Taking National Highway 1A through the Mekong Delta, about 210 kilometers from HCMC and 30 kilometers from Can Tho city, tourists can get to Phung Hiep district in Hau Giang province. Attractive Hau Giang province is a relative newcomer to tourism and is situated at the confluence of the Xeo Mon, Xeo Dong, Bun Tau, Lai Thieu, Cai Con, Mang Ca and Kenh Xang rivers. A bustling ambiance in Phung Hiep Floating. Market in Hau Giang Province.

Nga Bay Floating Market, Tay Do Ecotourism Park and Lung Ngoc Hoang Nature Reserve in Hau Giang Province’s Phung Hiep District make the trip worthwhile.

Nga Bay Floating Market, also called Phung Hiep Floating Market, is in the heart of Phung Hiep District’s Phung Hiep Town, 30 kilometers south of Can Tho. The market was built in 1915 and was called “Phung Hiep Star” by the French. Catching a boat bobbing on the waves in the early morning, visitors can witness the bustling ambiance and animated sounds and shop for diverse fresh fruit and produce. The market meets all day long, but most noisy and busy in the morning with hundreds of boats arriving with farm produce from every direction. The previous evening, from far-and-wide of seven branches of the Mekong River, boats full of fried fish, salt, honey, potatoes, rice and  seasonal vegetables and fruits such as: mangoes, durians, bananas, oranges, coconuts... left their villages to head for the sun­rise market. Every boat is full of fresh fruit and produce. Some boats are covered with roofs, some are not. On boats without roofs, the sellers have to hold high a stick hanging with fruits as signals. Market-goers do not bargain, just a few words exchange, they sell and get paid.

Phuong Binh commune’s Lung Ngoc Hoang Nature Reserve, also in Phung Hiep district, has over 500 species of plants and animals, many of them are rare. Covering nearly 300,000 hectares and extending from the western bank of the Hau River to U Minh National Park in Kien Giang province, the reserve is considered the “green lung” of the Mekong Delta. The reserve includes mangrove forest and 315 hectares of ponds and lagoons with diverse marine creatures.

Tourists can explore the forest by boat, climb a “watch tower” to watch birds and animals or sit in the shade of trees to fish. Endless lotus lagoons decorate the immense forest which is home to teal and white egrets. Local authorities are developing the reserve’s s ecotourism potential.

Tourists should not miss the 20 hectare Tay Do Ecotourist Park which offers accommodation, entertainment and restaurants. There are live shows of traditional southern music in the shade of fruit trees, fishing and a bonsai garden. Other places of interest in the province include Vi Thuy Cajuput Forest Ecotourism Park, and Tam Vu Ecotourist Park.

(Source: SGT)