Many people hide from prosperous places to return to the countryside and villages just to breathe the fresh air, enjoy rustic dishes, or rediscover childhood memories. And if you also have this thought, try to visit Thi Tuong Lagoon in Ca Mau.
By Thomas Vietnam at vemekong.com | Official Ca Mau Visitor Guide
1. Better to Know as a Tourist
Ticket: Free
Spend-time: One hour (approx)
Hours: Dawn – dusk
Food: Yes
Shop: No
Parking lot: Yes
Blog: https://vemekong.com/thi-tuong-lagoon-ca-mau/
Address: Located in 3 districts: Cai Nuoc, Tran Van Thoi and Phu Tan, Ca Mau province.
Added values: Lagoon Thi Tuong, also known as Dam Ba Tuong, is known as “the lake in the middle of the plain”, is an ideal destination for those who want to find a peaceful place. The uniqueness of customs combined with many cultural features of the indigenous people have created a rare beauty for Thi Tuong lagoon.
Nearby attractions and hidden gems: Looking for places to stop on your way to and from Thi Tuong lagoon? Or maybe you found it too crowded here? We’ve got some ideas! Check out our list: Ca Mau Cape – The South Pole of Vietnam (92 km), Hon Khoai Island (42 km), Mui Ca Mau National Park (92 km), Ca Mau City Bird Garden (40 km), Nam Can Mangrove Forest (38 km), Thien Lam Pagoda (47 km), Hon Da Bac Island (41 km)…
2. Travel Guide to Thi Tuong Lagoon
Thi Tuong lagoon is located in 3 districts: Cai Nuoc, Tran Van Thoi and Phu Tan, Ca Mau province. To reach this large river, visitors from Ca Mau follow the direction of National Highway 1A to Rau Dua market, turn right through Cai Ban bridge, then follow the rural road 3m, pass about 7km according to the place of Thi Tuong hamlet. (Hoa My commune) is to Dam Trong. Visitors can also go from Rau Dua market another 2km along Highway 1A to Canal 4 Cong Da, turn right according to the directions to Xeo Duoc Base Area, about 8km to Dam Giua – the most interesting and unique destination. Lagoon Thi Tuong.
Thi Tuong lagoon is formed from alluvial deposits of My Binh river, Ong Doc river and many other canals. Thi Tuong lagoon has an area of about 700 hectares of water, stretching 12 km, 2 km at the widest place, 1.5 m at the deepest point, connecting to the Gulf of Thailand.
Dam Thi Tuong is associated with an anecdote that says: in the past, Mrs. To Quy Thi, often called Thi Tuong, was a good martial artist and was the first person to come here to reclaim land. At that time, because the Tiger lord could not marry the daughter of King Thuy Te, he hated it. Lord Tiger sent birds of the sky to fill the sea with rocks, but Mrs. Tuong bravely chased away the birds to keep the lagoon for the fishermen to live. Thanks to her, people can cultivate and catch seafood from the lagoon, their life is much improved. Touched by her merits, the people gave the lagoon her name, since then the lagoon is called Thi Tuong lagoon or Ba Tuong lagoon.
The lagoon consists of 3 main lagoons: Inner lagoon, Middle lagoon and Outer lagoon, in which the Middle lagoon is the largest. The characteristic of the lagoon that is different from ponds and lakes is the depth, if the middle lagoon is very deep, some places are up to 10 meters deep, the upper and lower lagoons are very shallow, less than a person’s head. The water level on the lagoon changes often with the rise and fall of the tide from 0.7m to 1.5m, very safe for visitors.
The life of the people around Thi Tuong lagoon is associated with the water, associated with natural aquatic resources. Because of its special structure and connection to the sea, a vast area of water nearly 10km long is always full of food for aquatic species to grow. Not only taking advantage of the endowed resources of fish, shrimp, cockles, and mussels living in the lagoon to feed the family; Thi Tuong fishermen also rely on water flow for economic development. They use the water surface area to raise tiger shrimp and crab in Ca Mau. These are two types of seafood with high economic value and have a firm foothold in the list of Vietnamese specialties.
On the lagoon, there are many rows of large and small stilt houses scattered, each house is about 100 m apart, that distance is the boundary of each fishing household here. Each hamlet is like a “small village” lying on the immense water.
3. What to Do –See – Eat at Thi Tuong Lagoon
Visiting the lagoon, visitors can choose to go by motorboat to feel the rustic and simple life of this land. Not only seeing the beautiful scenery of the country’s homeland, visitors also enjoy the special dishes prepared by the people here and listen to them tell stories about the idyllic daily life on the lagoon.
In addition, visitors can manually use fishing tools to freely go to the lagoon to be a farmer to catch fish, shellfish, crabs, mud-skippers etc. The specialties in the lagoon are very diverse, from mackerel fish, catfish… to shrimp, crabs…
The landscape of the lagoon is like a picture of a charming countryside, lively but peaceful by the sound of birds calling to welcome the dawn, or quiet and immense when the sunset falls on the surface of the lagoon.
Those are also the most beautiful times of the day for visitors to fully feel the vast space that nature has bestowed on Thi Tuong lagoon and save impressive photos.
Especially when night falls, with thousands of lights shimmering on the surface of the lagoon, enjoying a few glasses of wine with specialties of fish, shrimp, Ca Mau crab or humming a few Don Ca Tai Tu songs (Vọng Cổ Song) to chat with the people is still great.
