Dong Thap (VNA) – Located in the MekongDelta region, Dong Thap province has numerous sites of interest with diversetourism products and services, each with its own appeal.
Most popular tourist attractions could be namedas Tram Chim national park, Xeo Quyt relic site, Gao Giong and Dong Sen ThapMuoi eco-tourism sites, Sa Dec flower village, and dozens of community-basedand homestay destinations.
Tram Chim national park is considered the “greenlung” of the Mekong Delta, spanning more than 7,300 hectares in Tam Nongdistrict. It is home to 250 species of water birds, 100 species of freshwaterfish and 190 species of plants. It is the fourth Ramsar site (Wetlands ofInternational Importance) in Vietnam and the 2000th in the world.
Director of the park Le Hoang Long said visitorscan join tours to try their hands at daily activities of local farmers such ascatching fish using nets and harvesting wild rice. They can also visit birds intheir breeding season.
Located in Cao Lanh district, Xeo Quyt relicsite used to be a revolutionary base during the resistance wars against Franceand the US. Visiting the boundless cajeput forest in the Plain of Reeds (DongThap Muoi) by boat is really an interesting excursion.
Gao Giong ecotourism area in Cao Lanh districtis known as a “green oasis” with marvelous natural scenery. The mangrove forestin Gao Giong is the habitat of many species of water birds such as whistlingducks, wild ducks, and white egrets. Visiting the bird sanctuary in the earlymorning or late afternoon would be a wonderful experience for any naturelovers.
A highlight in the local tourism map is Dong SenThap Muoi (lotus field) in Thap Muoi district. Visitors could join numerousactivities like sailing a boat to pick lotuses, going fishing, and tastingdishes made from lotus.
Another must-see destination is Sa Dec flowervillage in Sa Dec city, which is regarded as a land of hundreds of uncannyflowers and strange herbs. With the aim of becoming a flower city in thesouthern region, Sa Dec has launched a green tourism model at the flowervillage housing more than 2,000 flora species across 470 hectares.
Besides the aforesaid attractions, manyhouseholds in the province have spent big on community-based tourismdevelopment and homestay services.
Tourists could engage invarious activities such as picking fruits at the local orchards, bathing in pond,playing wire-walker through river, and catching fish.
Deputy Director of the provincial Department ofCulture, Sports and Tourism Ngo Quang Tuyen said the locality will focus ondeveloping ecotourism, farming experience tourism, and culture, historical andspiritual tourism.
In 2017, Dong Thap welcomed over 3.3 milliontourists, earning 684 billion VND (30.3 million USD) in revenue, showing ayear-on-year increase of 178 percent and 215 percent respectively.-VNA