Chau Doc

Chau Doc

Draped along the banks of the Hau Giang River (Bassac River), Chau Doc sees  many visitors washing through on the river route between Cambodia and Vietnam. A likeable small  town with special Chinese, Cham and Khmer communities, Chau Doc’s cultural diversity – apparent in the mosques, temples, churches and nearby pilgrimage sites –  makes it excellent  to  explore even  ifyou are  not Cambodia-bound. Takinga trip with boat  to the Cham communities across the river is another significance,  when  the  crowded market and intriguing waterfront supply  fine backdrops to some days  of  relaxation.

Sights

30 Thang 4 Park 

(Ð Le Loi) Stretching from the market to the Victoria Chau Doc Hotel, this formal park is the city’s main promenading spot and a superlative spot for river gazing. Sculptures and a fountain are framed by manicured lawns and paths, and if you are eager to get  river-borne, women may approach you here providing  rides in tiny  boats.

Chau Phu Temple BUDDHIST TEMPLE

(Dinh Than Chau Phu; cnr Ð Nguyen Van Thoai & Ð Gia Long) In 1926 this temple was constructed to worship the Nguyen dynasty official Thoai Ngoc Hau, buried at Sam Mountain. The structure is decorated with both Vietnamese and Chinese motifs; inside are funeral tablets bearing the names of the deceased and  biographical information about them. There’s also a shrine to Ho Chi Minh.

Mosques 

Domed, arched Chau Giang Mosque, in the hamlet of Chau Giang,  serves the local Cham Muslims. To reach  there, take the car ferry from Chau Giang ferry landing across the Hau Giang River. From the ferry landing, walk inland from the river for 30m, turn left and walk 50m.

The Mubarak Mosque, where children study the Quran in Arabic script, is also on the river bank opposite Chau Doc. Travellers  are allowed , but you should avoid entering during the calls to prayer (five times daily) unless you are a Muslim.

There are other small mosques in the Chau Doc area. They are reachable by boat but you’ll need a local tourist guide to find them all.

Floating Houses NOTABLE BUILDINGS

These houses, whose floats  consist of empty metal drums, are both a  spot  to  live and a livelihood for their residents. Under every  house, fish are raised in suspended metal nets. The fish flourish in their natural river habitat, the family can feed them whatever scraps are handy and catching the fish requires less exertion than fishing.

You can  find these houses floating around Chau Doc and get a close  look by hiring a boat (but please be respectful of their occupants’ privacy).

FISH FARMING & BIOFUEL

Fish farming accounts for  around 20% of Vietnam’s total seafood output and is widely practised in An Giang province, in the region near the Cambodian border. The highest  concentration of ‘floating houses’ with fish cages can be seen  on the banks of the Hau Giang River (Bassac River) in Chau Doc.

The fish farmed are two members of the Asian catfish family, basa (Pangasius bocourti) and tra (Pangasius hypophthalmus).  About 1.1 million tonnes are  manufactured by this method annually and much of it is sold overseas , primarily to European and American markets (as well as Australia and Japan), in the  form of frozen white fish fillets.

The two-step production cycle  starts with capturing fish eggs from the wild, usually sourced in the Tonlé Sap Lake in Cambodia, followed by raising the fish to a marketable size – usually about 1kg.

One of the more interesting developments affecting fish farming is the move to convert fish fat, a by-product of processing, into biofuel. One kilogram of fish fat can yield 1L of biodiesel fuel, according to specialists. It is declared  that the biofuel will be more efficient than diesel, is nontoxic and will generate far fewer fumes.

Due to concerns about detrimental environmental effects from fish farming ( particularly related to waste management and the use of antibiotics and other chemicals), the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) placed farmed Vietnamese pangasius on a red list for environmentally conscious European consumers to avoid. It was subsequently removed in 2011 and the WWF has devised a set of standards and an accreditation agency to certify sustainable Vietnamese producers.

 Sleeping

 Trung Nguyen Hotel  $

(076-386 6158; trunghotel@yahoo.com; 86 Ð Bach Dang; s/d/tw US$14/16/20) One of the  better budget places, with more midrange trim. Rooms are more decorative than the competition, with balconies overlooking the market. It’s a busy corner  site, so pack earplugs.

