Tra Vinh is a very pretty little provincial capital. A hodgepodge of colonial shopfronts face onto broad, tree-lined streets clustered around a fine little market and while very few people speak English, there's certainly no shortage of smiles -- Tra Vinh may be well off the tourist trail, but it is an amazingly friendly place.

The province has a large ethnicly Khmer population and the area immediately around the market feels (and looks) particularly Khmer -- first impressions brought Tachmau or Takeo to mind. This Khmer influence is more obvioulsy seen in the pagoda's that litter both the town and the province.

Unlike many Mekong Delta cities, Tra Vinh sits on the bank of a small festy canal rather than a large river, so there's not quite the scope for boat trips that there is in other regional cities, and smiling faces and Khmer pagodas aside, the town isn't exactly bursting at the seems with textbook attractions.

It's a laid back place, the market is interesting and photogenic, and its just a downright pretty place -- the capital of a dead-end province -- there's no large car ferries heading further south, so unless you're on a motorbike (or own your own boat) you'll be returning to at least Vinh Long -- infact Tra Vinh town is easily visited on a day trip from Vinh Long.

Nevertheless, if you're looking for an off-the-beaten-track destination, then you're in the right place. We've heard good things about the hinterland of the province, which can be explored from the town, but given the torrential rain when we visited (there was a rush on wood as Noah was building) we didn't do too much exploring outside of town -- we're not unhappy about needing to revisit in the future!