An Giang is a province in the Mekong Delta, bordering Cambodia. It is a place where few tourists come, so it still feels very authentic. A place where everything revolves around the rivers, floating markets, fishing and one of the most beautiful rice fields in the region.
- Best things to do
- How to get there?
- How to get around
- Best time to visit
- Border crossing Cambodia
- Best hotels & homestays
Best things to do in An Giang
1. Chau Doc town
The trading town of Chau Doc is located on the bank of the Bassac River in An Giang Province, 290 km from Ho Chi Minh City on the border with Cambodia. The town has a few old Chinese buildings and an attractive market. In the evening you can enjoy a delicious meal in one of the floating restaurants on the quay along the river. In the immediate vicinity are a floating village, a Cham village and the temples of Sam Mountain
2. Chau Doc floating village
On the waterfront near the Chau-Phu Temple, you can rent a boat for a one to two hour trip to the floating village, which consists of houseboats and houses floating on empty oil barrels. Women prepare meals on small boats and sail past houses to sell them. The residents have fenced off the space under their houses with gauze and grow mudfish, a kind of perch. The adult specimens are bought by large companies that fillet the fish and export it to Europe as tilapia. The countless TV antennas on the roofs are proof that fish farming has done the inhabitants no harm.
3. Cham Village
The boat trip to the floating village is usually combined with a visit to the village of the Cham, an Islamic minority. Some of the inhabitants speak a Malay dialect. The village has a mosque and a Koran school. The Cham are known for the high quality of their weaving art.
4. Tra Su Forest
Tra Su is the most beautiful place in An Giang, so you should definitely not miss it. All the trees have sunk deep into the water, creating a unique environment to discover this underwater forest. You will find a high biodiversity of plants here: it has hundreds of fauna and flora that are on the verge of extinction.
The forest is also the habitat for many colonies of waterfowl, bats and even rare and endangered animals and reptile species. There are 140 kinds of flora, 70 kinds of birds, 11 kinds of animals, 25 kinds of reptiles and 23 kinds of fish.
5. Long Xuyen floating market
The Long Xuyen Floating Market isn’t as big as other floating markets in the Mekong Delta, but it’s a bustling market with hundreds of boats congregating to trade during peak hours.
To reach Long Xuyen Floating Market, you will need to rent a boat from O Moi Ferry to cruise the Hau River for about two kilometers. The best time to visit Long Xuyen floating market is around 5:00 AM to 6:00 AM.
6. Sam Mountain
Calling Sam Mountain a mountain isn’t quite right. It’s more of a small hill that looks big because the rest of the Mekong Delta is as flat as a pancake. The “mountain” has two main attractions; a group of temples on the north base and the viewpoint from the top. The hill is approximately 6 km southwest of Chau Doc.
7. Ta Pa rice fields
One of the most beautiful rice fields in the Mekong Delta can be found in An Giang. To be specific, the rice fields at Ta Pa. There are no tours to this place so you have to get here yourself. But you won’t regret exploring this beautiful landscape, with rice fields, trees and mountains in the background.
8. Oc Eo Relic
The south of Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand were part of the Funan Kingdom in the first century AD until the 7th century. Very little is actually known about this kingdom. The Chinese emperor’s emissaries described Funan as a land where there were towns surrounded by a wall of wooden posts, palaces, houses on stilts and rice cultivation. Ruins, artifacts and relics from this time have been found in An Giang, which you can now view at Oc Eo Remains Site.
How to get there?
From Ho Chi Minh City to An Giang
There are direct buses from Ho Chi Minh City to An Giang. The bus journey takes approximately 6 hours and prices are around 120,000 VND. You can book the tickets in advance via vexere.
Per tour
An Giang is located a lot deeper in the Mekong Delta from Ho Chi Minh City as My Tho, Ben Tre, Can Tho and Ving Long. For that reason, tours to An Giang are less popular. Still, a tour may be the best option as it can be difficult to travel in that region yourself.
How to get around in An Giang
An Giang is not a popular tourist hub and for that reason the transport for tourists is less extensive. The easiest way is to rent a scooter / motorbike from your accommodation. An alternative is to rent a car with a driver or to agree a fixed amount with a taxi driver. The easiest for most Mekong Delta destinations are still the organized tours.
Best time to visit
The rainy season in An Giang lasts from May to November. So if you are currently traveling, don’t forget to bring a raincoat. The temperature here is fairly stable all year round, ranging from 26-28 ºC.
Festivals
If you come here in the fourth or eighth month of the Lunar calendar, you can visit some of the largest festivals in the region. The Lady Princess of Sam Mountain festival is an ox racing festival and both a sporting activity and a unique cultural feature of the Khmer people. Bulls are selected and receive special care, especially in the period of about a week before the race. In the minds of the Khmer people, An Giang Mountain Ox Racing Festival is an unmissable spiritual festival.
Border crossing Cambodia
You can also go to Cambodia via An Giang. There are a number of border crossings to be found.
Vinh Xuong border crossing point in Tan Chau District
Tinh Bien border crossing in Tinh Bien district.
Khanh Binh border crossing in An Phu district
Vinh Hoi Dong border crossing in An Phu district
Best hotels & homestays
- Victoria Chau Doc Hotel: The most famous hotel in the region and the most highly regarded. Located on the river, this 4-star hotel has a swimming pool and luxurious rooms.
- Victoria Nui Sam Lodge: This resort is located on Sam Mountain. From here you have a great view of the region, including an infinity pool.
- Dong Bao Hotel: A great hotel, conveniently located near the river and boats.
- Murray Guesthouse: Good location, spacious rooms and free bicycles can be borrowed.
