BEN TRE - Attractions

All ‘My Tho’ boat tours take in canals in Ben Tre province. It’s possible to arrange from either side of the ferry crossing – I took a personal three-hour tour at dusk for $15. For info, see My Tho’s Boat Tours.

Around Ben Tre Province

BEN TRE TOWN, the town market – where central Dong Khoi St meets a wood-plank pedestrian/bike bridge over the Ben Tre River – has oodles of fish-catching type of bamboo implements that are fun to look at. (I once got a giant bottle-shaped fish trap here to use as a bedside stand in my Saigon home.) Good DIY adventuring is across the bridge. It’s possible to arrange a boat trip from the Ben Tre town, which would likely access some very untouristy areas on the south side of the province. It’s about $5 per hour; ask at the wood bridge. If you have a motorcycle, it’s interesting to take the backroads east into Ben Tre province. Highway 883 heads east a couple kilometers south of the My Tho/Ben Tre ferry. From Ben Tre town, highway 885 heads east, where you can visit pagodas and the marshy ends of the delta. You can get a so-so map from Huong Vuong Hotel in Ben Tre town.

If you have a bike, a fun little BIKE LOOP begins at the market in Tan Thach village (at the My Tho/Ben Tre ferry). The ferry leads out onto the road to Ben Tre town road (Highway 60). Take the first road left (or east; toward Thao Nhi guesthouse). You’ll pass country markets, a pagoda, a church – after 20 minutes or so, you can turn right on a paved road (just past a market) alongside a rice field, to meet up with Highway 883. Here you can turn right to get back to Highway 60, but it’s more interesting to return the way you came. Going by bike from the My Tho ferry to Ben Tre town is a dusty 30-minute ride.

Alternate Route: Back Way to Vinh Long

An interesting trip to take is from Ben Tre or My Tho to Vinh Long the ‘back way’ – a three-hour trip over two ferries and past orchards. From Ben Tre town, head the ferry over Ham Luong River a few kilometers south of the center via Hung Vuong St. Once across the river, look for the gravel road leads right to the village of Ba Vat (8km), which winds onto a paved road and on to Cai Mon (about 10km). The Cai Mon fruit orchards – where many Tet flowers are grown – are side-by-side farms reached by coconut tree–shaded paved paths off the main road. Just explore a bit, or ask a motorcycle-taxi guy to poke around. The road heads another 20km to the Ben Pha Dinh Khao ferry, which crosses the Tien Giang River, 2km south of Vinh Long.

Motorcycle taxi guys offer the trip for $10 to $15, or a bit cheaper from Ben Tre town.

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