The Mekong Delta Cà Mau

This hard-working city attracts few tourists because of its distance from H· Chí Minh City, but those adventurous few who make it are rewarded by the untouched mangrove-filled wilderness around the city. The major attraction is U Minh Forest, one of the largest mangrove swamps in the world. Honeybees feed on the mangrove blossoms; locals harvest their honey and wax. Minh H=i Tourist Office (see below) arranges boat tours of the forest, whose main point of exploration lies about 60km from the city. The normal rate is 900,000 per half-day in a motorboat (up to 10 people; driver and guide included)—however, solo travelers and couples may be able to bargain down to as low as 100,000. Bring along insect repellent, as the mosquitoes are notoriously vicious.

Cà Mau has a large number of hotels and guesthouses, especially around L B®n and Phan Ngßc Hi€n. Kim Y\n 1, 22A Hùng V™£ng (just off the roundabout), has comfortable rooms, an elevator, and a central location near the post office, bank, and markets. (☎827 308. Rooms 70,000-180,000.) Song Hùng 2, 28 Phan Ngßc Hi€n, features clean, fragrant rooms with all the amenities. (☎822 822. Rooms 140,000-220,000.) The true budget option in town is Sao Mai 1, 40 Phan Ngßc Hi€n. The paint in the stairwells may be chipping, but the rooms are well maintained. (☎831 035. Rooms 50,000-150,000.) Tri]u Phát 1, 26 Phan Ngßc Hi€n, serves decent seafood and noodle dishes—though you might need the proprietor’s son to translate the menu for you. (Most entrees under 20,000. Open daily 9am-9pm.) There are also cheap, sit-down food stalls in the market along Phan Bÿi Chñu. Nam Hài 1, 22 Quang Tr™ng, is a classic streetside bakery and sandwich shop taken inside; their preparation area is immaculately clean, and their service pleasantly polite. (Open daily 7am-10pm.) Ph™£ng Nam Hotel 1 has a decent all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet. (Open daily 6-9am.)

Flights leave once daily for HCMC (45min.; US$26-29). Buses arrive at the station on Ly Th™ng Kit, about 2km southeast of the city center, and head to C<n Th£ (4-6hr.; 27,000-43,000) and HCMC (8-10hr.; 57,000-86,000). Both regular buses and express minibuses are available. A few buses leave each day in the morning for Båc Liˆu (1hr.; 11,000); Sóc Trng (3hr.; 19,000); Trà Vinh (6hr.; 37,000); Vænh Long (6hr.; 27,500). Heading northwest toward the city center, Ly Th™ng Kit curves and runs to a roundabout, which features a striking brown marble memorial. It then turns into Ng® Quy]n, which crosses over Gành Hào Canal and continues northward, eventually intersecting with L B®n, where the tourist office and several hotels can be found. There is a second canal crossing on Phan Ngßc Hi€n, which hits L B®n right near the tourist office. The city’s main markets lie along Quang Tr™ng, which hugs the southern bank of the canal. Minh H=i Tourist Office, 1 L B®n, arranges boat tours and hands out brochures on the region. (☎831 828. Open daily 7am-noon and 1:30-5pm.) Incombank, 3 Ng® Quy]n, changes currency and does MC/V cash advances. (Open daily 7-11am and 1-5pm.) There is a pharmacy (open daily 7am-9pm) at 12B Quang Tr™ng and a hospital with emergency service at 36 L Thái T#n (☎831 201), two blocks north of L B®n. Feed your Internet habit at 81 Phan ình Phùng, one block north of L B®n, or at the several cafes that surround the bridge at 31 and 60A L Thái T#n. (Open daily 7am-10:30pm.) Across the street from the bank, the post office is just opposite the memorial. (Phone and fax services. Open daily 6am-10pm.)

Daytrips From Cà Mau. Deep in this corner of the country are a few surprisingly fun islands, entirely untouched by tourism, accessible from Cà Mau.

 Hòn À Båc. These two stunning islands, set off the west coast of Vietnam, provide a glimpse into the thriving fishing villages of the Mekong and a truly authentic Vietnamese experience. A long, dainty bridge brings you across the water to the islands. Pay no attention to the first island’s long red-and-blue dragon and fake plastic animals; instead, take a suspension bridge across to the second island, which holds much more intrigue. The newly built but little-known Hotel Hòn à Båc 2 sits on the western edge of this island. It’s the only lodging on the island, its restaurant is the only eatery, and if you stay, you’ll be the only guest. Clean, tiled, and spacious rooms, decorated in beautiful soothing colors, complete the package. (☎780 897 611. Rooms 100,000-180,000.) From the back courtyard of the hotel, faux-stone stairs lead into the woods. Follow the trail all the way west to a yellow-robed statue of the Buddha. Facing the setting sun, the statue sits above a small rock formation that is thought to look like the open hand of the Buddha, giving his blessings. On the opposite side of the island, facing the fishing villages of Vietnam, is a female Buddhist figure. A red liberation monument—the southernmost in Vietnam—is on top of the hill among the island’s untouched foliage. If you go at sunset, the road to the islands is insanely gorgeous. (Take the 1hr. motorbike ride due west from Cà Mau to Vanh Thanh village for 100,000 round-trip, then cross the footbridge to the islands. Open daily 7:30am-5:30pm. 10,000.)

Hòn Khoai. Part military base, part tourist attraction, Hòn Khoai is the last bit of Vietnamese property situated in the South China Sea. The island is 4km long and 15km from the mainland. One of a group of five nearby islands, Hòn Khoai is the most famous because the revolutionary teacher Phan Ngßc Hiˆn was executed there on January 8, 1941, after leading a failed insurrection in Cà Mau Province. To most, the real significance of the island is its natural beauty and isolation. Visitors can climb the 16m high historic French lighthouse, built in 1904, to get a better view. The granite construction guides ships around the precarious Cape of Cà Mau, into the Gulf of Thailand. (Tours are arranged at the Minh H=i Tourist Office. Alternatively, take a 2hr. motorbike ride down to the coast near Tñn Ân and hire a boat to take you across to the islands. The availability of these ferries is unpredictable. Open daily 7:30am-5:30pm. 10,000.)