Vietnam - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 907

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By boat Boats to/from Cambodia dock at a small jetty at
the northern end of Tran Hung Dao, 1km from the centre.
By bus Buses o oad 2km southeast of town, en route to
the bus station on Le Loi, from where xe dap loi and xe om
run into town for about 20,000VND; some minibuses drop
off in the centre on Thu Khoa Nghia. Public buses to HCMC
depart hourly from the bus station; regular Mai Linh
express minibuses to elsewhere in the delta can be booked
through your hotel. Futa Express buses offer free minibus
drop-off from their bus station to your guesthouse.
Destinations

Trung Nguyen 86 Bach Dang T 076 3561561, W trung
nguyenhotel.com.vn. Bustling, conveniently located mini-
hotel popular with tour groups. Rooms are modern and
spacious, with balconies overlooking the mark et. R ates
include free breakfast, internet and wi-fi. Double $15
Vinh Phuoc Hotel 12 Quang Trung T 076 3866242,
W hotels-chaudoc.com. Brit-run cheapie offering spot-
lessly clean rooms, some with fans only, a decent
restaurant downstairs, and info and advice on travel in the
Mekong Delta. Double $10

EATING AND DRINKING
Stalls at the market offer heaped bowls of pho, fresh spring
rolls and other Vietnamese dishes for less than 20,000VND.
At night, vendors set up food stalls around the pagoda at
the central square between Nguyen Huu Canh and Chi Lang.
★

Can Tho (2hr 30min); Ha Tien (3hr); HCMC
(hourly; 6-7hr).

INFORMATION
Tourist information Mekong Tours at 14 Nguyen Huu
Canh & 41 Quang Trung (daily 8am-9pm; T 076 3562828,
W mekongtours.net) offer half-day trips to a fish farm and
Cham village (around $12) as well as longer trips through
the delta, and can assist with onward travel arrangements
to Cambodia (see box below).
Services Agribank, 4-5 Quang Trung, changes dollars
and has an ATM. Trung Nguyen Hotel offers bike rental for
$3/day, and motorbikes for $10.

11

Bassac Restaurant 32 Le Loi. The pleasure of eating at
Chau Doc's finest doesn't come cheap, but what a pleasure
it is. Stir-fried squid with green peppercorns is superb and
both the Vietnamese and French mains beautifully executed.
Mains from 180,000VND. Daily 9am-11pm.
Bay Bong 22 Thuong Dang Le. This informal, nondescript-
looking place serves a particularly good take on the local
speciality of pork or stewed fish cooked in a clay pot ( ca kho
to ) for 60,000VND, and chunky, fragrant sweet-and-sour
soup, as well as other Delta dishes. Daily noon-10pm.
Mekong 41 Le Loi. Brash neon belies the delicacy of
the local dishes on offer. The caramelized fish claypot
(70,000VND) hits the spot and there are noodle dishes and
more. Daily noon-10pm.

ACCOMMODATION
Murray Guesthouse 11-15 Truong Dinh T 076
3562108, E [e-mail]. A 10min walk to
the river, this budget boutique choice comes with spacious
a/c rooms, rooftop relaxation space with pool table for
guests and drinks on a n honour system. Onward transport
organized. Double $22
Thuan Loi Hotel 275 Tran Hung Dao T 076 3866134,
E [e-mail]. The choice of spacious, clean
rooms in this waterfront guesthouse includes bargain
fan rooms, some of which have absorbing views of
river lif e dr ifting by; there's also a floating restaurant.
Double $12

RACH GIA
Teetering precariously over the Gulf of
hailand, RACH GIA is a booming farming
and fishing community. A small islet in
the mouth of the Cai Lon River forms
the hub of town, its central area

INTO CAMBODIA: VINH XUONG AND TINH BIEN

VINH XUONG
Arguably the nicest crossing into Cambodia is the Vinh Xuong border crossing (daily
8am-8pm), 30km north of Chau Doc, as it's done by boat. Sinh Tourist in HCMC (p.901)
incorporate it into their Exit to Cambodia tour, and you can also take a daily boat with Hang
Chau ( W hangchautourist.com.vn), departing at 7.30am from a pier at 18 Tran Hung Dao,
returning from Phnom Penh at noon (4hr 30min; $30 one-way). Cambodian visas are available
at the border for around $25.
TINH BIEN
A less convenient border crossing near Chau Doc is at Tinh Bien , 25km west of Sam Mountain.
The road from Chau Doc to Tinh Bien is poor, but local buses from Chao Doc make the trip
direct to Phnom Penh daily, departing at 7.30am (5hr; around $20); tickets can be booked
through Mekong Tours at 14 Nguyen Huu Canh ( W mekongvietnam.com).