Song Sao Hotel $

(076-356 1777; songsaohotel@yahoo.com; 12-13 Ð Nguyen Huu Canh; r 230,000-290,000d) Overlooking the local pagoda, this  friendly central hotel matches a smartly presented lobby to decent rooms with wood furniture . Some rooms have a balcony, other rooms  have no view.

Hai Chau HOTEL $

(076-626 0066; www.haichauhotel.com; 61 Ð Thuong Dang Le; r US$18-28) Another decent, central choice, Hai Chau has 16 rooms spread over four floors above a restaurant, with a lift. Well-kept rooms are smartly fitted out with dark wooden furniture; some rooms  have a balcony.

Thuan Loi Hotel $

(076-386 6134; ksthuanloi@yahoo.com; 18 Ð Tran Hung Dao; r with fan/air-con US$10/15) The sole cheapie with a riverside location, addition to  a floating restaurant. Rooms are not so atmospheric, but  good value. Fan rooms offer  cold water only, so  consider a larger air-con room.

Vinh Phuoc Hotel $

(076-386 6242; 12 Ð Quang Trung; r with fan US$7-10, with air-con US$10-12) The nice  staff at this popular budget hotel have a good knowledge of the delta region. Rooms vary  from fan-only cheapies to smarter air-con options with hot water. The restaurant is good quality  and there are usually some beer drinkers lurking around.

Chau Pho HOTEL $$

( 076-6356 4139; www.chauphohotel.com; Ɖ 88 Trung Nu Vuong; r US$32-50) This nice , friendly midrange hotel with tennis courts has 50 well-presented rooms over five floors, some with balcony. Deluxe rooms are far more  convenient than the cheaper options.

Victoria Chau Doc Hotel $$$

(076-386 5010; www.victoriahotels.asia; 32 Ð Le Loi; r from US$110, ste from US$175) Stylish for Chau Doc, the Victoria  delivers classic colonial charm, overseen by ao-dai -clad staff. With a strikingdestination  on the riverfront, the grand rooms here have dark-wood floors and furniture, and inviting bathtubs. The swimming pool overlooks the busy river action and there’s a small spa upstairs.  A range of tours is available to guests.

 Eating

The Chau Doc Covered Market (Ð Bach Dang;  7am-9pm) has  tasty Vietnamese food (10,000d to 20,000d). At night, you can also try a wide range  of cool che (dessert soups) at che stalls on Ð Bach Dang,  next to the pagoda. There are also several  other inexpensive stalls with large whiteboard menus displaying their wares.

Bay Bong VIETNAMESE $

(22 Ð Thuong Dang Le; mains 40,000-80,000d; 9am-8pm) Visually it’s a letdown – metal tables and chairs, white tiles – however,  the food is  something, with tasty fish-and-vegetable hotpot, stir-fried rice with seafood, beef noodle soup and  so forth.

Mekong VIETNAMESE $

(41 Ð Le Loi; mains 35,000-175,000d)  Located directly opposite the Victoria Chau Doc Hotel, this restaurant has a  large covered section or an outdoor area in front of the gracefully decaying old villa.

Con Tien Floating Restaurant VIETNAMESE $

(Ð Tran Hung Dao; mains 40,000-90,000d;  7am-10pm) It’s fun dining on fish and seafood dishes in this  cavernous floating restaurant on the Bassac River. It’s  good for hu tieu – the noodle soup (beef, seafood or chicken).

Thanh Tinh VIETNAMESE $

(42 Ð Quang Trung; mains 30,000-80,000d;  6am-7pm) This  spot  translates as ‘to calm the body down’ and it will do just that for vegetarians looking for a reliable menu.

Bassac Restaurant FRENCH, VIETNAMESE $$

( 076-386 5010; 32 Ð Le Loi; mains US$5-20;  5.45am-10pm) Chau Doc’s most amazing  dining experience is at the Victoria Chau Doc Hotel, where the menu consists of  some beautifully presented Vietnamese food and a mouthwatering range  of delicious  French dishes.

