Are you seeking a quieter and less-known place for your Mekong Delta tour? Consider Vinh Long Province. This place holds significant historical values as it was the battlefield of several important fights from the late 18th century to the 20th century. Nowadays, Vinh Long is better known for the fishing industry, being one of the largest fish-exporting provinces in Vietnam. Besides, Vinh Long Vietnam is home to several appealing destinations that could easily capture tourists’ hearts from the very first meet.
In the following blog, Lux Travel DMC would take you on a tour to see the attractions of this city. This could be a useful guideline if you are about to take a trip to Vinh Long Vietnam.
1. Best time to travel to Vinh Long Vietnam?
Vinh Long lies between the Tien River and Hau River of the beautiful Mekong Delta, thus sharing the same weather condition with other provinces in this area. Generally, the temperatures remain relatively high (above 30 Celsius Degree) all year round.
To be specific, the weather in Vinh Long can be divided into 2 distinctive seasons: the dry season and the wet season. The dry season begins in December and lasts till the end of April of the next year. This period features clear blue skies and little to no rainfall. The weather is perfect for outdoor activities like biking and experiencing the local life. However, as the humidity would be exceptionally low, it might be a little bit unpleasant to spend too much time outside.
The rest of the year is when the wet (or rainy) season rules the world. From May to the end of November, Vinh Long experiences lots of rain, with the heaviest volume falling between June and July. These are also the hottest months of the year with high humidity. During that period, Vinh Long in particular and the Mekong Delta in general step into the fruit seasons, with plenty of fresh tropical fruits in their orchards get ripe and are ready to be harvested.
Source: Lux Travel DMC
From September to November, the whole region turns into the floating season. It is the ideal time for a rowboat trip along the canals and rivers of the Southwest.
To sum up, what is the best time to visit Vinh Long? It must be the later months of the rainy season, which is between September and November. The rainfall starts to decrease, while the rivers and canals are full of water, making it ideal for boat travel.
2. How to get to Vinh Long?
Where is Vinh Long Vietnam? This province is situated just about 135 km from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). It takes more than 2 hours to transfer from Saigon to Vinh Long City via the National Road 1A and My Thuan Bridge.
Regarding the means of transportation, you can catch a bus from the city’s station to reach there. However, the buses are always crowded, thus it is not a very wise option to opt for. Another way to travel to Vinh Long is to catch a van or shuttle bus from a travel agency. You will have your seat and the driver will be more careful when driving.
The most luxury and convenient vehicle to go with is the private car. If you book a private tour at a luxury tour operator, they will pick you up with their luxury private car. In this way, visitors don’t have to share spaces with strangers or worry about the carefulness of the driver.
What’s more, many travelers prefer renting a motorbike and ride it themselves. It is a great way to behold the beautiful scenery along the way, but it’s quite dangerous an option if you are not familiar with driving a motorbike as well as the weird transportation “rules” of Vietnamese people.
3. Things to do in Vinh Long Vietnam.
Vinh Long might not be a familiar name to foreigners as other Mekong Delta provinces do. Its charming beauty still awaits people’s exploration. So, what to do during a Vinh Long Vietnam tour?
Often, Vinh Long is included in the day trip itinerary to the Mekong Delta from Saigon such as the 2-day Cai Be – Vinh Long discovery and the like. The followings are the must-try activities that you shouldn’t forget to experience while in Vinh Long.
a. Wander the fruit orchards on Cu Lao An Binh (An Binh Island)
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Cu Lao An Binh covers an area of roughly 60 km2, consisting of 4 communes: An Binh, Hoa Ninh, Dong Phu, and Binh Hoa Phuoc. Surrounded by the Co Chien River and Ham Luong River, it is an attractive destination for Mekong Delta tours.
An Binh Island appeals tourists with its evergreen fruit orchards that grow and cultivate several kinds of tropical fruits like rambutan, grapefruit, mango, durian, and so on. There are small canals that connect the gardens, where you can go aboard the local boats to reach different parts of the orchards to get lost in its awe-inspiring greenery.
Traveling to An Binh island, tourists are also able to experience the life of the Southwestern people in the most “authentic” ways: try their farm works. You can go picking the fruits, fertilize the plants, catch fish at the canals, and so on. Moreover, tourists can join in their traditional games like wooden clog racing, monkey bridge crossing, bag jumping, etc. If you love thrilling games, try crocodile-fishing or ride the ostrich. It is of much fun, so don’t miss it out!
b. Take a boat tour through the narrow canals of Mekong Delta
A rowboat trip is an iconic activity that appears in all Mekong Delta tours. With a dense network of canals and ditches that are still less known to mass tourism, Vinh Long cannot be a better place for this activity.
Here, you will board on the wooden rowboat to glide along the small irrigation canals amidst the bushy rows of willow trees to reach different corners of the southwestern gardens. You can also visit the bonsai garden and the fishing farm to see how the locals’ daily life goes on.
After finishing the boat tour in Vinh Long Vietnam, tourists can walk or ride along the narrow roads across the orchards and stop by a leaf-roofed hut for a short break and listen to the “Don Ca Tai Tu” – the traditional folk music invented by Mekong Delta farmers. Just leave all the stress and sorrow of the life outside and immerse yourself in the tranquility and peace that this place offers.
c. Visit Tra On Floating Market
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You city dwellers buy foods only at supermarkets or convenience stores, right? If so, the floating market is where you should head your Vinh Long tour towards.
