Nestled in the heart of the Mekong Delta, An Giang's Trà Sư Mangrove stands as a verdant oasis, beckoning travelers to immerse themselves in its natural wonders. From the enchanting chorus of bird calls to the tranquil sway of the mangrove trees, every moment spent here is a symphony of serenity. Embark on a journey with us as we unveil the treasures of Trà Sư, offering you a comprehensive travel handbook that leaves no stone unturned.
Whether you're a nature enthusiast, an avid photographer, or simply seeking refuge from the hustle and bustle of city life, this handbook is your ultimate companion from A to Z. Discover the myriad of experiences awaiting you in An Giang's Trà Sư Mangrove, where every page is an invitation to explore, unwind, and reconnect with the beauty of the natural world.
The Tra Su Mangrove Forest from A to Z
The Trà Sư Mangrove Forest is currently a "must-visit" destination for travelers exploring the Mekong Delta. Here, visitors immerse themselves in the vibrant wilderness of the waterlogged mangrove forest, home to a plethora of rare flora and fauna. The forest offers picturesque settings for stunning photo opportunities, boasting numerous picture-perfect spots amidst its lush greenery. Additionally, adventurers can conquer the longest bamboo bridge in Vietnam, engage in thrilling boat rides, and relish the serene natural ambiance amidst the grandeur of the mangrove forest.
Introduction to Trà Sư Mangrove Forest, An Giang
The Trà Sư Mangrove Forest in An Giang is a sprawling wetland area characterized by its untamed natural beauty, emblematic of the Mekong Delta. Spanning approximately 845 hectares, it serves as a habitat for numerous rare species of flora and fauna, contributing to Vietnam's system of specialized forests. Today, it stands as a renowned ecotourism destination in An Giang, attracting thousands of visitors annually.
Meaning of the Name "Trà Sư" Mangrove Forest
Many travelers find themselves curious about the name "Trà Sư" when exploring this unique forest area. The "Trà Sư" Mangrove Forest derives its name from the abundance of melaleuca trees (tràm trees) planted in the vicinity of the Trà Sư Mountain area in An Giang province. Some interpret the name "Trà Sư" to mean "monk" or "venerable monk." The term "trà" is a phonetic adaptation of the Khmer word "tà," which translates to "monk" in English. The word "Sư" is understood in the Sino-Vietnamese context to mean "monk" as well. Additionally, there are interpretations suggesting that "Trà Sư" refers to a monk (temple master) named Trà.
Where is Trà Sư Mangrove Forest Located?
Many travelers mistakenly believe that Trà Sư Mangrove Forest is situated in Chau Doc. In reality, Trà Sư Mangrove Forest is located in Van Giao commune, Tinh Bien district, An Giang province.
The mangrove forest is approximately 60 kilometers away from the central city of Long Xuyen and about 30 kilometers from Chau Doc city.
Opening Hours: Daily from 7:00 AM to 5:15 PM Phone Number: 02966 522 299
View the map of Trà Sư Mangrove Forest: HERE
Overview of the Ticket Counter AreaDirections to Trà Sư Mangrove Forest, An Giang
Motorbike: Naturally, motorbikes are the preferred mode of transportation for adventurous travelers visiting Trà Sư Mangrove Forest. Riding a motorbike is incredibly convenient but can be time-consuming. However, with motorbike adventures, you can stop anywhere to capture beautiful scenery. The travel time by motorbike from Can Tho to the mangrove forest is approximately 4 hours.
Tourist Car: This safe, convenient, and comfortable mode of transportation is ideal for large groups of travelers. You will save a lot of time and effort for your journey. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to explore many other famous destinations in An Giang. You can also consider renting a tourist car service from Can Tho to Chau Doc, An Giang at a relatively cheap price.
When is the Best Time to Visit Trà Sư Mangrove Forest?
The most beautiful season in Trà Sư Mangrove Forest, specifically, and in the Mekong Delta region, in general, is the flooding season. The flooding season typically occurs from September to November each year. During this time, the Trà Sư Mangrove Forest in An Giang seems to adorn itself with a new, gentle, yet alluring coat of green, adorned with carpets of water lilies and water chestnuts. The flooded Trà Sư Mangrove Forest is incredibly mystical and romantic. During this season, you can fully explore the complete beauty of this famous waterlogged mangrove forest.
Nevertheless, the Trà Sư Mangrove Forest during the dry season also possesses its own unique beauty. Although the quantity of water lilies is lower compared to the flooded season, the water level in the mangrove forest is still maintained for tourist activities. Whether visiting during the flooded or dry season, travelers can capture stunning photographs that are sure to garner countless likes amidst the Trà Sư mangrove forest.
