Located in the Dong Thap province, Sa Dec is the flower capital of the Mekong Delta. It is about 140 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City, but is hardly visited by foreign travelers.
Things to do in Sa Dec
1. Boat trip
A boat trip in Sa Dec is less popular than for example in Ben Tre or Can Tho, but since it is located along the Mekong River, with dozens of side channels, you can also take a beautiful boat tour here. During a boat trip you can explore the local life on the water and along the water. Watch as boats full of fruits and flowers are transported. Along the way, you can stop to view fruit orchards and local life in sleepy villages.
2. Tram Chim National Park
Tram Chim National Park is a wetland area that is home to thousands of birds, about 70 kilometers from Sa Dec. There are over 230 different bird species to spot here, including thousands of storks. To explore the area, take a boat ride through the submerged forest, enjoying the tranquility along the way and hopefully spotting many species of birds.
3. Sa Dec Flower Village
The most famous place near Sa Dec is the flower village. Most flowers of the entire Mekong Delta are grown in Sa Dec. Most of these flowers are spread all over Vietnam. Flowers in Vietnam are very important in cultural traditions, for example in temples, funerals, weddings, Tet New Year and new store openings.
The Sa Dec flower village is not far from the city center and here you can see how they are grown. What is unique here is that the flowers are not planted in the ground, but in bamboo baskets that hang above the water, so that the flowers do not drown in the water. The flower growers in this village sail with boats between the bamboo flower growing pots to take care of them. This is a unique sight that attracts many travelers.
Vietnamese New Year is the time when most flowers are traded. If you’re lucky, you can visit the Sa Dec flower village about 2 weeks before the New Year, where boats are unloaded for distribution all over the country.
4. Huynh Thuy Le Ancient House
Huynh Thuy Le Ancient House is located right next to the river, built in 1895 during the colonial era in Sino-French design. This French villa architecture is beautiful to look at, with doors made of precious wood materials, yin and yang tiled roofs, and the interior design of the old house has delicate woodwork. The house has also been used in the film L’amant – The Lover (1992), where a French teenage girl starts a forbidden romance with a wealthy, older Chinese man.
5. Sa Dec market
Like many towns and cities in Vietnam, the market is often the place where you can get a real taste of local life. The Sa Dec market runs along the river, selling plenty of local products such as fruits, flowers and vegetables. If you want to visit the market in all its glory, go early in the morning. Around this time, many locals come here to do their daily shopping and you can watch them negotiate and socialize.
6. Phuoc Kien Pagoda
About 20 kilometers from the city center of Sa Dec you will find the Phuoc Kien Pagoda, also known as the Lotus Pagoda. The pagoda itself is not the main attraction, but so are the huge lotus leaves that lie in the pond. If you happen to drive by, it’s worth a short stop, otherwise it’s fine to skip this sight.
How to get to Sa Dec
There are daily buses from Ho Chi Minh City to Sa Dec. For the most comfortable experience, you can book the luxury minibuses or a car with a driver, with which you can immediately explore the area.
Best time to visit
Like other destinations in the Mekong Delta, Sa Dec has two distinct seasons: the dry season and the rainy season. The dry season runs from December to April and from May to November is the rainy season.
During the dry season you have clear blue skies, but in the rainy season everything is greener. If you want to see little chance of rain and green landscapes, it is therefore best to travel at the end of the rainy season, from October to December.
Just before Vietnamese New Year you can watch huge loads of flowers being loaded onto boats to be distributed around Vietnam.
Accommodation in Sa Dec
Sa Dec does not have as many tourists as other destinations in the Mekong Delta and you notice that the accommodations are also less developed. There are plenty of hotels in Sa Dec, but don’t expect too much luxury. For a more local experience, it may be advisable to stay outside the city, for example in a lodge or homestay.
