Explore Kien Giang is a journey of discovery that many tourists love. The province not only has beautiful natural landscapes, rich and diverse cuisine, but also has unique cultural festivals and entertainment activities.
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General information about Kien Giang
Kien Giang belongs to the Mekong Delta, is the largest province in the Southwest region and the second largest in the South. Kien Giang has three cities: Rach Gia, Ha Tien and Phu Quoc.
Kien Giang borders Kampot province of Cambodia to the north with a 56 km long border, borders Ca Mau to the south, the Gulf of Thailand to the west, with a 200 km long coastline, and borders An Giang, Hau Giang, Bac Lieu and Can Tho city to the east and southeast.
Kien Giang has all types of terrain from plains, mountains and forests to islands. In which, the mainland terrain is quite flat.
What’s the best time to visit Kien Giang?
A great feature of this province is that you can travel here at any time of the year. With two distinct rainy and sunny seasons, moreover, it is rarely affected by storms. Good timing will help you fully enjoy the beauty of this place. Depending on your preferences, you can choose the right time.
Sunrise view from Sao beach in Phu Quoc island
According to experience, the time from November to April is ideal. This is the dry season with cool weather and warm sunshine. There is little rain during this season, which is very favorable for outdoor activities.
How to get here?
By road
Road is the main form of transportation to Kien Giang. From Ho Chi Minh City, visitors often depart from Mien Tay (Western Bus) bus station. One-way fares range from 200,000 VND to 350,000 VND depending on the bus company, vehicle quality and destination. Recommended bus companies: Kumho Samco, Phuong Trang (Futa), Thien Thanh limousine, Hue Nghia, Tuan Nga, Tu Tien, Hien Van, Hoang Minh…
Phuong Trang (Futa) – a regular to many cities, towns in Kien Giang
Travel time ranges from 4.5 to 6.5 hours to Rach Gia or Ha Tien. Usually, visitors will choose night buses to save time.
By air
Kien Giang has Phu Quoc which is an international airport, and receives all types of aircraft. There are dozens of flights to and from Phu Quoc Airport every day. Domestic round-trip airfare to Phu Quoc ranges from 2 million VND to 8 million VND, depending on the time, airline and departure location.
By sea
To visit islands such as Phu Quoc and Nam Du, visitors can take a speedboat from Rach Gia or Ha Tien. Reputable shipping companies include Superdong and Phu Quoc Express with ticket prices ranging from 100,000 – 400,000 VND.
Supper Dong speed boat – a regular boat to Phu Quoc, Ha Tien, Rach Gia…
Accommodation in Kien Giang
Hotels and resorts in Kien Giang are concentrated in major cities such as Ha Tien, Rach Gia and Phu Quoc. There are many different types of accommodation. High-end hotels with room rates ranging from 1-1.2 million VND per night; 2-3 star hotels with room rates from 400,000 VND to 700,000 VND and budget accommodation costs less than 300,000 VND.
photo source: collected
Tourist attractions in Kien Giang
Rach Gia city
Rach Gia city is the administrative center of Kien Giang province. This is the only city in the West that has coastal line. This bustling coastal city has a beautiful natural landscape with many valuable cultural and historical relics, unique architectural works harmoniously combining the three ethnic groups of Kinh, Chinese and Khmer.
Some impressive Rach Gia tourist attractions that you can overcome such as: Rach Gia pier, Nguyen Trung Truc temple, Tam Bao pagoda, Tam Quan gate, An Hoa cultural park, Rach Gia market…
Phu Quoc Island
Referring to Kien Giang, people immediately think of Phu Quoc. This is the largest island in Vietnam, famous for its beautiful beaches, primeval forests, and precious historical relics. Phu Quoc is blessed with a harmonious landscape, a pleasant climate all year round, and fresh seafood. Therefore, it not only attracts a large number of domestic tourists but also foreigners.
Phu Quoc has many beautiful beaches stretching from the North to the South such as Bai Truong, Bai Sao, Bai Khem, Bai Dai … In the North, you can visit Mong Tay islet, Doi Moi island, Ban island, Thay Boi island … In the South, there are 12 islands belonging to An Thoi archipelago … There are many interesting entertainment activities for Phu Quoc tourists such as fishing, diving to see coral…. Phu Quoc not only has the sea but also is a place to learn about historical and cultural relics, customs, habits of islanders, traditional craft villages … or explore the joyful life in the fishing village of local people.
