If you have been to or are in Can Tho and want to travel to Can Tho Soc Trang or go to Con Dao then it is a great choice. In this article, we will share a guide as well as a travel diary to Can Tho Soc Trang and Con Dao ah.
Main means of transportation: motorbike
Cost (range):
- Renting a motorbike in Can Tho: 120k/each.
- Hotel/homestay in Can Tho: 150k/person.
- Gasoline for the tour program: 60 – 80k.
Food: in the Mekong Delta in general, Can Tho, Soc Trang in particular are very cheap and delicious. It depends on each person’s needs and preferences. Below are some of the most reliable and unique places Thư has ever eaten at.
Can Tho 1 day 1 night:
- Check-in and move to Truc Lam Phuong Nam Zen Monastery, here besides visiting the temple, lighting incense, you can also take trendy photos due to the spacious grounds and unique architecture.
- Binh Thuy Ancient House, Tra Noc Airport, Ong Temple at Ninh Kieu Wharf. You can explore all these places, no worries.
- In the evening, you can stroll on the pedestrian bridge, wander around snack areas: the central night market area of Ninh Kieu, the area under Bai Cat or buy a city tour ticket by electric car (contact at Ninh Kieu Wharf).
- The next morning, go to NK Wharf to rent a boat on the Can Tho River to Cai Rang floating market for more trendy experiences, have breakfast on the river which is quite interesting.
- Boat rental cost (shared) ranges from 100 – 150k/person (including travel insurance).
Delicious food in Can Tho:
- Morning: bun mang 123 Phan Dinh Phung, bun mam Phi Long Hoa Vien (De Tham), Com tam le duong Thu Khoa Huan, banh cu cai le duong Phan Dinh Phung (intersection with Nam Ky Khoi Nghia)…
- Noon: mam hotpot and countryside dishes at Thanh Giao alley 1 Ly Tu Trong, duck egg pancakes, banh khot 7 Toi…
- Evening:Bun bo Co Lo alley 140 Ly Tu Trong, snails with Mrs. Phung at Thu Khoa Huan street, sticky rice Lý Nhã Kỳ, snacks at night markets…
After finishing the program in Can Tho, you can travel by motorbike to Soc Trang, the distance on the map is 60km, about 1 hour 15 minutes to famous temple sites like:
- Chen Kieu Temple on National Highway 1A, 12km from Soc Trang city, towards Bac Lieu. The unique feature of the temple is the use of ceramic plates and dishes to decorate the walls of the temple.
- Clay Pagoda on Nguyen Tat Thanh street, Buddha statues, sacred animals, bell tower, stupa… are made from very delicate clay.
- Somrong Temple on the same road as the Clay Pagoda. 1km from the Clay Pagoda. It is currently the hottest place in Soc Trang on Facebook.
- Bat Pagoda: also known as Mã Tộc Pagoda or Mahatup Pagoda, on Mai Thanh The street. The temple is also home to thousands of bats and has a special cemetery for 5-toed pigs.
What to eat in Soc Trang
- Grilled beef at 27 Ly Tu Trong (cheap and delicious)
- Bun goi da Pham Ngũ Lão and Nguyen Van Huu streets.
- Banh Pia Tan Hue Vien, Quang Tran…
- Bun nuoc leo at Quan cay Nhan on Vo Dinh Sam street, bun mam ca dong on National Highway 1A.
If you plan to stay overnight in Soc Trang to catch the high-speed boat to Con Dao conveniently, Thư introduces some cheap guesthouses, hotels, you can find out more: Que Toi, Minh Phuong (Phu Loi street)
Notes when traveling to Can Tho – Soc Trang
- All pagoda points in Can Tho, Soc Trang mostly do not charge entrance fees or parking fees. Especially in Soc Trang, we can only visit, burn incense, and admire the unique architecture of the local Khmer people. Or overnight stop to go to Con Dao, in Soc Trang there are no modern entertainment points like some other major tourist cities.
- After finishing the program in Soc Trang, if you go to Con Dao, please refer to the very detailed review in the link below.
- If you do not go to Con Dao, you can head straight to Bac Lieu to continue living virtually in the Bac Lieu wind farm, Xiêm Cáng Pagoda, Ghositaram Pagoda… by motorbike. The distance from Soc Trang to Bac Lieu is also about 60km.
Total hardware cost for a 1-day-1-night trip to Can Tho Soc Trang: 1485k/person.(Does not include food and beverage costs)
Guide to Travel from Can Tho to Soc Trang and Con Dao
Con Dao, also known as Con Son or Con Lon, is an island district under Ba Ria Vung Tau province. Con Dao is only 40 nautical miles or about 90km from Tran De port, Soc Trang, taking approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes by high-speed ferry Superdong.Tran De is 75km from Can Tho and 73km from Bac Lieu.
See more: Guide to Travel to Con Dao from Saigon
Traveling from Can Tho to Soc Trang
- Travel by motorbike takes about 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours. Spend 60k on gasoline for a round trip and you still won’t run out.
