The unique waterway tourism destinations in the Mekong Delta have been racing to “refresh” their services to be ready to welcome visitors for Christmas and New Year 2025, setting the stage for the peak of the traditional Lunar New Year season.
Enhancing Services and River Culture Cuisine
This time of year, the Christmas and New Year atmosphere is in full swing at the eco-tourism spots in Can Tho City; the number of visitors has gradually increased as the year comes to a close.
At My Khanh Tourist Village (Phong Dien District, Can Tho City), one of the 50 attractive tourism spots in Ho Chi Minh City and 13 provinces in the Mekong Delta, the owner of the resort continues to enhance and expand the fruit garden with more than 10 types of specialty fruits from the South to attract tourists, especially during the upcoming Tet season.
My Khanh Tourist Village
Visitors to My Khanh can pick and enjoy various types of fruits. The owner also increases traditional Southern dishes like fish hotpot, Vietnamese pancakes, deep-fried giant gourami, and “tả pí lù” fish to help tourists better understand the river culture.
Mr. Nguyen Huu Hoang, Deputy Director of My Khanh Tourist Village, said the resort has expanded to more than 30 hectares. It offers many diverse services, showcasing the Southern waterway culture, such as boating, folk games, fishing, and reenacting life as a landowner in the past.
Exploring the Thap Muoi Wetland Area
The Thap Muoi region (Tan Phuoc District, Tien Giang) is a unique wetland ecosystem that is a trademark of the province. This area is also rich in biodiversity, home to many rare animals, and preserves many cultural aspects of the Thap Muoi region.
Here, visitors can find endemic flora and fauna such as: trámm trees, stars, water lilies, mangroves, cranes, storks, snakes, turtles, and honeybees, all of which contribute to scientific research and make it an ideal place for relaxation and sightseeing. For this reason, Tien Giang’s tourism sector has coordinated with the local authorities to plan and invest in infrastructure, creating many unique tourism products to attract visitors.
Spring Has Arrived in Sa Dec – The Flower Capital of the Mekong Delta
In Sa Dec City (Dong Thap Province), the atmosphere of the 2025 Lunar New Year is already apparent on the streets and flower fields. At the flower fields, Happyland Hùng Thy Tourist Area, Tư Tôn Rose Garden, Ngọc Lan Flower Viewing Tower, Sa Nhiên Garden, Mientay Lodge, and Sa Dec Date Palm Garden, the small scenic spots are beautifully decorated, attracting visitors to stop by and capture memorable moments.
Mr. Chín Xuân, the owner of the Sa Dec Date Palm Garden, shared that the garden has over 200 date palm trees originating from Arabia. To prepare for the New Year holiday, he has taken extra care to ensure the fruits ripen just in time for the Western New Year and last until the Lunar New Year, offering visitors the chance to enjoy ripe date palms at the garden.
According to him, the date palm flowers take six months to harvest, so he began using techniques to stimulate flowering from early June of the lunar calendar. Currently, many trees have fruits that are ripening, and he expects a larger harvest during the New Year holiday. On weekends and holidays, his garden attracts over 1,000 visitors.
To attract more visitors during the upcoming New Year and Lunar New Year holidays, the Tien Giang provincial government has invested funds to upgrade and renovate various infrastructure such as rest areas, bus stations, piers, and internal roads.
The provincial government has also expanded the Dong Thap Muoi Ecological Reserve to preserve biodiversity while developing tourism in the Dong Thap Muoi region, meeting the needs of both local and international visitors during the upcoming holidays.
Ensuring Fair Pricing
Tourism destinations in the Ca Mau region are also eagerly preparing to welcome visitors. Many travel agencies and returning customers have already begun making reservations for the New Year holidays. This year, it is expected that the number of visitors will increase compared to last year.
Mr. Giang Hoang Hon, Director of the Huong Tram Ecotourism Area (Khánh An Commune, U Minh District, Ca Mau Province), said: “To prepare for the holiday season, we have renovated the transportation services, entertainment activities, and dining services for tourists. Our main goal is to ensure safety and maintain the best service prices for our visitors.”
The Ca Mau Cape Ecotourism Area (Dat Mui Commune, Ngoc Hien District) is the most prominent tourist destination in Ca Mau Province. To serve tourists during this period, Mr. Tạ Huỳnh Vĩnh Trường, Director of the Ca Mau Cape Ecotourism Area Management Board, informed that the unit is conducting a thorough cleaning of the entire area, including the Ca Mau Cape Temple, Ca Mau Flagpole, the end of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, national coordinate markers, the crab symbol, and the Ca Mau Cape symbol, and preparing incense, flowers, and fruits for the temple.
Ca Mau
Efforts are being made to build and develop a variety of exciting and high-quality tourist products. In addition, the management is reminding 58 households and local businesses in the community tourism area to comply with tourism regulations, properly display prices, and ensure food safety and environmental hygiene.
Mr. Trần Xuân Trường, Head of the Tourism Management Department at the Ca Mau Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, said that during the Western and Lunar New Year, the number of tourists typically increases significantly. Therefore, the department always reminds travel agencies and tourism sites to ensure safety for tourists, publicly display prices, and avoid price hikes or exploitation during the holiday season. Any violations are strictly dealt with by the authorities.
Most provinces in the Mekong Delta have a network of rivers and canals, along with large sand dunes, islets, and lakes such as Can Tho City, Ben Tre, Dong Thap, Tra Vinh, Tien Giang, and Soc Trang. This makes the region ideal for river-based tourism between different provinces.
Additionally, the region’s fruit orchards, which produce seasonal fruits such as rambutan, durian, longan, mangosteen, plum, orange, tangerine, grapefruit, and dragon fruit, are concentrated in provinces like Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Vinh Long, and Hau Giang.
This has led to the development of many eco-tourism areas and fruit orchard tourism sites that attract visitors. These can be key highlights in river tourism tours that link different provinces in the region.