 Drinking & Nightlife

Chau Doc is rather sleepy. For a trendy tipple, visit the poolside Bamboo Bar (www.victoriahotels.asia; Victoria Chau Doc Hotel, 32 Ɖ Le Loi) or Tan Chau Salon Bar (www.victoriahotels.asia; Victoria Chau Doc Hotel, 32 Ɖ Le Loi;  6am-11pm) at the Victoria Chau Doc Hotel. Another lively  but considerably cheaper site  for a casual drink is the Con Tien Floating Restaurant.

 Information

Mekong Tours ( (+84) 164 3834 069; http://mekongdeltatours.info/; 1st floor, 159 Pham Ngu Lao Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 8am-8pm) Local travel agency for booking boat or bus transport to Phnom Penh, boat trips on the Mekong and cars with drivers.

Post Office ( 076-386 9200; 2 Ð Le Loi)

 Getting There & Away

Bus

The buses from Ho Chi Minh city to Chau Doc  set out  from the Mien Tay bus station. Express buses take you  six hours and cost around 130,000d. Chau Doc bus station (Ben Xe Chau Doc)  is on the eastern edge of town, where Ð Le Loi becomes Hwy 91. Other  sites consists of  Ha Tien (70,000d) and My Tho (51,000d).

Car & Motorbike

By road, Chau Doc is nearly  95km from Ha Tien, 117km from Can Tho, 181km from My Tho and 245km from HCMC.

 Getting Around

Boats to Chau Giang district (across the Hau Giang River) come from  two docks: vehicle ferries  set out from Chau Giang ferry landing (Ben Pha Chau Giang), opposite 419 Ð Le Loi; smaller, more frequent boats come  from Phu Hiep ferry landing (Ben Pha FB Phu Hiep), a little further southeast.

Private boats (80,000d for two hours), which are rowed standing up, can be hired from either of the ferry landing spots or from 30 Thang 4 Park, and are highly  recommended for watching  the floating houses and paying a visit  nearby Cham minority villages and mosques. Motorboats (per hour 100,000d) can be hired in the same area.

GETTING TO CAMBODIA: CHAU DOC TO PHNOM PENH

Vinh Xuong–Kaam Samnor Border Crossing

Getting to the border One of the  nicest  ways to reach  Cambodia is  via the Vinh Xuong–Kaam Samnor border crossing set  just northwest of Chau Doc along the Mekong River. Several companies in Chau Doc sell boat journeys from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh  across  the Vinh Xuong border.

Hang Chau ( Chau Doc 076-356 2771, Phnom Penh 855-12-883 542; www.hangchautourist.com.vn; per person US$24) boats go to  Chau Doc at 7.30am from a pier at 18 Ð Tran Hung Dao, arriving at 12.30pm. From Phnom Penh they set off  at noon. The more upmarket Blue Cruiser ( HCMC 08-3926 0253, Phnom Penh 855-236-333 666; www.bluecruiser.com) leaves the Victoria Hotel pier at 7am, costing US$55 (US$44 in the reverse direction, leaving Phnom Penh at 1.30pm). It  takes about five hours, including the border check.  As well  departing from this pier at 7am (and from Phnom Penh at 1.30pm) are Victoria Speedboats, exclusive to Victoria Hotel guests (US$97, five hours).

At the border If  leaving Cambodia, arrange a visa firstly . If  leaving Vietnam, Cambodian visas are available at the crossing, but minor overcharging is common (plan on paying around US$24).

Tinh Bien–Phnom Den Border Crossing

Reaching  the border Eclipsed by the newer crossing of Xa Xia near Ha Tien, the Tinh Bien–Phnom Den border crossing is less  convenient for Phnom Penh–bound  tourists ,  but may be of interest for those who savour the challenge of obscure border crossings. Buses from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh (US$15 to US$21, five hours) take off  at 7.30am and can be booked through Mekong Tours in Chau Doc. The roads getting  to the border are quite bad .

At the border Cambodian visas can be  got  here, although it’s not  uncommon to be paid  US$25, several dollars more than the official rate.

Moving on most  travellers opt for a through bus ticket from Chau Doc.