Tra Su forest Vietnam is a special-use one, which not only plays a critical part in the balance of the ecosystem but also has a huge potential for tourism development of the locality. The most ideal time to pay a visit to this incredible forest is from August to October of the lunar calendar, the flood season when the forest itself and the surrounding natural landscape boast its indescribably graceful beauty.
I - Where is Tra Su forest located?
Covering a total area of 845ha, this vast forest is located in Van Giao commune, Tinh Bien district, An Giang province. Tra Su cajuput forest is a special-use one, featuring a diversity of wetland ecosystems, including thousands of individuals of birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and rare insects listed in the Red Book.
At Tra Su forest, there are various types of ecotourism that can be exploited such as visiting wetland and discovering the habitat, entertaining and relaxing in a beautiful, peaceful ambiance in the forest, exploring typical features of natural resources, doing scientific research, and experiencing the customs, culture of the local community.
II - How much is the entrance fee to Tra Su forest in 2022?
Source: @cmbyn.ixiii
- Entrance fee: 100,000 VND/person ($4.3) (exclude fees for other services on the campus such as bike rental, dining service, etc.).
- Opening hours: 7am - 5pm
- Hotline: 0296 650 2299 - 0296 651 2299
- Website: https://www.trasu.vn
After buying a ticket at the entrance to Tra Su forest Vietnam, you should spend about 30 - 60 minutes admiring the outside scenery such as Tra Su Kieu bridge, Pigeon city,... The Kieu bridge is an iconic image of the development and prosperity of An Giang province. The Pigeon city is home to more than 500 pigeons, making it like a miniature European city. Here, you can experience feeding pigeons and taking pictures with them.
III - The best routes to discover Tram Su forest
You can choose one of three routes below, each of which has different stopovers with diverse scenery, bringing about exciting experiences.
1 - Waterway route to explore Tra Su cajuput forest
Visiting by boats - Source: vietnamtravel
This is the most popular route to discover the melaleuca forest. You depart from the boat wharf, then go through the living area of birds and storks and lotus lagoon, mosquito fern lagoon, etc. The boat wharf is uniquely designed with the impressive background of pigeon nests located on wooden poles, which is incredibly amazing for excellent photos.
In a Tra Su forest tour, the “tắc ráng” boat (a popular means of transportation like a canoe or motorboat) will take you through the 3-kilometer-long route. You will be overwhelmed by the natural landscapes that are covered by the brilliant green color of a thick layer of mosquito ferns and the Melaleuca trees on both sides, which creates a scenery like an extraordinary “Heaven Gate”.
The boat continues to bring you to breath-taking lotus and mosquito fern lagoons in Tra Su forest Vietnam where you are able to see a number of rare, precious species of birds flying in the vast space. In addition, you may watch local people harvesting Melaleuca flower honey along the way.
After discovering the Tra Su cajuput forest on the boat, it is highly recommended for you to admire the majestic nature from the watchtower to admire the panoramic vista of Tra Su forest, the grandeur of nature as well as see the daily life of the Cham people settling near the forest. In addition, you will stand in awe when standing on the observatory where you feel mesmerized by the magnificent mountains belonging to the That Son mountain range far away such as Ong Ket mountain, Sam mountain, Cam mountain, and the 33.6-meter-high Maitreya Buddha statue.
- Ticket: 50,000 VND/person ($2.2)
- Each boat can carry around 10-12 people
2 - A 2,3km-long-walking route inside the Tra Su forest
The longest bamboo bridge in Vietnam - Source: nld.com
In this route, you have the chance to conquer the Ten thousand bamboo bridge or Cầu tre vạn bước across the forest, which is a combination of more than 500,000 bamboos. With a length of 10km total, this is automatically the longest bamboo one in Vietnam.
Surrounding the bamboo bridge are rows of red flowers, which are the highlight to make the entire natural picture of the Tra Su forest more stunning. The bridge, weaving around the verdant forest, looks like a soft silk winding among the “green coat”. Wandering deep into the forest on a bamboo bridge called “Truc Bach” dragon, you will feel like time is slowing down when immersed in the fresh nature without noise or pollution.
The sounds of chirping birds echoing in the immense space and cool, fresh atmosphere in Tra Su forest will give you a sense of relaxation and comfort more than ever. Just about 200m walk, you get to the house “Mai Trong Trao Duyen'', the highlight of the bamboo bridge and it was made by the leading professional architects within 30 days so as to create the houses of “husband” and “wife”, representing the eternal love and loyalty of couples.
3 - Follow the bike tracks in the Tra Su forest
The Kieu bridge - Source: reatimes
Cycling around Tra Su cajuput forest is also an extremely enjoyable experience that you can both enjoy the cool scenery of the incredible forest and discover mysteries behind the lush green trees. When cycling along the small path and going deep inside, you will be extremely mesmerized by the surrounding scenery covered by rows of the Melaleuca and the rustling sounds of falling leaves in the wind.
Sometimes, you can stop to take a stroll under the cool shade of the trees, take a deep breath and let your mind wander around the immense space of the Tra Su forest in the subtle silence in order to let your hair down and kick off the stress and pressure of hectic life. The tracks are also a wonderful place for taking excellent pictures, so remember to check in and save memorable moments in this wonderful land.
- Fare: 50,000 VND/bike ($2.2)
- Length: 2.2km
- You will be provided the map
- Time: 7am - 4pm
- Hotline: 0296 6502 299 - 0296 6512 229
III - Services at Tra Su forest for tourists
1 - Sitting on a sampan boat across Tra Su cajuput forest
Tra Su appears more beautiful and “splendid” on sunny days. There is nothing more awesome than slowly rowing a boat, gently “soaking” your soul in the peaceful ambiance and poetic melaleuca scenery.
Tra Su forest tour - Source: @vietnamnomad
In this 2.5km long route, you can put on conical hats, row a boat by yourself, and watch the flocks of storks flying over your head, which would promise to bring you an amazingly wonderful feeling like getting lost in the land of paradise. There is still a boatman / boatwoman on your boat and he / she will help you row the boat if necessary.
2 - Restaurant in the Tra Su forest
Located right in the campus of the tourist site, the restaurant with the same name featuring leaf huts next to rows of high melaleuca trees serves a wide array of irresistible local specialties such as several types of hot pots (snake, eel, frog, chicken, etc), grilled fish, grilled chicken, grilled frog, chargrilled mice with salt and pepper, grilled snakehead fish, grilled chicken with honey, melaleuca flowers,...
Enjoying a meal with bold and flavorful dishes typical of the Southern region right in the vast Tra Su forest will surely be an unforgettable experience for you. In the flood season, don’t forget to enjoy the sour soup of “linh bông điên điển”, made from the main ingredients of siamese mud carp and the flowers of sesbania sesban, which is the signature dish of the region. After eating up, you can also purchase melaleuca essential oil or honey as presents for family and friends.
3 - Tour guide in Tra Su forest Vietnam
The tour guide is in charge of leading the group of visitors and making a presentation about specific places.
- Duration: 3 hours
- Fee: 250,000 VND/trip ($10.8)
4 - Tra Su cajuput forest map
It is not exaggerated when saying that Tra Su forest Vietnam is like a huge green lung of Tinh Bien district, which has left an indelible imprint on visitors’ minds with uniquely beautiful long green waterway and numerous impressive places for check-in. Save the beneficial information above and be well-prepared for your coming trip to this amazing tourist site!
— Ha Bich
