Things to do in Tra Vinh
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Tra Vinh
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Dry season and the best general window, with dry roads, easy cycling and temperatures still in the low to mid 30s.
The hottest shoulder month, and the month of Chol Chnam Thmay, the Khmer New Year in mid April.
Rainy season, with heavy afternoon downpours, green countryside, muddy rural lanes and a need for flexible plans.
Rainy season at Mekong flood peak, when high rivers and localised road flooding most affect countryside trips, the Con Chim ferry and the Ba Dong road.
What's on
- Chol Chnam Thmay Mid April, usually 14 to 16 April
The Khmer New Year, three days of pagoda offerings, sand stupas and Buddha washing ceremonies across Tra Vinh, in the hottest month.
- Ok Om Bok Festival Full moon of the 10th lunar month, usually November
Moon worship to thank for the harvest, centred on Ba Om Pond, with com dep offerings, cultural week events and ghe ngo longboat racing.
Best things to do in Tra Vinh
Ang Pagoda
One of the oldest Khmer pagodas in the Delta, set in old trees beside Ba Om Pond and opposite the Khmer museum.
Ao Ba Om
A square, lotus filled ancient pond ringed by old sao and dau trees, cool and shaded at almost any hour.
Khmer Cultural Museum
The essential context stop, with Khmer pagoda models, farm tools, instruments and masks beside Ang Pagoda.
Hang Pagoda
A Khmer pagoda entered through a cave like gate, known for its wood carving workshop and storks returning at dusk.
Ong Met Pagoda
The central Khmer pagoda on Le Loi, a working Theravada centre and school rather than a tourist showpiece.
Samrong Ek Pagoda
A quiet, forest set Khmer pagoda 3 km from the centre, with garden statues telling stories from the life of Buddha.
Where to stay in Tra Vinh
Tra Vinh city centre
first visit, pagodas and buses
Walkable to Ong Met Pagoda and the markets, a short ride to the Ba Om cluster, and where the bus station and most beds are.
Rural Tra Vinh, Cang Long and Cau Ke side
slow countryside stays and cycling
Lodge and homestay bases in gardens and rice country, good for delta life, but a planned drive from the city sights.
Best restaurants in Tra Vinh
Bun Nuoc Leo Co Ba
The city's best known bowl of bun nuoc leo, a Khmer rooted fermented fish broth with fish, roast pork and shrimp.
Banh Canh Ben Co
The original home of banh canh Ben Co, thick chewy rice noodles in clear pork broth with pork and offal.
Deja Vu Huynh Kha
The town splurge restaurant in a garden eco site by the river, for Vietnamese set meals and seafood with a group.
Outdoor things to do in Tra Vinh
Con Chim
A 62 hectare river islet run by its 54 households, where you cycle, catch crabs, make leaf cakes and eat in family homes.
Nodol Pagoda
Also called Stork Pagoda, a 1677 Khmer pagoda in Tra Cu whose trees hold thousands of storks and herons.
Vam Ray Pagoda
Described as the largest Khmer pagoda in Vietnam, a gilded, ornate complex in Tra Cu that dwarfs the city pagodas.
Ba Dong Beach
Tra Vinh long, breezy main beach, 60 km away, good for a seafood lunch and a walk, not for postcard swimming.
Best hotels in Tra Vinh
The Rose Hotel Tra Vinh
The closest thing in town to a comfortable mid range hotel, central on Pham Ngu Lao with a cafe below.
Tra Vinh Lodge
A small rural lodge outside the city with gardens, home cooking and bicycles, the top end here without any luxury.
Cuu Long Hotel
A basic, central, long running hotel that does the job for a night or two at a low price.
Suonsia Homestay
A friendly family homestay in Cau Ke, with garden rooms, home meals and cycling through rice fields and pagodas.
Is Tra Vinh expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | ₫600,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | ₫1,100,000 a person |
| Splurge | ₫1,800,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Con Chim: a few days ahead
- Tra Vinh Lodge: a few days ahead
- Suonsia Homestay: a few days ahead
- Book beds weeks ahead around Ok Om Bok and Chol Chnam Thmay, when the small hotel stock fills.
- Book an organised Con Chim visit and a car with driver days ahead through your hotel or lodge.
- Buses, pagodas, the museum and noodle shops are all walk up in normal weeks.
Is Tra Vinh safe?
- The real local risks are road traffic, heat and flood season water.
- Cover shoulders and knees at Khmer pagodas, remove shoes before main halls, ask before photographing monks, and leave a small donation at free pagodas.
- In the rainy season, roughly May to November, and at flood peak around September to October, expect flooded rural lanes, slower buses and disruption to the Con Chim ferry and Ba Dong road.
Tra Vinh travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Do not day trip from Ho Chi Minh City and back in one day; the bus time makes it punishing and shallow, so sleep at least one night.
- Do not save Ba Dong Beach for a swimming day; the water is silty, so go for breeze, space and seafood instead.
- Do not assume English at sights, noodle shops or the bus station, and do not arrive at a festival pagoda in shorts and a vest.
Getting around Tra Vinh: public transport and more
- Buses from Mien Tay station in Ho Chi Minh City take about 4 to 5 hours, Can Tho is about 2 to 2.5 hours by road, and Soc Trang about 1.5 hours.
- Cycle the city pagoda loop, use xe om or taxis for short hops with fares agreed first, and hire a car with driver for Tra Cu or Ba Dong.
- Have hotel names and destinations written in Vietnamese, and download offline maps and translation before leaving the city.
Who Tra Vinh suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Tra Vinh your trip
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