VietNamNet Bridge - A holiday in the southern province of Bac Lieu offers the visitor a chance to taste local specialties, and to visit the legendary places made famous by the Playboy of Bac Lieu.

Transportation

From Ho Chi Minh City, there are many high quality coach brands to Bac Lieu everyday, such as Phuong Trang, Mai Linh and Hoang Long. The best advice is that you choose a trip that departs the city at night, allowing you to sleep on the bus and arrive in Bac Lieu the next morning.

If you come from the North, you can catch a flight to Ho Chi Minh City or Can Tho, and move from here by bus to Bac Lieu. The trip takes only 3-5 hours.

Attractions

Inside the house of the Blayboy of Bac Lieu.

House of the Playboy of Bac Lieu: Located at No. 13 Dien Bien Phu Street, Ward 3, in the city of Bac Lieu. Built in French style, with materials imported from France, this is considered the biggest house in the southern region in the early 20th century. After being restored, the house still retains its old architecture. In particular, many items used by the family of the Playboy of Bac Lieu such as tables, chairs, beds, cabinets, and porcelains have been collected and put on display here.

The Solar Clock: This stone clock is over 100 years old and the time is determined based on the sunlight on the clock. After more than a century of operation, the clock still works very accurately, with an error of less than two minutes compared with electronic watches.

Xiem Can Temple (Kouphir Sakor Prekchrou Temple): Located in Bien Dong B Hamlet, Vinh Trach Dong Commune, Bac Lieu City, the temple gate reflects the Angkok architectural style, decorated with many snake heads and dancers.

Amid the precinct, the main hall is highlighted with stunning, solemn beauty. Structured into multiple layers, the temple roof looks like a soaring tower.

Home of musician Cao Van Lau: Located in Ward 2, Bac Lieu City, the commemoration house of songwriter Cao Van Lau covers an area of 3ha. Visitors learn about the career of the late musician, composer of the famous “Da Co Hoai Lang” song of the southern cai luong art.

Bac Lieu Bird Sanctuary: Located in Hiep Thanh Commune of Bac Lieu City, the sanctuary is one of the most attractive ecological tourist spots in the Mekong River Delta. It is the vestige of a forest which ran along the east sea coast and came into existence over a century ago. It covers some 107 hectares and lies within the remaining 385 hectares of forest area. The sanctuary is now home to 46 bird species, 60 fish species, seven frog species, 10 species of mammals, eight reptile species, and 100 species of plants.

For nearly the past century, the sanctuary has been the place where generations of birds are born, usually in the rainy season, and developed. There are currently some 40,000 birds and 5,000 nests, according to preliminary statistics. Birds mostly gather here during the rainy season between May and October. In August and September, flocks of birds gather at the sanctuary to build nests and breed. The forest comes alive with the singing of various kinds of birds and trees overflow with hundreds of birds’ nests. The sanctuary is also an important home to several water birds, mainly teal, stork, heron, night heron and cormorant.

The best time to visit Bac Lieu Bird Sanctuary is in the early morning, when most birds leave their nests to begin a day of feeding. Alternatively, at sunset the birds can also be seen more easily as they return to their nests to sleep, flocks of bird flying one after another. These are the moments of enjoying the most spectacular sights the sanctuary has to offer.

Moreover, the rich flora and fauna of the enclosure gives the lush, natural area a feeling of wonder and enchantment. Bac Lieu Bird Sanctuary is a favorite destination of both nature lovers and researchers, and visitors will easily find several types of birds listed in Vietnam’s “Red Book” of endangered species of plants and animals. The area is also popular amongst photographers who come to the sanctuary for one-of-a-kind shots of these breathtakingly beautiful birds.

Bac Lieu Longan Garden: There are ancient, centuries-old longan trees here. After arriving here, you can relax in the large green space or camp, go on picnics and join farmers to harvest longan.

Ganh Hao coastal town: To combat the fatigue of your journey, you can go admire the majestic and romantic scenery of Ganh Hao Town in Dong Hai District. You can also experience the lives of local fishermen and visit the villages making fish sauce.

Enjoy the specialties: For breakfast, you should try a bowl of “bun bo cay” (hot beef noodle) or Giong Nhan banh xeo (rice cake) in the longan garden.

Other specialties include “banh cu cai”, a cake made from wheat and beet flour, dried shrimp or minced pork, green beans, served with herbs or “banh tam bi”, a cake served with coconut sauce.

Giong Nhan cake.

Hotels

It is very easy for you to find a room in the hotels on Ly Tu Trong, Tran Phu or Hoang Dieu Road for VND150,000 to VND300,000 ($7-15)/night. There are also many hotels along Highway 1A.

Pha Le