Can Tho

Can Tho Province is located in the centre of the Mekong Delta, bordered by Dong Thap and Vinh Long on the northeast; by Soc Trang on the southeast; by Bac Lieu on the southwest; by Kien Giang and An Giang on the northwest. Can Tho city, for over 200 years the provincial main town, was once known as Tay Do, or Capital in the West.

Can Tho is 170 kilometres southwest of Ho Chi Minh City on the south bank of the Hau River, a river considered as the benefactor of the region as its yearly floods deposit large quantities of alluvia on the rice fields. The marshy Lung Ngoc Hoang mangrove forest, positioned by nature to escape the clutches of the occasionally threatening Hau River and the waters near Bac Lieu, also offers a shelter for wildlife. There fish, crabs, tortoises, and yellow boas and snakes, seek their seasonal shelter at a place where war-time troops often sought strategic refuge.

The miles of inter-connected canals and rivers are simply the green lungs of the Mekong. International experts are determining whether the area, and especially its river water ecosystem, could sustain another National Nature Reserve. Can Tho University has some 2,000 students in the fields of agriculture, medicine, and education.

The city population of 150,000 is the hub of the main Con Son and Con Au waterways which nurture the local rice and fruit trade. Those who have never visited the area, it’s likely they will have experienced its flavour in its Cau Duc sweet pineapples, sweet potatoes, taro, and the coconuts from the U Minh Jungle, which have upheld its reputation as a fruit basket region far and wide.

Natural beauty sights:

Can Tho Tourist Gardens (3) a series of modern tourism gardens have appeared on every land and water route in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho.

The gardens of My Khanh, San Duong, Ba Lang and Tan Binh extend along the arched highway, as well as on the waterways of hong Dien and Phung Hiep rivers. Other gardens in Long My, Vi Thanh, O Mon and Thot Not are also developing. The My Khanh Gardens occupy 2.2 ha and feature more than 20 species of fruit trees and flowers, as well as diverse species of birds, fish, tortoises, snakes, crabs and shrimp. Under the shade of lush green trees, there are small rong houses to provide visitors with a place to rest for the night.

Ba Lang is located 9 km from Can Tho (on Highway No. 1 towards Soc Trang), and has an area of 4.2 ha. There is the animal sanctuary of Ao Sen Lake, two lakes for swimming, an outdoor stage and mini-hotels. Gardens here combine agricultural potential with tourism.

Tourist sights:

It is enjoyable to take a boat trip along the Hau River on fine days. On the east bank Travellers will see Ninh Kieu Wharf and nearby is a floating restaurant connected to the bank by a bridge. It features eel dishes, a specialty of the region. A trip down the watery network that surrounds the Cuu Long Delta’s Can Tho and you’ll see why locals have a special feeling for it. On land the fragrance of frangipani trees wafts around the city’s communal house and its 72 columns of black hardwood which commemorate the making – or the saving – of the area.

Museums:

Can Tho Ho Chi Minh Museum; Army Museum of Ninth Military Section, Hoa Binh Avenue, Can Tho.

Markets:

Cai Rang Floating Market - 6 kilometres from Can Tho in Mekong river; Phong Dien Floating Market 20 kilometres southwest of Can Tho, the best floating market in the Mekong Delta; Phung Hiep Market close by Can Tho (Soc Trang direction). Bustling floating markets on the Hau River at Con Khuong, Con Son and further afield, Con Tan Loc in the more prosperous Thot Not District. Cai Rang is the largest floating market in the Mekong and the traders are more motorised, but the markets at Phung Hiep and Phong Dien are more relaxed and less crowded.

Source: Vietnam travel