Discover An Giang: Wetland Forests, History and River Life

A motorboat travels through the flooded Trà-Sư Cajeput Forest, home to more than 70 bird species. With this wetland forest, archaeological sites and life along the river, An Giang offers a range of themes for a trip. The places you choose to focus on can also guide your search for a suitable hotel.

Nature Between Wetland Forest and Lagoon

The Trà-Sư Cajeput Forest covers more than 845 hectares and is a characteristic wetland forest of the western Hậu River region. Visitors can travel through it in a motorised Tac Rang boat. The boat ride passes through an area home to more than 70 bird species, bringing nature and waterscapes together.

An Giang is also characterised by other extensive landscapes. U Minh Thượng National Park covers more than 21,000 hectares, including a core zone of 8,038 hectares. On Phú Quốc Island, the national park extends across 31,422 hectares, or about 70 per cent of the island. More than 470 plant species grow there.

The 1,384.36-hectare Đông Hồ saltwater lagoon offers a different perspective. It is connected to the Giang Thành River, the Rạch Giá–Hà Tiên Canal and the West Sea, or Gulf of Thailand. The region’s landscapes therefore range from wetland forest to a lagoon with named river and sea connections.

Archaeology and Living Culture

The Óc Eo–Ba Thê archaeological site consists of four interconnected parts: Ba Thê Mountain, the ancient city of Óc Eo, Giồng Xoài and Nền Chùa. Finds show that Óc Eo was a major economic, cultural and trading centre in Southeast Asia in the first centuries of the Common Era. The ancient Canal 16, known as Lung Giếng Đá or Lung Lớn, also helps orient visitors in this historic landscape. It ran through the port city of Óc Eo, from Tráp Đá via Nền Chùa and onward to Rạch Giá Bay.

Another historic site is Bình San Mountain, also called Núi Lăng, which is about 50 metres high. It is home to the tomb of Mạc Cửu, as well as the tombs of his relatives and generals from the Mạc family. Chùa Hang–Hòn Phụ Tử lies within the Hòn Chông scenic monument, which was designated a national monument in 1989.

Traditions are also part of An Giang’s cultural identity. The Bảy Núi ox racing festival is a unique provincial-level sporting and cultural event, recognised as national intangible cultural heritage. In Châu Phong, meanwhile, brocade has traditionally been woven; the village is recognised by the province under its criteria for small-scale craft villages.

River Life, Cuisine and Trip Planning

The floating village of Châu Đốc is a fishing community on the Hậu River. The houses stand on rafts and also serve as fish farms. A tour goes from the floating fish-farming village at the river confluence near Châu Đốc to the Cham village of Châu Phong. As tour operators may change, it is advisable to check current arrangements before planning.

You can also get to know Châu Đốc through its cuisine. Local dishes include Bún Cá Bông Điên Điển, Bánh Bò Thốt Nốt and Lẩu Mắm. Fish sauce production in Nui Sam and Châu Phú A is part of Châu Đốc’s fish sauce market, which is known nationwide. Nature, archaeological history, handicrafts and cuisine thus offer different starting points for planning your trip.

For travel to Châu Đốc, the drive from Cần Thơ Airport is one reference point: it takes about three hours by car. In Châu Đốc, the rainy season runs from May to October and the dry season from November to April; the weather can vary from year to year. Trekking at Núi Cấm is considered an outdoor sporting activity in An Giang.

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For the broader travel overview: Vietnam.