VietnamSurprise – It takes you about 1 hour from Ho Chi Minh City center to Can Gio district (about 50 km) which is known with mangrove forest, sea and fresh seafood. Can Gio also is known as a ideal destination for backpackers.
Tourist attractions?
There are some tourist attractions in Can Gio such as: Monkey island resort, Vam Sat resort, “Cá ông” tomb which are located on the straight from Can Gio to Can Thanh town center. You can visit the 30/4 resort (in Can Thanh town), Can Thach’s shape like a arrow and direct to Ba Ria – Vung Tau province.
Another tourist attraction that you can visit is the Whale Tomb, which is located next to the Can Gio market (getting there by going straight toward Can Gio market, it is at the end of Duyen Hai Road). There are the remains of a whale of 12 m long at the tomb, which died in 1971. Every year on the 16th of the August lunar month, local people hold the Whale Festival (Nghing Ông festival) – one of 10 Vietnamese interesting cultural festivals on September 2013, with the participation of hundreds of boats.
On Monkey island, tourist can see a lot of monkeys, you must be carefully when visiting here because the monkeys are very naughty, they can steal your pocket! The price of the ticket is VND 30,000 ($1.5) for weekdays and VND 35,000 ($1.8) on weekends for adults. You also hire a motor boat to visit the Vam Sat mangrove forest, which is one of the two eco-tourism of sustainable development of the world in Vietnam. The price ticket is VND 500,000 ($25) for eight people.
How to get to Can Gio?
There are some ways but it is very easy to go to Can Gio from Saigon by bus or motorbike.
Going by bus: Tourists take the bus, from Ben Thanh market, then catch the bus to Nha Be (the bus number 20). From Nha Be, the bus will travel to Binh Khanh ferry. At Binh Khanh ferry, tourists buy ferry tickets to go to Can Gio. Visitors will have a river passing, after that can catch a bus to go to the sea (the bus number 90). There is no fixed bus stop on the road, so you can get off at any tourist attractions you want.
Going by motorbike: This way would be more appropriate than to take the bus because you can easily visit tourist attractions by motorcycle.
From Nguyen Van Linh Boulevard in District 7, turn right to Huynh Tan Phat Street and at the end of the road is the Binh Khanh Ferry. By passing the river tourists will get to Can Gio district.
Ferry ticket prices: VND 1.500 ($0.8) /adult and VND 4.500 ($2.3) /motorbike
Accommodation?
Inns and motel room in Can Gio are very cheap, just about VND 200,000 ($10) tourists can hire inns or motel rooms along the 30/4 resort or Can Thanh town center to watch the sea at night.
Here are some resorts:
Hon Ngpc Phuong Nam Resort 3 star: http://www.phuongnampearlresort.com/
Can Giơo Resort 3 star: http://www.cangioresort.com.vn/
Tam Ngoc Resort: http://www.resorttamngoc.com
Where to eat?
This is the place for those who want to enjoy fresh seafood. There are many seafood restaurants along the road 30/4, you can choose one for enjoying fresh seafood.
Here are some places for eating:
Duyen Hai restaurant – 2 Mieu Ba, Can Thach commune, Can Gio
Hang Duong restaurant – Long TH hamlet, Long Hoa commune, Can Gio
Thanh Lich restaurant
Cat Bien restaurant
Hang Duong market
Where to shopping?
Can Gio market (or also called Can Thach market): Located in Can Thach commune. The prices here are cheaper, but only many kinds of shrimp, crabs, not as diverse as its screws at Hang Duong market. Approximately 2 – 3pm, the boat come back home so you can buy sea products cheap.
Hang Duong market: near the 30/4 beach (50m) . At this market, seafoods are fresh and delicious, has been sold at the suitable prices, special guests will be served dishes prepared on the spot liking. There are many souvenir shops here, the prices are cheaper than Vung Tau. The plus point is that there is not any beggars at 30/4 beach, lottery and the local are friendly.
The fruit that you can buy here are: Can Gio mango, Thai’s jack-fruit, coconut water
Something to pay attention!
If you travel by motorbike, must prepare good motorcycles (because of the road is not flat so much!). And on weekdays, there will have no roadside vehicle repair shops. So if you need to repair your motorcycles, you must take to a bust or seek a repair shop.
Be carefully when visit the Monkey island, you should take care of your personal belongings because the monkeys here are very sly.
