Ben Tre

Night Market

Situated between two busy roads, Phan Ngoc Tong Street and Hung Vuong Street, the Ben Tre night market serves clothes, handmade souvenirs and an enormous range of coconut-derived crafts. You could browse the wares for hours if you wish, and maybe take a short break to pick up some delicious fresh fruit, grown in the local orchards. If you get tired of shopping, the nearby Ben Tre riverfront with its idyllic lights and calming serenity makes for a perfect location for a romantic evening stroll.

Lotus Lakes

Ben Tre’s beautiful scenery is peppered with vast lakes of what at first appearance seem to be lilies. In fact, these lakes are home to vast floating fields of lotus plants, resplendent with pink flowers and bright green leaves. It is also possible to hire a boat and driver to paddle out into the mass of lotus plants. As you approach the field or green and pink flora, the silence of the countryside lulls you into a state of pure calm. You will have a perfect moment to enjoy this delightful peace and be free to take home lotus pods and flowers, making pretty gifts for your friends and family.

Phung Island

As one of the typical tourist destinations in the Mekong Delta, Phung Island is designed as a green oasis in the middle of Tien River. Located on an area of approximately 1.500m², Phung Island is where you can explore the unique countryside lifestyle of the locals. There are many activities such as fishing, catching fish by hand, sailing, swimming in the river… This island also contains the relict of the Coconut religion in an area of 1,500 m2, attracting a lot of visitors.

Vam Ho bird sanctuary

Located in the two communes of My Hoa and Tan Xuan, Vam Ho is a mangrove forest with many wild plants and 84 different kinds of bird. Visit Vam Ho bird sanctuary, visitors can trek across the mangrove forest, visit the resistance base, go through the bamboo bridge and enjoy the fresh air. When you are tired, you can lie back on the hammock swaying under the shade and breathe the fresh air of Ba Lai River.

Cai Mon Orchard Village

Cai Mon Orchard Village is considered as the kingdom of bonsai in Vietnam, and the cradle of fruit trees in South Vietnam, with fruit available in any season. Cai Mon’s professional village annually supplies products such as durians, mangosteens, mangoes, longans and varieties of citrus. There are also many graft and multiplication artisans who create the diversity of bonsai shapes by the very spectacular figures of deer, stag, dragon, phoenix… Walking along winding paths round lush green gardens and enjoy the melodious tune of Don Ca Tai Tu music and song, you will realize this is truly a like-no-other place to discover.

Con Quy

Located along the Tien River and 23 km from the center of Ben Tre is Con Quy. This is one of the most famous destinations when referring to Ben Tre by the charming river atmosphere. Come to Con Quy, you will live in a peaceful space. In addition, you can also enjoy delicious fruit right in the garden labels, orange orchard, grapefruit garden… or drink a cup of honey smoke rose lightly and enjoy the melody from amateur-singers performance, which have been recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of mankind.

Cho Lach

Situated between the Ham Luong and Co Chien Rivers, Cho Lach has abundant silt, vast sand dunes, lush orchards and prosperity – nowadays especially bonsai prosperity. It is very popular for its specialty of ornamental animal plants, ornamental shape plants, uniquely shaped by skilled hands of artisans. There are several attractions at Cho Lach that visitors find simple yet adorable. It is considered a “paradise” for fruit lovers. With sufficient infrastructure modification and more effective promotional strategy, Cho Lach may very well compete with the other modern tourism sites and mark its name worldwide.

1. Coconut candy:

You can’t talk about Ben Tre without mentioning of Coconut candy. The best Coconut candy is produced in Mo Cay district. It is soft, tasty, greasy smell and slightly sweet in a unique way that you can’t find it anywhere else. They use a combination of coconut and other fruits like durian and peanut to create a more flavorful candy that will leave your mind unforgettable experiences. Making coconut candy is considered an art, with the secret recipe is only transmitted in the family.

2. Coconut wine:

It is another specialty of Ben Tre. Unlike other wine, drinking coconut wine won’t make you get drunk but just a little groggy and something special in the throat. The wine is cool sweet with coconut flavor. Ask the local or your accommodation staff to buy the genuine coconut wine.

3. Flat banana:

The selected banana must be the green Siamese banana that has just turned maturity. A banana after being sliced across will be baked on coal fire for 5 minutes. Then they take it out, put into a plastic bag and flatten it, then put it on the flame again until the banana turns into yellow. It is often served with coconut milk, which is quite tasteful.

4. Cake soup cracked:

This dish is a specialty of the western specialty made from rice flour, often dressed with duck meat ginger sauce. The reason is called sliced bread sliced to make bread flour soup people will use rice flour, kneaded according to individual recipes of each person. Often, it is difficult to find a place to sell because they usually carry the burden, only local people know the journey, but you can ask any local people.

5. Broken rice (Com Tam):

Tourists say Com Tam here is better than in Saigon. The meat is usually roasted pork, sliced thin, in addition to chicken ram, small rind, fried egg quarters, cucumber, tomatoes, pickles… Both make this dish eye-catching and rich-nutrition.

Visiting Ben Tre, tourists often sign up for a day tour and opt-in a boat trip traveling along the river. For your best experience, you may consider our suggested 1-day itinerary while visiting Ben Tre as following.

AM: Depart from Saigon and head straight to Ben Tre. Upon arrival board a small boat to visit the Vam Ho bird sanctuary for sightseeing. Then head to Cai Mon Orchard Village to experience special fruits and relax.

PM: Continue a tranquil trip along the picturesque canals. Come back to the port and continue to visit Ben Tre local market before returning to Saigon.

If you are a veteran backpacker, please feel free to manage the trip your own and alter it when needed, else, we recommend you join a tour organized by a professional company, that can free you from hassles and keep you safe throughout the journey.

The weather in Ben Tre is typically monsoon tropical with high average temperature of 26 to 27oC. The rainy season usually begins in May and lasts until October. And contrarily, dry season takes the rest months of the year.

The best time to visit Ben Tre is in the summer (from June to August) when most of the fruits in Ben Tre turn ripe and there are many tourism activities occur. You can enjoy the tasty fruits, experience the countryside culture and learn more about the daily lives of Ben Tre people.

Ben Tre is not far away from Ho Chi Minh city, transportation is absolutely flexible and do not take much of your time.

By bus: You can find the shuttle bus to Ben Tre in Mien Tay Bus Station in Ho Chi Minh City. Prices range from $30 – $70 for 2 hours traveling.

By motorcycle: Can be rented at your hotel or motel. Prices range from $4-$7/day. Although renting a motorbike is not a big deal, but we do not encourage you to do this, especially when you first come to Vietnam. Ensure your safety first.

Throughout this article, we wish you to have an idea of how to travel to Ben Tre for your best experience. In case you are looking for your own travel agent, who can offer a wonderful and hassle-free trip to Ben Tre, please feel free to let us know. We always commit our best to make it your once-in-a-lifetime journey.