Bac Lieu Province, currently merged into Ca Mau Province, is around 280 km from Ho Chi Minh City, 100 km from Can Tho city. By explore Bac Lieu, visitors will immerse themselves in the fresh air of natural bird gardens, ancient longan gardens, mangrove forests stretching next to the young city…
What season is beautiful in Bac Lieu?
The weather in the Southwest always has two distinct seasons: dry season and rainy season. In each season, Bac Lieu has its own beauty; moreover, the attractions are mostly relics, gardens,… So you can go at any time of the year.
However, if you want to learn about the local customs and beliefs, you should go during the festival, around February to April in the lunar calendar. The most interesting is on the full moon day of October, the day of the Ok Om Bok festival, one of the three biggest festivals of the year for the Khmer people.
How to get there and travel around?
Bac Lieu is about 280 km from the center of Ho Chi Minh City and takes about 6 hours by car/bus. If you do not drive your own car, you can choose reputable bus companies operating this route, such as Phuong Trang, Hoang Yen, Kim Yen, Tuan Hung, Ngoc Anh, Hao…, ticket prices from 190,000 to 290,000 VND.
From the North and Central regions, you can travel by air from Hanoi, Hai Phong, Vinh, Da Nang… to Can Tho by Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet Air, at prices of about 1,300,000 – 2,700,000 VND. Then take a bus to Bac Lieu via companies such as Phuong Trang, Tuan Hung, Vu Linh, etc., with ticket prices of 80,000 – 100,000 VND. Total travel time is about 2 hours.
To travel within the city, in addition to motorbikes and private cars, you can choose buses, a popular means of transport that runs frequently.
Accommodation
Nightly motel prices range from 180,000 to 300,000 VND; rooms are clean, fully equipped, and close to the city center.
To experience the feeling of being a “young master” at Bac Lieu’s Young Master’s House Hotel, you should book a room early with prices ranging from 500,000 to 1,200,000 VND.
Sightseeing spots in Bac Lieu
A journey to explore Bac Lieu can usually be wrapped up in one day. If you have plenty of time and want to visit many places, visitors can extend the trip to two days and one night.
Bac Lieu Bird Reserve
From the center, follow the road named after the late musician Cao Van Lau for about 8 km, and visitors will reach the Bac Lieu Bird Garden Nature Reserve. The Bac Lieu Bird Reserve is the nesting ground for many water birds, including teal, storks, herons, cormorants, and black ibises.
Birds often gather in large numbers during the rainy season from May to October. When visiting Bac Lieu Bird Garden, the most interesting thing is standing on the watchtower, as high as the treetops, to admire the scenery below. This is also a place for you to admire diverse flora and fauna. Here, hundreds of species of birds live, and you can learn and take wonderful photos of birds here.
Bac Lieu Prince’s House
Bac Lieu Prince’s House is located at 31 Dien Bien Phu Street, Bac Lieu Ward. The house was built in the French architectural style in 1919, with all materials brought from France. The house consists of a ground floor, a first floor with 4 rooms and 4 halls, a spacious corridor, so the house is always cool and airy. Bac Lieu Prince’s House was built in the early 20th century in the French architectural style and was considered the most majestic house in Southern Vietnam at the time.
This place is currently the Bac Lieu Prince’s Restaurant – Hotel. Visitors come here not only to visit the architecture and historical artifacts. But also to hear about the life of the richest young master in the South at that time.
Nha Mat Amusement Park
Nha Mat Bac Lieu tourist area has become a familiar destination for tourists in recent years. It is located right on the coast of Bac Lieu, with many bathing areas for adults and children. With a system of simulated sea waves, visitors feel as if they are immersing themselves in the real blue sea.
In addition, there are many other features such as a green campus, a multi-purpose stage, a high-class resort, a culinary area, and many attractive games…
Nam Hai Buddha
Nam Hai Buddha is an outstanding architectural, cultural, and spiritual work. The feature that attracts tourists is the 11 m-high Buddha statue, built in 1973 on a 25,000 m² site.
The statue also symbolizes the protection of people who go fishing, helping them return safely. Every year, this place attracts thousands of tourists to visit and pray.
Xiem Can Pagoda
Xiem Can Pagoda is a typical Khmer pagoda in Bac Lieu, built in the 19th century on a campus of up to 50,000 m². From the national highway, through the cool green trees, visitors are amazed by the pagoda, decorated with many motifs and featuring unique carvings and sculptures.
The pagoda follows Theravada Buddhism and worships Buddha Shakyamuni. This is an important place in the spiritual and cultural activities of the Khmer people when traveling to Bac Lieu.
On major festivals such as Chol Chnam Thmay (New Year), Sene Dolta (worshiping ancestors), and Ok Om Bok (worshiping the moon), the pagoda attracts the most visitors.
Ghositaram Pagoda of the Khmer
Ghositaram Pagoda is a religious spiritual structure built in 1860. With a design imbued with the Khmer architectural style. This is considered one of the most beautiful Southern Buddhist temples of the Khmer people. The temple consists of many typical areas, such as the main hall, lecture halls, stupas, etc.
Next to the temple, there is a prominent main hall that stands out with a characteristic red-and-yellow color scheme. When you come here, you will have a super-sparkling check-in and a virtual living space.
Bac Lieu salt fields
Salt fields have become a unique feature of Bac Lieu province. The Bac Lieu salt fields are divided by the people into squares and rows that run straight.
This place is one of the most famous scenes in the photography world. And it has also received many awards at home and abroad. When you come here, you will easily get great photos.
