Useful information about visiting Can Gio, Saigon
Can Gio is one of the famous tourist destinations of Ho
Chi Minh City, with beautiful beaches and pristine nature. If
you are looking for an exciting and adventurous trip, Can Gio is
a great choice.
Can Gio Beach is a suburban district of Ho Chi Minh City, 50
km from the city center and takes only about 1 hour and 30
minutes to get there. With a quiet space and no high-rise
buildings, this is an ideal destination for those who want to
get away from the noise of the inner city.
Can Gio District is divided by canals and has no fresh water
source, but has many beaches and islands with rare species of
animals and plants listed in the Red Book. This unique feature
has helped Can Gio become a unique and more attractive
destination than anywhere else in Saigon.
Can Gio has been recognized by UNESCO as one of the world's
leading biosphere reserves and is known as the "Green Oasis". It
is also an important destination in Vietnam.
Places to visit in Can Gio
Thanh An Island
Thanh An Island is a place you should visit when traveling in
Can Gio sea area. Although the island area is quite small,
tourism services are not yet developed and there are not many
entertainment activities, this is still an ideal place to enjoy
the fresh air of the sea, explore the simple life of the people
of the fishing village and enjoy delicious dishes made from
seafood.
When arriving at Thanh An Island, you can travel by ferry from
the mainland to the island with the following travel schedules:
6:30, 9:00, 10:30, 12:00, 14:00 and 17:00. The fares is only
10,000 VND/person and the travel time is about 45 minutes.
Although it does not have the splendor of the sunset in Phu Quoc
or the pride of the sunset on Nha Trang beach, the sunset on
Thanh An island still has its own unique beauty, very gentle and
rustic, captivating visitors. If possible, you should spend a
night on the island to watch the sunset and feel the peaceful
beauty of a small fishing village.
Thieng Lieng Island
Thieng Lieng Island Hamlet is located in Thanh An Island
Commune, about 70 km from the center of Ho Chi Minh City. This
is a small island surrounded by rivers and canals, creating a
difficult place for tourists to visit.
Thieng Lieng Island is quite small, only about 2,000 hectares
and surrounded by water. However, this is one of the ideal
places to explore and learn about the simple life of the people
here. With more than 200 households living on the island,
visitors can chat and learn interesting things about the
activities and culture of the local people.
In addition to enjoying the fresh air of the sea, visitors can
also participate in activities to experience the life of local
people such as: raking salt, carrying salt, fishing, feeding
crabs, catching crabs, releasing buoys to raise oysters, setting
nets for star goby, setting traps for mudskippers, looking for
three-sided crabs at midnight, catching snails in the coconut
forest, picking water coconuts... All of these activities are
great experiences for you to explore and enjoy the nature here.
Vam Sat forest
Vam Sat forest is a famous eco-tourism destination located in
the Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve, about 60 km from the
coast. With an area of over 75,000 hectares, Vam Sat forest is
the habitat of many rare and precious species of animals and
plants, which are preserved and protected.
Vam Sat forest is a special eco-tourism destination that
attracts visitors with the immense green of the forest land and
the richness of terrestrial animals, birds, reptiles, etc. Here,
visitors can visit, take photos and explore the diverse animal
world, and enjoy typical rustic dishes.
In addition, the resort also offers many interesting
recreational activities, including boating, camping, cycling,
mangrove planting, crocodile fishing and many other activities,
bringing unforgettable experiences.
Hang Duong Seafood Market
Hang Duong market is located in Can Gio, where fishermen gather
fresh seafood after a day of fishing. The market is
characterized by hundreds of seafood pots lined up along the
market, giving the first impression of the richness and
diversity of seafood.
Different from the quietness of other tourist attractions, Hang
Duong market is bustling with the cries and bargaining of buyers
and sellers, creating a vibrant and colorful atmosphere.
Visitors can freely choose seafood such as snails, squid,
octopus... with prices depending on the type.
In addition to buying seafood to bring home to cook, visitors
can also enjoy pre-prepared seafood dishes at the market, or go
to the nearby beach to sip and enjoy fresh seafood. Hang Duong
Market will bring visitors an interesting and unique experience
during their trip.