Nam Du Islands
The Nam Du island is located in the Southeast of Phu Quoc Island in Kien Hai district, Kien Giang province. Nam Du Archipelago consists of 21 islands, large and small, creating a wonderful landscape in the middle of the Gulf of Thailand. The picturesque beauty together with the clear blue water, the peaceful and dreamy scenery here has made many people fall in love with every opportunity to travel to Kien Giang.
The first thing that travelers think about this island is immersed in the crystal clear blue water. There are many beautiful and famous beaches here such as Me beach, Dat Do beach…in Hon Lon island with curved coconut trees shading on the white sand and clear seawater. In addition to the wonderful beauty of nature, Nam Du Island also possesses many types of local products, along with very cheap and fresh seafood.
Coming to Nam Du, tourists enjoy the quiet space, enjoy diving and swim, learn about fishing in cages on the sea and experience the life of a true fisherman in this archipelago with many amazing things.
Son Island
Son island is located in Lai Son commune, Kien Hai district, located between Nam Du Island and Hon Tre Island. This island is considered one of the most pristine and charming islands in the Kien Giang sea. Covered by immense coconut palms running along the coast with a wild look, there is no trace of discovery. Traveling to Son island, in addition, to relax at the beaches: Bang beach, Nha beach, Thien Tue beach, and Bac beach.
You can also snorkel on the coral reef between Da Bang and Doc Ba Tang. With romantic scenery, this island is ideal for those who like to get up early to watch the sunrise or admire the sunset in the late afternoon. Son island also has Than Lai Son communal house, Ba Chu temple, Cao Dai shrine, Hai Son pagoda, Pho Tinh pagoda, … are all located in Bai Nha, which is quite convenient for sightseeing taking pictures.
Ha Tien
Ha Tien is a new city located in the Northwest of Kien Giang province. The North borders Cambodia with a border of 13.7 km, the East and South borders Kien Luong district, the West borders the Gulf of Thailand with a coastline of 22 km. Although Ha Tien is just a small city in Kien Giang, it is favored by nature with countless beautiful scenes.
Traveling to Ha Tien, in addition to having fun swimming in Mui Nai, you can also discover caves, erect rocky mountains, Mac Cuu mausoleum, Dong Ho lagoon, Tam Bao Pagoda, Xa Xia pagoda, and enjoy specialties dishes at the night market near Giang Thanh River.
Hai Tac Island
Hai Tac (Pirate) archipelago belongs to Tien Hai commune, Ha Tien city, located nearly 28 km outside of the mainland. At the end of the 17th century – early 18th century, the Ha Tien archipelago was located on an important trade route of many countries. With the dangerous terrain, this area became an ideal place for pirates to hide, ambush and attack passing merchant ships.
Although not as famous as Phu Quoc and Nam Du but Hai Tac Island is loved by tourists for its wild scenery and experiences of fishing village life. Hai Tac Island does not have many wide beaches, smooth white sand like Phu Quoc, but the beach here is very clean and pristine. Dua beach in Hai Tac Island is the most famous beach, a destination loved by locals and tourists. You can comfortably swim, roam or rent sea glasses to go snorkeling, catch crabs, snails around the cliffs.
Phu Tu (Father and Child) Islet
Phu Tu scenic area in Kien Luong district, Kien Giang province has poetic scenery and is an attractive destination for tourists everywhere. Located on the west coast, more than 35km from Ha Tien city and 70km from Rach Gia city, Phu Tu islet is a natural complex including caves, rocky mountains, and beaches like Ha Long Bay in South Vietnam.
Tourists visit this tourist destination not only because of its charming young beauty but also want their children or themselves to have a few minutes to reflect on the noble and beautiful father-son love through the legend of Phu Tu islet. Before “crossing” to the sea to visit Phu Tu islet, a tourist destination that cannot be missed is Hang Pagoda. This particular temple is located mostly in a mountain cave, has a narrow entrance, must be inserted through the cliff to enter. When going deep inside, visitors are attracted to the jelly blocks, ribbed rock, unique shapes …
Hang Pagoda
Hang Pagoda, also known as Hai Son Pagoda, located at the foot of An Hai Son Mountain in Kien Luong District, is an ancient and sacred pagoda. The special thing about Hang Pagoda is its unique location, deep inside a natural cave, creating a pure and mysterious space.
Entering the temple, visitors will feel the peace, their souls are purified by the fresh, cool air from nature. This is a spiritual destination that attracts many visitors to burn incense, pray and admire the beautiful scenery of mountains.