4. Free Itineraries from VeMekong
As a local travel expert, we have some ideas for you to think about.
From Ca Mau city center:
Route 1:
Route 2:
Route 3:
If you do not have much time left, it is easy to check out spots in one full day by boat or with bike or with motorbike and car. But there are much more than tourist sites like these in Ca Mau. Make sure you have more time to feel and explore more about the hidden gems and the culture, food, night life, wildlife and forest as well. Top tip: Stay in a homestay nearby, so you have more chances to visit it and surroundings. If you are looking for the package Ca Mau daily tours with local, you can contact www.vemekong.com or Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559; email: hello@vemekong.com
5. Google Maps of Thi Tuong Lagoon
Google Maps made a name for itself helping people travel from one place to another, avoid traffic (You probably know the route from your hotel to the gas station by heart, but what you can’t be sure about is gridlock), measure a distance, get back to the hotel on time, share the location…
6. Visit Thi Tuong Lagoon by yourself
Solo traveller? Travelling on your own means you will get out of any difficult situations by yourself. This, in turn, leads to more satisfying travel experiences and helps you improve your problem-solving skills. These days we rarely get the chance to sit with ourselves and simply be. That’s why you should consider the time you spend alone on your trip as a gift.
It is possible for solo travellers to use google maps and do it alone. But sometimes they need to update local maintained roads and bridges which close and lead you a longer road than the road from Google maps. It is just about the time. It takes more time to find the correct garden to come. Adventure is always fun. Wifi is strong in Ca Mau village! The locals find it hard to speak English as well. Top tip: Sticking to one canal and keeping going along it which gives you more things to see and avoids getting lost. Contact vemekong.com to hire a car, scooter with English-speaking-guide or cycling tours in Ca Mau.
7. Responsible Travel and Advice Thi Tuong Lagoon
Don’t get us wrong. But we assure you that you totally agree with us. “Do not give candy and things to the children when you plan to visit any local villages”, the kids will leave the school and follow the sweets and later they find some things to give you or sell to you. The garden is a little forest, don’t pick and touch the flowers or fruits without the local’s smiles. We deal with traveling green and leaving green behind, not plastic. Top tip: Vemekong.com are some of the companies that care a lot about responsible travel and local respectation.
8. Amazing Video flycam/drone of Thi Tuong Lagoon (4k)
If a picture says a thousand words, it stands to reason that the video says many times more.
9. Incredible Tips for Photography, Specialists, KOLs, Media and Influencers
To get the best of the best for your unique writing, featuring, photo, video and insider’s stories. We do recommend you to have a local travel expert, the one who always gets more ground information and makes sure every single element is solved perfectly. The Vemekong (very exclusive Mekong) team is your priority choice. Email and have a private talk with them to customize your journey smoothly, personal and the most ultimately amazing. You can contact www.vemekong.com or Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559; email: hello@vemekong.com
10. Pro Tips
You can stay in a homestay which is near the riverside, this will help you out the best option. Then you can hire a scooter, car or bike and explore it by yourself. There are many local homestays in the mangrove forest near Ca Mau cape and near U Minh Ha forest. Both of these places are super green for staying and forget the world.
If you plan to extend your travel to Ca Mau homestay, do not forget to bring mosquito repellent cream.
Visit Ca Mau or do any customized tours, please choose reputable providers with boat trips equipped with lifebuoys, jackets, motorcycle and cycling tours with the helmets and. Safety is a priority! Choose Ca Mau responsible tours which help you give back while traveling. It’s a cliché, but it’s true.
Ca Mau food & drink guide ranges from street food, authentic, fancy to fusion foods. As a tropical land of many fresh vegetables and homegrown gardens, which always make Ca Mau cuisines fresh, close to nature and very traditional. If you are a food lover, don’t hesitate to put other bites onto your food lists such as Banh tam ga cay (Silkworm rice cake with curried chicken), grilled Vop clams with salt and pepper, grilled snakehead fish, grilled mudskipper fish, stone crab roast with salt, young bee salad, Ba Khia – A traditional food in Ca Mau, Ca Mau crab is a must-eat…
Bring your hat, sunglasses, and sunblock, scarf to wear when visiting temples, pagodas, and the cathedral.
Bring the raincoat if you’re planning a trip to Ca Mau in the rainy season, as Ca Mau always looks fantastic in the full rain and full sun.
Ca Mau tourist attractions are magnificent itself, but if you have enough time, don’t forget to put other places onto your bucket lists such as Ca Mau City Bird Garden, Ca Mau Cape – The South Pole of Vietnam, U Minh Ha National Park, Mui Ca Mau National Park, Monivongsa Bopharam Pagoda, Thien Lam Pagoda, Ca Mau Floating Market (totally no more), Cao Dai Temple In Ca Mau, Nam Can Mangrove Forest, Quan Am Ancient Temple, Memorial of President Ho Chi Minh, Watch the Sunrise and Sunset at Ca Mau Cape, U Minh Forest, Thi Tuong Lagoon, Khai Long Tourist Area, Hon Khoai Island, Hon Da Bac Island,
Hopefully, the above tips will help you to come up with a great plan for your adventure in Ca Mau province, Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Have a safe trip!
“Sleep less, travel more, respect more” – Thomas Vietnam – Local travel expert.
Thank you
