Guide to Travel to Ha Tien, Kien Giang, Vietnam

Ha Tien is a provincial city located in the northwestern part of Kien Giang province. Ha Tien, with its poetic 0natural beauty, historical relics, temples, and shrines, has become a favorite destination for many tourists. This complete Guiding to Travel Ha Tien shares Ha Tien travel experiences for you to have an interesting and useful trip.

What is the time to travel to Ha Tien?

Ha Tien has two distinct rainy and sunny seasons. The dry season starts from December to April with the highest temperature of 31 degrees Celsius. The rainy season lasts from May to November. Ha Tien is rarely affected by storms and floods. Generally, you can visit Ha Tien at any time.

Transportation to Ha Tien

1. Airplane

Using aircraft to travel to Ha Tien is a bit limited because there is only Saigon – Kien Giang flight once a day. You will move to Rach Gia airport and then take the car from Rach Gia to Ha Tien. Air ticket from Saigon to Kien Giang is 350,000 VND.

2. Coach to Ha Tien

For those who are far away, you can choose flights to Ho Chi Minh city and then from Ho Chi Minh City take a coach to Ha Tien.

Some coach lines from Ho Chi Minh City to Ha Tien:

Kumho Car – Tel 08 37527878
Mai Linh Car – Tel: 08 39292929
Phuong Trang Car – Tel: 08 38841562
Western Bus Station – Tel: 08 3752953.

3. Train

For those in remote provinces choosing a train to travel, the schedule is quite similar to flying, that is, you will take the train to Ho Chi Minh and then from Ho Chi Minh City to Ha Tien by bus.

4. Motorcycle

The distance of 340km is also quite far for those who are not used to long-distance motorbike riding. You will follow Highway 1 to the West, cross My Thuan Bridge, move along Long Xuyen, Chau Doc, along Vinh Te canal to go to Ha Tien. Another route for those who want to explore the border belt is to follow the direction of Highway 62 to Moc Hoa. Then continue on the road to Hong Ngu, Tan Chau, Chau Doc and finally to Ha Tien destination.

Famous tourist destinations in Ha Tien

1. Da Dung Mountain (the erect rocky mountain)

Those who have ever researched about Ha Tien must have heard of Da Dung Moutain (the erect rocky mountain), a beautiful, majestic symbol of Ha Tien. Da Dung Mountain is located near the Vietnam-Cambodia border, also known as Chau Nham Mountain. Da Dung Mountain is about 100m high, shaped like an isosceles trapezoid. From a distance, Da Dung Mountain has a square shape as if it was carved by a skillful hand, covered with immense green trees creating giant and beautiful vegetation carpet.

To move to Da Dung Mountain, tourists depart from the center of Ha Tien Thi city, take Highway 80 about 6 km towards Xa Xa border gate. To Thach Dong, there is a right-turn road, about 1 km to reach Da Dung Mountain. This mountain is also known as the Jade Mountain because, since ancient times, this was the residence of the ancient Phu Nam residents. At that time, Siamese and Chan Lap soldiers came here to plunder their wealth, so people had to hide jade and jewels in the cave. At the end of the 17th century, some people came here to pick up the gem, so the mountain was named the jade mountain.

Coming to Da Dung Mountain, you will come to the majesty, the mystical of the caves, the stalactites. You can begin your journey to explore the erect rocks with a small flashlight. Da Dung Mountain consists of many different caves, each cave has its own unique beauty: Bat Cave has gourd-shaped stalactites; Than Kim Quy Cave has a blue, flat rock like a magic turtle; Bong Lai Cave has fresh air like a fairyland; The Kho Qua Cave (the bitter melon) nurtures the giant stalactites having the shape of bitter melon.

Da Dung Mountain has many mysterious caves going into the fairy tales of Thach Sanh and Li Thong. This is where Thach Sanh lives. The door of the cave is where this young man raised his bow and shot the eagle to save the princess.

2. To Chau Mountain

To Chau Mountain is a beautiful natural masterpiece in Ha Tien, a destination that attracts many tourists. To Chau gracefully shines amid a vast expanse of seawater. Standing in To Chau Mountain, we can see a panoramic view of a beautiful Ha Tien.

To Chau consists of two mountains, Dai To Chau (the big To Chau) and Tieu To Chau (the small To Chau). Tieu To Chau prints shade down to the beautiful Dong Ho (the lake in the east)
Looking down from To Chau is a beautiful area of Dong Ho, far away, a village and a field simple. All are in harmony with each other to create a beautiful and poetic picture.

