For those loving Vietnam or even having never known about it before, there must be dozens of intriguing things to uncover there for sure. One of the regions you should take an eye on first is the Mekong Delta because it’s easily accessible and doesn’t take a long time to experience. Đồng Tháp of this water area is one of the first choices, especially for nature lovers.
Đồng Tháp is full of exciting things to try out, but what will astonish you first is the natural and unspoiled charm of a rustic area. Therefore, the local authority has taken advantage of those blessings to boost their tourism industry; they tend to keep everything intact as itself at the beginning. This makes Đồng Tháp one attractive province full of things to experience in the Mekong Delta. See the following list of 6 ideal travel destinations in Đồng Tháp before the trip to save your time. The hints listed here can partially help.
1. Tháp Mười Lotus Farm
When it comes to Đồng Tháp, locals will tell you about charming lotus flowers, considered as the symbol of this land. The vast lotus ponds are found ubiquitously throughout Đồng Tháp. When in blossom, the ponds are emerging as an irresistibly gorgeous picture full of pink lotuses supported by their large green sepals and long stems, and amazingly dotted with yellow stamens. The light fragrance from lotus flowers and the tranquility of the farm will offer an unforgettable experience.
Address: Mỹ Hòa Commune, Tháp Mười District, Đồng Tháp City.
2. Gò Tháp Relic Site
Gò Tháp or Gò Tháp Mười is a relic site, discovered by the French in the late 19th century and the early 20th century. They found traces of ancient structures, statues for worship, steles, ancient scripts, and other priceless things. This site showcased the oldest civilization in Southeast Asia, so it is, in fact, regarded as a meaningful and valuable history lesson you never learn from schools.
Accordingly, Gò Tháp Mười was supposed to be the remains of a 10 floor temple. That’s why the first president of South Vietnam (1955–1963) had ordered to re-erect the same temple in 1957, but undergoing many historical events, it was devastated later. Today, archaeologists have excavated the site and classified the remains into three forms, consisting of relics about habitation, relics about architecture and relics about tombs.
Address: Hamlet 4, Tân Kiều Commune, Tháp Mười District, Đồng Tháp Province
3. Tràm Chim National Park
One of the activities you never miss when arriving at Đồng Tháp is birdwatching in Tràm Chim National Park. The park has been recognized as a Ramsar site – the wetland seen to be of international importance, ranked 2000th in the world, and fourth in Vietnam.
Tràm Chim is home to red-crowned cranes listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This species is also known as the world’s second rarest crane. Therefore, it’s a great chance to witness a diversity of flora and fauna species, forming a unique and intriguing biome.
It’s not an exaggeration that Tràm Chim National Park allows you to learn about the wildlife much more than a school lesson while it puts yourself into the calm ambience of nature and lets you enjoy cool breezes.
Address: Tam Nông District, Đồng Tháp City
4. Xẻo Quýt Relic Site
In the current list of ideal travel destinations to visit in Đồng Tháp, Xẻo Quýt Relic Site is one of the greatest places deserving to be uncovered. Tourists and travelers can admire the ecosystem of diverse flora and fauna species as they set foot there. The most impressive feature of the site is that while it occupies about 50 ha, there is up to 20 ha of a primitive cajuput forest inside it. The forest landscapes are unspoiled, enormous and grandiose. Nowhere is the scenery more miraculous than in this area.
Besides that, Xẻo Quýt Relic Site is also regarded as a spot for relaxation, away from the hustle and bustle of cities. It means that you can soak up the serene space and unwind as if time never flies. One fascinating thing about Xẻo Quýt is that it used to be a Vietnamese military base from 1960 – 1975, so you will take a chance to learn more about the history of the region.
Address: Hamlet 4, Mỹ Hiệp Commune, Cao Lãnh District
5. Gáo Giồng Ecotourism Area
Approximately 17 km from the downtown center of Cao Lãnh City, Gáo Giồng Ecotourism Destination is nestled in the cool green space. Tourists and travelers come to savor the majestic beauty of a cajuput primitive forest which is the home of various species of flora and fauna.
