Ben Tre - The native land of Coconut-Palms

A coastal province at the end of the Mekong river (Cuu Long river) is formed by three big isles, Minh isle, Bao isle and An Hoa isle; Ben Tre has been raised its level by the alluvium from four big river branches including Tien river, Ba Lai, Ham Luong and Co Chien, so its strength is the development of diversified economy, in which agriculture and fishery are the key. Ben Tre’s tourist strength is characterized by the natural scenery, the charming rivers and the Great Estuary – the biggest estuary of 9 branches of Cuu Long river “two way flow”, and Ham Luong estuary is always immense; there are also many hillocks, new alluvial lands, good soil, luxuriant fruit trees, fresh air and quiet space.

Coming to Ben Tre, tourists can visit the following well-known tourist places:

Cai Mon orchard

The orchard locates in Vinh Thanh commune, Cho Lach district, Ben Tre province. Cai Mon is a village of the South feature with small and narrow paths covered by green trees bearing heavy sweety fruits. Tourists can enjoy a variety of fruits all year round.

Cai Mon farming village also provides millions of breeding-tree types such as durian, mangosteen, sweet mango, seedless longan, langsat and varieties of citrus. There are also many graft and multiplication artisans who create the diversity of bonsai shapes by the very spectacular figures of deer, stag, dragon, phoenix, … The products are widely sold in Thu Duc, Bien Hoa, …. and exported to countries of Asean.

(vnexplore.net)

Tuyen Linh pagoda

Tuyen Linh pagoda is in Minh Duc commune, Mo Cay district, Ben Tre province. It was built in the new year of the rooster (1961), under Tu Duc king dynasty in the 14th year. The sanctum was built of bricks with tiled roof by the simple architecture. In the Buddha temple, there are the statues of Shakyamuni Buddha, Mitreya Bodhisattva, Jizo Bobhisattva, Goddess of Mercy Bobhisattva, Amitabha Buddha, …. Specially, there is the copper guardian spirit statue of 0.70m in height. In the garden of the pagoda, there is the tower of worship of three Ancestors: Khanh Phong superior Buddhist monk, Minh Bao Buddhist priest and Khanh Hoa shaman. Tuyen Linh pagoda has been acknowledged as a national cultural - historic monument by Ministry of Culture and Information since 9/1994.

(Extracted in the volume of “Introduction of the tourist routes in the South Vietnam” – The author: Tran Huy Hung Cuong)

The grave of Nguyen Dinh Chieu

The grave is in An Duc commune, Ba Tri district, Ben Tre province. The grave of Nguyen Dinh Chieu was built by Ben Tre inhabitants in order to commemorate him. The temple of Nguyen Dinh Chieu was built in 1969. On the first of July (his birthday) yearly, the people of the whole Ben Tre province in generally and Ba Tri district in specifically represent the whole country to organize the thurification ceremony for commemorating this poet solemnly.

(Source: vietnamtourism.com)

Dong Khoi guerilla village

It is in Dinh Thuy commune, Mo Cay district, Ben Tre province, 15km from Ben Tre township. Dong Khoi guerilla village was the first uprising place of Dong Khoi movement in 1960. There is the gallery of all home-made and primitive weapons in the two anti-French and anti-American resistance wars. Dong Khoi relic is being built in Ben Tre to re-appear the image of the village where used to be the cradle of the South Vietnam revolution.

(Source: General Bureau of Vietnamese Tourism)

Fairy islet

Fairy islet, a beautiful sand-bank, is on Ham Luong river, Tien Long commune, Chau Thanh district, Ben Tre province, 23 km (by road) and 15 km (by waterway) from the central of Ben Tre township with the area of 7 hectares. On the lunar 05th of May yearly, ten thousands of people come here to bathe and have a picnic. This area is expected to be built into a tourist village some day.

(Source: General Bureau of Vietnamese Tourism)

Oc islet (Hung Long islet)

Oc islet is in Hung Phong commune, Giong Trom district, Ben Tre province, about more than 10 km from Ben Tre township. Oc islet is 8.3 km in length and 1km in width. There are many coconut gardens and orchards.