Ba Lua archipelago
Located in the waters of Kien Giang, which owns many beautiful and famous islands, beaches, but the Ba Lua archipelago (in Kien Luong district) makes visitors fascinated by its rustic, simple, and interesting features amazed. When traveling to Ba Lua Island, the most frequent visitors come to Lon (Large) Island, Duong island, and Gieng island, forming the famous Ba Hon Dam cluster. The sea here is shallow and gentle, so visitors can walk from one island to another when the water level is low, to explore the scenery as well as the sincere life of the fishermen. This is an interesting experience, both creating a sense of curiosity but also mixed with an interesting thrill that visitors may not have experienced in any other tourist destination. Under the immense sea, visitors can relax, have fun with friends, soak in cool water or experience the pleasure of hunting seafood with clams, snails … like fishermen exactly.
Tre Island
Compared to other popular islands, Tre (Bamboo) island is somewhat inferior in popularity, but that does not mean the island is not beautiful. On the contrary, those who like to admire the beautiful, unspoiled scenery, admire many vertical rocks, extremely clear blue sea water … must come to this island at least once.
Tre island commune is the administrative center of Kien Hai district, located closest to the shore compared to Nam Du and Son island. With a relatively modest total area of less than 500km², but possessing a variety of beauty, including forests, mountains, sea islands, … and many kinds of fresh seafood will keep visitors when coming to the island. The coast around the island has a winding shape with many stretches of natural rock … Especially the fruits grown here are much better than the mainland.
U Minh Thuong National Park
U Minh Thuong National Park is located in U Minh Thuong district, Kien Giang province, about 65km southwest of Rach Gia city. Formed and concentrated in the western part of the Ca Mau peninsula, bordered by mangrove forests along the Gulf of Thailand. U Minh Thuong is a typical type of wetland forest in South Vietnam. And even recognized on the list of unique and rare forests in the world.
After weaving among the small canals by motorboat, visitors will have the opportunity to explore the bird sanctuary, visit Mang Doi through the high view from the watchtower.
Tho Chu Island
Tho Chu Archipelago is a frontier island border on the southwest sea of the country in Phu Quoc district, Kien Giang province where not everyone knows it. But because of little attention, this island still retains the wild features of nature.
Tho Chu Island, is 100km from Phu Quoc and 220km southwest of Rach Gia city, so coming to Tho Chu Island is quite difficult. Tho Chu Island is a place that plays an important role in the military, so it is strictly managed by the border forces, it is necessary to comply with the regulations when visiting.
The beautiful scenery of the Tho Chu archipelago is really untouchable: white sandy beaches, clear blue water, charming coconut trees, colorful coral reefs, rich seafood … Although the journey to Tho Chu is still quite hard, but surely the island will bring many surprises.
An Thoi archipelago
An Thoi is an archipelago located in the south of Phu Quoc pearl island, located in the Gulf of Thailand. It is about 38 km from the central town, includes 15 islands that make up a population In which only 3 islands are inhabited. They are Thom, Ray and May Rut islands. However, the residents here are not too crowded either. Thanks to that, the Thoi An archipelago of Phu Quoc still retains its rare and wild beauty.
This archipelago contains a chain of small islands lying adjacent to each other. Because there is not too much influence from human hands, it still has a very natural and beautiful landscape. With the turquoise-like blue sea, the long white sand glittering in the sunlight, creating a poetic, lyrical, and extremely peaceful scene.
Can be compared here the green pearls of Phu Quoc, Thoi An archipelago Phu Quoc becomes an irresistible destination for tourists from near and far.
Not only known as a paradise on earth. Visitors coming will experience many new entertainment activities and entertainment. For example, you can experience services such as scuba diving, watching coral, visiting cable cars, squid fishing at night, …
Thach Dong Thon Van
Thach Dong Thon Van, also known as Van Son, belongs to My Duc commune, Ha Tien town, Kien Giang province. It is a giant remnant of Pecmi limestone, standing tall with an altitude of about 90 meters above sea level and a foot diameter of only about 45 meters.
It is called Thach Dong Thon Van because every early morning, white clouds that fly over the top of the mountain are trapped in front of the cave and slowly fly in like a cave swallowing clouds. Located on Highway 80, about 3.5 km from Ha Tien town, on the way from Ha Tien to Xa Xia border gate, this small mountain has the shape of a hat of geological heritage. virtual inside the stone tower with many stalactites with fancy shapes.
