Traveling to Chau Doc is probably not too strange for tourists. It is not only a pilgrimage site but also a place of beautiful landscapes and vibrant culture.
Along with Long Xuyen, Chau Doc is one of the two cities of An Giang province which has quite important position in the economic development of the Mekong Delta region. Chau Doc also has Tinh Bien international border gate to Cambodia. The city has been well invested in infrastructure in the past few years.
In the past, most tourists knew about Chau Doc because of the Ba Chua Xu temple, which is a sacred pilgrimage site. Today, Chau Doc is famous for many other fascinating things such as beautiful and charming landscape, economy, diverse tourism, culture, and transit points to visit many neighborhood travel itineraries.
When you should visit
Like many other places in the Northwest, Chau Doc has a tropical monsoon climate with two seasons of the rainy season and the dry season. The weather in Chau Doc is generally suitable for visitors to visit all year round.
Chau Doc floating village
In the rainy season, Chau Doc often has heavy rain from May to October and flood from August to November. If you travel in this season, you will feel the life of people in Chau Doc river, but you must pay close attention if you are not used to the flood.
In the remaining time, it is often sunny and hot, but the temperature is not too high.
Best ways to travel
From Ho Chi Minh city
It takes you about 6 hours by coach to Chau Doc. Many car companies are running this route, so it is easy to buy tickets at the Western bus station at 395 Kinh Duong Vuong, An Lac Ward, Binh Tan district. Some car lines are Phuong Trang, Hung Cuong, Vinh An, Tuan Tu, and Kim Kim Mai.
Fares move from Ho Chi Minh City to Chau Doc ranges from VND 120,000 to 150,000/guest.
You can also rent a car from Saigon to go to Chau Doc if you go in a large group.
If you are a person who likes to experience an exciting exploration, you can go to Chau Doc by motorbike. The journey will follow National Highway 1A towards Tien Giang, cross My Thuan bridge along the National Highway 80 to Sa Dec. Then you continue to go through Vam Cong ferry to Long Xuyen city along the National Highway 90 to Chau Doc.
From Southern provinces and cities
The natural scenery in Chau Doc
From many regions around Ho Chi Minh city such as Da Lat, Nha Trang, Phan Thiet, Vung Tau, and Phan Rang, if you want to go to Chau Doc, you will have to pick up buses from these places to Ho Chi Minh city, then pick up a bus to Chau Doc.
From Da Nang, Hanoi
Tourists can book flights or train tickets to Ho Chi Minh city, then take a bus to Chau Doc.
Must-visit destinations in Chau Doc
Tay An pagoda
Tay An pagoda is also called Tay An Sam mountain pagoda, a Buddhist temple located at the junction, close to the foot of Sam mountain. The pagoda was built at an altitude of 284m above the sea level, following the "three" letter style, bearing Indian art style and Islamic art, combined with Vietnam's ancient pagoda architecture.
Chau Doc floating village
A unique tourist destination in Chau Doc is the floating village, a cultural feature with the style of the river. Here, each household has at least 3-4 fish rafts, and boats are the primary means of every family in this floating village. It's a must-come destination when taking My Tho - Can Tho - Chau Doc tour.
Ba Chua Xu temple
Ba Chua Xu temple
Located at the foot of Sam Mountain, Nui Sam ward, Chau Doc city, the temple has tower architecture in the form of a blooming lotus flower, three-layer roofs, green tiles, and art-intensive patterns. Every year from the 23rd to 27th of April of the lunar calendar, people here organize the Via Ba festival to pray and remember the merits of those who helped to suppress the rebellion.
Chau Giang Cham village
Visitors will cross Chau Giang ferry to come to Tien islet, where Cham people live in An Giang. The community is peaceful with mosques and many unique traditional stilt houses. Coming to Cham village, visitors have the opportunity to learn more about culture, handmade textile products and enjoy the unique culinary flavors here.
Sam mountain
Sam Mountain is 284m high, located in the plain, with asphalt road of about 5km long for the car to run around to the top of the hill. Sam mountain and other ones in the Seven Mountains are the highlights that create a dramatic natural landscape in the Southwest. Since this is a sacred mountain, there should be nearly 200 temples and pagodas scattered at the foot, the ridge and the top of the hill.
Hang pagoda
It is located on the slopes of Sam mountain, a scenic spot of An Giang province and a national-level historical monument in Vietnam. Lying separately from the Sam mountain system on a height of hundreds of meters, in a peaceful place, Hang pagoda is a stately place with many legends, attracting tourists.