The Mekong Delta Sa Éc

Many Mekong Delta tours make a stop in Sa éc to view its famous botanical nurseries. The little city is full of these gardens, whose decorative flowers and shrubs are sold all across the region. This town centers around a riverside outdoor market, and its pristine streets are lined with colorful houses. You may not want to leave this peaceful, relatively tourist-free getaway.

Transportation. Buses arrive at the station in the city center on Hwy. 80 and go to: Cà Mau (6hr.; 5am; 40,000); Cao Lãnh (2hr.; 7:30am, 4pm; 10,000); HCMC (4hr.; 6:30, 9am; 35,000); Råch Giá (4hr.; 6am; 29,000); Trà Vinh (2hr.; 7am; 25,000).

Orientation And Practical Information. Sa éc’s charming city center is laid out in a simple grid pattern: Tr<n Phú, Phan Bÿi Chñu, Ly Th™ng Kit, and Highway 80 (also called Nguy[n Sinh S c) run east-west and meet at the river. These streets are intersected by north-south thoroughfares Hùng V™£ng, Tr<n H™ng åo, and Nguy[n Hu_, the last of which runs along the waterfront. There is no tourist office in Sa éc; the provincial office is in Cao Lãnh. However, the staff at B®ng H·ng and Sa éc Hotels might be able to help. There is a bank with currency exchange and an ATM on the corner of Tr<n H™ng åo and Nguy[n Sinh S c. (Open daily 7:30am-noon and 1:30-5pm.) Internet access is at 124 Hùng V™£ng. (Open daily 10am-10pm.) The main post office is located at the corner of Hùng V™£ng and Nguy[n Sinh S c. (Phone and fax services. Open daily 6am-10pm.)

Accommodations And Food. The fresh, clean rooms at  H™£ng Th©y 2, 58 Lˆ Thán T®n, come with excellent showers, and some have balconies looking out onto the market. (☎868 963. Rooms US$8-10.) Nguyˆn Phong 1, A20 Tr<n H™ng åo, is a budget mini-hotel with basic but clean rooms; the highlight is the collection of posters featuring Western couples in romantic poses. (☎866 515. Rooms 60,000-100,000.) B®ng H·ng 2, 251A Nguy[n Sinh S c, has some upper-floor rooms (accessible by elevator) with excellent city views. (☎868 287. Rooms US$8-20.) Sa éc Hotel 1, 108/5A Hùng V™£ng, is a bit far from the center, but it is much closer than the others to the peaceful botanical nurseries in town. (☎861 430. Well-maintained rooms 80,000-150,000.) Chánh K• 1, 193 Nguy[n Sinh S c, is a friendly place that serves Chinese noodle and rice dishes for under 15,000. (Open daily 6am-6pm.) Th©y 2, 439 Hùng V™£ng, does quality fish dishes and has a Western breakfast menu. (☎861 644. Most entrees 20,000. Open daily 8am-10pm.) There are also some particularly good sit-down food stalls in the market area between Nguy[n Hu_ and Lˆ Thánh T®n. Meals should cost no more than 8000.

Sights. Most nursery owners are accustomed to tourists taking photographs of the free  botanical gardens that decorate the city and environs. Across the bridge from the city center, V™£ng H·ng T™ T®n is one of the area’s most popular gardens. Visitors can stroll through endless rows of colorful blooms and potted plants and relax by the fish pond under the shade of palm fronds. The nursery is open from sunrise to sunset, and is best visited during November and December, when the nurseries are in full bloom. V™£ng H·ng T™ T®n is part of a village of nurseries right outside the city center. If you’re walking there, cross the metal bridge at Tr<n Phú, turn left onto Lˆ Li (which passes under the end of the bridge) and continue along for about 2km; the village will be easy to spot on your right. On the way there you will also pass a Cao ài Temple (see “Someone To Watch Over You,”), on your right shortly after you begin up Lˆ Li. Although the temple is not set up for visitors, the owner will gladly admit you to the colorful and elaborate interior, and he may even give you some fruit from the altar as a sign of goodwill. Sa éc is also notable for being the childhood home of French author Marguerite Duras—she set her 1998 novel The Lover here, and a film based on the book features footage of the city’s waterfront. The city’s outdoor market is also along the waterfront on Nguy[n Hu_. Shaded by colorful umbrellas and brimming with fruit and fish, it is one of the liveliest and most attractive in the delta. Just past the market, a small, tree-lined canal runs into the river and makes for a pleasant stroll around the edge of the town center. You can cover the entire town in an afternoon, and it is a viable daytrip from Cao Lãnh, but we recommend spending the night in charming Sa éc instead.