mandarins here are juicier and sweeter than others. Especially, red mandarins are the main fruits of this place planted in the 20th century. When visiting the garden, visitors can harvest and enjoy fresh mandarins. If they want, they can buy some to bring home at a reasonable price.
8. Lotus Pagoda
Phuoc Kien pagoda is well-known for giant lotus leaves in Chau Thanh district, Dong Thap province; therefore, it becomes the favorite tourist destination of visitors. After the pagoda was demolished in the war, local people rebuilt it. The pagoda includes two lotus ponds: the large pond at the back and the small one in front of the pagoda.
The lotus leaves are big, and thick with ranging from 1.5 – 2 meters. A mature leave can carry a person up to 80 kg. Moreover, no one knows who brought the lotus here. It has just naturally appeared in the pond since 1992. Later, people discovered that this kind of lotus comes from Amazon, named Victoria Regia. Trying standing on the lotus leave would be an unforgettable experience!
9. Huynh Thuy Le Ancient House
Located in Sa Sec city, Dong Thap Province, Huynh Thuy Le Ancient House is where the romantic film “L’Amant” was filmed. The film is based on he famous novel called “The Lover” telling the true story of Huynh Thuy Le and a French girl. They loved at first sight when accidentally seeing each other on My Thuan ferry. However, their love ended in regrets because of the cultural differences and imbalances between the two families.
Besides, the ancient house is a special combination of French and Chinese architecture. The house contains 3 compartments as a traditional southern house, but the exterior has the French style. In addition, the owner decorated the living room with Chinese styles such as the singing machine, the golden plated alter of Quan Cong, and others to create the unique feature of the house.
Some tips for traveling to Dong Thap
- Here are some useful tips for travelers
- You can take buses to come there.
- When you are in Dong Thap, you should rent motorbikes go to around.
- If possible, bring an English tour guide with you so that you can get more knowledge about culture, history and local lives in Dong Thap.
*Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%90%E1%BB%93ng_Th%C3%A1p_Province
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