17 Feb
Giac Lam Pagoda
Believed to be the oldest pagoda in HCMC (1744), Giac Lam is a fantastically atmospheric place set in peaceful, garden-like grounds. The looming Bodhi tree in the front garden was the gift of a monk from Sri Lanka in 1953. Next to the tree is a gleaming white statue of Quan The Am Bo Tat standing on a lotus blossom, a symbol of purity.
17 Feb
Jade Emperor Pagoda
Built in 1909 by the Cantonese (Quang Dong) Congregation in honour of the supreme Taoist god (the Jade Emperor or King of Heaven, Ngoc Hoang), this is one of the most spectacularly atmospheric pagodas in HCMC, filled with statues of phantasmal divinities and grotesque heroes
17 Feb
Learn About Vietnam’s Culture Over Dinner
We will begin the evening with the best Wontan soup in town and some fresh coconut. Watch how the chef makes the soup, a traditional recipe passed down the family for 4 generations.
17 Feb
Huynh Thuy Le Old House
This wonderfully atmospheric 1895 house on the riverfront was once the residence of Huynh Thuy Le, the 27-year-old son of a rich Chinese family who Marguerite Duras had an affair with in 1929 when she was only 15 – immortalising the romance in The Lover
17 Feb
Phong Dien Floating Market
Perhaps the best floating market in the Mekong Delta, Phong Dien has fewer motorised craft and more stand-up rowing boats. It’s less crowded than Cai Rang and there are far fewer tourists
17 Feb
Vinh Trang Pagoda
Giant Buddha statues tower over the beautiful grounds of this peaceful pagoda, where the monks maintain an ornate sanctuary, decorated with carved and gilded wood.
17 Feb
Mekong River Islands
What makes a trip to Vinh Long worthwhile is not the town but the beautiful islands dotting the river. The islands are dedicated to agriculture, especially the growing of tropical fruits, which are shipped to markets in HCMC.
17 Feb
Cai Be Floating Market
This bustling river market is worth including on a boat tour from Vinh Long, but it is best to arrive early in the morning. Wholesalers on big boats moor here, each specialising in just a few types of fruit or vegetable. Customers cruise the market in smaller boats and can easily find what they’re looking for as the larger boats hang samples of their goods from tall wooden poles.
17 Feb
Temple of Lady Xu
Founded in the 1820s to house a statue that’s become the subject of a popular cult, this large compound faces Sam Mountain, on the same road as Tay An Pagoda. Originally made of bamboo and leaves, the pagoda has been remade many times
17 Feb
Dien Bien Phu Museum
Most of traveler known Dien Bien Phu as the famous war – the second Waterloo of French happened there in 1954...
