Rural Tourism Transforms Eastern Ho Chi Minh City
Fields, forests, streams, craft villages, orchards... are
gradually becoming the new 'destinations' for tourists visiting
the eastern part of Ho Chi Minh City. Rural tourism has now
opened up opportunities for sustainable development for
communities and revitalized the countryside.
The countryside is changing.
Suoi Rao Ecolodge (Xuan Son commune, Ho Chi Minh City ) is
situated on a gentle hillside, connected to the lush green Xuan
Son protective forest. Few can imagine that nearly 20 years ago,
this area was just a barren, rocky wasteland, where only
short-term crops like beans, corn, and cassava were grown
seasonally.
Ms. Le Thi Nga, owner of Suoi Rao Ecolodge, said: "Initially, I
only thought of transforming my 5-hectare plot of barren, rocky
land in Suoi Rao into a biodiversity forest to satisfy my
passion. To date, the garden has over 1 million trees of various
kinds, turning the desolate land into an ecological forest with
hills, native trees, medicinal plants, vegetables, flowers,
birds, and animals..."
After establishing a diverse ecosystem, I aimed for green
tourism". And the green tourism journey began from there. Suoi
Rao Ecolodge now has a restaurant, a tea room, and dozens of
villas ranging from 30-140m2, built entirely with
environmentally friendly materials such as natural fired bricks,
tile roofs, bamboo, and wood... with architecture inspired by the
traditional three-compartment houses of Northern and Central
Vietnam, as well as the stilt houses of the Central Highlands.
Since September 2024, Suoi Rao Ecolodge has been recognized by
the Institute for Applied Research and Business Innovation (3AI)
as the first Net Zero Station in the eastern part of the city.
Tourists from all over the world have flocked to Suoi Rao
Ecolodge to enjoy the fresh air and immerse themselves in the
rural nature.
Singh Sukhmandeep, a tourist from Hong Kong, said after a
two-week stay at Suoi Rao Ecolodge: "I truly escaped the hustle
and bustle of the city and enjoyed the peaceful countryside
atmosphere in the eastern part of Ho Chi Minh City."
Similarly, in recent years, farmers have transformed
cocoa-growing areas in eastern Ho Chi Minh City into parks and
experiential destinations for tourists. Binon Cacao Park,
located in Chau Duc commune (Ho Chi Minh City), covers an area
of ??46 hectares, showcasing cocoa cultivation and production,
becoming a unique agricultural tourism and experiential
destination in the locality.
Here, visitors can not only admire the scenery but also tour the
cocoa orchards laden with fruit, taste the sweet and sour flavor
of fresh cocoa beans, and observe the entire process from
planting, harvesting, fermentation, drying, shelling, etc., to
producing cocoa beans.
According to the leaders of Chau Duc commune, Binon Cacao is a
model of clean agriculture combined with tourism. This can be
considered one of the unique tourism products, making an
important contribution to the economic development of the
locality.
Also capitalizing on the peaceful atmosphere of the countryside,
the ecotourism model at Tu Phuong That Dao (Tam Long ward, Ho
Chi Minh City) aims to help people harmonize with nature to
discover the sustainable values ??of life.
The Tu Phuong That Dao eco-tourism area was completed in 2016 on
an area of ??3 hectares. After several renovations, the area now
features structures with a distinctly rustic countryside feel;
three sides are surrounded by vast rice fields, and the
remaining side by orchards and livestock pens. Thatched huts are
built on seven rectangular artificial islands, surrounded by a
system of canals and waterways...
Developing agriculture in conjunction with tourism.
Recently, in rural communes in the eastern part of Ho Chi Minh
City such as Xuan Son, Chau Duc, Xuyen Moc, Dat Do, Ho Tram, and
Long Son, community-based ecotourism and agricultural tourism
combined with experiential activities have been developing
strongly...
These models have opened up great opportunities for economic
development, transforming many purely agricultural areas into
attractive tourist destinations; combining agricultural
production and serving tourists. This, in turn, extends the
length of tourist stays, increases spending, and boosts income
for local people...
Mr. Trinh Van Thanh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Binon
Cacao Joint Stock Company (the investor and manager of Binon
Cacao Park), said that Binon Cacao officially opened in May
2019. Each year, Binon Cacao attracts more than 10,000 visitors,
including many international tourists from South Korea, Japan,
Canada, and the United States.
"In the future, we will coordinate with the local authorities to
expand the area, connect with farmers growing agricultural crops
and fruit trees around the region, especially cocoa trees,
following sustainable organic farming practices to expand the
agricultural tourism experience. At the same time, we will build
a chain of clean, standardized products to serve locals and
tourists who want to enjoy and purchase them right at the farm,"
said Thanh.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association, the
eastern part of the city has favorable natural conditions and
climate, along with tens of kilometers of coastline, a system of
lakes, rivers, streams, and fields... These are ideal conditions
for the locality to diversify its tourism products.
The city's tourism industry is focusing on developing
high-quality tourism products and community-based tourism in
rural areas. However, depending on the geographical location and
natural conditions of each region, the development direction
will vary.
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you're looking for a lively, modern city with deep history,
fantastic food, and a youthful pulse, HCMC is a fantastic
destination. Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is definitely worth
visiting, especially if you enjoy vibrant, modern energy,
diverse cuisine, rich history (war sites, French colonial
architecture), shopping, and a dynamic nightlife, offering a
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