The best time to explore the mangrove forest during the day is between 6:00 - 9:00 in the morning and from 14:00 to 19:00 in the evening. During these hours, you can stand on the observation tower to observe the life and habits of the herons living in the forest. A breathtaking natural panorama unfolds before your eyes. This will undoubtedly be one of the most enjoyable and unforgettable experiences in your life.
Ticket Prices for Trà Sư Mangrove Forest in 2023
Trà Sư Mangrove Forest is an extremely popular destination in the Mekong Delta that attracts many visitors for sightseeing. Understanding ticket prices is crucial before each trip. Below is the price list for visiting Trà Sư Mangrove Forest in 2024 that travelers can refer to. The price for a comprehensive ticket package including all services at Trà Sư Mangrove Forest is 200,000 VND per person. However, you can also purchase tickets for individual services as listed below.
- Admission ticket (mandatory): 100,000 VND per person. Visitors will be free to explore and enjoy the entire landscape at the tourist site. Additionally, you will experience the feeling of walking through the mangrove forest on the longest bamboo bridge in Vietnam.
- Ticket for motorboat service (optional): 50,000 VND per person. Visitors will explore the ecological forest of Trà Sư Mangrove Forest by motorboat for both the outbound and return trips.
- Ticket for rowing boat service in the forest (optional): 50,000 VND per person. Visitors can experience rowing a traditional boat, touch the water lilies, leisurely enjoy the scenery, and take photos.
- Ticket for using binoculars on the observation tower (optional): 5,000 VND per trip.
You can purchase tickets at the Nụ Cười Mê Kông ticket office to immediately receive a 5% discount on the total ticket price (Note: applies only to adult tickets). For further details, please contact the hotline number 0907 002 772 for consultation.
*Note: After taking the motorboat to enter the interior of the mangrove forest, there is a separate section for rowing a traditional boat. I highly recommend experiencing both types of boats to explore. This will be an amazing experience in the mangrove forest that you won't want to miss.
Records at the Trà Sư Mangrove Forest Ecotourism Site
On the morning of January 15, 2020, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of An Giang Province in collaboration with An Giang Tourism Joint Stock Company organized the acceptance of two Vietnamese records for the Trà Sư Mangrove Forest:
- Most beautiful and famous flooded forest in Vietnam for ecotourism.
- Trà Sư's Longest Bamboo Bridge
What's There to Explore at the Trà Sư Mangrove Forest Eco-tourism Site?
Trà Sư Mangrove Forest is an unmissable destination when traveling to An Giang. During the adventure in Trà Sư's mangrove forest, visitors have the opportunity to immerse themselves in endless greenery and admire the poetic watercolor painting. But what interesting features does this flooded forest have that make tourists excited to visit and capture beautiful photos at Trà Sư Mangrove Forest? Let's explore this unique forest with Mekong Smile Tourism!
Check-in for Unique Photos at the "Dove City"
If you plan to visit Trà Sư Mangrove Forest, you must prepare a phone with plenty of memory. The boat dock at Trà Sư Mangrove Forest is uniquely designed with a background of high dove nests.
Visitors can experience feeding pigeons and admire the gentle doves flying freely in the sky. Standing between the boat dock and taking photos with the dove nests will surely create incredibly cool photos for you.
Must-Visit Trà Sư: The Kiều Bridge
Since ancient times, the Kiều Bridge has been familiar in Vietnamese poetry. The Kiều Bridge is a curved bridge resembling a horse's saddle. This beautiful bridge exudes elegance, as in the past, only the wealthy and noble had lotus ponds in their gardens, with pavilions in the middle for contemplating poetry and seeking coolness.
In An Giang, the Kiều Bridge symbolizes the prosperity and development of the province. This unique and creative wooden bridge will undoubtedly be a beautiful photo spot that tourists cannot miss when visiting Trà Sư.
Check-in at the Trống Mái Island at the Trà Sư Mangrove Forest Eco-tourism Site
At the mangrove forest, you also have the opportunity to stay in the twin drum-shaped houses. Trống Mái Island is located at the beginning of the bamboo bridge through the forest. The two houses are symmetrically designed with exquisite creativity.
Visitors can immerse themselves in the romantic scenery of the mangrove forest and admire the birds flying or nesting on the branches. Especially, this is also a wonderful place for romantic wedding photoshoots.