3. Thach Dong (Stone Cave)

Coming to Ha Tien, we cannot ignore Thach Dong, a famous landscape of Ha Tien. The way to move to Thach Dong is quite simple, from the center of Ha Tien City, follow the asphalt road towards the southwest border about 3 km, you can see the image of the majestic Thach Dong Mountain in the middle of an area of beautiful grass and trees. Thach Dong is open from 7 am to 5 pm with ticket prices ranging from 50,000 VND.

From the foot of the mountain, you have to cross a steep road about 50m long to reach the cave entrance. Thach Dong has two main cave gates, one door towards Ha Tien City, the other toward My Duc field. An ancient building located inside Thach Dong is an ancient wooden temple built in 1790. Currently, the temple is remodeled and paved with marble tiles, both solemn and beautiful.

In the cave, there are narrow roads connecting to the sky, where visitors can stand in a cool cave looking up at the clear blue sky outside, welcoming bright and fresh rays of sunlight shining into the cave. The rays make the stalactites a colorful glow. There is another narrow road that connects to Mui Nai Beach. These two roads are called the way to the sky and the way to the underworld. For safety reasons, the road to the sea has been filled.

Thach Dong stands out by extremely beautiful stalactites. Under the sparkling flashlights of tourists and the gentle sunlight in the well, the stalactites are more sparkling and beautiful.

4. Mac Cuu Mausoleum

For those who love history, want to visit the outstanding historical sites here, the Mausoleum of Mac Cuu is a worthwhile destination. Located in the middle of Binh San Mountain, Mac Cuu Mausoleum is a rather massive work, an architectural complex with the tombs of the Mac family, the family has many echoes in history.

The facade of Mac Cuu Mausoleum faces to the East, where the gentle beautiful To Chau Mountain is beside the flowing Dong Ho. The temple gate has two sentences to say honor Mac Cuu who publicly reclaimed the land of Ha Tien and protected southwest of country Vietnam.

In front of the mausoleum is a lotus pond, it is said to have been dug by Mac Cuu to get water for the people of Ha Tien to use. The Mac family temple has an ancient, sacred beauty but no less sophisticated. Come here to visit, light an incense stick to show respect, feel the smell of scent in the wind to see peace, and love the history of the country.

5. Tam Bao Pagoda

Tam Bao Pagoda is ranked among the most beautiful temples in Ha Tien. It is located at 75 Phuong Thanh street, Binh San Ward, Ha Tien City. The temple has a large and airy campus. Previously the temple was damaged but after was restored. The pagoda has a number of outstanding architectural works: open-air Bodhisattva statue, main hall, and ancestor house, thousand-arm thousand-eye statue, …

6. Mui Nai Beach

Not only attractive by historical sites but Ha Tien also conquers tourists by its rich and unique natural beauty. One of the famous landmarks in Ha Tien is Mui Nai beach, one of 10 beautiful scenes praised by Mac Thien Tu.

The name of Mui Nai was from an ancient legend when a young deer of the deity deer breed often comes here to drink water. One day, he was busy watching the beautiful scenery in this blue sea, the deer could not go to heaven in time. The sea ripples, turning the little deer into a rock that drifted towards the coast. Therefore, now tourists visiting this place will see a beautiful deer-shaped rock lying next to the beautiful blue sea.

Not owning pure white sand like many other beaches, Mui Nai’s sand is dark brown, in contrast to the clear blue sea. There are two sandy beaches in Mui Nai Beach: No Beach and Bang Beach: No beach is located next to the fishing village, bringing the beauty of the life of coastal people with small houses, laughing and singing, fishing together. Contrary to No Beach is Bang Beach with flat sand, sparsely populated, suitable for leisure and swimming of tourists. Every time a wave hits the shore, the sand curls up in a strange black band. The villagers say that the black color is due to the muddy sand which is good for your skin when bathing here.

Tourists visiting Mui Nai cannot miss the sunset on the sea, when the sun goes down to the water surface, reddening in a corner of the sky, shining on the fishing boats in the distance. Mui Nai is a prominent tourist destination in Ha Tien, so it has a full range of services for resting and eating.

