Among plenty of destinations to visit in the Mekong Delta, Tra Su Cajuput Forest in An Giang Province is surely a very impressive point. The forest is labeled as the wildlife next to you, a special ecosystem you can’t find anywhere else. By boat is the best way to explore the inside, and the vista looks like a mysterious picture. Have you ever imagine birds walking on water to feed, waterways full of duckweed and a pleasant yet vibrant ambience among nature? All of those things will be found in Tra Su. Just put it in your bucket list when you’re planning for your holiday in Vietnam.
Where is Tra Su Cajuput?
Located in Van Giao Commune, Tinh Bien District, An Giang Province, Tra Su Cajuput is approximately 100 kilometers from the city of Long Xuyen. In recent years, Tra Su Cajuput has been one of the best destinations any traveler must come for a Mekong Delta trip. With the area of about 850 ha, the forest is home to a rich diversity of fauna and flora.
Tra Su Cajuput Forest has been considered as the land of the most striking scenes in An Giang Province and even in the Mekong Delta. The travelers will be overwhelmed by the forest’s magnificence while penetrating inside. Lines of cajuput trees along the waterway make the vista more alluring. Moreover, it’s great to witness wide paddy fields dotted with palmyra palm trees in proximity to the forest.
Some study reveals that Tra Su Cajuput is currently the habitat of more than 70 species of birds and 11 species of animals, 25 species of reptiles, and 10 species of fish. Also, there are up to over 140 species of flora spreading through the forest. With such an amazing wildlife, it’s sure a memorable trip for you.
How to Get to Tra Su Cajuput Forest from Ho Chi Minh City
30 kilometers from the city of Chau Doc and 64 kilometers to the southwest of the city of Long Xuyen of An Giang, Tra Su Cajuput Forest is reached easily by bus.
- You’ll take a bus at Mien Tay Bus Station – 395 Kinh Duong Vuong Street ,An Lac Ward, Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City. The bus fare is about VND 150,000 – 300,000.
- After the bus arrives in Chau Doc District, An Giang Province, you’ll take a motorbike taxi or rent a motorbike from your hotel to Tra Su Cajuput. Go along Tan Lo Kieu Street to Tra Su Bridge in Nha Bang Town, Tinh Bien District. Turn left, and travel along the Tra Su Canal a few kilometers to Tra Su Cajuput Forest.
- If the bus arrives in Long Xuyen City, take a motorbike taxi or rent a motorbike from your hotel. Travel along Tan Lo Kieu Luong Street, connected to National Route 91 to Chau Doc District. Then, take the above way to Tra Su Cajuput Forest.
If you are afraid that searching for directions from Ho Chi Minh City to Tra Su Cajuput Forest spends too much of your time and effort, a Mekong Delta tour from any travel agent or tour operator can help. Normally, a tour will include this forest and other famous destinations. It may be an ideal choice in the case of a holiday in rush. One interesting thing is that the tour will be the shortest way to Cambodia – the neighboring country of Vietnam. Here is an awesome combination, right?
Exploring Tra Su Cajuput Forest
It’s possible to state that Tra Su Cajuput Forest is the pride of the tourism industry of An Giang in particular and the South in general. This destination carries distinctive characteristics of the Mekong Delta and is famous for its diverse ecosystem.
The remarkable thing you’ll spot first when crossing the bridge to the entrance of the forest is a series of long canals providing a pleasant atmosphere for any visitor. The excursion to explore Tra Su is by boats and takes about 2 hours. At the entrance, just get onto a boat accompanying about 3-5 people and penetrate deeply into the forest for sightseeing.
It’s not a lie that the scenery inside looks like an ethereal wonderland. It’s so fanciful that you can’t believe there is such an enthralling place on earth. Especially when you visit it early in the morning, the air gets you more comfortable and you can witness flocks of birds flying to feed and singing songs of the wildlife.
Perhaps, the detail distinguishing Tra Su from other forests is the spread of duckweed on the water. The enormous emerald-green duckweed is seemingly embellishing canals through the forest. It’s indeed brilliant to leisurely move through the world of duckweed by a wooden rowing boat. At times, you suddenly realize birds walking in the duckweed are right next to you. There is no word to describe that stunning natural spectacle.
If you have planned for a trip to Tra Su Cajuput Forest, never ignore other fascinating destinations nearby, such as Linh Son Ba The Pagoda, Co To Mountain, the temple of the Lady of the Realm, Cam Mountain, the Land of Seven Mountains, and the Oc Eo relic site.
New Experiences in Tra Su Cajuput Forest
Taking selfies along waterways
Why do you miss such a good chance to bring back a collection of unique selfies? Tra Su Cajuput Forest with dozens of irresistible landscapes is definitely a perfect background for your selfies, especially when you are rowed through phenomenal waterways full of duckweed and cajuputs.
Getting a panoramic view from a tower
It’s known that the best place to get a panoramic view of Tra Su Cajuput Forest as well as take the most beautiful pictures there is from a tower. The telescope at the tower entitles you to see as far as 25 kilometers, so the whole forest is just in your eyes. Besides that, you can witness villages of the Khmer community, dotted with small houses. It’s worth a visit to the local handicraft villages nearby.
Cycling around and enjoying specialties
Cycling around village paths in Tra Su Cajuput is also an exciting experience. You can freely discover many species of flora and fauna there. Meanwhile, don’t forget the local specialties which are considered to be must-try things for a trip to the forest, such as grilled paddy rats, snake-head smoked in straw, and hotpot of linh fish and cork flowers.
Best time to visit Tra Su Cajuput Forest
Although the Mekong Delta can be visited all year round, you should come to Tra Su Cajuput Forest in the floating season – from the 8th lunar month to the 11th lunar month as here is the best time to admire its best look. In this season, you can get to know about more species of flora and fauna, which occur when the water goes up.
To peer down at the most vibrant perspective of the forest from the tower, it’s highly recommended to arrive from 7:00AM to 9:00AM when the weather is cool and birds flying to feed. Furthermore, from 5:00PM to 7:00PM is also great to see the birds flying back their home and the vibrant wildlife.
