VINH LONG - Accommodations
You have two options of where to stay: in town or in private homes on An Binh Island.
ISLAND HOMESTAYS
No one really wants to spend the night in Vinh Long town. But Vinh Long has the best network of homestays in the Mekong – all across the wide Co Chien River on An Binh island’s networks of canals, bike paths and villages. Even if you show up in the late afternoon, you should be able to arrange one from MEKONG TRAVEL, which works with ten good choices, or from a tout around the water. Homestays vary wildly – some are more like ‘tourist-complex-stays,’ others are more homey with just a couple rooms and surrounded by gardens, or on stilt homes by canals or in old French colonial buildings. All aim for big lunch business (as they pay the bills by offering lunches to package tourists at some), so you may have extra company during the day for a couple hours.
I was happy at BA LINH (tel 070-858-683; 95 An Thanh) just off a canal on An Binh Island, across from Vinh Long. The house owner – a cheerful 70-something, former VC – will likely sit with you and not let any language barrier get in the way of conversation. The pavilion-style house is made of dark-wood shuttered doors and pillars; a plate of Uncle Ho sits on the main table, with an Buddha altar looming above. Typical of homestays, Ba Linh’s has modern showers and toilets – quite good ones actually – and mosquito nets over the army-cot beds. My room was pretty open, had a fan, and the excellent food was served on the open porch facing a small bonsai garden – quite a pleasant place. I booked the night via Mekong Travel late in the day, picking my place from a photo book. Homestays there cost $25/38 for one/two people including meals, boat drop-off/pick-up, plus a boat trip to Cai Be and a stop at a coconut candy factory. An extra night is $15 per person. (I stayed one night and cut Cai Be and the candy visit and saved about $7.)
There are many homestays not including in the Mekong Travel network, such as MAI QUOC NAM (tel 070-213-550, 070-859-912; Ap Phu An 1, Vinh Hoa Phuoc village, Long Ho; rooms including meals $10), a canal-side place with a lush garden.
Cuu Long Tourist also arranges homestays, but does more so for groups in advance.
TOWN HOTELS
PHUNG HOANG 1
On a slightly scrappy street of bike part stands and old French buildings a few blocks north of the water, the bright Phung Hoang is a good budget hotel, with sparkling tile throughout and a rendering of a boy reading to a lion in the pink-pillared lobby. Rooms have ruffled bedspreads, TV, ceiling fans and AC (but no lit-liking lions). You can check you email on the lobby computer.
Tel 070-825-185; [email protected]; 2H Hung Vuong, at Nguyen Van Troi St; rooms 130,000D and up
CUU LONG ‘B’ HOTEL
Across from the ferry on riverside 1 Thang 5 St, the Cuu Long B – far better than the crumbling original nearby – fills with package tourists. It’s Vinh Long’s nicest, but hardly worth the extra bump in price. Modern rooms with satellite TVs, AC and river views.
Tel 070-823-656; www.cuulongtourist.net; Pham Boi Chau St; singles/doubles 320,000/480,000D to 440,000/600,000D
NAM PHUONG HOTEL
Modern budget hotel with lift and ornate pots in the lobby. Rooms are a little smallish, but clean. All have AC, refrigerator and TV. Phung Hoang is a better deal.
Tel 070-822-226; 11 Le Loi, south of 3 Thang 2 St; rooms 200,000D to 350,000D
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