For mentioning Ca Mau, Vietnamese people know right away that this is a swampy land, popular for its water channels, vast green and the forests of U Minh forest. These own such idyllic landscape than ever!
Surely, Ca Mau is also the province of floating boats and a great abundance of fruits. Thus, it can satisfy the visitors’ wishes whenever taking a journey to this land.
Ca Mau at a glance
It’s the province situated at the end of Vietnam and right at the South of the country. Ca Mau is undoubtedly the best site for those who love nature. And it’s for people who get fascinated about exploring and experiencing the water life, different fruit types, and specialties in the land.
Once reaching Ca Mau, we recommend you not to miss a chance to visit its town where there are a great number of amazing attractions to come across. Among them, Cao Dai Temple is the highlight not to miss. It’s the bird sanctuary with a little zoo having many animals, such as snakes, iguanas, crocodiles, and turtles.
Among them, Cao Dai Temple is set up under the architectural model of Tay Ninh Holy See Temple yet smaller. It has been known as one of the most spectacular tourist sights in Phu Quoc. So no wonder why it has drawn so many local visitors and foreign tourists to visit until now.
The Best Time to Visit Ca Mau
You should know that the average temperatures in Ca Mau vary less than you thought. In other words, it generally feels hot all year round and less temperate than some other areas. So if you’re seeking the warmest time to come here, then choose April, May and then June to visit the land.
If you arrive in Ca Mau from May to November, it’s possible to encounter heavy rains, and it can even rain all day long. And know what? Due to bad weather, the traffic tends to get harder and harder, so your sightseeing activities would be affected as well.
Besides, if coming in this rainy season, then the water in the rivers would rise! Thus, this won’t be convenient for any transportation by river at all.
How about getting here in the dry season (December – April)? Well, as you’re about to travel to this swampland from in this season, then there won’t be any rain but only beautiful sunshine. It means that you can join several interesting activities. They include hamster catching, slap fishing, bee eating and so on.
Getting Around Ca Mau
One of the most convenient ways to get around Ca Mau recently are traveling by road and waterways. But remember that a few places are just entered by boats. If moving from Ca Mau to Ca Mau Cape, it will take 2 hours 30 minutes by high-speed boat.
In fact, there are still many means of transportation you can choose, such as:
By Flight
Go to choose a flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Ca Mau from Vietnam Airline at the average price of $77 per ticket.
By Bus
So do you decide to take a bus to get to Ca Mau? Then it often takes you 7 hours to arrive in the place.
However, due to the long time spent on bus, ensure to take a sleeper bus instead! In this case, Ngoc Anh Bus and Futabus are the two most recommended options. Both of them offer a private bed and other good facilities during the journey.
By motorbike
The path from Saigon to Ca Mau is easier, so you only need to go through the Highway 1A until you get to the place. On the way, you will pass seven provinces of the Mekong Delta region. These are Long An, Tien Giang, Vinh Long, Can Tho, Hau Giang, Soc Trang, and Bac Lieu.
Top Things to Do in Ca Mau
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Explore the wildlife in U Minh Ha National Forest
Are you a true nature lover and excited about adventure tours? If it’s yes, then the trip to U Minh Ha National Forest is a must-do for you.
The name “U Minh” here means the darkness – how come? That’s because the entire forest is covered by the great density of green trees. Therefore, you’ll see less sunlight when being in this area.
It’s the Trem river diving the whole region into two distinct parts known as U Minh Thuong (Upper U Minh) and U Minh Ha (Lower U Minh).
A bit different from the Upper U Minh, U Minh Ha forest is more popular due to its marvelous landscape and beautiful rivers (Trem, Cai Tau and Doc). The forest is also filled up with a large number of cajuput trees, vast fields of reeds, and the life of many wildlife species. These are weasels, deer, wild boars, snakes…
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Watch the priceless scenery of Hon Khoai Island
By setting foot on this island, you and other visitors have a chance to contemplate the amazing scenes of the seashores full of egg-shaped cobbles.
Interestingly, if you’re brave enough, then challenge yourself with a climb up to the mountains where you can discover the jungle on your own. It’s the tropical forest with over 1000 types of species and plants, which surely leave you speechless at first sight.
Another great part of your discovery on the island will be a chance to taste several types of algae cooked into tasty dishes.
But for me, the highlight here is the 318-meter lighthouse constructed by French colonists since 1920. It’s seen as one of the earliest buildings on the nation’s territorial waters.
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Get amazed at the city bird garden in the Cultural Park
Find the bird garden (vuon chim) within the Cultural Park, also called as Lam Vien May 19th Park in Ca Mau.
It generally takes 2km for us to reach the center of the city, and this garden is where you can witness a lot of rare types of bird residing and gathering each year.
Getting inside the bird garden, it’s easy to recognize thousands of birds and storks right here among the 2-ha forest. Lately, there are some other bird species, from swan to teal that chooses to live and give birth in this region.
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Get to the Southernmost point of Vietnam
Situated in the southern end of the S-shaped country, “Mui Ca Mau” (Ca Mau Cape) is a must-see tourist site that you cannot miss at least once in your life.
Standing from the cape, you get to see the diversified network of flora and fauna at the same time.
The most popular plants here are the giant mangrove, “ban”, “coc”, and “vet” trees while the animals would be crab, fish, clamp, snail, and fish. Well, it’s estimated that there are more than 240 kinds of plants, 36 animal species, 194 bird types, and 260 species of fish with a lot of other endangered species.
Best foods to taste in Ca Mau
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Ba Khia (Three-striped crabs)
Ba Khia, also known as the three-striped crabs would be the most favorite food in the Southern coastal provinces of Bac Lieu and Ca Mau.
For all generations in the province, the crab has been well-preserved and then eaten as a salty addition to their meals. They are soaked in salty water for seven days. And after one week of fermentation, these little creatures can be kept fresh for the whole year.
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Chuot dong chien xa ot (Fried field mouse with chili pepper and lemongrass)
Fried wild mouse with lemongrass and chili pepper in Ca Mau has been claimed as the best dish to taste. Particularly during the harvesting season, they’re as large as a human wrist.
While preparing, the mouse gets drained off, burnt in a fire before marinated with lemongrass and chili pepper, fish sauce, salt, and sugar for an hour. They will be fried over the medium heat till yellow and crispy. When enjoying the food, you’ll see how crispy it feels outside yet tender inside.
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Luon om rau ngo (Eel braised with buffalo spinach)
Though there are countless eel recipes you come across on the Internet, the braised eel with buffalo spinach (also known as luon om rau ngo) still deserves your consideration.
The main ingredients for making “luon om rau ngo” are eel, turmeric powder, buffalo spinach, peanuts, coconut milk, and herbs.
To enjoy the dish, you need to dip the eel in a sauce prepared from coconut milk, lemongrass, chili pepper, and fermented soybeans. For those who are curious about this dish, it’s usually served with steamed rice.
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Banh tam ga cay (Silkworm cake with curried chicken)
The silkworm cake with curried chicken here owns two major parts, including “banh tam” (silkworm cake) and curried chicken. Besides, the cake is exactly the noodles which are quite similar to the silkworms so that’s how it’s called.
When the dish is served, the silkworm cake is topped with steamy curried chicken and a bit of broth poured onto the rice noodles. Some veggies you can enjoy with are salad and bean sprouts. Also, don’t forget to sprinkle some ground black pepper salt to add flavor to your food.
