Covered with local travel tips you probably won’t find on any other website.
In my last post, I talked about the Floating Season in the Mekong Delta — how to enjoy it, not just survive it. And if you remember, Rừng Tràm Trà Sư was my top pick this season.
But then comes the big question:
“What’s the simplest way to get there from around the South if you don’t have a private car — and don’t feel like renting one either?”
No worries. I’ve got you covered with local travel tips you probably won’t find on any other website.
A Bit About Trà Sư Forest
Trà Sư Forest (Rừng Tràm Trà Sư) covers around 845 hectares in Văn Giáo Commune, Tịnh Biên District, An Giang Province — roughly 140 km from Cần Thơ.
It’s part of the national specialized forest system in the Mekong Delta and home to a rich ecosystem of plants, birds, and aquatic life.
What makes Trà Sư special is its green waterways during the flooding season — the surface covered with water lilies and duckweed, making it look like a soft, green carpet floating endlessly. You can glide through by motorboat or sampan, watch birds from the tower, and breathe in that peaceful, earthy smell of the wetlands.
But honestly, don’t wait until you arrive — the journey to Trà Sư during floating season is already a visual feast.
How to Get There
From Cantho or any other provinces around, if you’d like to save a little money, skip the private car and take the Phương Trang (FUTA) bus straight to Châu Đốc.
From Châu Đốc, use FUTA’s free shuttle bus to get directly to Trà Sư. You will be droped off right in front of the main gate of the forest.
💡 Lovely note:
- Trà Sư is about 20 km from Châu Đốc.
- The shuttle is free, but it can take some time because it drops off passengers at several branches first or picks up other passengers along the way. So yeah, you might get an unexpected mini city tour — but it’s free and kinda fun if you’re not in a rush 😄
What to eat and do at Trà Sư
There are two main restaurants inside the forest area, both with reasonable prices.
👉 Don’t miss gà đốt (roasted chicken) — crispy outside, juicy inside, best paired with salt-pepper-lime sauce.
During floating season, they also serve local specialties like:
- Cá linh, cá lóc, cá rô đồng (freshwater fish)
- Bông súng, bông điên điển (edible flowers — trust me, they’re delicious!)
And before you leave, grab some nước thốt nốt (palm juice) or bánh bò đường thốt nốt (palm sugar sponge cake) — sweet, refreshing, and purely Mekong vibes.
📍 You can check more activity ideas here: Vietnam Coracle – Trà Sư Floating Forest
✨ Travel tip: Visit on weekdays to avoid crowds.
After Trà Sư Forest, What’s Next?
For many travelers, transportation after visiting Trà Sư is the tricky part. Once you’re inside, you’ll realize:
No Grab. No taxi. No bus. Nothing.
That was exactly my case. After a full day exploring Trà Sư, we suddenly had a pop-up idea to head to Núi Cấm for an overnight camping trip. But there we were — with no public transportation available to take us to our next destination.Then I remembered a Vietnamese saying:
“Đường đi nằm trong miệng.” (The road lies on your mouth.)
So, I simply walked to the ticket gate and asked the guard for help. Within minutes, he called a local xe ôm (motorbike taxi) who took us straight to Núi Cấm at a super fair price — and shared tons of fascinating local stories along the way.
We stayed at Thiên Cấm Sơn Camping Homestay in the mountains for one night, enjoyed the fantastic view right from our tent, chased clouds at dawn on Cấm Mountain peak, savored bánh xèo near the giant Buddha statue, and took the cable car back down in the afternoon.
To return to Cần Thơ, the FUTA bus picks up passengers at Chí Lăng Market only, about 6 km from the cable station. And again — no public transport around there, so… yep, just open your mouth and ask a local xe ôm. That’s the way. 😉
Final Thoughts
Traveling through the Mekong Delta isn’t about having everything planned. It’s about trusting the journey, talking to locals, and letting the small surprises happen.
So next time you’re in Cần Thơ expecially in the floating season, don’t skip Trà Sư Forest — and if you’re going without a private car, now you know exactly how to do it like a local, right?
About me
Hi, I’m Trân — a Vietnamese teacher with a passion for helping adult learners build a strong foundation or reinforce their existing skills in Vietnamese.
I love sharing our challenging but beautiful language and showing the culture behind it — from everyday life to hidden corners of Vietnam I’ve explored myself.
In my lessons, you’ll not only learn how to speak Vietnamese confidently, but also understand the stories, traditions, and humor that make this language so alive.
If you want to learn Vietnamese and discover its culture at the same time, count me in.
See you in my lessons.