Tan Phong Islet is an ideal destination for those who want to explore life in the middle of the Tien River. Where nature is endowed with sweet products. A place where gentle and loving people are born, making tourists near and far not help but feel nostalgic every time they remember.
By Thomas Vietnam at vemekong.com | Official Cai Be Visitor Guide
1. Better to Know as a Tourist
Ticket: Free
Spend-time: Half Day or homestay (approx)
Hours: Dawn – Dusk
Food: Yes
Shop: Yes
Parking lot: Yes
Blog: https://vemekong.com/tan-phong-islet-what-to-see-cai-be-tourist-attraction/
Address: Located in the middle of Tien River in Cai Lay district, Tien Giang province is just over 20 km from My Tho city.
Added values: With the charming and rustic natural landscape of the Mekong Delta River, Tan Phong island’s ecotourism has made an impression on domestic and international tourists.
Nearby attractions and hidden gems: Looking for places to stop on your way to and from Tan Phong Islet? Or maybe you found it too long a drive here? We’ve got some ideas! Check out our list: Cai Be floating market (5 km), Cao Dai Temple in Cai Be (6 km), Cai Be Church (6km), Ba Duc Old House (7 km), Ba Kiet Old House (7 km), Le Longanier Restaurant (8 km), Cai Be Market (5 km)…
2. Travel Guide to Tan Phong Islet
Tan Phong islet is a land that no one knows when it was formed, but when the Vietnamese ancestors came in to explore and set up an administrative rule, this island was called Tan Islet of Binh An village. At this time, Tan Phong islet was also known as Con Cu.
In 1808, during the reign of King Gia Long, Tan Phong island belong to Vinh Truong canton, Vinh Binh district, Dinh Vien palace, Vinh Thanh town, and until the reign of King Minh Mang, in 1836, the new name Tan Phong had, with the meaning of New rich land was born, belonging to Binh Hung canton, Vinh Binh district, Dinh Vien government, Vinh Long province.
When the French entered the colonial period, there were some administrative changes. In the early 1900, Tan Phong village was in Chau Thanh district, Vinh Long province. According to some historians, around 1923, Tan Phong village was renamed Tan Dong by the French. After 1945, Binh Hung, including Tan Phong village, moved to Cho Lach district, Vinh Long province.
In 1967, the government of the Republic of Vietnam still located Tan Phong commune in Cho Lach district, Vinh Long province until 1975. At this time, the resistance government found that, due to the difficult passage of the Tien River.
3. What to Do – See – Eat at Tan Phong Islet
Traveling to Tien Giang, it only takes 10 minutes to take the ferry to Tan Phong dune. As soon as you set foot on the dune, you will immediately feel the green space of the luxuriant gardens, entering a different world compared to the noisy urban life.
Tan Phong islet has an area of over a thousand hectares, with a fresh and cool climate, accreted by alluvium, so it is famous for being a land of good fruit trees with fruits such as rambutan, longan, pomelo, orange, plums… Especially in the rambutan season, the island is “dyed” red. Visitors can enter the garden, pick and enjoy themselves in the garden, or hang a hammock under the trees.
In addition, visitors can cycle around the island, along the two sides of the road there are many natural flowers, which are extremely poetic and beautiful. Visiting craft villages such as bee farms, knitting coconut leaves for roofing, knitting baskets with water hyacinth materials, making rice paper…
The most attractive experience is taking a rowing sampan (small rowing boat by the local’s hands) to visit the peaceful life of the people in the garden along the creeks, weaving between the orchards, or taking a boat along the Cai Be River. See the floating markets. Enjoy the cool breezes, and fresh air, and watch each wave of golden sparkles fall in the sunlight…
In Tan Phong, Homestay tourism is quite developed, and people in the garden are happy and hospitable.
4. Free Itineraries from VeMekong
As a local travel expert, we have some ideas for you to think about.
From Cai Be 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 Cai Be. 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 Cai Be daily tour with local, you can contact www.vemekong.com or Hotline/WhatsApp/WeChat/Zalo +84939888559; email: hello@vemekong.com
5. Google Maps of Tan Phong Islet
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 Tan Phong Islet 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 Cai Be 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 Cai Be.
7. Responsible Travel and Advice to Visit Tan Phong Islet
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 Tan Phong Islet (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. 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
Best time to visit Cai Be floating market is from 5:30am-6:30am. I hope you have an amazing sunrise on the Mekong Delta river.
You can stay in a homestay which is near the floating market, this will help you out the best option. Then you can hire a scooter, car or bike and explore it by yourself, but you still need to hire a boat for the Cai Be floating market.
If you plan to extend your travel to Cai Be Vinh Long homestay, do not forget to bring mosquito repellent cream.
Visit Cai Be 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 Cai Be responsible tours which help you give back while traveling. It’s a cliché, but it’s true.
Cai Be 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 Tien Giang 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 Hu Tieu My Tho (a kind of noodle soup but it is really yummy), elephant ear fish, snails with pepper, rambutan jam, snake wine, coconut candy, pop rice…
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 Tien Giang in the rainy season, as Tien Giang always looks fantastic in the full rain and full sun.
Cai Be tourist attractions are magnificent itself, but if you have enough time, don’t forget to put other places onto your bucket lists such as Coconut Candy Traditional Village & Small Canals, Puffed Rice Cake Traditional Village, Cao Dai temple (with a holy eye), Cai Be – Vinh Long homestay 2D1N, Cai Be floating market & small canals, Ba Duc Old House, Ba Kiet Old House, Mekong rest stop, amazing Vinh Long homestays on the islets, cocohome homestay, Vinh Long brick & pottery kiln, sampan (small boat) ride in small canals, mighty Mekong river cruise, educational tour and community tour in Cai Be Vinh Long, Tan Phong Islet, Cai Be Church, Le Longanier Restaurant
Hopefully, the above tips will help you to come up with a great plan for your adventure in Cai Be, My Tho, Tien Giang province, Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Have a safe trip!
“Sleep less, travel more, respect more” – Thomas Vietnam – Local travel expert.
Thank you