If you are seeking the complete peace and tranquility and would like to chill out with the nature sound, ranging from trees gently shaking in a light wind, gurgling water to the bird sound. For those fond of birdwatching, the ecotourism destination is actually a brilliant choice; plenty of bird species may be found in this place, such as white storks, mallards, black storks, herons, teals, and cormorant. It’s awesome to watch those birds walking on the fields and flying in the sky, forming a breathtaking image among nature.
Address: Hamlet 6, Gáo Giồng Commune, Cao Lãnh District
6. Sa Đéc Flower Village
Sa Đéc Flower Village is one of the attractive travel destinations you shouldn’t miss in Đồng Tháp. Just located not too far from the center of Sa Đéc City, the village stuns travelers and tourists by its view full of colored flowers, especially during Tết Holiday.
Sa Đéc Flower Village is labeled as the traditional one dating back 100 years. There are up to a few thousands of households owning large and tiny flower farms; many of them cultivate different species of flower right in the backyard behind their houses. When Tết Holiday is coming, the farmers take flower pots for sale in front of their houses, so if you are on a trip to Đồng Tháp by that time, you will witness an eye-catching long line of flowers. Sa Đéc Flower Village has become a cultural feature as well as the symbol of Đồng Tháp Province for a long time.
To dip yourself into the culture of Đồng Tháp Province, you should spend one day exploring Sa Đéc Flower Village. Did you know that Vietnamese people from different parts of the country tend to pay a visit and take views full of flowers there to become the background for their photos when New Year Festival is drawing near? If you want to have that kind of experience, dress in Áo Dài – the traditional costume of Vietnam and do what the locals do during the festival.
Address: Tân Quy Đông Commune, Sa Đéc City, Đồng Tháp Province
7. Lotus Leaf Pagoda (Chùa Lá Sen Đồng Tháp)
When going on an excursion to Đồng Tháp Province by yourself and asking locals about Lotus Leaf Pagoda or Phước Kiển Pagoda, you will be carefully directed to your expected destination. Legend has it that Lotus Leaf Pagoda had been established in the Thiệu Trị dynasty. In 1966, it was almost completely destroyed by bomb explosions, and the remains were just deep holes spread everywhere.
The view of Lotus Leaf Pagoda looks spacious and enormous, and statues of the Buddha are sculptured exquisitely and delicately. It’s possible to state that the architecture inside is not too unique, but the most impressive detail is that the pagoda is home of a rare species of lotus which should be admired for sure.
Address: Hòa Tân Commune, Châu Thành District, Đồng Tháp Province
8. Định Yên Mat Market
Around 28 km from the downtown center of Đồng Tháp Province, Định Yên Mat Market as well as Định Yên Mat Village is the place where traditional cultures have been preserved. Regarding the history of the market’s establishment and development, locals often worked in their fields in daylight, so they just had time to make mats at night. Accordingly, merchants also came to buy their mats when the dark was coming. That’s why nowadays the mat market opens at night.
Mat is one of the items Vietnamese people use a lot, so a visit to Định Yên Mat Market will help you understand the local culture and see delicate features on each of the mats there. Those details are created by hands of the most skillful local artisans.
Address: Định Yên Commune, Lấp Vò District, Đồng Tháp Province
Vietnam is a tiny country on the world’s map, but it’s blessed with grand natural landscapes, seascapes, unique places, intriguing cultural features, brilliant historical events, and many other fascinating things to discover. Đồng Tháp Province, the Mekong Delta is regarded as one of the rewarding travel destinations for any travelers or tourists because of its favorable location, compared to the country’s metropolitan region. There is more than one attractive place you will be interested in when you have a trip to this land. It’s sure that what is mentioned here will help make your Vietnam exploration easier and more memorable.