7. Dong Ho (East Lake)

Dong Ho is located at the foot of To Chau Mountain, with a large area of up to 1,300 hectares, of which the water surface area is 900 hectares, the area of mangroves is more than 200 hectares, the remaining 30 hectares are a part of the land Aquaculture is located adjacent to the border of Vietnam and Cambodia.

Dong Ho has an extremely rich ecosystem. It has 25 types of mangrove trees with some familiar tree species. This is a plant fence of high natural value, playing a role in the expansion of the mainland, nurture animals, and protecting sea dykes. In Dong Ho, there is also much valuable seafood. Traveling here is coming to a world of fresh, interesting, and attractive seafood.

 

Dong Ho also has high value for tourism with the charming landscape. On the right bank is Ngu Ho Mountain, the left bank is To Chau Mountain, the east is surrounded by Giang Thanh river, the west is Ha Tien River.

8. Xa Xia Pagoda

Xa Xia Pagoda is 3km from Ha Tien town. The entire architecture in this place has the cultural and aesthetic style of the Khmer people. The roofs include many peaks, extremely delicate and beautifully carved. Beautiful pictures, white diaphragm running along the pillars, the walls of the temple. Xa Xia Pagoda is also for traditional festivals of the Khmer people.

9. Ha Tien Prison

Ha Tien prison is a historical witness in the anti-French era in Ha Tien. The prison shows the crime, brutality of the French colonialists for the revolutionaries captured in the war. The cells are dark, cramped, lack light, the cruel punishments of the French colonialists were for the revolutionary soldiers,… all are reproduced in the Ha Tien prison.

10. Ha Tien night market

The market is located on Tran Hau street, right in the heart of Ha Tien City. Ha Tien night market is very wide, customers go up and down is very comfortable. The market is sparkling with lights from stalls that have all kinds of items. The market often has dance shows of the Khmer people that make the atmosphere exciting. The market has a large dining area and sells specialty food in Ha Tien. Next to the shopping mall, there is an amusement park, which is decorated with stars, butterflies… sparkling led lights.

Ha Tien’s special dishes

1. Banh canh cha ghe (crab cake soup)

Banh canh cha ghe is a familiar dish in the central and southern provinces, but each region will bring the typical flavors of that region. Looking at the delicious bowl of soup cake with delicious crab meat, everyone wants to eat. Coming to Ha Tien, a sea area with a diverse ecosystem, seafood is a huge plus point of the cuisine here.

The delicious soup bowls with broth made from bone, dried shrimp, and mackerel, so the sweetness is extremely attractive. Fishball is made from mackerel meat, creating a sea flavor for your bowl of banh canh. The fish meat is grated, seasoned with spices, and then put in a mortar to smooth it.

Crabmeat is the main outstanding ingredient for your banh canh, so it is carefully selected. Crabs have to be fresh, just caught and still alive. crabs are not too large, crabs having moderate flesh will be firmer and more delicious. Many restaurants want to add attraction to the bowl of banh canh, they leave the whole crab or split the crab in half, not remove the meat.

Banh canh flour is both white, soft, and chewy, placed in a spiced broth. When eating, you will eat with quail eggs, a little cilantro, fried garlic, minced chili.

2. Bun Ken (Ken rice noodle)

The fish is cooked, is removed from the bone, is fried with citronella, chili, turmeric, is added coconut milk. Bun ken is served with vegetables such as cucumber, papaya, … both having the sweetness of the sea and having the cool taste of green vegetables. Bun ken costs from 20-25 thousand per bowl.

3. Coi bien mai

In the list of delicious and unique dishes of Ha Tien, it is impossible not to mention the coi bien mai attractive from name to the delicious taste.

The coi here is the coi of the Bien Mai scallop, a marine creature, triangular-shaped, about the size of a hand, and often plunged deep into the sea. This type of scallop is not delicious, so people only choose to get the coi to enjoy. There are many processes such as cooking hot pot, stir-frying with sweet, or grilling.

Coi bien mai is marinated with spices, mixed well, then skewered into sticks and grilled on the charcoal stove. When eaten with a number of vegetables, it creates very interesting taste combinations: a salty taste of salt, spicy taste of chili, the sweetness of the meat, coolness of vegetables combined with the toughness of the coi. Therefore, it is a very special culinary gift.