Monkey Island
Monkey Island is a destination not to be missed when traveling
to Can Gio, especially for those who love animals and want to
explore nature. Called an "island", this tourist area is located
right next to the road, motorbikes and cars can enter and exit
comfortably and conveniently, you do not have to travel by boat
at all.
There are more than 1,000 monkeys of many different species
living here. The entrance fee is very affordable, only 30,000
VND/person on weekdays and 35,000 VND/person on holidays.
However, you need to pay attention to your belongings such as
phones and bags because the monkeys here are very naughty and
often snatch tourists' belongings and run away. In addition to
visiting Monkey Island, visitors can also enjoy monkey circus
shows, visit the crocodile reserve and experience recreational
crocodile fishing.
Sleeping in Can Gio
If you only have half a day to visit Can Gio, you can return to
Saigon in the evening of the same day. However, if you want to
stay overnight, there are many accommodation options to suit all
budgets and needs, from luxury resorts to budget hotels. Here
are some places to stay that you can refer to:
Eco Homestay Can Gio
Address: Tac Xuan, Can Thanh Town, Can Gio
Rates: 500,000 - 800,000 VND/night
Hoa Vien Cat Tuong Hotel
Address: Duyen Hai, Can Thanh Town, Can Gio
Rates: 300,000 - 500,000 VND/night
Thai Duong Guesthouse
Address: No. 1, Street No. 1, Long Hoa, Can Gio
Reference price: 300,000 - 500,000 VND/night
How to get there
From Ho Chi Minh City to Can Gio, you can use the following
means of transport:
- Bus: You can take bus route 75 from 23/9 Park or
bus route 20 from Ben Thanh to Binh Khanh ferry. Here, you buy a
ferry ticket and continue to take bus route 90 to the center of
Can Thanh commune. You should pay attention to the time to catch
the last bus back to the city.
- Motorbike: This is the most convenient means of
transport. You just need to go straight on Huynh Tan Phat
Street, Nha Be to Binh Khanh Ferry, then buy a ferry ticket for
4,500 VND for motorbikes. After crossing the ferry, you continue
straight on the Sat forest road about 40 km to reach the center
of Can Thanh commune.
Best time to travel to Can Gio
You can visit Can Gio at any time of the year. Because Can Gio
is located in a tropical monsoon climate near the equator, there
are only two seasons: rainy season and dry season like other
southern provinces. Usually, the rainy season here starts from
May to October every year, and from November to April is the hot
dry season with an average temperature of 25 - 29 degrees
Celsius. The weather here is often sunny, very convenient for
sightseeing and entertainment activities.
Although the rainy season in Can Gio does not last long, you
should avoid going on rainy days. Rainy days make it difficult
to move around and the sea can be rough with strong winds.
Therefore, choosing to go on sunny days is the best.
Can Gio beach is a favorite destination for tourists. Usually on
weekends, holidays or Tet, this is a crowded place for tourists.
If you choose to go during the peak season, you need to accept
the crowding and increased fees for some services.
Expenses to visit Can Gio
Transport: 200,000 VND including petrol, fares...
Food and drinks: 500,000 VND depending on dietary
needs
Hotel: 250,000 – 500,000 VND/person, depends on
accommodation
Entertainment: 300,000 – 500,000 VND/person,
including entrance fees, services at the destination...
Shopping: 200,000 - 500,000 VND/person
Other services such as parking fee...: 20.000 VND/person
TOTAL: 1,000,000 - 2,000,000 VND/person
Some notes when traveling to Can Gio
- To get the freshest seafood, you should choose it yourself and
bargain with the seller.
- To ensure safety when driving back from Can Gio, you should
return before 5 pm because many roads do not have street lights.
It is best to depart from Can Gio around 4 pm.
- If you travel to Can Gio by motorbike, save the phone number
of a tire repairman in advance to be ready to handle problems on
the road.
Above are the experiences to travel to Can Gio that we want to
share with you. Hopefully the above information will help you
have the most interesting and complete trip in Can Gio. Wish you
a wonderful trip!.
Ho Chi Minh City is a major tourist hub in Vietnam, offering
a wide array of Saigon travel
services to cater to different needs and budgets.
