A journey with lots of new and different experieces – Ca Mau offers you an extreme pride when stepping on this holy cape land of our country. Let’s get prepared for this special journey, right in this summer!
Terrain – Climate
Ca Mau is a coastal province at the farmost end of our nation, bordering Kien Giang to the north, Bac Lieu to the east, East sea to the south and Tonkin Gulf to the west. Ca Mau with its romanatic wild nature and interesting eco and cultural touristy potential is the final landmark of Vietnam with a vastly lush green flooded forest.
When to go?
There are 2 distinguished seasons in Ca Mau – rainy season and dry season. Rainy seasons start from May to November; dry seasons start from December to April the next year. The climate is relatively temperate and mild as it is surrounded by the ocean. Therefore, the ideal travelling season is from April to September.
How to get there?
Ca Mau is 350 kilometers away from Ho Chi Minh city. There are 2 main ways to get there:
+ By air: Vietnam Airlines is the only airline to exploit flights to Ca Mau once a day, flight duration is 60 minutes, airfares are from 1.6milion VND. Book air tickets at www.vietnamairlines.com or at Air Ticket center & World Customers Services – Tel: 1900 1839. Ca Mau airport is only 3 kilometers away from the city center.
+ High quality coaches: there are a lot of car companies operating HCMC – Ca Mau route for your opions, tickets cost from 200.000VND/pax, mainly couchettes and berths, travelling duration is from 7-8 hours. Contact: Mai Linh – (08) 39 29 29 29; Phuong Trang – (08) 38 309 309; Kumho – (08) 39 225 112; Tuan Hung (08) 39 63 63 63…
Upon arrvial in Ca Mau, you can hire a motorcycle from hotels, or take Mai Linh taxi (0780)3 78 78 78, Dat Mui (0780)3 678 678, Ca Mau airport (0780)3 979 979, Ca Mau – (0780) 837 837…to come to sight seeing spots. As this is waterway city, the main transportation means is by canoe or boat. You can easily hire a boat or a canoe at harbors. You should share with some others to save expenditures.
Addresses for harbors and canoes:
+ Harbor A: from Ca Mau to other provinces: Tran Van Thoi, U Minh, Thoi Binh & Kien Giang province. Address: Ly Van Sam street, Ward 1. Tel: (0780)831 291.
+ Harbor B: from Ca Mau city to Dam Doi, Ngoc Hien, Cai Nuoc. Address: Cao Thang, Ward 8; Tel: 0780 833 291.
+ Harbor for speedy canoes:
Speed canoe tickets or hiring from Ca Mau to other towns. Address: Phan Boi Chau, Ward 8; Tel: (0780) 830 470. Canoes (4-6 seats) are for hire here, to go to Ca Mau Cape or other destination; prices vary depending on your destinations.
Contact: Anh Ngoc, Thuan Thanh, Van An, Phu Thinh, Duyen Ngoc…tickets are from: 125.000 VND/pax/way (public prices). For private canoe hires, contact: Quoc Khanh: 0913 861 729, Hong Han: 0913 763 284, Quoc Viet: 0913 722 841…Prices for groups of less than 10 pax: from 1.9 million VND.
Where?
Ca Mau center is made up of Hung Vuong, Ly Thuong Kiet, Tran Hung Dao, Phan Ngoc Hien, Ngo Quyen streets…Guesthouse for rent prices vary from 250-500VND, depending on room types (double or single). Some addresses for your reference:
+2* hotels: Cong Doan Ca Mau: 9 Luu Tan Tai, Ward 5, Ca Mau city; Diem Quynh – 459D Nguyen Trai, Ward 9, Ca Mau city; Hoang Gia: 29 Tran Hung Dao, Ward 5, Ca Mau city; Song Ngoc: 2B Hung Vuong, Ward 7, Ca Mau city; Ca Mau: 20 Phan Ngoc Hien, Ward 2, Ca Mau city, Cong Doan Nam Can: 25 block1, Hamlet 1, Nam Can Village, Nam Can town; Hai Chau: 229 Hung Vuong, Ward 7, Ca Mau city…prices are from: 250.000VND/room/night
+ 3* hotels: Best CM Hotel: 463 Nguyen Trai, Ca Mau city; Anh Nguyet: 207 Phan Ngoc Hien, Ca Mau city; …prices are from: 400.000VND/room/night.
