Ha Tien Beach
Squeezed onto the Cambodian border in a distant corner of Vietnam, Ha Tien is decidedly remote. The approach to town certainly helps to amplify its exotic atmosphere – the agricultural bustle of the Mekong Delta seems to melt away to a lush landscape of rice paddies and buffalo wallows, the flatness punctuated by sudden limestone karsts.
Location:
Ha Tien is a seaside town in Kien Giang Province in Southern Vietnam, famous for its beautiful and tranquil Ha Tien beach. It is at the western end of the Mekong Delta close to the Cambodian border. This is a tourist which still is untouched due to its remoteness. However, the opening of the border to Cambodia for international travelers recently is likely to change that in the near future.
Getting to Ha Tien:
In Vietnam territory: The bus terminal is west of the town center. There are buses from Ho Chi Minh City’s Mien Tay terminal (about 8h) as well as from Can Tho and Chau Doc. The connection from Can Tho often requires a change in Rach Soi or Rach Gia from where it is about 1h.
From Cambodia: The Ha Tien border crossing which is about 7km to the north was opened for tourists in 2007. From Kampot you can get a motorbike taxi for -10 or from Kep for to the border on the Cambodian side. The road can vary in condition from paved and bumpy to packed dirt and bumpy.
Ha Tien town:
Ha Tien sits on a corner of land, bordered on two sides by water. To the south is the To Chau River, to the east is the expansive Dong Ho (East Lake), which is actually an inlet of the sea. Approaching from Rach Gia, you’ll cross the To Chau Bridge, and arrive on Vo Van Road, which serves as the town’s western border. Most of the town’s life occurs between Vo Van and Dong Ho, much of it along the riverfront.
The Khmer-style wat located just out of town only helps to emphasize the feeling that you’re not really in Vietnam anymore – a feeling that carries through to Ha Tien’s dusty streets and languid riverfront. In some ways, it feels like other cities located further up the Mekong like Savanakhet in Laos, or Kratie in Cambodia.
Some major tourist spots in the town are Tam Bao pagoda, Giai Thoat pagoda and Ngoc Ho Monastery, Thach Dong stone grotto
Ha Tien Beach:
Ha Tien owns crystal and sandy beach with many beautiful surrounding landscapes. From Ha Tien one can take a boat ride to the Hai Tac islets, a cluster of 16 islets. It sits in between a shallow water body with the surrounding water level of 4 meters. Hon Doc with its beautiful sand beaches is the largest islet.
Ha Tien encloses within its boundaries quite a few exotic beaches. There is the Hon Chong Beach, the Duoc Beach, and the Hon Trem Beach. The Tien Cave is located near the Hon Chong Beach with 2 cave openings. The caves have their western opening on the Duoc Beach. The Hon Trem Beach is famous for its pristine white sands.