Conquer the Longest Bamboo Bridge in Vietnam
The "Thousand-step Bamboo Bridge" with a total length of over 2 km is a "masterpiece" nestled in the Trà Sư Mangrove Forest. This bridge will help visitors explore the pristine paradise of Trà Sư more thoroughly. After completion, this bamboo bridge created a craze for young people to come here for "live virtual check-ins." Surrounded by lush mangrove forests and long stretches of water lilies underneath, the scene is poetic, romantic, and peacefully resembles a fairyland. Walking on the bamboo bridge and admiring the lush green mangrove forest is an experience that visitors cannot miss when coming to this land.
"The bamboo bridge stretches through Trà Sư's green rhythm,
Trà Sư remains evergreen, oh bamboo bridge!"
Experience the Thrill of Crossing the Mangrove Forest on a Motorboat
When arriving at the pier, you will experience the thrill of traversing Trà Sư's mangrove forest on a motorboat. The Tắc Ráng boat is a large boat (capacity of 12-20 people) in the Mekong Delta. Tắc Ráng boats travel at a fairly fast speed, giving tourists a sense of adventure and exploration in the mangrove forest. You will see magnificent water lilies covering the water's surface. Surrounding you are rows of characteristic mangrove trees blending with water lilies, water shield plants, and lotus leaves, along with birds flying or foraging on the water's surface, creating focal points in the forest. Everything blends together like a lively watercolor painting, leaving us amazed and astonished.
Don't forget to pause amidst the lush green water lilies, turn off the engine, and immerse yourself in the natural atmosphere of the forest. Particularly, amidst the forest is an excellent spot for photo enthusiasts to check-in and capture wild, enchanting photos. You'll undoubtedly have stunning, wilderness-inspired photos in the forest. Don't forget to sit at the bow of the boat to capture your favorite shots.
Rowing Through the Forest to Feel the Wild Nature Atmosphere
On beautiful sunny days, Trà Sư Mangrove Forest becomes even more radiant. And what could be better than experiencing slow, gentle rowing, immersing your soul in the picturesque mangrove scenery?
In the forest, visitors will be guided by local boatmen to explore the mangrove forest along a route of about 2.5 km. Along the way, visitors will wear traditional conical hats, row boats, and freely take photos while admiring the interesting sights of egrets building nests. The feeling of being lost in the real forest is extremely fascinating.
Discovering the Diverse Ecosystem of Bird Species
Trà Sư Mangrove Forest in An Giang is an ideal destination for nature and wildlife enthusiasts, such as birdwatchers. At different times, you will witness different beautiful moments of various animal species in the forest. Visitors will see egrets nesting on trees, flying in the sky, foraging on the water surface, or resting on branches.
Trà Sư Mangrove Forest has a diverse animal population, including 70 bird species, 22 reptile species, 11 mammal species, 23 aquatic species, and 140 plant species belonging to 52 families and 102 genera. Among them are 2 species listed in the "Red Book of Vietnam": Indian Pond Heron and Oriental Darter.
Moreover, underwater, there are various types of creatures ranging from fish species like catfish, snakehead fish, basa fish, sa ba fish, etc. Rest assured, there are no crocodiles here! Or many rare species such as turtles, water snakes, etc. Visitors can rest assured that the exploration routes are perfectly safe.
Exploring the Diverse Ecosystem of Vegetation in An Giang's Mangrove Forest
Trà Sư Mangrove Forest covers an area of 845 hectares with a remarkably diverse vegetation carpet, mainly consisting of indigenous mangrove trees (different from imported mangrove species or yellow-flowered mangroves). The mangrove forest ecosystem includes about 140 plant species belonging to 52 families and 102 genera. Especially, the lush green water lily fields with water shield plants, lotus flowers, etc., are exceptionally beautiful and romantic. That is the attraction that many tourists want to come here to photograph and explore.
Overlooking the Entire Mangrove Forest from the Observation Tower
After riding a boat to the central area of the mangrove forest, you will walk about 500m more to reach the dining area and observation tower. The observation tower here has 5 floors and is about 23m high. Standing on the top floor of the observation tower, you will have a 360-degree view of the entire Trà Sư Mangrove Forest and especially Mount Sam on the horizon.
In particular, the observation tower is equipped with a fantastic observation telescope. You can observe landscapes in the Seven Mountains area from a distance. Also, you can zoom in on other areas of the mysterious Trà Sư mangrove forest. With keen eyes, you may find otter dens, birds, or fascinating herons looking for food. All the forest's life seems to be exposed "bare" in front of you
Check-in at the Romantic Love Bridge Amidst the Forest
Just mentioning the name "love bridge," couples in love will surely be excited and curious. The long wooden love bridge winding through the silent, lush forest is currently a captivating highlight in Trà Sư Mangrove Forest. The Heart-shaped Love Bridge is located in the heart of the mangrove forest, standing out with its cute heart-shaped design, surrounded by the fresh, green water that enhances the simple, elegant beauty of the heart-shaped bridge. Additionally, several additional structures such as wooden boats, stairs, monkey bridges on both sides of the bridge offer you many convenient, rich, and beautiful angles for photo opportunities. Couples will have extremely romantic photo corners on this special bridge.
