Chau Doc & An Giang

Châu Đốc, An Giang

Floating villages, Cham mosques and Khmer pagodas on the Cambodian border.

Region: South · Mekong Delta
Province: An Giang
Best weather: December–February
In this guide: 9 places · 4 dishes

Overview

An Giang, on the Cambodian border, is where the Mekong first enters Vietnam — and where the delta is at its most diverse. Kinh, Khmer, Cham and Chinese communities live side by side, so a day can take in a floating fish farm, a mosque, a Khmer pagoda and a busy Chinese temple.

Chau Doc is the base: a lively river town below Sam Mountain, a major pilgrimage site. To the south, the Seven Mountains area (That Son) rises unexpectedly from the rice plains, with Cam Mountain as the highest peak and palm-dotted paddies all around. Tra Su melaleuca forest is one of the most beautiful boat trips in the delta.

The flood season (around September to November) transforms the landscape: fields turn into lakes, water lilies bloom and fishing takes over. The dry season (December–April) is best for the mountains.

Where to go

Tra Su Melaleuca Forest

Rừng tràm Trà Sư

Glide by small boat through a flooded forest under a carpet of bright green duckweed, with storks and herons overhead. Most beautiful in the flood season.

Cam Mountain

Núi Cấm

The highest of the Seven Mountains, reached by cable car, with pagodas, a giant Maitreya Buddha statue and views across the plains into Cambodia.

Chau Doc Floating Village

Làng bè Châu Đốc

Houses built on floating rafts on the Hau River, with fish farms underneath. Take an early boat to see daily life on the water.

Mubarak Mosque

Thánh đường Mubarak

A white-domed mosque in a Cham village across the river from Chau Doc. Visitors are welcome outside prayer times; dress modestly.

Ta Pa Rice Fields

Cánh đồng Tà Pạ

A patchwork of rice fields below a small Khmer hilltop pagoda in Tri Ton — vivid green in the growing season and gold at harvest.

Ta Pa Pagoda

Chùa Tà Pạ

A Khmer Theravada pagoda on a hill above the Ta Pa fields, beside a deep green quarry lake.

Xvayton Pagoda

Chùa Xà Tón

One of the oldest Khmer pagodas in An Giang, richly decorated with gold, red and naga serpents.

Tuc Dup Hill

Đồi Tức Dụp

A rocky hill riddled with caves that served as a resistance base during the war, now a memorial site with views over the plains.

Bung Binh Thien

Búng Bình Thiên

A natural freshwater lake near the Cambodian border, its water clear even when the surrounding rivers are muddy. Cham and Khmer villages line its shores.

Experiences

Explore by motorbike

The flat roads between palm-lined fields, mountains and villages are perfect for a self-guided or guided motorbike loop around the Seven Mountains.

Flood season

Mùa nước nổi

From around September to November the Mekong spreads over the fields. Locals fish from small boats, water lilies bloom and the whole region takes on a different, gentler rhythm.

What to eat

Local specialties worth seeking out in Chau Doc & An Giang.

Fermented fish hotpot

Lẩu mắm Châu Đốc

Chau Doc is famous for fermented fish (mam). This rich, pungent hotpot is loaded with fish, pork, shrimp and a basket of wild delta greens.

Palm sugar sponge cake

Bánh bò thốt nốt

A spongy, yellow cake made from rice flour, toddy palm sugar and yeast, sold along the roads near the Khmer villages.

Banh xeo

Bánh xèo

In the delta, banh xeo are huge and thin — tear off a piece, wrap it in mustard greens and herbs and dip in fish sauce.

Sau dau leaf salad

Gỏi sầu đâu

A Khmer-influenced salad of bitter neem leaves with dried snakehead fish and a sweet-sour dressing.

When to go

The most comfortable months for sightseeing in Chau Doc & An Giang are usually December–February.

Hover a month for details. Compare with other places on the season calendar.

Vietnam season calendar arrow_forward

Daily temperature range (°C)

20°25°30°35°

Rainfall per month (mm)

0100200300400

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Score

Great
Good
Fair
Wet / extreme

chevron_right Show as table

Month	High °C	Low °C	Rain mm	Wet days	Rating
January	30.7	22.6	33	5	Great
February	32.1	22.7	21	4	Great
March	33.9	24.1	28	5	Good
April	34.1	25.2	130	14	Fair
May	32.6	25.7	241	26	Fair
June	31.2	25.4	239	27	Good
July	31.0	25.2	262	27	Fair
August	31.3	25.2	251	28	Fair
September	30.9	24.7	336	29	Fair
October	30.8	24.1	381	28	Wet / extreme
November	30.9	23.8	179	20	Good
December	30.5	23.1	71	9	Great

Averages for 2016-2025 from Open-Meteo (ERA5 reanalysis, CC BY 4.0). Model data can overstate light drizzle; treat wet-day counts as a guide. How the score works.

Getting there

Chau Doc is about 250 km from Ho Chi Minh City (5–6 hours by bus) and around 3 hours from Can Tho. Boats also run up the Mekong to Phnom Penh.

Getting around Vietnam arrow_forward

Plan your stay in Chau Doc & An Giang

Compare places to stay and things to book.

hotelHotels & homestaysBooking.com tourTours & activitiesGetYourGuide confirmation_numberTransfers & ticketsKlook

Itineraries that stop here

6 days

The Mekong Delta in six days

Coconut islands, flower villages, floating markets and the Khmer and Cham communities of the Cambodian border — the delta beyond the day trip.

Stories from Chau Doc & An Giang

An Giang in the flood season: the Mekong at its gentlest

Every autumn the Mekong spills over the fields of An Giang. Locals wait for it all year — and it is one of the most beautiful times to visit.