Gao Giong Eco-tourist site (Vietnamese: Khu du lịch sinh thái Gáo Giống) covers an area of 7 hectares and lies in an area of cajuput forest with an area of 1,700 hectares. This tourist area is an ideal place for sightseeing, camping, and enjoying the local life in the Mekong Delta. This is one of the few ecological zones that still retains almost all of the wild features of the Southern region and is known as the “miniature Plain of Reeds”.
What is the best time to visit Gao Giong?
The most ideal time to travel to Gáo Giồng is from September to November when the level of water in the Mekong Delta River rises. During this time, water covers the fields, turning Gáo Giống into an oasis in the midst of immense water. Furthermore, a thousand types of flowers such as Sesbania sesban, red water lily, giant Crape-myrtle, lotus…are blossoming, creating romantic colourful natural paintings hardly seen anywhere else.
airy scenery in Gao Giong
However, Gáo Giồng is an ideal camping site for young people during the dry season.
The thing to do at the Gao Giong Eco-tourist site?
The attraction with wild nature attracts a large number of visitors to Đồng Tháp Province. Visitors can go to this site by land or by boat. And below are some things visitors should try whenever they have a chance to come here.
Admire a great view of Gao Giong from an 18-meter observatory
Before entering the bird sanctuary, visitors can climb to an 18-meter-high observatory to enjoy the entire bird sanctuary. It’s amazing as you can observe a magnificent view of the wildlife from a certain altitude. At dawn or sunset, tourists can see flocks of white strokes flying to search for food and return to their nests.
The white strokes stand out from the green forest, creating beautiful scenery.
Explore Bird sanctuary
Gáo Giồng Eco-tourist site has a bird yard of about 40 hectares with over 200 species of birds, notably Asian openbill, little egret, phalacrocorax niger, mallard, whistling ducks…and some of them are listed in Vietnam’s Red Data Book such as Asian openbill, Otididae.
The area is also the habitat of white storks with tens of thousands of them, making this the largest stork garden in Plain of Reeds.
A sightseeing trip by boat
It’s exactly a wooden sampan rowing you along crisscrossing canals to deep penetrate into the mangrove forests. The fresh air and calmness will help relax and let your mind dip into a comfortable state.
This is also the best way for tourists who want to explore the habitat of birds or get closer to the flora in this area.
Traditional folk games
It’s possible to join the life and culture of the people in the Mekong Delta via traditional folk games at Gao Giong Eco-tourist site. For those who prefer quietness, fishing is another way to relax.
However, if you want something more enjoyable and dynamic, just try catching fish by net, draining ditches for fish and especially running and catching rats on the rice field.
Enjoy specialities
Gáo Giồng is also famous for its plentiful resource of aquatic products, including snakeheads, anabas and notopteridae. It can be turned out to be many delicious dishes and some of them you should try whenever you have a chance to come here such as smoked snakehead wrapped in young lotus leaves, sweet and sour soup with cork flowers and henicorhynchus, grilled snake…
smoked snakehead wrapped in young lotus leaves dish
Useful information
- Location: Hamlet 6, Cao Lãnh City, Đồng Tháp Province.
- Best for family, solo, and couple
- Opening Hours: Daily 07:00 – 18:00
- Other tourist spots nearby: Xẻo Quyét Relic Area, Huỳnh Thủy Lê Ancient House, Sa Đéc flower gardens, Tràm Chim National Park, The tomb of Nguyễn Sinh Sắc, Kiến An Cung temple…