Very soon in the morning, hundreds of boats and sampans from different areas gather there to trade goods. The market is full of noisy sounds and the laughter of both the sellers and buyers. The sale happens quite quickly because the price is very reasonable and the customers do not need to bargain. It is the typical cultural identities of the southwestern people.
Another appeal of this market is the way people advertise their products. Due to the distinctive feature of the floating market that the boats stay extremely close to each other, it is really hard for the buyers to approach the boat. Additionally, the goods are put in the cabin, making it difficult to find the items they are looking for. Therefore, the sellers hang the samples of their goods on tall bamboo poles so that the customers can easily see even from a far distance. If the items are sold out, the samples will be taken down. That method is called “bẹo hàng” in Vietnamese.
Coming there, not only can tourists feel the ecstatic vibe of a local market but you also have the opportunity to sample the rustic delicacies that are sold directly on the boat. Drinks, snacks, fruits, and the like are abundant to shop, too.
A visit to Tra On Floating Market will offer you a close glimpse at the life of the lovely people who survive their lives on the waters. The more you know about them, the more you will be impressed.
4. What to eat in Vinh Long?
Vinh Long Vietnam is not just land with exquisite landscapes. Its culinary culture is exceptionally rich, also. If you are spending some days in this land, there are dishes that you shouldn’t miss sampling.
a. “Cá tai tượng chiên xù” (Deep-Fried Giant Gourami)
When it comes to fish dishes, Mekong Delta is second to none. And “cá tai tượng chiên xù”, or deep-fried elephant-ear fish) is among the most iconic delicacies of this land.
To make this dish, a whole gourami fish is deep-fried at a high temperature in a big pan. As its scales and fins are not removed, the well-cooked fish turns out to be exceptionally crispy outside. In contrast, the meat inside is tender, sweet, and fragrant. To give out such a great result, the chef needs to be skillful and meticulous when frying the fish.
The authentic way to enjoy that dish is to wrap the fish meat in a rice paper together with different kinds of herbs. Then dip it into the bowl of “mắm nêm” (fish sauce) – the traditional dipping sauce of the locals. The taste might be a little bit sharp at first, but it turns out to be heavenly tasty afterward. Once you have tried 1 roll, then you’ll definitely want more.
b. “Lẩu cua đồng” (Field Crab Hotpot)
The field crab hotpot is the iconic dish of Vinh Long Vietnam. As its name states, the main ingredient of this hotpot is the tiny field crabs that can be easily found in the rice paddies all over Vietnam. Small as it might seem, this crab composes rich nutrients, especially calcium. Furthermore, its meat is said to be a great detox thing that could dissolve blood and strengthen the tendons, and aid digestion.
The crabs used in “lẩu cua đồng” must be fresh and have firm meat and lots of roe. The locals will remove the roe before crushing the crabs and cook it in a hot pot. You can then add toppings into the pot to make a complete “lẩu”. Apart from meat, shrimp, fish, and crab, Mekong Delta people love to add their fresh veggies into the hotpot, namely the “hoa bí” (zucchini blossoms), “rau trai” (Asiatic dayflower), and “bông điên điển” (sesbania sesban flowers). No matter what you add, this hotpot can still easily whet your appetite thanks to the strong aroma of the crab, the sweetness of the broth, and the varied taste of different herbs and veggies.
This dish is the highlighted summer food, but it tastes amazing if you try it in winter, also.
c. Bánh xèo hến, Vũng Liêm, Vĩnh Long
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“Bánh xèo” (Vietnamese crepe) is a reputable street food of this S-shaped country. It often contains meat and shrimp; however, the “bánh xèo” version in Vung Liem, Vinh Long is different. In this place, people make that pancake with mussels.
Freshwater mussels appear in several dishes of the southwestern people such as mussel rice, mussel soup, and of course, “bánh xèo”. Vung Liem people use it as the main ingredient for their special crepe, altogether with the fresh naturally-grown herbs and veggies that they collect from their gardens. These things bring along different flavors to the cake: sour, spicy, and acrid. Combining with the sweetness of the mussel, the fat of the pancake, and the sweetness and sourness of the dipping sauce, they have made up an excellent cake that could steal every eater’s heart.
5. Where to stay in Vinh Long?
As mentioned above, Vinh Long tends to be included in the day trip itinerary, travelers often choose to stay overnight in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Here there are first-class hotels with high-end amenities and top-notch services, ensuring you will have a comfortable stay. For those wanting to get served with the luxurious service, this can’t be a better choice to opt for.
Still, many people who are eager to get exposed to the local life choose to have a farm stay with the host family in Vinh Long Vietnam. There are several homestays in An Binh Island and other tourist attractions, allowing travelers to stay there overnight. There’s no big hotel there, just the normal traditional southwestern house with a lovely host family. Not only can you sleep over there but you can also join their meals or follow them to do the farm works. It’s a kind of eco-tourism, so if you love to harmonize with nature as well as get closer to the villagers, go for this option.
6. The bottom lines.
With the beauty remaining unspoiled by mass tourism, Vinh Long is a wonderful destination for your private Mekong Delta tour. If you want to stay away from the crowd and feel the most authentic vibe of the Southwest, do not hesitate to go there. The experiences you will get will never dissatisfy you.
Don’t know where to start your trip? Let Lux Travel DMC help you. We have well-organized tours to Vinh Long Vietnam that could suit you.
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