Ben Tre is a hidden gem that boasts picturesque landscapes, lush coconut groves, and a unique cultural heritage. Known as the "Coconut Kingdom" of Vietnam, this tranquil province offers visitors an authentic experience of the Mekong lifestyle. Whether you seek adventure, relaxation, or cultural immersion, Ben Tre has something for every traveler.
Best Time to Visit Ben Tre
Ben Tre is located in the Southwest region, with a warm and sunny climate all year round. Tourists can visit any season of the year, but the most ideal is in the summer months of June, July and August. This is the time when you can admire the colorful natural picture and enjoy fresh fruits picked right from the tree such as mangosteen, durian, rambutan...
Move
If you depart from Ho Chi Minh City, you can go to Mien Tay bus station to find a suitable bus company with prices ranging from 85,000-140,000 VND. Travel time is 1.5-2 hours.
Besides, you can travel by motorbike or by self-driving car to freely stop and enjoy the scenery along the way. You should depart early in the morning or after 9am (because the road is crowded between 6-8am). Follow National Highway 1A to My Tho city, Rach Mieu bridge, turn right after crossing the bridge and you will be in the center of Ben Tre city.
You can also choose a tour of your choice from travel agencies in Ho Chi Minh City for convenient sightseeing.
Hotel, homestay
Homestay has been quite developed in Ben Tre in recent years. You can eat, stay and chat with the host, learn about the local lifestyle and enjoy the specialties of the river countryside.
In addition, there are many motels and hotels in the city for you to easily choose from such as: Cong Doan Hotel, Ham Luong Hotel, Cuu Long Hotel, Thu Thu Motel, Que Huong Motel... You can go to the rooftop of these hotels to drink coffee at night and watch the streets along the river.
Top Attractions in Ben Tre
Con Quy is located in Chau Thanh district with specialties of delicious fruits and shrimp and fish. Con Quy is the smallest of the " four sacred animals " of the Mekong Delta. Visiting Con Quy, tourists can also enjoy "don ca tai tu" which is imbued with the identity of the Southern river region.
Con Phung is located on an island floating in the middle of Tien River in Tan Thach Commune, Chau Thanh District. Coming here, visitors can take a motorboat along the island to visit coconut candy processing facilities, coconut souvenirs or take a horse-drawn carriage to visit the fruit garden, stop by a house thatched with coconut leaves to drink tea with honey and kumquat, and enjoy tropical fruits. Popular experiences include crocodile fishing , bottle-feeding carp...
There are two places to visit for fruit orchards : Cai Mon orchard in Cho Lach and Tien Long, Tan Phu in Chau Thanh district. You can enjoy the green space of the orchard, enjoy fresh fruits picked by yourself and eat them right there. The ticket price includes one time entering the orchard and enjoying any kind of fruit freely, but you will have to buy gifts to bring home.
Coconut gardens : Ben Tre has more than 200,000 households growing coconuts, accounting for about two-thirds of the total number of households in the province. Visitors should try cycling a few kilometers around the coconut gardens, enjoying the peaceful and cool atmosphere. While cycling, visitors can also chat with local people to learn more about life in the countryside.
Vam Ho Bird Sanctuary is where visitors can observe more than 100 different species of birds. There are individuals that are almost extinct but they are living here.
The tomb of Nguyen Dinh Chieu in An Duc commune, Ba Tri district is the resting place of the great poet of the nation, patriot and doctor of the people. Every year on July 1, Ben Tre people always hold a traditional festival here to commemorate the famous poet, the son of the South.
Once here, visitors can go another 9 km to Ngao beach and Tiem Tom port to see Ba Lai and Ham Luong gates (the 3rd and 4th gates of the Mekong River flowing into the East Sea). These two gates are only a few km apart.
Binh Dai Beach is located in Binh Dai District, on the banks of the Dai River. The beach is still pristine, not as noisy as Vung Tau or Nha Trang. Coming here, in addition to swimming and enjoying seafood, visitors can also fish and visit some spiritual tourist attractions...
Dong Khoi Guerrilla Village is located in Dinh Thuy Commune, Mo Cay District. Coming here, visitors can visit the exhibition area, which displays primitive weapons that Ben Tre people used to fight against invaders.
Phu Le craft village in Ba Tri district. Coming to this craft village, visitors will hear people singing spells while weaving, learn about the craft of making sticky rice wine...
A tourist attraction in the village is Phu Le communal house, built in the 7th year of Minh Mang (1826), on the basis of a wooden communal house. On Tet or the communal house festival (Ky Yen Festival) on the 18th and 19th of the third lunar month every year, a traditional opera performance is held right in front of the communal house.
My Long rice paper village is a place where tourists can watch people make rice paper. Rice paper is dried and then grilled on a charcoal stove, so the rice paper is always hot and crispy when it reaches visitors, with a rich coconut milk aroma.
Son Doc rice paper making village in Hung Nhuong commune is over 100 years old. Here, visitors can visit and learn about the process of making rice paper. After baking, the rice paper must be spongy, crispy and twice as big as before baking. The village sells many types of rice paper for visitors to buy as gifts, such as rice paper with chicken eggs, rice paper with jackfruit, rice paper with durian...
The weaving village in Phuoc Tuy, Ba Tri is about 40 km east of Ben Tre city. This is a long-standing craft village. People make all the items used in daily life from bamboo.
Each family shares the task of making fish traps, baskets, and winnowing baskets. Visitors can watch the locals make their products, learn how, and experience them with them.
Local Cuisine to Try
Ben Tre's coconut specialties will surprise visitors. Not only do they get coconut water, people also have many delicious dishes such as rice cooked with coconut, coconut porridge, fried shrimp with coconut , coconut neck, Giong Luong coconut cake...
Smashed banana : The banana is flattened and grilled over charcoal, served with coconut milk. The hot, crispy, fragrant taste of the banana combined with the richness of the coconut milk will delight you.
Banh canh bot xat : the cake is made from rice flour, thick broth cooked with duck meat and ginger fish sauce. This is a typical Western specialty.
Pomelo tea : made from peeled green pomelo peel, soaked in salt and cooked. The tea is added with durian so it always has a unique flavor.
Coconut rat meat : an animal that lives on coconut trees is processed into a favorite dish of local people. You can enjoy many dishes such as: grilled, steamed, cooked in curry and most especially steamed rat in a rice cooker.
Rice snail pancake : In the Mekong Delta, Phu Da islet of Cho Lach has the best rice snails. The snail season is only from April to July of the lunar calendar. The pancake shell is made from flour mixed with fragrant coconut milk, served with a filling of shredded cassava, bean sprouts, and fragrant rice snails that will impress diners.
Green-legged shrimp is another rustic specialty that is popular with diners. Whether grilled, boiled with red coconut water, or popped with salt and lemon leaves, the shrimp meat retains its sweetness and firmness.
Fruits : You can enjoy many kinds of fruits such as durian, rambutan, longan, mangosteen... at quite cheap prices and especially don't forget wax coconut.
Termite mushrooms grow on termite mounds, appearing from about April to July. Ben Tre termite mushrooms are chewy, sweet, and have a characteristic aroma.
What to buy as a gift
If you travel a short distance, you can buy specialty fruits such as mangosteen, Cai Mon durian, green-skinned grapefruit, Nam Roi grapefruit... If you want to keep your gifts for a long time, choose My Long rice paper, Son Doc rice paper, coconut jam, coconut candy, coconut wine... and some beautiful handicrafts made from coconut.