Travel Guide

Kien Giang Vietnam is known for its breathtaking natural beauty, diverse landscapes, and rich cultural heritage. Located in the South Pole of the country, Kien Giang borders Cambodia to the west and the Gulf of Thailand to the south, providing it with a stunning coastal environment and numerous islands. Just save the best travel guide of Kien Giang Vietnam to have the most experienced and memeroble trip to this land.

1. What need to know before traveling to Kien Giang?

Kien Giang is a coastal province located in the Mekong Delta that shares a common border with the Kingdom of Cambodia. This is the second largest province in the Southwest region (about 6346.3 km2) and is also the westernmost land of Vietnam. Kien Giang Province is known for its coastline of more than 200km, with more than 143 large and small islands, including Phu Quoc Island - the largest island with an area of up to 593km2.

What makes Kien Giang an attractive destination for tourists is because it is likened to "the second Vietnam", a destination that converges mountains, rivers, plains, primeval forests, sea and islands... and especially the people of Kien Giang are sociable, friendly and rustic.

Coming to Kien Giang, in addition to the beautiful landscape, stretching beaches, visitors will be even more interested in Kien Giang restaurants and famous specialty dishes, and unique and rare cultural festivals. It is these things that will leave Vietnamese or foreign tourists with unforgettable memories about their trip to Kien Giang.

2. Best time to visit Kien Giang

Due to its low latitude and close to the sea, Kien Giang has a tropical monsoon climate, hot and humid all year round. Vietnam Original Travel suggests to tourists two best times to take a Kien Giang Trip, save the best moments of Kien Giang province:

- Traveling to Kien Giang from December to April next year: at this time, Kien Giang is the dry season, the weather is cool, sunny, suitable for fun activities, swimming.

- Traveling to Kien Giang from April to September: this is the busiest time, the festival season in Kien Giang.

3. How to get to Kien Giang from Saigon or Hanoi?

As a destination increasingly sought after by tourists, Kien Giang is increasingly diversified in means of transportation. Tourists now can choose to move to Kien Giang by many different means such as coach, plane, or even motorbike.

From Hanoi to Kien Giang: For tourists who choose to take a plane, there are currently quite a few flights from Hanoi to Rach Gia City every day with a travel time of more than 2 hours. If you choose to go to Kien Giang by coach, you can choose the coach companies Phuong Trang, Hoang Long...with a travel time of about 12 hours.

From Saigon to Kien Giang: Taking a plane from Saigon to Kien Giang only takes 40 minutes and flights from Saigon to Kien Giang open continuously at different times of the day. Traveling by coach from Saigon - Kien Giang takes 4 hours and 30 minutes, visitors choose coach services such as Phuong Trang, Tuyet Hon to move to Kien Giang.

4. Top hotels to stay  in Kien Giang

As a small province but equally developed as big cities such as Da Nang, Saigon, Hanoi, ... Kien Giang owns a system of motels and hotels with high standards and extremely comfortable facilities. Top 4 modern and fully facilities hotels are recommended below:

4.1. Salinda resort Phu Quoc

Address : Cua Lap Hamlet, Duong Dong, Phu Quoc, Vietnam

Price: ~US$ 140/night

Salinda resort is just a few steps from Long Beach which has high-class standards with full facilities up to 5-star standard. The hotel is modernly designed, luxuriously furnished and the service style of the dedicated and attentive staff can meet the needs of the most demanding tourists.

4.2. Saigon Hotel - Rach Gia

Address : 844 Nguyen Trung Truc, An Hoa Ward, An Hoa, Rach Gia City, Kien Giang Province

Price (reference): ~US$ 70/night

The 4-star hotel has a system of sophisticated and elegantly equipped hotel rooms, in addition to a harmonious combination of stone and brick, which shows the perfection in every detail as well as the elegance of the hotel has created a perfect relaxing space.