The memorial area of musician Cao Van Lau
Located in the center of Bac Lieu Ward, this is the final resting place of the author of the famous Southern song Da Co Hoai Lang. Upon visiting the memorial area of musician Cao Van Lau, visitors will be introduced to his life, career, and the development of art in Da Co.
Visitors also have the opportunity to visit the galleries for free, which display images of costumes, musical instruments, and wax models of traditional music… In 1997, the memorial site was recognized as a provincial historical site.
Tac Say Church
Tac Say Church is located in Phong Thanh Commune, more than 40 km from the center on National Highway 1A. Tac Say Church has become a destination that attracts many religious followers. This place is associated with the story of Mr. Truong Buu Diep.
The priest is considered a saint because of his holiness and sacrifice for the religion, saving the parishioners. Tac Say Church is a church with a very unique 3-story structure: the 1st floor is for guests to rest, the 2nd and 3rd floors are for Mass, and it has a very spacious, decorated lobby.
Ancient longan garden
The Southwest region is the land of fruit specialties. In Bac Lieu, the most famous is the longan garden. The ancient longan garden is located by the sea, 6 km from Bac Lieu town, covering over 50 hectares and stretching nearly 7 km from Nha Mat ward to Vinh Trach Dong commune.
Visitors will be surprised to see the hundred-year-old longan trees. In addition to enjoying sweet fruits, visitors can participate in camping, picnicking, listening to traditional music… Crispy and delicious Giong Nhan pancakes are a must-try dish when visiting the longan garden.
Bac Lieu Wind Farm
Bac Lieu Wind Farm is a clean energy production site in Vietnam. This is also the first wind power project in Vietnam. The large white blades are nearly 80m above the ground, rotating steadily in the wind, which excites many visitors. When you come to the wind farm, you will have extremely sparkling photos.
Anyone who has the opportunity to come to Bac Lieu must come here once and take really “deep” photos. The best time to visit the wind farm is early morning or late afternoon to watch the sunrise or sunset.
Ganh Hao coastal town
To dispel the fatigue of the trip, you can come to admire the majestic, poetic scenery of the windy waves at Ganh Hao. Immerse yourself in the lives of fishermen and visit the traditional craft village where fish sauce, shrimp paste, and more are made.
Vinh Hung Ancient Tower
Vinh Hung Ancient Tower dates back to the 9th century, and is an ancient architectural relic of the Khmer people in the South. It is recognized as a national architectural and artistic relic preserved in the West. The Ancient Tower is the remaining architecture of the Oc Eo culture.
On the stele next to the tower, Sanskrit inscriptions clearly state the time of King Yacocar-Man. Visit Vinh Hung Ancient Tower. Visitors can learn more about the golden age of the Oc Eo culture in this area.
Specialties of Bac Lieu
Mam hotpot is usually made with fish sauce, fresh coconut water, lemongrass, and fragrant fried garlic. Hotpot served with pork belly, snakehead fish, basa fish… and celery, water spinach, malabar spinach, purple cabbage, lotus root, water hyacinth, etc.
Sour pickles are a popular dish among local people. Clean the young roots of typhaceae, blanch them in boiling water, and soak them in a jar with a mixture of rice water and salt for 3 to 5 days to make a delicious pickled dish. Sour pickled has a sour, crunchy taste, so it is used to dip in soy sauce, braised fish sauce, shrimp paste, or to mix with shrimp and meat salad… Sour pickled can also be used in other dishes, such as stir-fried shrimp, stir-fried meat, and sour soup with snakehead fish and perch.
Seafood: The fertile land of Bac Lieu is famous for a variety of fresh seafood, such as tamarind crab, stir-fried snails with satay, and stir-fried snails with coconut…
Radish cake: The outside of the cake is made from flour mixed with white radish powder, rolled into small, bite-sized pieces. The filling is made from shrimp, lightly crushed shrimp, and lean pork mixed with green beans, marinated with suitable spices, then stir-fried. Visitors can enjoy this cake in the Cho Lon area, Bac Lieu town.
Bun nuoc leo, noodle soup, is sold everywhere in Bac Lieu, from street vendors to famous traditional restaurants. Delicious broth must be cooked in a clay pot to retain the sweetness of shrimp, fish, coconut water, and the aroma of fish sauce. Bun nuoc leo is served with thinly sliced banana stem, bean sprouts, basil, and you can add fresh squid, roast pork, spring rolls, or rice cakes.
Sweet and sour ba khia (episesarma mederi): Belongs to the crab family but has 3 lines on the back like a knife, so people call it “ba khia”. To make the dish delicious, you need crabs that are neither too big nor too small. Wash them, then cut off the shells and the sharp parts of the claws.
Soak in boiling water for about 15 minutes to kill bacteria and reduce saltiness, then cut them into small pieces to make them easier to eat and absorb the spices quickly. Mix the crab with minced garlic and chili, and add lemon and sugar to taste. In addition to sweet and sour dishes, episesarma mederi is used to prepare tamarind stir-fry, three-striped crab fish sauce, three-striped crab, and papaya salad…
Xa bau, also known as pickled radish, is best when combined with white porridge. The radish is dried and mixed with sugar, five-spice powder, salt, and a little wine. Visitors to Bac Lieu who want to buy delicious xa bau do not need to go to the market; they can find it at the stops on the national highway.
What to buy as gifts?
Specialties such as sour pickled, crab sauce, xa bau, longan… are typical gifts from Bac Lieu to tourists to give to their relatives and friends. In addition, tourists can choose for themselves books of anecdotes about the Prince of Bac Lieu, CDs of reformed opera.
Source: collected by An
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