Ben Tre

Ben Tre is the capital of eponymous Ben Tre Province in Southern Vietnam. Although only a 20-min ferry-ride away from bustling My Tho, this seems to be barrier enough to give the town a genuine backwater feeling. Tourists are still a scarce species and locals are open and friendly.

Ben Tre Province provides some of the most beautiful scenery in the Mekong delta. The milk coffee coloured waters wind their way along small channels lined with water palms, thatch, and bamboo houses are nestled in the lush orchards. The famous Vietnamese poet Nguyen Dinh Chieu was born in Ben Tre Province.

By boat
There is a ferry from Vinh Long Province to the northwestern part of the island. Again you may want to hire some sort of transport to cover the remaining distance to Ben Tre town. There is also Bus 8 from the ferry pier to Ben Tre. It seems frequent, costs about 25,000 dong for a 2-hr trip. You will need a taxi (moto ~ 20,000 dong for 10-min ride). Pay attention when arriving in Ben Tre as the bus goes to the outer bus station. Best is to stop at the roundabout after the two big bridges and Mat Kinh Dien Bien Phu optic shop and take a motorbike taxi (20,000 dong) to the town centre.

By bus
Direct minibus services from Ho Chi Minh City are to be found at Cholon and Mien Tay bus station. A bridge connects the city to My Tho so the bus ride is direct, without a ferry. On arrival at the bus station in Ben Tre, a very welcoming man with good English will try to get you to his guesthouse by showing books and stuff. In fact, the ride there takes you back where your bus came from, halfway to My Tho, about 10 km from Ben Tre. Make sure to get from the Ben Tre bus station into the town of Ben Tre, not elsewhere.
 * Bus from Mien Tay: 49,000 dong, 1½ hr, air con, first bus around 06:30

Get around
The town stretches along the river, so a bicycle or a motorbike are the best way to get around.

See
There are no real sights in their own right, but you could have a look at the unspoiled market or visit the rice wine factory on the south bank, 0.5 km west of the old bridge. You can also visit the inevitable coconut candy factory here. It's a must if you haven't been to one yet, since in this "factory" basically everything is done by hand.

Do
Trung Tam Dieu/Ben Tre tour operation centre (closed during lunch) has some private tours in Ben Tre by boat or by bike and homestay tour. It also gives information on the city.



Eat
The usual food stalls are found around the market. Be warned that one of the favourite soups in the delta, hu tieu, contains boiled intestines and liver. There is also a floating restaurant near the old bridge. Sweet bakery for breakfast? Go to the huge Coop Mart (08:00-22:00) just behind street Hai Ba Trung.



Drink
Coldest beer in Ben Tre? Go to the Oasis.

Go next
Buses leave from the outer bus station. There are get a minibus to My Tho or Ho Chi Minh City from inside town.
 * Ho Chi Minh City - 70,000 dong, on Tran Quoc Tuan St north of the lake.
 * My Tho - ~20,000 dong, on Dong Khoi St, bus stop near school
 * Can Tho - 75,000 dong, 3 hr, non air con 30 seater bus, leaves a few times a day with the last one at 13:30 (October 2023)

The boats leave between 08:30 and 09:00 every day. It takes a long time, but it's an adventurous and cheap option (expect to pay between 60,000-120,000 dong per person). They leave from the area east of the new bridge. Boats are light blue and will take you to:
 * Tra Vinh
 * Can Tho
 * Vinh Long