Da Dung Mountain
Those who have ever researched and read about Ha Tien must have heard of Mount Rock, a beautiful, majestic, and magnificent symbol of Ha Tien. The erect rocky mountain is located near the Vietnam-Cambodia border, also known as Chau Nham mountain. The erect rocky mountain is about 100m high, shaped like a trapezoid. From a distance, Da Dung Mountain has a square shape as if it was carved by a skillful hand, covered with immense green trees creating giant and beautiful vegetation. Inside the moutain, there are 14 small and large caves. Each cave has its own unique beauty: Doi (Bat) Cave has gourd-shaped stalactite; Than Kim Quy cave has a blue and flat rock like a magic turtle; Bong Lai (Elysium) cave conquered by the fresh air like a fanciful scene; Kho Qua (bitter melon) Cave owns stalactites in shape of giant bitter melons … all making it an attractive place for you to explore.
Mac Cuu Tomb
Mac Cuu Tomb is located on Binh San Mountain, the resting place of Mac Cuu and his family, who had contributed to the development of the ancient Ha Tien land. This is an important historical site of Kien Giang province, attracting many tourists to visit and learn about the history of the formation and development of this land.
The tomb was elaborately built, including temples and mausoleums of the Mac family. Coming here, you can not only admire the ancient architecture but also deeply feel a part of the heroic history of Ha Tien land.
Nguyen Trung Truc Temple
Located right in the center of Rach Gia city, Nguyen Trung Truc Temple is a destination not to be missed when coming to Kien Giang. This is the largest temple of the nine temples of Nguyen Trung Truc, the hero who led the resistance war against the French in the South.
Every year, in the 8th lunar month, the big festival at the temple attracts thousands of visitors from all over to attend, immerse themselves in the cultural space and honor the national hero. The temple is open daily from 7am to 5pm, bringing a solemn space full of historical significance.
Kien Giang Museum
If you want to learn more about the culture and history of Kien Giang, Kien Giang Museum in Rach Gia City will be an ideal stop. With ancient French architecture combined with traditional Southern features, the museum preserves many valuable artifacts, introducing the history, people and culture of this land through 6 exhibition themes.
With only 15,000 VND entrance fee, you can spend the whole day exploring this space and learning about the glorious past of Kien Giang. This is not only a place to preserve heritage, but also a place where visitors can understand more deeply about the local cultural identity.
Kien Giang Cuisine
Herring Salad
This is a specialty of Phu Quoc, a dish that visitors should not miss when coming to this island. Herring salad is sold in all restaurants and eateries from high-end to popular.
The herring is pre-processed, rolled with vegetables and rice paper, and dipped in fish sauce that has absolutely no fishy smell. The special thing about herring salad is that it is eaten with fresh melon, which makes it delicious and sweet. Visitors can also buy herring to bring back to the mainland as gifts.
Ham Ninh Crab
Crabs in Ham Ninh fishing village are famous for their freshness and sweet, firm meat. According to suggestions from travel sites, Ham Ninh crab is in the top 3 seafood dishes that tourists “cannot miss” when enjoying the cuisine of the pearl island.
Keywords related to Ham Ninh crab often increase during the summer tourist season – when crabs are in season and many customers look for delicious crab restaurants.
Sea Urchin
Grilled sea urchin with scallion oil or porridge is also a unique dish that many people hunt for. This is a seafood specialty that is sought after at Phu Quoc night food markets.
The fatty grilled sea urchin dish often attracts curious tourists, causing searches for “ sea urchin” to increase every time a review or experience vlog goes viral.
Ken noodle
Ken noodle is a Khmer dish with the main ingredients being typical fish of the Western region which are carefully processed, skinned, and deboned. The dish has a thick, red broth made from coconut milk.
To have a perfect bowl of Ken noodle, just add a little mango, raw vegetables, crushed dried shrimp, and then pour in the broth. When eating, diners will feel the fatty taste of coconut milk and the sweet taste of fish..
Phu Quoc fish sauce
Phu Quoc fish sauce is a famous specialty of Phu Quoc Island,, produced from fresh anchovies and sea salt using traditional methods.
The fermentation process lasts from 6 to 12 months in large wooden barrels, creating a rich flavor and characteristic amber color. Phu Quoc fish sauce is not only a typical spice of Vietnamese cuisine but also a meaningful gift when traveling to Phu Quoc.
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