What to eat?
Ca Mau has a lot of delicious food like: mudfish, field anabas, bronze featherback fish, spicy topiaca silkworm shaped cake (banh tam), pupa salad, U Minh forest bees, field mice fried with red chili and lemongrass, barbecued shrimps, U Minh fish hotpot, barbecued clams dipped in pepper salt, crabs, Rach Goc ba khia (kind of black crabs), U Minh goby…
Addresses for your reference:
-Breakfast
+ Beef noodle, Phan Dinh Phung Street, near Ngo Quyen crossroads, Ca Mau city
+ Pig’s tripes porridge Ái (trueborn from the North) crossing Ganh Hao bridge, turn left, go straight for 100 meters;
+ Nhan Quan Vermicelli noodle – Bui Thi Truong, Ca Mau city, right at the corner of Bui Thi Truong – Tran Hung Dao
+ Shumai topiaca silkworm shaped cake- T-juncture at Le Loi- Ly Bon, Ca Mau city
+ Phu Hai egg noodle – 144B Nguyen Tat Thanh, Ca Mau city
+ Pho 113 Bui Thi Truong, Ca Mau city
-Lunch and dinner
+ Kim Ngan foodshop – Bui Thi Truong, Ca Mau city
+ Ky Phong chicken rice – Nguyen Trai, Ca Mau city (between Ngo Quyen – Phan Ngoc Hien streets)
+ Vegetarian foodshop – Phan Dinh Phung, Ca Mau city
+ Tu Ga foodshop – Tran Van Thoi, Ca Mau city
+ Phat Cuong goat hotpot – Ngo Quyen, Ca Mau city
+ 7 dish squids, ray and young shark hotpots – Nguyen Du, Ca Mau city
+ Thang Bom seafood – Nguyen Trai, Ca Mau city
+ Goby fish, fish hotpot – near police station Ca Mau province
Besides, you may want to look at the following restaurants:
+ Thanh Truc – 126A Phan Ngoc Hien, Ca Mau city
+ Huong Viet – 126 Phan Ngoc Hien, Ca Mau city
+ Phuong Vy – 126D Phan Ngoc Hien, Ca Mau city
+ Tam De – 152 Tran Hung Dao, Ca Mau city
+ Van Thuy – 1/5 street, Ca Mau city
+ Tan Tan foodshop – 153A Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Ca Mau city
+ Thuy Ta – Rach Mui Hamlet, Dat Mui, Ngoc Hien town
What to buy?
Ca Mau beach city offers you a lot of specialties to buy as gifts for you beloved such as: squid omelet, Rach Goc black small crabs (ba khia), dried sweet potato shape fish (Ca Khoai), dried ray, U Minh forest honey, dried mudfish, Doc river squids, dried pangasius kunyit, Thoi Binh fish sauce…
Addresses for reference:
+ The biggest wholesale market ward 7 of Ca Mau, everything is available here, especially crabs and snakes and dried food.
+ Ward 2 markket – the central market of Ca Mau city
+ Dried shrimps barn Thanh Chinh- 33-35 Phan Boi Chau, Ca Mau city
+ Ca Mau supermarket – 01 Bay Thien, Ward 7, Ca Mau city
Tel: 07803 836 876
+ Co.op Mart Supermarket Tran Hung Dao, Ward 5
+ Nguyen Kim Ca Mau supermarket
+ Ca Mau enterprise
+ Mini max Supermarket – 18 De Tham, Ward 6, Ca Mau city
+ If you want to buy dried shrimps, crabs, squids, Bon Bon pickkes…come to De Tham, Ward 2, Ca Mau city.
Notices
Besides some basic necessaries, remember to bring hats, umbrellas, drinking water and travelsick pill. To feel more comfortable traveling in waterway city like Ca Mau, wear low-heeled shoes or sandals.
When you are in a boat, remember to wear life jacket to keep yourself safe. If you are with a group, sit on the 2 sides of the side rails to keep away from hurting yourself colliding with other boats.
Think twice when you want to wear jewelery. Bring along cash and ATM credit card.
When shopping for any items, remember to check their expiry dates and origins. Keep your eyes on your jeweleries in markets.
Prepare long sleeved shirts, sunblock cream, mosquito repellents and pills for some other popular diseases…