(Source: General Bureau of Vietnamese Tourism)

Qui islet

22 km (by waterway) from the central of Ben Tre township, Qui islet – a sandbank with the area of 65 hectares, is in Tien Giang river, between 2 communes, Tan Thach and Quoi Son, of Chau Thanh district, Ben Tre province. There are many orchards such as sapodila, longan, grapefruit, …. As a new land, so On Qui islet is still wild. The violet-white cork flowers is skimming on water surface and swaying lightly in the wind. Green nipas stretch along the river endlessly and flutter on the waves. The cottages loom in the orchards of heavy fruits. The country girls, who are wearing loose-fitting blouses, drive motor boats or strongly paddle their fruits to market….

Sitting in windy spacious houses, the floating pavilions, the Coconut region tourist restaurants, tourists can relax your eyes from water hyacinth in poetic purple flowers. The restaurants are made of bamboo, nipa leaves furnished modernly and the popular special dishes are available here: sour soup with pangasius krempfi, cork and spinach; red african carp steamed with termite castings and pumpkin flowers; anabas or pseudapocryptes elongatus or snakehead fish cooked in fish sauce on bowl. Tourists can enjoy fresh fruits and sips of honey tea (the homemade product) while listening the harmonious sound of amateur folk music and songs. The amateur folk music and song has existed for a long time in Ben Tre and more and more developed, which makes the rivery region more graceful.

(Source: General Bureau of Vietnamese Tourism)

Con Phung (Phung islet – Mr. Dao Dua islet) tourist area

Con Phung tourist area is on the floating isle in the middle of Tien river, in Tan Thach commune, Chau Thanh district, at the gateway of Ben Tre province, 12 km (by road) and 25 km (by waterway) from the central of Ben Tre township. It has the area of 50 hectares, the inhabitants do handicraft with the materials from coconut palms and farm fruit trees for their living. There is Dao Dua monument with the area of 1,500m2 approximately. Coming to Phung islet, tourists can travel by motor-boats along the islet to visit places of coconut candy and souvenir production. The materials for souvenirs are mainly from coconut palm, coconut husk, …. Visiting fruit orchards by cart, stopping at the cottage of nipa leaf tiled roof to enjoy honey-kumquat tea and tropical fruit dishes as well as listen to the sound of amateur folk music and song. There are many souvenir objects: from blue-red mask, photo-frame, delivery tricycle, to kitchen utensils such as small bowl, bowl, spoon, …. Most are made by coconut materials.

(Source: General Bureau of Vietnamese Tourism)

Vam Ho bird yard

Vam Ho is a salted land, there are wild trees developed into forest. At the upper level, there are nipa (there used to be lots of nipa before so it is also called Leaf Isle), date-palm, mangrove, avicennia germinans, it is an ideal place for birds. At the lower level, there are bear’s breech, fabaceae, cane,…, which is the vegetational cover where storks and night herons can build nests and reside. In comparison with other bird yards in the Mekong Delta, Vam Ho bird yard is still very young. Birds have just come here for since 5/1986. This is the flock of birds which formerly resided in Cu Lao Dat (Earth isle), An Hiep commune, Ba Tri district.

Coming to Vam Ho bird yard, tourists can walk through the forest path, canoe through the salt-marsh forest, visit the resistance base area, pass unstable bamboo bridges, rest on hammocks swaying lightly under the forest leaf canopy and enjoy the fresh air from Ba Lai river.

Ben Tre provincial museum, a historical and cultural monument

The museum is at No. 146 Hung Vuong street, ward 3, Ben Tre township, locating in a precinct with the area of over 13,000m2. It was designed by French architecture including one ground-floor and one upper storey with typical domed doors and the area of 474m2. The museum front is towards Ben Tre river, and the back is towards the August Revolution street (CMT8 street), one of the most animated streets located in the central of Ben Tre township with century-old trees casting the shadow and many valuable verdant flower plants and bonsai, and a spacious fence.

Ben Tre is a province of many places of interest. There are sea, orchards with a variety of special fruits, and many cultural monuments. Visit this place to enjoy its interest.!!!