4. Ca xiu muoi (Salted ca xiu)

Ca xiu muoi is an exclusive dish of Ha Tien. Ca xiu is a species that lives concentrated in the mud layer in the river estuary, brackish water environment.
it plugs its head into the ground to find food. Fishermen caught ca xiu, washed away the mud, and then salt. Just sprinkle a layer of ca xiu, a layer of a little salt, a little sugar, and a little sour taste. ca xiu muoi can be eaten morning or afternoon. People often eat ca xiu muoi with white rice.

5. Xoi Xiem (Xiem sticky rice)

Xoi Xiem is not too fussy but delicious. The sticky rice is cooked well, not too soft, not too hard. The sticky rice used to cook sticky rice is Thai sticky rice because it is softer than Vietnamese rice. The sticky rice is chicken eggs beaten and then marinated with coconut milk and palm sugar. That’s why sticky rice has a sweet, greasy taste and a very strange scent.

6. Hu tieu hap (Steamed noodle)

Hu tieu hap is an imported dish from Cambodia but has such a high degree of integration that it can be seen as a typical dish in Ha Tien. The main ingredient of the dish is steamed noodles, served with coconut milk, served with pork skin, pork chopped, spring rolls, and savory. For those who do not know how to eat coconut milk, it can be replaced with a spicy and sour sauce. Simple, rustic and flavorful noodle is like the heart of the dear people of Ha Tien.

7. Oc Giac Ha Tien (Ha Tien Giac snail)

Coming back to Ha Tien, not only can enjoy the famous crab cake soup but also immerse yourself in delicious dishes made from snails, familiar seafood in Ha Tien.

The oc giac is also known as the emperor snail, the body is covered by a large shell, inside there is a lot of meat, the cui and the intestines of the snail are edible. The cui of the snail is crispy and tough like a piece of chicken gizzard, the snail intestines have a fatty taste. the snails have many ways to process such as grilled snails, fried snails, boiled snails. Sitting on the beach with a plate of grilled snails, along with a bit of beer, is nothing more interesting.

Cheap and nice hotels in Ha Tien

Doi Nai Vang

Doi Nai Vang: Doi Nai Vang is located at Quarter 3, Phao Dai Ward, Ha Tien City. Doi Nai Van Hotel has 12 rooms in the style of 2-star standard mini-villas, on the mountainside, facing the sea. The hotel is just 100 meters from Mui Nai Beach (the most beautiful beach in Ha Tien). services – games on the sea: high-speed canoe; Jetski; Kayaking; Fishing … Rehabilitation massage services including Jacuzzi, Steam Baht, Sauna.

River Hotel Ha Tien

River Hote is located at Lot B3, Tran Hau Trade Center, Binh San Ward, Ha Tien City. From the hotel, visitors can easily visit the famous places of Ha Tien such as Thach Dong, Xa Xia border gate, Mui Nai beach … River Ha Tien Hotel is designed like a magnificent boat. This is a 4-star hotel chosen by many tourists because the hotel has a reputation for quality services, modern facilities. This Kien Giang hotel owns 81 comfortable rooms with full equipment such as LCD TV, satellite TV, neatly decorated furniture, bathroom with shower … Most of the rooms overlooking the river, mountain, and Ha Tien City, bring you wonderful moments of relaxation.

Thanh Loc Hotel

Thanh Loc Hotel is located165A – 165B National Road 28, Phao Dai Ward, Phao Dai, Ha Tien. Thanh Loc Hotel offers friendly accommodations and free WiFi. Visitors can dine at the on-site restaurant, then enjoy a drink at the bar.

Each room is air-conditioned and is fitted with a flat-screen cable TV. Certain rooms have a seating area for guests’ convenience. Certain rooms have views of the pool, garden, or city. Rooms come with a private bathroom. The hotel has a 24-hour front desk and provides car rental services.

Du Hung 2 Hotel

Du Hung 2 Hotel is located at 83 Tran Hau, Binh San Ward, Ha Tien City. The hotel is 0.5 Km from the city center and easy to reach to the surrounding tourist attractions. Rooms at Du Hung Hotel 2 provide refrigerators, air conditioning, mini bar, flat-surface TV, free wifi.

Guests are welcome and served 24/24. The hotel has a living room, free parking space. If you’re looking for a good pub, try The “GREEN ISLAND” Restaurant while staying at Du Hung Hotel 2.

Above is the Ha Tien travel guide that Scooter Saigon stour wants to share with you! Wish you have an enjoyable and useful trip.