- Superdong high-speed ferry ticket 310k/ one way/ person: It’s advisable to buy a round trip ticket in Can Tho once you have set the departure and return dates.
- I started the trip at 8am and returned at 1pm.
- Breakfast: right on the way near Tran De, there is a bun noodle soup restaurant called Cay Trung Ca on the left, a spacious and delicious bun place 25k/ bowl
- Upon arrival at the port, go straight in and contact the border guard soldier to park your motorbike: 20k/ 3 days.
The ferry departs at 8am. Contact the staff on the ferry to buy a SuperDong bus ticket 40k/ one way/ person to the center of Con Dao Town. Inform the bus driver of your guesthouse or hotel address.
(On the return day, go to Superdong Con Dao on Tran Phu street, across from Bale cafe to buy a return bus ticket, the bus will pick you up at the hotel)
Staying overnight in Con Dao
I stayed at UYÊN’S HOUSE. It’s a beautiful and very popular homestay, remember to book and transfer a deposit in advance to secure your stay. Room rate is 600k/night/2 people including photo opportunities.
In addition, the homestay also offers dorm rooms at very cheap prices, cute architecture and spacious areas, as shown in the image below.
Eating on Con Dao Island:
Note: as the island is not yet highly developed, there are few dining options outside of “regular” meal times like: breakfast at 7-9am, lunch at 11-13pm, so there are few places open all day or serving snacks at odd hours. There were times when I woke up late at 9am and there was no breakfast left. Around 1pm, there was nothing for lunch. In such situations, head back to Uyên’s House and ask the host for help!
According to the “regular” meal times, Con Dao has:
- Bún Riêu Hai Khiêm serves in the early morning at 9am. Rests until 2:30pm and then serves again until evening. Delicious. Normal bowl costs 25k
- Bánh bèo Cô Ba: serves from 2pm until evening. Delicious. Portion costs 25k
- Bún bò Huế Gia Khang: serves in the morning. Go straight to the People’s Committee office opposite Villa Maison. Delicious
Rice dishes for lunch:
- Út Triệu (fresh seafood, sweet meat at a cheap price. Meal for 2 with 300gr sour fish soup and 400gr braised fish costs only 210k). Delicious
- Quán Côn Sơn, Kim Kê…
Transportation on the island:
- Motorbike rental 100k/day
- Scooter rental 120k/day
Available at the homestay. Just pour 30k for gas and you can ride for 3 days and visit all the highlights and still have gas left. Con Dao is small so you don’t need to ask for directions or use Google Maps. Just drive around and you’ll get there.
Seafood for dinner on Con Dao Island
Quán Bình Nguyên: the highlight is the clam porridge. I ate it for 2 consecutive nights. A bowl of porridge costs from 40 – 60k and is enough for two people. Fresh seafood, reasonable prices.
There are also many other restaurants around the market and Pham Van Dong street.
Cafes on Con Dao Island
- Uyên’sHouse (the owner used to be a pastry chef at the luxury Six Senses Con Dao Resort). You must try the coffee with milk at this place.
- Infinity
- Bale (the only place on the island with air-conditioned rooms)…
See more: Guide to visiting Co Sau’s Tomb
Beautiful routes on Con Dao Island
In general, Con Dao has 3 main and most beautiful directions:
Towards the airport
From the An Hai intersection (not An Hai beach) to the Military Camp, there are 2 sharp bends and 2 excellent mountain passes. From Six Senses to the airport, the road is similar to Khanh Vinh pass, with one side being the sea and the other side being hills occasionally blooming with flamboyant flowers and purple lagerstroemia. This stretch has many beautiful scenes where you can stop and take photos anywhere.
Most prominent spots: Chim Chim Cape, Đầm Tre Bay, beaches near Poulo Condor Resort…
Towards the high-speed boat pier:
An Hai Beach, An Hoi, Shark Cape, Nhát Beach…
Towards An Son Mieu (Mieu Ba Phi Yen):
2 large lotus ponds running along both sides of the road are very charming.
Côn Đảo Review
- Peaceful and tranquil
- Serious and sacred
- Safe even at night
- Clean and crystal-clear sea with visible swimming fish below
- Reasonable prices, clean restaurants with well-prepared food, friendly and enthusiastic staff. No reports of scamming tourists
Notes when visiting Con Dao
- Visit Mrs. Sau’s Tomb: it’s best to go in the evening around 23-24h. On the full moon day, it’s better to go early as it gets crowded. Dress respectfully, avoid joking around and using inappropriate language.
- RECOMMENDATION: Avoid visiting Con Dao specifically and Vietnamese island areas in general during the rainy months (6, 7, 8) of the year. The waves are big, the sea is murky with many marine creatures. It’s easy to get seasick and difficult to explore and take photos.
- Con Dao is a sacred land, refrain from using inappropriate language or jokes. Do not steal or damage anything that belongs to the island and is not yours, do not make promises you can’t keep.
You don’t have to go far, Vietnam still has many beautiful landscapes and kind people. Pack your bags and go as soon as you can. Remember to preserve what belongs to nature so that our future generations can also have something to see and enjoy. Thank you for reading till the end.
