Con Phung or Phung Islet is where you get to enjoy the tastiest tropical orchards and experience the best culinary dishes. This is one of the four popular islets covered by water, fresh air and amazing fruits. And the land is not just well-known for nature but also the local culture and tradition.
Are you weary in body and spirit? Don’t worry since you can take a nap under the cool shadow of the garden trees, drink tea made from honey as well as enjoy some delicious fruits. There’s nothing greater than such a rural experience! “Don ca tai tu” is another highlight of Phung Islet you just can’t ignore once landing on this place.
How to get to Phung Islet
Con Phung or Phung Islet is situated on Tien River in Tan Thach, and just 12 km from Ben Tre City Center. It’s quite famous for both locals and foreigners thanks to its lush bunches of fruits, especially the coconuts as well as the specialties of South Eastern Vietnam. Feel free to head to the islet by boat.
Right after getting around the islet, how about keep riding along the river, stopping by the handicraft villages and coconut candy factories? It’s time to disembark to take a coach ride to tropical gardens. Here, just rest under the beautiful canopy of coconut leaves, sip a cup of tea with a bit of honey and blueberries while enjoying the pretty melodies of “don ca tai tu”.
About Phung Islet’s Unique Religion
The most outstanding thing you should be aware of when reaching Phung Islet is its unique religion in the S-shaped country – Coconut religion. How come? It’s known as the link between Buddhism, Confucianism, and more. This was said to be formed in the 1940s by the Monk Nguyen Thanh Nam, a man known as the coconut monk.
Interestingly, “Con Phung” or Phung Islet has another Vietnamese name, Dao Dua, which originated from the monk who used to live and meditate on the island for 3 years. He’s a believer of gaining the reunification of Vietnam by peace, he set up his sect and then pray with his religion. It’s a mixture of the above religions.
Visiting Phung Islet, the visitors can come to Nam Quoc Phat Pagoda that was once the holy land of this special religion. Besides, for those who wonder about the common architecture used in this place, we can tell that it appears during the Coconut Monk period and has been maintained until now. What you see here are the Peace Tower and the Nine Dragons courtyard and a big urn.
According to the locals, the Monk set up the Coconut religion to bring tranquility to all religions. The monk also tasted fruits, particularly coconut but nothing else.
What to do in Phung Islet
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Visit handicraft villages and buy some coconut gifts
On this islet, visitors can get around by motorboats to breathe the freshest air in such a greenery world of trees on this river. Don’t forget about tasting a few local dishes of the region and then visit some handicraft villages. In every commune of Ben Tre, the daily life of the locals here are all linked to coconut.
Their major means of making their living are planting fruit trees and making handicrafts from coconut trees. The most popular products made by them are gifts and coconut candies made from shells and coconut material. Sure enough, you’re attracted by the simple yet beautiful lives of the people living here.
By coming here, you and other travelers can witness the entire process of making coconut sweets and other gifts. Or pick out something lovely to bring back home as a present. They create a dozen of handmade products from jewelry to household stuff such as spoons, chopsticks, baskets, etc.
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Visit the orchards on the wagons
It’s nothing greater than sitting on the horse-drawn wagons to get to the orchards. Do it whenever your belly feels empty, especially when you can enjoy fruits with residents who usually have their simple yet tasty foods.
For those who feel exhausted after spending a long walking day, how about taking a nap, drinking tea made from kumquats and honey?
Don’t miss tasting some tropical fruits since there are many kinds of them for you to choose from. These can be sapodilla, orange, jackfruit, grapefruit, and a lot of them. Just explore the orchards and wander around the garden to relax.
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Stop by beekeeping family
A lot of families on the islet keep their traditional job that is mainly beekeeping for honey. It’s not hard for you to ask a local on Con Phung about where to get to beekeeping family. These bees would get the honey from the longan’s flower and the honey here, which is lightly sweet to charm everyone.
It’s possible to experience such a fascinating work by yourself or follow the instructions of the beekeepers.
When is the best time to visit Phung Islet?
All thanks to nature, the weather here is warm and sunny all year round. In other words, the islet welcomes you and tourists at any time of the year.
Particularly in the summertime of June, July, and August, the trees turn green and fresh while fruit trees are full of fruits. Most visitors coming here enjoy tasting these fruits: rambutan, durian, mangosteen, and more.