Admission to the Love Heart Bridge at Trà Sư: 15,000 VND/person. Children under 1.3m are free. Those 1.3m and taller are considered adults.
Conquering the Monkey Bridge Amidst the Mangrove Forest
Next to the Trà Sư restaurant, tourists can come across a small but quite long monkey bridge that any tourist would want to conquer and have "cool" photos on. Since the monkey bridge is difficult to walk on, older adults or children should not try to cross this challenging bridge.
What to Eat at Trà Sư Mangrove Forest? - Enjoying Mekong Delta Specialties Amidst the Forest
In addition to enjoying the sights in the mangrove forest, tourists can savor famous Mekong Delta specialties here. Famous An Giang specialties such as Thốt Nốt cake, fresh Thốt Nốt juice, and various cakes made from Thốt Nốt await visitors to enjoy.
Especially, visitors can enjoy an authentic Mekong Delta lunch at the restaurant nestled in Trà Sư Mangrove Forest. What could be better than enjoying a meal amidst the wild natural surroundings of the forest? Before returning to the restaurant, visitors can pre-order dishes for the restaurant to prepare. After visiting Trà Sư, visitors can enjoy delicious dishes here. The restaurant's menu serves specialties, traditional Mekong Delta dishes that any visitor would want to taste.
From traditional Mekong Delta dishes during the flood season such as: Fish Hot Pot with Wild Water Lily Flower, Crispy Fried Snakehead Fish, Sour Soup with Fresh Goby Fish, to typical dishes of Trà Sư Mangrove Forest that sound delicious like honey-grilled chicken with water lily flowers, soil-grilled chicken, roasted snakehead fish, etc. Sitting with friends under a thatched hut, admiring the Mekong Delta scenery, eating a rustic meal. Everyone chatting about life, drinking a glass of iced tea or a few beers, what could be better?
Buying Honey at the Mangrove Forest as Gifts
The essence of Trà Sư mangrove forest can be said to be its Trà Sư mangrove honey. Along the journey of exploring the flooded Trà Sư forest, visitors can stop by the beekeeping area to learn about beekeeping practices. Here, they sell pure Trà Sư honey, which is super delicious, fragrant with gentle lotus flower scent, and of high natural quality. The price of honey here is 300,000 VND per liter. Visitors can choose according to their preferences to give as gifts to their loved ones and family.
Hotels near Tràm Trà Sư Forest
Currently, there are still no hotels or homestays in the mangrove forest for tourists to stay. To travel to Trà Sư mangrove forest, tourists can stay at hotels or guesthouses in Châu Đốc. Some hotels you can consider are Victoria Núi Sam Lodge, Victoria Châu Đốc Hotel, Bến Đá Núi Sam Hotel...
Tourist Attractions near Trà Sư Mangrove Forest
An Giang is a popular destination for many tourists because it has many exciting sightseeing spots. Besides the mangrove forest, tourists can visit famous tourist attractions nearby such as:
- Bà Chúa Xứ Temple
- Tà Pạ Lake
- Thoại Ngọc Hầu Tomb
- Núi Sam Tourist Area
- Cô Tô Mountain
- Heart-shaped water lily field
- Tịnh Biên Market
- Long Xuyên Floating Market
-
Mekong Delta 1 Day Tour - Ben Tre boat and bike experience
Mekong delta homestay 2 days tour with cycling trip in non touristy villages
Mekong delta tour 3 days with homestay - cycling - Cai Rang floating market
Solo Travel Experience Tips for Trà Sư Mangrove Forest
- Fill up your motorcycle's gas tank when going on a motorcycle trip to Trà Sư mangrove forest. Because it can be quite difficult to find gas stations in rural areas and near Tịnh Biên forest.
- If traveling with children, always keep an eye on them. There are many lakes and streams here. Also, unexpected things can happen when entering the forest.
- The more people, the cheaper the ticket prices. You can travel in groups to save costs.
- As one of the provinces in the Mekong Delta, An Giang also has quite intense sunlight. So remember to apply sunscreen, wear a jacket, hat, and insect repellent.
- Dress comfortably when going to the mangrove forest.
- Avoid wearing high heels when going to the forest.
- If traveling in July-August, there may be a lot of rain. You should bring raincoats or umbrellas.
Above are detailed A to Z travel experience tips for Trà Sư Mangrove Forest. Hopefully, this guide will be useful for your trip.
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