For those who love the beauty of wild nature, Tra Su cajuput forest will be the ideal choice for your trip to Mekong Delta. The forest is considered the most interesting and attractive attraction of An Giang. Visitors coming here will feel overwhelmed by the vast cajuput forest and will have the opportunity to explore the typical flooded-forest ecosystem west of the Hau River, home to a diverse array of rare flora and fauna.
Overview of Tra Su cajuput Forest
Tra Su cajuput forest is a forest with many melaleucas located in An Cu Commune, An Giang Province. The forest was established in 1983 on a deserted lowland area heavily contaminated with alum, and Tinh Bien Forestry Enterprise planted melaleucas on a trial basis to improve soil and prevent upstream flooding. Tra Su cajuput forest covers 845 hectares and plays a crucial role in water quality and climate regulation for the entire Bay Nui region, which is home to many precious animal and plant species within Vietnam’s special-use forest system.
According to research, the Tra Su cajuput forest is home to 70 species of birds and storks, including two species listed in the “Vietnam Red Book”: the Indian stork and the oriental darter. The ecosystem is also very rich with 22 species of reptiles, 11 species of mammals, and 23 aquatic species.
Not only rich in animals, but Tra Su cajuput forest is also very diverse in plants with 140 species belonging to 52 families and 102 genera, including nearly 80 medicinal species.
With the vast green space of cajuput, along with the colorful picture of flora and fauna systems… Tra Su cajuput forest is not only a destination that cannot be missed for tourists, but is also considered to have international importance in wetland conservation in the Mekong Delta.
The most beautiful season to visit Tra Su Cajuput Forest
The flood season, from September to November every year, is considered the best time to experience the beauty of the cajuput forest. The flowing water makes the forest green, and layers of duckweed covering the water’s surface create a beautiful scene. The floating water season also creates favorable conditions for the growth of fish and shrimp and attracts many bird species.
The best time of day to explore Tra Su cajuput forest is early morning or sunset. Around 3-5 p.m, many kinds of birds and storks gather in the forest, creating a beautiful natural scene.
How to get here?
From Ho Chi Minh City, visitors can go to An Giang by personal vehicle or buy bus tickets at Western Bus Station for Long Xuyen or Chau Doc (An Giang Province), with an average price of 150,000 – 300,000 VND/trip, a distance of approximately 250km, and a travel time of about 4 hours.
From Can Tho to An Giang is about 117 km; you can get there by personal vehicle or catch a bus from Can Tho bus station to Long Xuyen or Chau Doc. Travel time on the route is about 3 hours.
For convenient travel, visitors should stay overnight in Chau Doc, depart for the cajuput forest in the morning, and stay until the afternoon. Tra Su cajuput forest is located about 30 km from Chau Doc; the drive by car or motorbike takes 30 to 40 minutes. The road is convenient.
Another way to go directly to Tra Su tourist areas, especially when traveling with a group, is to book a private car to Tra Su cajuput forest, as it is easy to stop for sightseeing along the way.
Interesting things to do in Tra Su Cajuput Forest
When you step into the cajuput forest, you will be overwhelmed by the natural scenery, with its vibrant green shade, creating a cool, pleasant space. To visit and explore the Tra Su cajuput forest, first you will go to the wharf to buy tickets and rent motorbikes (the means of transportation are canoes and motorized boats).
Visitors will embark on a journey through the canals and straight into the heart of the cajuput forest. Along the way, you can observe local people harvesting honey from containers placed in the forest. This is an opportunity to relax, enjoy the beautiful scenery, and learn about the lives of the people here.
Visiting the melaleuca forest by boat is also an opportunity to take beautiful photos amid the greenery and duckweed covering the water surface. If you’re lucky enough to go on a sunny day, the rays of sunlight shining through the trees will make the space magical.
After a 3km water road, visitors will reach the Forest Landscape Protection Area. You continue walking along the narrow path deep inside. On both sides of the path are towering cajuput trees, casting cool green shadows that make all fatigue seem to disappear.
In the center area, visitors switch from a motorbike to a rowing boat to explore the cajuput forest’s nooks and crannies. There are no longer any engine noises or other noisy sounds. Bamboo boats with just enough space for 4 people gently drift along the water, weaving between small canals, through cajuput trees hanging above people’s heads.
Here, you can see a layer of green water hyacinth covering the water’s surface. You can touch it and see the bright yellow sesban flowers and the green rows of melaleuca, creating a wonderful natural picture of the river.
Going deep into the Tra Su Melaleuca forest, you will see many bird species. With fresh air and the sound of birdsong, Tra Su is ideal for tourists seeking to escape the noisy, dusty city and immerse themselves in nature, making your trip to An Giang full of experiences.
Once you’ve finished exploring the forest, don’t forget to stop by the Observation Tower, where you can use a telescope with a 25km range. You can see the entire Melaleuca forest, birds flying, or nesting in the trees.
From here, you can also see the Khmer village living a few kilometers away.
If you have time, you should also visit unique handicrafts such as silk weaving, Khmer brocade, beekeeping for honey, the cajuput essential oil area, dried fruits of all kinds, brocade towels, straw hats, and fine wooden furniture…
In addition, visitors can rent bicycles to explore the Tra Su forest and take photos with the animals. Visitors can encounter many birds foraging, nesting, and hear their calls during their exploration. Occasionally, there is a monkey bridge across the water channel connecting the two patches of forest.
Besides natural beauty, the Tra Su Melaleuca forest also has beautiful artificial structures. Gathering all types of Vietnamese bamboo from across the country, the investor is determined to build a project that will set the Giuness record for the “thousand-step bamboo bridge” through the Tra Su cajuput forest to serve tourists.
What’s Tra Su Cajuput Forest’s specialty?
Tra Su Restaurant has two main dining areas: along the outside of the forest gate and on both sides of the pier, and a hut area floating on the water inside the forest (beside the Observation Tower).
At these dining spots, visitors will enjoy delta specialties such as grilled snakehead fish, fish sauce hotpot, coconut tofu salad, Eel hotpot, frog hotpot, snake hotpot, chicken hotpot, grilled fish, grilled chicken, Steamed chicken, grilled frog, roasted quail… The most famous are still the grilled rice-field rat with salt and chili, the grilled snakehead fish, and the grilled chicken with honey.
Prices are affordable, clearly announced, and you don’t have to worry about being ripped off. During the flood season, don’t forget to enjoy the hot pot of Linh cotton fish… delicious.
An Giang has long been famous for its extremely poetic and unique scenery. Travel to An Giang to explore the Tra Su cajuput forest, especially during the flood season, to fully experience the peace and poetry of the Mekong Delta region’s rivers.
Tra Su Cajuput Forest
- Best for: solo travelers, families, students, pilgrims…
- Other tourist spots nearby: Thoai Ngoc Hau Tomb, Chau Doc floating village, Sam Mountain Tourist Area, The Lady Temple, Cham Village, Oc Eo Relic area...
Source: collected by An
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