Travelog - A travel guide to Vietnam

In the King Tu Duc dynasty (the 19th century), Can Gio had deep and wide bays where trading boats used to travel in and out busily. In the Nguyen dynasty and French colonial time, Can Gio was a military post, controlling the sea surface of the former Gia Dinh citadel.

Since 1978, Can Gio has belonged to Ho Chi Minh City with the name Duyen Hai district which was renamed into Can Gio district in 1991.

Can Gio has an ecological forest on an area of more than 70,000 hectares, including 35,000 hectares of mangrove forest. The fauna is very diverse. The Vam Sat – Can Gio area is a UNESCO-recognised world biosphere reserve.

Apart from the Nha Be and Soai Rap, two big rivers flowing to the Eastern Sea, there are a large number of small rivers and tributaries, creating green “oases” with wild natural landscapes.

The eco-tourism site of Vam Sat is located in the Can Gio mangrove forest, accounting for about over 2,000 hectares in Ly Nhon commune, surrounded by rivers of Lo Ren, Goc Tre, Vam Sat and Dinh Ba. The World Tourism Organisation has recognised it as one of the most sustainable eco-tourism site.

Travelling to Vam Sat, tourists have to take ferry twice, passing Binh Khanh and Dan Xay ferries. In Vam Sat, there is a natural bird yard on 100 hectares with various species of precious birds.

The Can Gio forest extends along Dan Xay bridge to Can Thanh. There are crocodile farms and islands of monkeys, pythons, snakes and birds. Travelling to the area, tourists can call at the military base of Sac forest where commandos used to shelter during the anti-US resistance war. Can Gio sea is also an attractive place to swim.

There are various kinds of seafood which tourists can enjoy during their trip. Annually, Nghing Ong Festival is organised the 16th day of lunar August in Can Thanh town. Fishermen stop fishing to join the festival.

At present, travelling to Can Gio is very easy and tourist service is also good enough to meet the needs of tourists from Ho Chi Minh City and other places to go on holiday.

Source: Nhandan