![[VIETNAM TRAVEL] An experience to “Island of paradise” – Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve](https://blog.recago.app/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Recago-Blog-Banner-38.png)
About 50km from the city center, Can Gio mangrove biosphere reserve is an extremely attractive destination with a long coastline, immense mangrove forests and fresh seafood dishes. Recago will share with you a detailed travel experience to Can Gio island.
When to go to Can Gio Island – Can Gio mangrove
The weather in Can Gio island is the same as in HCMC, with two seasons: dry season and wet season. The best time to visit Can Gio is generally considered to be between November and April – in the dry season. The weather is quite hot, but the difference is not much, so it is easier for visitors to choose clothes.
Can Gio island district is quite close to Saigon when it is only about 50km from this city, so Recago suggests visitors build a trip to Saigon, then spend a day visiting the Island.
Transportation to Can Gio mangrove
Route from Saigon to Can Gio Island is one of the easiest routes with many types of transportation, including motorbikes, cars, buses, etc.
Moving from Saigon to Can Gio, you can choose the following means of transport:
Motorbike
From the center of Saigon, you move towards Huynh Tan Phat Street, District 7. Then, just run all the way to Huynh Tan Phat Street to reach the Binh Khanh ferry.
With a ferry fee of 5,000 VND/trip, you cross the ferry and continue on Rung Sac road. You will arrive at Can Gio Island.
Recago recommends using Google Maps to avoid situations where you lose your way. In particular, it is recommended to fill up the fuel tank from the city because there will be no houses or gas stations along Rung Sac road.
Bus Transportation
The bus is an inexpensive and convenient way to get to Can Gio Island.You can take bus number 20 from Ben Thanh market to Nha Be and then get off at Binh Khanh ferry. After that, you buy a ferry ticket for 3,000 VND/person. When you arrive, you take bus line number 90 to reach Can Gio island.
Note the travel schedule of the bus:
- Bus number 20: operates from 04:20AM to 9:00PM, with each trip lasting 20 minutes
- Bus number 90: operates from 04:45AM to 9:30PM, with trips lasting 30 to 90 minutes
Travel around Can Gio Island – Can Gio mangrove
Recago will suggest itineraries to travel to Can Gio sea village in one day.
Ho Chi Minh City – Thanh An Island – Can Gio Island – Can Gio Beach in the morning
In the morning, you depart from Ho Chi Minh City. Follow the bus or motorcycle route, it will take 1-2 hours to get to Can Gio.
On the way to this beach village, you will pass through Thanh An island, about 70km from Saigon. Although the area is small, there are not many fun activities, but Thanh An island possesses an extremely fresh and idyllic atmosphere, and fresh dishes made from seafood will make visitors “explode” with taste.
When coming to Thanh An Island, you can also record a set of peaceful and rustic photos with bustling fishing piers, a unique stone path extending to the sea or immense mangrove forests.
Notes when going to Thanh An island:
- Time points for the ferry to move from the mainland to the island and from the island to the mainland are: 6:30AM, 9:00AM, 10:30AM, 12:00, 2PM and 5PM
- Ticket price: 10,000 VND/ 1 person
- Travel time: 45 minutes per trip
Then, move to Can Gio beach. You can enjoy the fresh air on Can Gio beach. The sea here is not too noisy, very suitable for sunbathing, check-in or entertainment with many interesting water games.
Go to Hang Duong market in lunch
What to eat in Can Gio? Please visit Hang Duong market, just 850m from Can Gio beach to enjoy lunch with delicious seafood here. The dishes you should try are snails, crabs, shrimp, crabs,…
In the Hang Duong market, there is an on-site processing counter, which costs only a little. However, you can also bring your own or rent something to make your own on the beach.
The average price for seafood at Hang Duong market is quite cheap, but the quality is not inferior to seafood in any coastal area:
- Seafood prices range from 50,000 VND to 450,000 VND/kg
- Dishes range in price from 10,000 VND to 30,000 VND.
Some seafood dishes that you can’t miss in your lunch:
- Dried Pangasius kunyit: Pangasius kunyit is a specialty of Can Gio Island. Pangasius kunyit are dried in the sun until the flesh is golden and no longer has a fishy smell.
- Mudskipper mixed with salad: The dish has the typical flavor of Can Gio Island
- Coconut
Visit Vam Sat tourist area – Monkey Island – Lam Vien Street in the afternoon
Located about 60 km from Can Gio beach, Vam Sat Forest is a famous eco-tourism area located in the mangrove biosphere reserve of Can Gio island.
With an area of more than 75,000 hectares of mangrove forest, this place is also the habitat of many rare and precious animals and plants that are being preserved. You can freely take photographs, visit animals, and eat rustic dishes in the Vam Sat Forest tourist area.
Besides, there are also some interesting activities that you should try such as boating, camping, cycling, crocodile fishing, etc.
Another destination in the Can Gio one-day tour itinerary is Monkey Island. This island is about 32km from Vam Sat tourist area, a place for tourists to relax, entertain, and forget about worries and worries..
Don’t forget Lam Vien road. When traveling on Rung Sac route, you can stop at the intersection between Sac forest and Lam Vien street to enjoy cool drinks of coconut water and check-in rows of uniquely shaped mangrove trees. Curved dry branches with green leaves on top have been the backdrop for countless artistic pictures.
Move back to rest at a luxury resort and Ho Chi Minh hotel in the evening
Recago’s Can Gio Island travel experience is that you should return before 5pm. Many roads from Can Gio island back to Saigon will not have street lights, so to be safe, you should depart from Can Gio in about 4-5 hours.
Back in the city, you can find many resorts and hotels, from affordable to high-class. However, if you have the opportunity, you should choose to experience some luxury hotels because that from the design to the service, visitors really get their money’s worth with them.
Some Ho Chi Minh hotels on the way to Can Gio Island that Recago suggests you to refer to:
– Novotel Saigon Centre (167 Hai Ba Trung, Ward 6, District 3), priced at about 1,700,000 VND/night for a room for 2 people.
– Hotel des Arts Saigon (78 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, St, District 3), priced at about 3,000,000 VND/night for a room for 2 people.
– Hotel Nikko Saigon (235 Nguyen Van Cu, District 1), priced at about 2,000,000 VND/night for a room for 2 people.
– InterContinental Sài Gòn (Crossroad of Hai Ba Trung and Le Duan, District 1) has a price of about 5,000,000 VND/night for a room of 2 people.
– Caravelle Hotel Saigon (19-23 Lam Son Square, District 1) has a price of about 2,000,000 VND/night for a room of 2 people.
No need to prepare a suitcase with too many things, you just need to take note of the above tips and get in the car with a travel-loving soul to bring back a short but quality trip. Now, let’s plan to enjoy the sea breeze of Can Gio island right now!
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