9 must-visit destinations near Ho Chi Minh City for National Day break

Public workers in Vietnam will have a total of four days off from September 1 to 4 to celebrate National Day (September 2).

In Ho Chi Minh City, the opertors of Tan Son Nhat International Airport as well as major bus stations predict a sharp increase in the number of passengers for the holiday.

People who want to avoid the overcrowding can consider traveling to these nine destinations easily accessible by motorbike from Ho Chi Minh City:

My Tho

Situated 70 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City, My Tho City in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang is an interesting place, featuring various attractions such as Thoi Son Islet with charming natural beauty, Bach Cong Tu’s house, and Vinh Trang Pagoda with a combination of French, Roman, Khmer, Chinese, and Vietnamese architecture.

Visitors can also experience the bustling atmosphere at Cai Be Floating Market and buy local fruits and vegetables.

Long Khanh

Long Khanh City is dubbed the ‘fruit capital’ of southern Dong Nai Province. Tourists can easily travel there by motorbike since it is only 80 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City.

Visitors can spend time at local fruit gardens with a variety of tropical specialties, such as durian, mangosteen, guava, jackfruit, longan, and rambutan.

After hand-picking fruits and shopping at local farms, visitors will also have a chance to try out delicious local dishes, especially the popular field crab soup.

Dau Tieng Lake

Dau Tieng Lake offers a picturesque picnic spot about 80 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City.

Camping by the lake gives visitors a perfect opportunity to witness the sunrise as well as the majestic Ba and Cau Mountains.

Tourists can also choose to stay at local homestays and enjoy the fresh air and take a break from their hectic daily life.

Ma Da Forest

Ma Da Forest, also known as Dong Nai Cultural Nature Reserve, is a natural forest regarded as the ‘green lung’ of the southeast region of Vietnam, covering more than 100,000 hectares.

The road to Ma Da Forest is very poetic and a great place for activities such as cycling and camping.

Visitors can simply have a view of the Dong Nai River, the vast rice fields, or the undulating hills, and if they are lucky, a flock of beautiful yellow butterflies.

Thu Dau Mot

Thu Dau Mot City in southern Binh Duong Province is only about 25 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City.

The locality is home to various attractions, namely Phu Cuong Church, Tay Tang Pagoda with the largest statue made of hair, Ba Pagoda, Dai Nam Tourist Area, and Tuong Binh Hiep lacquer village.

Visitors can also travel to Lai Thieu fruit garden, about 10 kilometers south of Thu Dau Mot, to have a picnic and taste the local specialties such as mangosteen, jackfruit, and durian.

Long Son Island

Long Son Island, located 100 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City and 30 kilometers from southern Vung Tau City, is considered the ‘oyster island’ with the largest oyster reserve in the country.

Local people make a living from aquaculture, salt production, and fishing.

Tourists can experience harvesting oysters, enjoy dishes made from oysters, visit salt fields, tour Long Son village, check out Ong Tran Temple, and go fishing.

Sa Dec

Sa Dec is a famous flower village in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap that dates back over one hundred years.

Tourists can visit Tan Quy Dong flower garden and Sa Dec ornamental flower tourist area, which features more than 2,000 ancient ornamental plants and over 1,000 bonsai trees.

Sa Dec is also home to Huynh Thuy Le ancient house, which became famous after the novel L’Amant by French writer Marguerite Duras was made into a movie in 1992 and filmed there.

Tri An Lake

Tri An, an artificial lake located in the Dong Nai River, recently became one of the favorite camping sites of young people.

Located 60 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City, the lake stores water to supply the Tri An Hydropower Plant.

Tri An Lake is the most beautiful during sunrise and sunset, so visitors can take a walk or ride a boat along the lake during these hours to enjoy the poetic scenery.

Go Cong

Situated about 50 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City, Go Cong is a peaceful ancient town in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang.

The place has many unique architectural works and ancient relic sites such as Hoang Gia Tomb, Truong Dinh Temple, Trung Communal House, and Governor Hai’s house.

The street of portulaca grandiflora in Tan Trung Commune is a popular spot for young visitors.

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