4.3. Quoc Vinh Hotel - Kien Giang

Address : P39 căn 31- 33 Le Quang Dao, Phu Cuong urban zone, Rach Gia

Price: ~ US$ 28/night

Conveniently located in Rach Gia, Quoc Vinh Hotel is a great base from which to explore Rach Gia vibrant city. The equipment is carefully selected and extremely modern. From the hotel, tourists can easily access famous landmarks such as Phu Quoc Island, Nguyen Trung Truc Temple, Nam Hai Temple, Tam Bao Temple, Thien An Pagoda…
 

4.4. Mango Bay resort - Phu Quoc

Address : Ong Lang Beach, Ong Lang, Phu Quoc, Vietnam, Kien Giang Province

Price: ~US$ 90/night

Mango Bay resort - a hotel with a modest standard of only 3 stars but owns a prime location facing the sea, which is extremely cool. This place is also equipped with standard equipment. The hotel is very close to the beach and entertainment areas, the famous tourist areas of Rach Gia, restaurants, bars, supermarkets…

5. Must-try specialities in Kien Giang

5.1. Herring salad

One of the first delicious dishes that you can hardly find whether in Hanoi, Saigon or Da Nang but only in Kien Giang - It is herring salad. Most tourists visiting Kien Giang will have to try this famous specialty of Kien Giang.

Herring salad is served with rice paper rolls, vegetables and most importantly, a particularly special dipping sauce. Many foreign tourists will not be surprised with the way this dish is presented, because it is often covered with a whole surface of white grated coconut.

When eating, tourists will gradually discover the attractive depth with fresh pieces of fish meat. Herbs, peanuts, onions, and fresh chili are a collection of spices that make up the perfect dish. Some famous Kien Giang restaurants with herring salad that visitors can refer to are Viet Phu Quoc Restaurant, Song Xanh Restaurant, Hello Restaurant…

5.2. Selachian sour hot pot

Selachian (also known as small shark) is the name of a white-colored fish of the people of Ha Tien, Kien Giang. This type of fish is relatively rare, so if you want to enjoy it, you will usually have to book in advance with Kien Giang restaurants. The people of Kien Giang often process this fish into many famous dishes, of which the most delicious is the selachian sour hotpot.

Selachian sour hot pot is a cross between Kinh and Khmer culinary styles. A unique hot pot dish with a sour broth using lemon juice with many ingredients such as: selachian, mint, bean sprouts, pineapple, tomato, cabbage, fresh bamboo shoots, ... served with noodle and fish sauce chili.

The harmonious combination between the main sour taste of the hot pot dish with the typical flavors of lemongrass and turmeric gives guests an unforgettable impression. Visitors can visit some Kien Giang restaurants such as Huong Bien restaurant or Mui Nai and Nui Den tourist areas to enjoy this dish.

5.3. Ca Xiu

Ca Xiu is one of the most unique specialties in Ha Tien, Kien Giang. This dish at first looks like a fried locust dish of the North, but it is actually a type of saltwater seafood only found in Kien Giang. Ca Xiu will be caught on the same day, processed cleanly and fried with salt, garlic and many other spices. When enjoying, you just need to peel off the outer skin, and eat only the juicy meat inside.

Tourists can easily find and enjoy the famous Ca Xiu dish in Kien Giang at crowded markets or at sidewalk eateries, Kien Giang restaurants. Each dish from Ca Xiu costs from 30,000 to 70,000 VND.

5.4. Pandan tube cake

Pandan tube cake specialty originated from Khmer ethnic people and is a familiar snack in Kien Giang. Delicious cake with ingredients including glutinous rice, pandan leaves, grated coconut and sesame. The cake will be steamed for a certain amount of time. The finished product is a delicious cake with the green color of pandan leaves, the aroma of coconut and medium-ripe glutinous rice.

Similar to other famous tourist destinations in Vietnam, Kien Giang pandan tube cakes are also found in many street vendors near the night market, or at other tourist sites such as Thach Dong, Da Dung mountain, etc.

6. 5 best attractions not to be missed when travelilng to Kien Giang

6.1. Phu Quoc Island

Phu Quoc is an archipelago located in the Gulf of Thailand, in Kien Giang province. This is the largest and most beautiful island of Vietnam and is considered by tourists as a paradise pearl island because of its beautiful scenes full of perfection. The clear blue sea and peaceful stream with many unique seafood are the great advantages of Phu Quoc tourism to retain tourists.

Not only that, when coming to Phu Quoc, tourists can visit many other famous places in the region, notably Dinh Cau - a night market with street seafood dishes prepared on the spot, or experience Vinpearl Safari and Vinhomes amusement parks with countless beautiful check-in and sightseeing areas.

