Soc Trang province is located downstream of the Hau River (a tributary of the Mekong river), about 231 km from Ho Chi Minh City, 62 km from Can Tho. There is a 72 km long coastline and 03 large estuaries of Dinh An, Tran De, and My Thanh empties into the East Sea.
Soc Trang is famous tourism attracts tourists both domestic and foreign visitors when travelling to experience new countryside. Come here, in addition to visiting the famous temples, places with charming natural scenery, unique festivals, visitors also have the opportunity to enjoy fresh fruit in the gardens. There is a cultural interference between the Chinese-Kinh-khmer peoples and the indigenous peoples. So Soc Trang has unique beliefs and customs.
The weather in Soc Trang is quite pleasant so almost every time of the year you can go to Soc Trang. Soc Trang climate is divided into 2 seasons: dry season and rainy season (rainy season usually starts from May – October and dry season lasts from November to April next year). The average annual temperature is about 26 degrees Celsius and very few storms and floods occur.
The best time for you to Soc Trang tours Vietnam is around October of the lunar calendar every year. Come here on this occasion, not only visit. But you have chance to discover famous places with pleasant atmosphere but you can also participate in Ooc-Om-Bok festival which is the biggest festival of Khmer community. On the occasion of the festival, you can participate in two main activities: Boat racing and water lamp drop.
From Hanoi: You can take a plane, or a bus to Ho Chi Minh City then follow the directions. Ho Chi Minh City – Soc Trang will be more convenient.
From Ho Chi Minh City:
– Bus to Soc Trang: You can buy a bus ticket at the Western bus station, address 395 Kinh Duong Vuong, An Lac, District Binh Tan, HCMC. Prices seem to range from VND 160,000 – 200,000, and travel time is about 4-5 hours. You should choose a reputable car company such as Phuong Trang or Mai Linh to ensure service quality.
– Travel Soc Trang by private transfer: If you use private vehicles as a private car or motorbike to Soc Trang, you can go from Saigon – Can Tho bridge, cross Can Tho bridge to turn left and run another 67km, to Soc Trang
Adjacent to the Can Tho city (where have hundred boats, cruises and international airport), but few tourists know that the Nga Nam floating market in Soc Trang is very special with small boats, and less touristy. Besides, Soc Trang is also famous for the paradise of extremely beautiful and unique Khmer temples in Vietnam.
Also a province in the river region, Soc Trang has an extremely famous Nga Nam floating market. This is a market on the river with an extremely favorable position, is the intersection of five rivers emitting five paths: Ca Mau and Vinh Quoi. Long My, Thanh Tri passed and Phung Hiep down.
Floating market in Nga Nam town, Thanh Tri district, Soc Trang province. This place is fully traded, especially the fruits. Come here, visitors will enjoy the specialties as well as understand more about the local daily life.
This is an architectural work typical of Khmer ethnic architecture in Soc Trang. Bat Pagoda is located at 73B, Le Hong Phong Street, Ward 3, Soc Trang City. The architecture of the pagoda is considered to represent the architecture of the Khmer Southern Theravada Buddhist line. It’s built from about the sixteenth century until now still retains quite its beauty.
Inside the temple is extremely designed to blend in between the pagoda and the outer space. Especially when you come here, you will see thousands of pretty bats hanging from trees on the temple grounds.
If you have the opportunity to come to Soc Trang then definitely do not ignore this place, visit here you will partly understand the cultural beauty of Khmer ethnicity.
Khmer Museum is located in Ward 6, Soc Trang Town, Soc Trang Province. This is a building according to the architecture of Khmer pagoda and inside it contains many artifacts reflecting the spiritual life as well as the daily and unique life of Khmer ethnic people. In addition, this place also exhibits extremely special types of costumes, musical instruments, etc.
If you are a person who likes to explore cultural values or simply do not know anything about Khmer people. This is the place you should visit.
To go to the Chua Kieu pagoda is very simple. Because this pagoda is located on Highway 1A, about 12 km from Soc Trang city, on the way to Bac Lieu.
What makes this pagoda special compared to other temples in Soc Trang. Because although it is also designed according to Khmer pagoda architecture, colorful cups, porcelain plates and patterns are decorated on the walls. Also it was built according to Khmer architecture, the main hall roof is built in three levels and painted yellow.
The pagoda’s real name is Buu Son Tu, but pilgrims usually call it Chua Dat Set (Clay Pagoda). Clay Pagoda was built of wood as a small temple to pray at home by Ngo ancestry in the 20th century. The pagoda is also well-known for having four pairs of giant candles. These candles were made in 1940. Two of the candles have burned continuously since the death of head priest of the pagoda, Ngo Kim Tong, in 1970. The pagoda patrol said that each candle will take about 70 years to burn.
Bun nuoc leo Soc Trang is a kind of rice noodle/ vermicelli with soup. People call Soc Trang noodle soup as a dish of solidarity, because the dish is the quintessential combination of Kinh – Khmer – Hoa ethnic groups, shown in each dish ingredient is typical of 3 ethnic groups. The “soul” of the broth is a blend of lemongrass, fish sauce and ngai bun – a turmeric-like tuber, slightly darker than turmeric.
One of the best Soc Trang Street Foods is definitely Cong Cake (Banh Cong). It is a hot, crispy drain cake with the greasy meat, shrimps and the green beans served with sweet and sour sauce and vegetable
Coming to Soc Trang, you not only can enjoy the beautiful scenery of ancient pagodas or participate in joyful and colorful festivals with the identity of the three ethnic groups Kinh, Hoa and Khmer, visitors also enjoy delicious cakes of this place. The most special thing to mention is the Pia cake, the sweet taste and pure aroma of durian fruit, a specialty of the Soc Trang, Mekong Delta, Vietnam.
