When thinking of what’s unique about the Mekong Delta, Ben Tre (currently part of Vinh Long Province) stands out for its coconut culture. Although people are trying to live on coconuts, Ben Tre is considered a place where they can live well, since there are a dozen different coconut types, each with its own unique qualities. However, it is not the only way people make a living; they also invest in fruit plantations and grow rice. A truly wonderful homeland, and now let’s go with Viet Dream Travel to explore more about this region, which absolutely intrigued you.
What is the best time to explore Ben Tre?
Ben Tre is in the Southwest region, with a warm, sunny climate year-round. Visitors can come any time of year, but the ideal time is the summer months of June, July, and August. This is the time when you can both admire nature’s colorful beauty and enjoy fresh fruits straight from the orchards, such as rambutan, mangosteen, longan, and especially durian…
How to get here?
There is no airport in Ben Tre, so you have to fly to Can Tho or Ho Chi Minh City, then take a bus or another form of transportation to Ben Tre.
If you depart from Ho Chi Minh City, you can go to the Western bus station to find a suitable bus company, with fares ranging from 100,000 VND to 200,000 VND. Travel time exceeds 1.5 hours of driving. Some famous tourist buses to Ben Tre for you to choose from include: Futa, Ben Tre Limousine, Tan Thanh Thuy…
When you travel with a group, booking a private car to Ben Tre with a driver is also a good way, as most travel agents will arrange the car/bus to pick up and drop off as requested. Also, you can stop on the way to relax and admire the beauty along the road.
Besides, you can travel by motorbike or self-driving car, stopping freely to admire the scenery along the way. You should depart early in the morning or after 9 am (because the road is crowded around 6-8 am). Follow Highway 1A to My Tho city, cross the Rach Mieu bridge, turn right, and you are in the center of Ben Tre city.
How to get around Ben Tre?
Currently, Ben Tre itself is only a small ward, but there are many tourist attractions in and around this area. If you want to see a lot, it is useful to have arranged transport. For longer distances, it is possible to arrange a car/bus with a driver.
However, if you just visit a small town, it would be perfect for exploring by bicycle. Most hotels and homestays offer bicycles for free. As an alternative to the bicycle, you can also rent a scooter/motorbike to ride around the area. And don’t forget to experience a rowing boat on canals and rivers… It’s an amazing feeling here.
Tourist spots in Ben Tre
Quy Islet (Tortoise Islet)
Located along the Tiền River and 23km from the center of Ben Tre Ward, Quy islet (Tortoise Islet). This is one of the most famous destinations for its charming river atmosphere.
When you come to Quy Islet, you can live in a peaceful space without any traces of urbanization and enjoy extremely mild weather.
In addition, visitors can enjoy delicious fruits right at the longan, orange, and pomelo gardens… with a cup of honey tea while enjoying the melody of Đờn Ca Tài Tử, which has been recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Sitting on boats floating along the river, taking in the rich, green, and peaceful atmosphere of the Mekong Delta region, is also an experience you should not miss. Quy islet is definitely one of the most impressive sights left in your mind after leaving Bến Tre.
Location: Phu Tuc and Giao Long Communes, Vinh Long Province.
Phung Islet (Phoenix Islet)
Voted a typical tourist area in the Mekong Delta, Phung Islet features an open-architecture design and is immersed in nature. Phung islet is like a green oasis floating on the Tiền River, between Dong Thap and Vinh Long. The islet has an area of 50ha but offers a full range of tourist services, such as fishing, rowing a sampan, riding a horse-drawn carriage, visiting fruit gardens, admiring the rustic charm of the region, and many other team-building games.
There is also a handicraft village that produces furniture using materials from the coconut tree.
Location: Tan Vinh Hamlet, Phu Tuc Commune, Vinh Long Province.
Vam Ho Bird Sanctuary
The Vam Ho bird sanctuary is home to more than 80 different species of birds. It covers 40ha of which 15ha are primitive date forests. There is a luxuriant flora, of which nipa and mangrove predominate. This is an ideal shelter for birds, especially storks and herons. During the breeding seasons, from April to October, there are thousands of storks here to breed and raise their young until they are big enough to fly. At 4 pm or 5 pm every day, an interesting event takes place when thousands of storks come home. Meanwhile, the herons begin their nighttime trip in search of food. Besides storks and herons, tourists may find other animals such as bats, snakes, weasels, and pythons…
Vam Ho Bird Sanctuary is located in My Chanh Hoa Commune, Vinh Long Province.
Coconut Religion Relic
The Coconut religion relic (Vietnamese: di tích Đạo Dừa) is one of the famous tourist attractions in Ben Tre. This is a place to preserve and express the cultural beauty and beliefs of the local people since early times. This relic remains relatively intact after nearly 50 years, making it a super-attractive check-in spot on Phung islet.
The Coconut religion relic covers about 1,500 square meters and features many unique architectural works. Located at the center of the relic is the Dragon Yard (the ceremonial site of ancient Dao Dua followers), with 9 upright pillars carved with extremely sophisticated, eye-catching dragons wrapped around them. Next to Dragon Stadium are welcome gates, walkways, high towers, mountain models, caves… all built on solid concrete pillars. In addition, at the entrance to Dragon Yard, there is also a large incense burner made from broken porcelain, with a photo and a brief biography of Mr. Dao Dua engraved on it.
Visit fruit orchards
There are many orchards in Ben Tre that are open to tourists, who can enjoy not only the fruits but also relax in the gardens. Being immersed in the fruit orchards during the harvest season is the most valuable experience when visiting this province, especially for those who live in cities or in remote provinces. Visitors need to buy a ticket, and then they can enjoy as much as they can with all kinds of fruits such as custard apple, longan, rambutan, durian, mangosteen, mango, etc.
