Perched on the southern bank of the confluence of the Chau Doc and Bassac rivers, Chau Doc features not infrequently on the itinerary of foreign travellers, especially those overlanding between Vietnam and neighbouring Cambodia as it is the launching point for the speedboat service between here and Phnom Penh.
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Keep reading to learn more about Chau Doc!
Most give the medium–sized town barely 24 hours—often arriving in the late afternoon on a bus from Ho Chi Minh City or elsewhere in the Mekong Delta and catching the speedboat the next morning to Phnom Penh, but (and you know we’re going to say this), Chau Doc is a worthwhile destination in its own right. The town itself is interesting and, with a riverside setting, very scenic, but it also serves as a base for exploring the surrounds either under your own steam by bicycle or scooter, or on an arranged tour. We would say, at a minimum, Chau Doc deserves one full day, while those with a looser schedule could easily fill two days exploring the town and its surrounds.
Bun ca nom nom nom. Photo: Stuart McDonald
Aside from a riverside setting, Chau Doc town has a great market and a handful of temples and pagodas which are worth a look and are all easily accessed on foot. Across the Bassac is an area commonly referred to (for tourism purposes) as the “Cham Village” in recognition of the Cham people who live there, and there is a second Cham village on the landmass between the Chau Doc and Bassac Rivers. Both are easily visited independently or on a tour. A little to the east of the confluence there is an interesting wholesale floating market, which runs every morning from 05:00 to around 07:30, yes, it is worth getting up ... Travelfish members only (Around 600 more words) ... please log in to read the rest of this story.
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By
Stuart McDonald.
Last updated on 8th September, 2018.