6.2. Rach Gia City

One more check-in place in Kien Giang that captures the hearts of all tourists is Rach Gia. Coming here, you can just immerse yourself in the poetic nature, beautiful beaches, and just find the prosperous rhythm of life in the streets, commercial centers or local markets filled with fresh seafood.

Despite being the most developed city in the West, Rach Gia is still home to many ancient works such as Tam Quan Gate, Nguyen Trung Truc Temple, Quan De Pagoda, Big Phat Pagoda or Rach Gia Church. Each place, each destination carries its own imprints and heroic historical stories about Rach Gia in particular and Kien Giang Province in general.

6.3. Nam Du Islands

In addition to Phu Quoc, Kien Giang also has an extremely valuable sea that is Nam Du. This is the most remote island cluster of Kien Giang province - 80km from Rach Gia city. To get to Nam Du, you need to move to Rach Gia city and take a boat for about 3 hours

When you arrive in Nam Du, everything will make you feel worthy of this long distance. The archipelago will appear a picturesque seascape with green sea, white sand and 21 beautiful large and small islands.

Some of the destinations you must visit in Nam Du are Dau island, Chuong beach, Ngang island... Not only having a beautiful sea, Nam Du is also famous for its unique cuisine. Therefore, if you are looking for a tourist destination in Kien Giang that is both beautiful and cheap, Nam Du is the place to check-in.

6.4. Kien Giang Museum

Kien Giang Museum was built around the time of 1911, inaugurated in 1920 with an area of about 2000m2, the inside is designed in the style of an old house, the outside is built in the style of a box house decorated with flowers in the style of Western construction. This is a relic with beautiful and ancient civil art architecture unique to the feudal landlords left over, preserved, embellished and kept to this day in Kien Giang.

The main themes of Kien Giang museum are oriented to folklife, such as decorative patterns with a variety of designs, from flowers (pine, bamboo, chrysanthemum, apricot), birds (bat, peacock, phoenix, pheasant). ...), diverse designs of vines to animals (deer, deer...), fruits (papaya, grapes, pomegranate...) ... all have blended into a unique East-West culture, leaving a deeply mark in the hearts of tourists.

6.5. U Minh Thuong National Park

U Minh Thuong National Park is part of the World Biosphere Reserve system. This place gives tourists the feeling of returning to the origin with its wild majestic beauty. At the same time, visitors will also have the opportunity to explore the ecosystem of flooded tropical forests and peat swamps remaining in Vietnam, which are rare in the world.

This place develops diverse and rich flora and fauna resources with the presence of 254 species of plants, 32 species of mammals, 188 species of birds, 64 species of fish... Many species of animals are recorded in the Red List of Vietnam and the world such as: hairy-nosed otters, fish cats, gray-legged pelicans, Java shoes, pangolins.

7. What to buy as gifts in Kien Giang?

7.1. Fish sauce

Phu Quoc fish sauce has been famous for a long time because of its delicious taste, made from traditional fermented fresh fish. Fish sauce made in Phu Quoc will be clear and have a very unique light aroma. You can find and buy fish sauce easily at fish sauce factories or Phu Quoc specialty stores

7.2. Sim Wine

Sim wine is a famous specialty not to be missed when visiting Phu Quoc Island in particular and Kien Giang in general. Sim is a very good fruit for health when it has a wide range of uses such as treating aches and pains, enhancing digestion, vitality… You can buy famous delicious sim wine at places like Vuon Tao restaurant and wine sim Bay Gao.

7.3. Phu Quoc Pepper

Phu Quoc pepper is famous for its firm, spicy and aromatic seeds, stronger flavor than other peppers in other regions. You can buy Phu Quoc pepper right at places selling fish sauce such as markets in Phu Quoc, Phu Quoc specialty stores or you can buy premium pepper on the way to Ham Ninh at Duc Ninh pepper garden. with the price of black pepper 200,000 VND/kg, skull pepper 260,000 VND/kg.

The full set of the best travel guide of Kien Giang Vietnam above hopes to give visitors some tips when traveling to Kien Giang. When the weather in Saigon and Hanoi is in the peak hot season, Kien Giang will surely be an extremely suitable destination for visitors to immerse themselves in the cool and fresh air of the sea. If you need the service to customize your tour, call us - Vietnam Travel Original will make a perfect trip for you.

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