Furthermore, visitors can contact the garden owner to buy fruit at a low price, either by selling or by giving. Some fruit gardens also offer free visits, but only if you buy something; otherwise, you will be charged a very high price. Some famous fruit gardens in Ben Tre:
- Cái Mơn fruit orchard: Vinh Thanh Commune.
- Bảo Thạch fruit orchard: Tan Phu Commune.
- Ba Ngói fruit orchard: Phu Phung Commune.
- Quê Ta fruit orchard: 126C Tan Quy commune, Tan Phu Commune.
- Huệ fruit orchard: Tan Phu Commune.
Tourist areas in Ben Tre
At the tourist areas, you will have the opportunity to enjoy the charming Mekong Delta river scenery, visit fruit-filled orchards, and experience many interesting folk games such as slapping ditches to catch fish, swinging ropes, and driving bikes across the monkey bridge…and many other activities suitable for team-building or a family trip to relax and enjoy the fresh air of nature.
Besides, most of them offer services such as homestays, camping, outdoor BBQs, and buffet parties… Some of the famous tourist areas are:
- Lang Be tourist area: 6b Mỹ An Hamlet, Phu Tuc Commune.
- Lan Vuong tourist area: Hamlet 2, An Hoi Ward.
Nguyen Dinh Chieu mausoleum
Nguyen Dinh Chieu’s mausoleum relic area is a place to worship the revered hero, patriotic poet, talented physician, and exemplary teacher of Vietnam. This tourist destination in Ben Tre has long been a stopping place and a source of inspiration for generations of Vietnamese. Every year, Nguyen Dinh Chieu’s mausoleum relic site welcomes thousands of people to offer incense and pay respects, becoming a source of great pride for the people of Ben Tre province.
This entire relic site is a complex of large-scale architectural works, built in 1972, covering up to 1.5 hectares, including three-entrance gates, old and new temples, a stele house, and a mausoleum. On July 1 every year, a traditional festival will be held here to commemorate the merits of Mr. Nguyen Dinh Chieu with many special activities.
Location: Ba Tri Commune.
Ben Tre Museum
Ben Tre Museum is located right in the city center with a campus of about 13,000 square meters. This tourist attraction in Ben Tre is built in the classic French architectural style, with characteristic arched door frames, and comprises 1 ground floor and 1 upper floor, totaling 474 m². In the past, many important historical events took place here during the resistance war against the French colonialists and the American imperialists, led by the army and people of Ben Tre province.
Currently, Ben Tre Museum is used to display revolutionary images and artifacts. In addition to the indoor rooms, the museum has an outdoor area of up to 288 square meters used to display large artifacts and models, such as artillery, aircraft wrecks, and bomb shells… With images, artifacts, and models, the museum helps tourists better understand history as they explore Ben Tre.
Address: 146 Hung Vuong Street, An Hoi Ward.
Famous Craft villages in Ben Tre
Visiting craft villages, visitors will admire the product manufacturing process. You can ask the homeowner to test it in a few stages or try the finished product after production has been completed. Some famous handicraft villages in Ben Tre include:
- Phu Le Craft Village – making sticky rice wine.
- My Long rice paper craft village – making rice paper.
- Son Doc puff pastry craft village – making crispy sticky rice cakes.
- …
What’s the specialty food in Ben Tre?
A coastal province in the Mekong Delta, Ben Tre is known for its river-based delicacies and fruit orchards.
Ben Tre thick noodle soup (bánh canh bột xắt)
Thick noodle soup has long become a culinary “trademark” of Ben Tre. The reason it is called that is that, when preparing, the thick noodle dough is rolled out thinly, chopped into finger-sized strips to taste, and then put in a pot of boiling water to cook.
The broth for pork trotter soup is made mainly from bones, ham, mushrooms, and radishes. The combination of chewy, slippery dough noodles, rich broth, and a crispy pork leg dipped in fish sauce makes anyone who has tried it remember it forever.
Coconut tofu salad
Coconut tofu salad is a specialty that locals often serve to guests. Coconut tofu is the upper part of the coconut tree, located deep within the trunk, including young buds that have not yet sprouted and petioles. Coconut tofu salad has a sweet-and-sour taste, is crispy, fragrant, and cool, and is low in fat.
The ingredients to make this salad include peeled tiger prawns, thinly sliced pork belly, laksa leaves, onions, and crispy roasted peanuts. After mixing coconut tofu, thinly sliced into long strands, with the ingredients, create an attractive salad. Served with the salad is a cup of sweet and sour fish sauce and crispy shrimp crackers.
Coconut worm
Coconut worm has long been famous as a delicious dish in Ben Tre and is very familiar and loved. Made from the larvae of the beetle that feed on the soft parts of the coconut tree, they are rich in nutrients and have a unique, fatty, nutty flavor.
Among the dishes with coconut worm, eating them raw with fish sauce is very popular. Although not everyone dares to try this dish, after enjoying it, you will definitely fall in love with its unique flavor.
Warmest Greetings To All from Viet Dream Travel! We offer Vietnam tours (daily and package tours), visa services, and transfer services to explore Ben Tre and other areas in Vietnam. Let us show you Vietnam to the fullest. If you have any questions about Vietnam tourism, do not hesitate to contact us at: office number: (+84)28 3838 8322 –Hotline/SMS/Whatsapp/Viber/Zalo (+84) 918 709 338 or [email protected]
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