Welcome to Travelfish, original Asia travel intelligence you can trust.
Username: Password: | Join
 

Ben Tre




























 
 

Ben Tre

Travel guide

Quicklinks
 » Accommodation
 » Food & Drink
 » Sights & attractions
 » Getting there & away

Ben Tre province is made up of three main islands wedged between the Tien Giang River to the north and to Co Chien River to the south with the Ham Luong River running straight down the centre. All are effectively offshoots of the Mekong River as it splits out into many fingers before spilling out into the South China Sea.

Famous for its coconut desserts, the province is suitably covered in coconut trees. During the war these coconut trees were used to make coconut oil which was then used as a valuable substitute for kerosene.

Verdant and flat, the province is mostly given over to rice and fruit cultivation, though being an island province, fishing is another mainstay of the local economy. Traditional Mekong life is the norm here and it's a very unadulterated scene -- wandering the market, sipping the coffee, doing a boat trip and skipping through the local museum are the main pastimes.

As far as exploring the Delta is concerned, Ben Tre is a dead-end province. Once you've experienced all the province has to offer, you'll need to turn around and head back through My Tho to get any further into the Delta. That's not to suggest it isn't worth visiting -- it is. For starters you can do boat trips from here for a fraction of the price of a trip from My Tho (either organised through Ben Tre Tourist, or via the boatmen at the pier) and, with its large network of minor canals, there's a lot of scope for riverine exploration. There's also a small museum and a pleasing riverfront worth investigating.


 
















First things first -- Ben Tre town is clean -- it's as if somewhere between the My Tho ferry crossing and downtown you pass through a cleanliness vortex -- the roads are spotless, the pavements are tiled and smooth and there's little refuse -- even in the market.

Secondly, there's not really all that much to do in Ben Tre. There's boat trips, a pagoda, a small museum, a good market and lots of friendly people, but overall there's not enough here to justify a stay of more than a night or so.

The main advantage of coming here is that the boat trips are far cheaper than in My Tho and you can pretty much visit the same spots. If you're on a budget, Ben Tre is a far better base than My Tho -- it's a pleasant enough place, with a small town charm, that makes it an allround reasonable spot for those with enough time on their hands to dawdle slowly through the Delta.

Text and/or map last updated on 21st August, 2009.

More information


Maps
  Ben Tre


Considering a tour to Vietnam?



Add to scrapbook

 

    Get orientated with our interactive map of Ben Tre, Vietnam


    Check and uncheck the boxes below to show and hide the various icons on the map above and use the sliding bar at the left side of the map to zoom in and out. Have fun!
    Accommodation:    Restaurants:    Bars:    Attractions:    Transport:    Orientation:    Post & phone:    Banking:    Medical:    Other:
  

   Vision: Photos of Ben Tre

Click on any image below to be taken to see a larger version of the photo and to browse our Ben Tre photo gallery.

Ben Tre's bridge Rice fields out from Ben Tre town

You can add your own photos to this by joining the Travelfish Group on Flickr. Please click here more information.

 

  Search for accommodation


Search for guesthouses & hotels
where in Vietnam?

Sort results by:
Travelfish ranking (best first)
Price (cheapest first)
Name (A-Z)
Show only properties bookable online


 

Fresh off our Asia travel forum

Here are some discussions off the Travelfish forum, perhaps related to Ben Tre. You can find the full forum here.

Topic Replies  Views 
Ben Tre Mekong Delta 
In Vietnam: by oscarcat
0 213
Thao Nhi guesthouse Ben Tre - nice setting, but watch out for the owner 
In Vietnam additions: by bone
0 521

Ben Tre reviews

Backchat from the Travelfish community

Not a soul has had a thing to say about this place -- why don't you get the ball rolling?

Have your say

You need to be logged in to add a review.
Username: Password:
Not a member? you can join here.

Review title

Snappiness encouraged ;-)

When did you visit here?

This gives your review a bit of context - especially if you were last in Ben Tre in 1932.

Your review

(Remotely sensible, non-ranting comments are much appreciated. If you don't like somewhere, please explain why -- it's all far more helpful for others that way.) Serial ranters, loons and spammers will be banished!
And please, no self-promotional URLs -- that's what your signature field is for.


So how does it rate?
On a scale of one to ten (with 10 being outstanding and 1 being bloody awful) how would you rate Ben Tre for the following criteria?

Note: Ratings are OUT OF TEN -- not five!

Sights & activities:  
History & culture:  
Scenery & environment:  
Eat & drink:  
        
Traveller scene:  
Romance:  
Value for money:  
I'll be back (or not):  

Please note comments are edited for clarity, typos and style before they appear. Ranting tirades, spam and anything else that really belongs somewhere else won't make the cut. If you want to rant, go to Thorntree.

Please login and refresh this screen before writing your review -- thanks!




 

The bottom line

This site was constructed out of 100% recycled electrons -- if you don't, you should recycle too!
All material copyright Travelfish Pty Ltd ACN 107 758 985 -- please don't steal our content
Thailand FAQ | Cambodia FAQ | Travel related links | Jobs with Travelfish | Press
For ZoneAlarm Users | Contact Travelfish | Privacy statement | About us
Advertise with Travelfish | How do I get my business listed on Travelfish?
Yahoo! FareChase
Last updated pretty recently ;-)
There are 171 visitors online, and your boss!
Travelfish | Blog | Fourelephants | AsiaNewsDesk | BangkokMetro | Affiliates