Exploring Ca Mau - Mekong Delta

  
Exploring Ca Mau - Mekong Delta
 Over view:
Built on the swampy shores of the Ganh Hao River, Ca Mau is the capital and largest city in Ca Mau Mekong Delta province, which was devastated by Typhoon Linda in 1997. It occupies the southern tip of the- a wasteland for centuries, the area was first cultivated in the late 17th century. The population of Ca Mau includes many ethnic Khmers.
Owing to the boggy terrain, this area has the lowest population density in southern Vietnam. Ca Mau lies in the middle of Vietnam's largest swamp and is known for its powerful mosquitoes.
Ca Mau has developed rapidly in recent years, but the actual town itself is rather dull. The main attractions here are the nearby swamps and forests, which can be easily explored by boat. Bird-watchers and aspiring botanists are reportedly enthralled with the area for its stork-sighting opportunities and swamp ecology. Consult Ca Mau Tourist before undertaking trips to these outlying attractions.
Information
Interesting boat trips - two days and two nights to Nam Can, Dat Mui (Cape Ca Mau), the Da Bac Islands and the U-Minh Forest -can be organised at Ca Mau Tourist (Cong Ty Du lich Minh Hai; Tell: 831238; 3-5 D Ly Bon; 8-11am & 1-5pm). Other services available here include foreign-currency exchange, car and boat rentals and visa extensions.
Near the post office, Incombank ( 94 D Ly Thuong Kiet) offers foreign-currency exchange and cash advances. There's an ATM located inside the Anh Nguyet Hotel.
In an emergency, seek medical help at Ca Mau Hospital (Benh Vien Ca Mau; 831015;D Ly Thuong Kiet).
Sights
CA MAU MARKET
This is a wholesale market (6am-6pm) and not really a place for people to shop. The animal life on display - such as fish and turtles - is cleaned, packed into crates, frozen and sent to HCMC by truck. It's an interesting place to wander around - it certainly bears little resem blance to the supermarkets at home. However, animal rights advocates will not be pleased.
There's also a floating market ( 6am-mid-afternoon) here.
CAO DAI TEMPLE
Though not as large as the one in Tay Ninh, the Cao Dai Temple (D Phan Ngoc Hien) is still an impressive place and it's staffed by friendly monks. The temple was built in 1966 and seems to be fairly active.
Where to sleep in Ca Mau
BUDGET
Than Son Hotel (Tell: 815 825; 23 D Phan Ngoc Hien; r 80,000-230,000d; This slender five-storey hotel has clean, nicely maintained rooms with decent-sized windows.
Ca Mau Hotel (20 D Phan Ngoc Hien; r 120,000-220,000d; Small, trim, well-outfitted rooms here have bathrooms with tubs. Rates include breakfast.
Quoc Nam Hotel ( 23 D Phan Boi Chau, r 120,000-250,000d;This is a friendly, low-key affair with clean, simple, pleasant rooms some brighter than others. Its top-floor restaurant overlooks the market.
Ca Mau Trade Union Hotel ( 9 D luu Tan Tai; r 130,000-300,000d; Almost opposite the Cao Dai Temple, this hotel has a range of rooms from small, dingy and dark to spacious, bright and clean.
Song Ngoc Hotel ( 28 D Hung Vuong; r 150,000-250,000d; Situated on a busy road. Song Ngoc is a newish place with small, clean rooms with kitschy bedspreads. There's a lift.
MIDRANGE
Phuong Nam Hotel (91 D Phan Dinh Phung; r/ste 170,000/240,000d; Another good-value place, Phuong Nam is clean and pleasantly furnished. Some rooms have balconies.
QuocTe Hotel (International Hotel, 179 D Phan Ngoc Hien; r 200,000- 700,000d; Boasting a lift, a restaurant and massage service, the Quoc Te is a solid midrange choice. The priciest rooms have big views of the city; breakfast buffet is included.
Anh Nguyet Hotel (207 D Phan Ngoc Hien; r US$19-69; This top midrange option has comfortable, carpeted rooms with trim furnishings, colourful bed spreads and big windows.
Where to sleep in Ca Mau
Ca Mau's speciality is shrimp, which are raised in ponds and mangrove forests. Oddly, Ca Mau's best restaurants are in a row on the north end of town.
Pho Xua (Tell: 829 830; 126 D Phan Ngoc Hien; mains 40,000-50,000d) Featuring many shrimp and fish dishes, Pho Xua is a snazzy place with lush landscaping.
Thanh Truc (Tell: 820 021; 126 D Phan Ngoc Hien; mains 45,000d) Next door to Pho Xua, this is a good place for hot pot and grilled meat dishes.
There is a cluster of small, cheap roadside restaurants on D Ly Bon, at the entrance to the street market. The friendly outdoor restaurant in the Ca Mau Trade Union Hotel is also a good bet.

What to see in Ca Mau :

U-Minh Forest
The town of Ca Mau borders the U Minh Forest, a huge mangrove forest covering 1000 sq km of Ca Mau and Kien Giang provinces. Local people use certain species of mangrove as a source of timber, charcoal, thatch and tannin. When the mangroves flower, bees feed on the blossoms, providing both honey and wax. The area is an important habitat for waterfowl.
The U-Minh Forest, which is the largest mangrove forest in the world outside of the Amazon basin, was a favourite hideout for the VC during the American War. US patrol boats were frequently ambushed here and the VC regularly planted mines in the canals. The Americans responded with chemical defoliation, which made their enemy more visible while doing enormous damage to the for ests. Replanting efforts at first failed because the soil was so toxic, but gradually the heavy rainfall has washed the dioxin out to sea and the forest is returning. Many eucalyptus trees have also been planted here because they have proved to be relatively resistant to dioxin.
Unfortunately the mangrove forests are being further damaged by clearing for shrimp-farming ponds, charcoal production and woodchipping. The government has tned to limit these activities, but the conflict between nature and humans continues. The conflict will probably gel worse before it gets better, because Vietnam's population is still growing rapidly.
The area is known for its birdlife, but these creatures have also taken a beating. Nevertheless, ornithologists will derive much joy from taking boat trips around Ca Mau - though the flocks of birds aren't nearly as ubiquitous as the swarms of mosquitoes.
Ca Mau Tourist offers all-day tours of the forest by boat. It costs US$135 per boat (maximum 10 people), though bargaining is possible. You can also talk to the locals down at Ferry Pier A to see if you can find a better deal.
Bird Sanctuary
The Bird Sanctuary (Vuon Chim; admission 50,000d; dawn-dusk) is about 45km southeast of Ca Mau. Storks are the largest and most easily spotted birds here, making their nests in the tall trees. Remember that birds will be birds - they don't like humans to get too close and they leave their nests early in the morning in search of food.
Ca Mau Tourist offers a full-day tour by boat to the sanctuary for US$120 (one to 10 people).

Source: Vietnamtours

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