Chau Doc,Vietnam

	Chau Doc,Vietnam
	Area Code 076, $1=16,120D, July 1, 2007

Vietnam TOP | Vietnam Country | Can Tho | HCMC | Phnom Penh

Chau Doc is the last town in Vietnamese Mekong Delta on Hua Giang River, one of the branch river of Mekong. It is very close to the border to Cambodia. From here you can travel to Cambodia by boat on Mekong River.

You can come to this town from HCMC by a public bus but many travelers take a tour to come here and continue traveling to Phnom Penh or going back to HCMC
This is a small pleasant town which has a nice market to see the local life surrounding by rundown colonial architecture. It also has many important religious temples.

Orientation
The town is on the point which two rivers met and it is on the SW of the Hau river. To Cantoho, Longxuyen, HCMC, take a river/road to E. To Cambodia take the other river to N.

Arriving:
by boat: as you land, go right to the town center,5 min or go left to the bus station, 20-30mins.
by bus: 2km to the center, as you come out from the bus station, walk toward left(NW). Also local buses are running on the main road to the town center.

$1	Vietcom Bank: #315 Le Loi, M-Sa 7:30-16:45. on the road to the bus station. $1=16120VD, 1yen=7VD, ATM
$2	Chinhanh Thiya(Money changer): Van Hoa street M-F 7:30-1, 15-16:00 $50, $100 notes $1=16090VD, others $1=16045VD. ATM
ta	Hang Chau II: #10 Nguyen Vann Thai hangchauzagg@hcm.vnn.vn, minibus to HCM city $6, to Cantho $4 Boat to Phnom Penh $$17
F	Boat pier: No pier, but all boats leave from the river side, near the post office. To Phnom Penh, Express boat $17 dep 8:30 arr 13:30, slow boat $8. Ask at Hang Chau II hotel and some other travel agents.
B1	Bus station: 2-3km SE from the town center. Take Le Loi(river side road). Also local buses are running on this road. To HCM bus 62,000VD, minivan 85,000VD, Cantho 32,000VD, Long Xuyen 13,000VD, Rach Gia 31,000VD dep 6:30(more buses from Long Xuyen) To Phu Quoc island: You may travel to Ha Tien by bus and take a ferry to this island. From Long Xuyen to Ha Tien 55,000VD many buses
B2	Square: just W(opp from the river) from the market.To Long Xuyen, take a minibus from 15000D?
B3	Dien Banye: N of the town square(looking back from the market, right side), minibus to HCM 90,000VD
@	Mai Thao internet: Walk toward the rover from the N side of the park. 3000VD/hr very fast

Border Crossing

The border point is about 45 mins by boat. Usually you book a tour at a travel agent in Chau Doc or in HCMC. You go to the border by boat. After passing through Vietnamese immigration, change to another boat to continue traveling to Cambodia immigration, then to a port near Phnom Penh, then take a bus to PP.
You need fee, 1000D at Vietnamese immigration.
Cambodia Visa: on arrival $23 1 photo.

Accommodation

http://www.hotels-chaudoc.com Many budget hotels can be found around the town market.
	h1	Hoa Hung Motel: #5 Quang Trung, T076-778945, f ab TV(L) $5, HW d$6-7, a/c ab HW TV(L) fr d$10 C4 Good view from the top floor.
	h2	Thanh Nam 2 Mini Hotel: opp from Hoa Hung, http://www.hotels-chaudoc.com ab HW TV(L) f d$8, a/c d$10 C4
	h3	Hang Chau II Hotel: #10 Nguyen Van Thoai, T868891, hangchau2agg@htm.vnn.vn, a/c ab HW TV(L) fr d$10 C4 wooden floor High quality large rooms. Sinh Cafe agent Highly Rec
	h4	Vinh Phuoc Hotel: #12-14 Quang Trung TX, T563013, ab HW f s$5 d$6, a/c d$7, TV(L) d$10,
	h5	Thanh Binh Hotel: #273 Thu Khoa Huan, T09-1397-0106, ab TV(L) f 80,000, a/c 120-150,000VD C4 Many rooms have no windows but very good room Highly Rec
	h6	Tai Ngan Hotel: T866435, ab HW CTV fr f small d$6. a/c large d$10 C4
	h7	Song Sao: #12-13 Nguyen Huucanh, T561777, a/c ab HW CTV fr d$11-15 C4
	h8	Trung Nguyen Hotel: $86 Bach Dang, T561561, trunghotel@yahoo.com, ab HW CTV f d$7, a/c d$10-15 C4 @(free wifi) the rooms are small but stylish modern rooms Rec
	h9	Ngou Phu: #17 Doc Phu Thu T866-484, ab HW CTV f 90,000 a/c d130,000 C4

Sights

ta	Mekong Delta Tours: Many travel agents organize this tours including the famous floating market in Can Tho. All Mekong Delta tours are designed for those coming from HCMC and going back to HCMC therefore if you take the tour from this end, you have to take itinerary bit by bit from different tour groups so you may not take some of the promised destinations. Get your itinerary and show to your guides and confirm your trip. The costs are same to the return-trip- tours from HCMC despite of the fact yours is one-way-tour. Saigontourist Travel Service & Delta Adventure Tours: 187A Pham Ngu Lao St. HCMC T8368542, www.deltaadventuretour.com sgn@deltaadventuretour.com
S	Market: Very nice market in the middle of the town. The town square SW of the market. Also very pleasant where many stalls selling food. S side of the square, there is a pagoda
S	Chau Giang Mosque: This is the center of Cham Muslim minority. Their residences around the temple is also interesting. Take a ferry just N from the market, 500D and continue walking about 30 min.
S	Floating Houses: One of the industries in Chaudoc is fish farming. There are many boat houses on the river underneath of which fish are kept. You can visit them by tours. Small boats may be found on the river side, E from the market. You may hire one. One boat can take 4-5 people.
S	Nui Sam/Sam mountain: 6km NW from the town connected to the town by communal buses /minibuses very frequently. Sacred mountain which many Chinese temples were built such as Tay An Pagoda(at the end of the main road), Lady Chua Xu Temple(turn left and walk for 500m), and the Tomb of Thoai Ngoc Hau(after Lady Chua Xu Temple walk up the stairs.) You can walk up to the peak, 260m. At the end of the road from Chaudoc turn right and walk for 500m, after Lady Chua Xu Temple, go up the stairs. Good view even from many points on the mountain side, about 30m from the bottom.