The first stop in Vietnam if you come down from Cambodia by boat. On the Bassac, raft houses farm fish; to the west, the Ba Chua Xu temple at the foot of Sam Mountain draws pilgrims.
Photo by Florian Delée on Unsplash
Photo by Christophe95 on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Photo by Bùi Thụy Đào Nguyên on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo by Vyacheslav Argenberg on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0
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Photo by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
Photo by Bùi Thụy Đào Nguyên on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo by Florian Delée on Unsplash
Photo by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
Photo by Bùi Thụy Đào Nguyên on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo by diGital Sennin on Unsplash
Photo by Vyacheslav Argenberg on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0
Photo by Christophe95 on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo by Florian Delée on Unsplash
Chau Doc lines the Hau, the arm of the Mekong that Cambodians call the Bassac, a few kilometres from the border in An Giang province. At the confluence, raft houses farm fish beneath their floors; 165 of them have been repainted in rainbow colours along more than a kilometre. On the bank, two hundred metres from the market, a 12 m statue pays tribute to the basa fish.
Photo by Bùi Thụy Đào Nguyên on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
At the foot of the hill, the temple of the Lady of the Realm houses a sandstone statue that legend says was found on the summit more than two centuries ago. Her festival, from the 22nd to the 27th of the 4th lunar month, has been on UNESCO's intangible heritage list since December 2024; in 2026 it opened on June 6. A 900 m cable car has run to the top since 2021.
Photo by Christophe95 on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
The floating fish farms at the confluence can be visited by boat, along with the floating village next to them. The Victoria hotel runs the trip: from 660,000 dong per person for six to 1,747,000 dong for one, at 2026 rates.
Photo by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
Across the river, the Muslim Cham villages of Chau Giang and Phum Soai keep their mosques, including the blue and white Mubarak, a national monument since 1989, and a few looms. The ferry stopped on May 5, 2024: you now cross on the 667 m Chau Doc bridge.
Photo by diGital Sennin on Unsplash
25 to 30 km southwest, 850 ha of flooded cajuput trees, protected since 2003 and home to more than 70 bird species. You go in by motorboat, then by rowing boat; a bamboo walkway and a tower of about 23 m overlook the forest. Entry 100,000 to 120,000 dong depending on the guide; best from September to November, when the water is high.
Photo by Bùi Thụy Đào Nguyên on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
Chau Doc market is nicknamed the kingdom of mam: fish fermented in jars, coated in roasted rice and glazed with palm sugar, a tradition of more than a century. Also try bun ca, a fish noodle soup, and lau mam, a mam hotpot.
Crossing by river: the Vietnam e-visa ($25, up to 90 days) is valid at the Vinh Xuong river checkpoint, as long as you chose it when applying. Heading into Cambodia, the Cambodian e-visa is not accepted here: get a visa on arrival, $37 in 2026 according to Hang Chau.
A lodge on the slopes of Sam Mountain, a top-rated guesthouse in the centre, and a small town hotel.
Photo: Victoria Nui Sam Lodge
A hillside lodge with an outdoor pool facing the plain; four-poster beds and private terraces, Vietnamese and Asian restaurant.
≈ $226 a night
Photo: Homestay Khoa
A guesthouse in town with private bathrooms and free parking; rated 9.7 on Booking from more than 550 reviews.
≈ $18 a night
Photo: Paris Hotel Châu Đốc
A 2-star hotel with a bar and shared lounge; air-conditioned rooms, some with city views, 24-hour front desk.
≈ $44 a night
Booking affiliate links · average nightly price checked in October 2026
Speedboat · about 6.5 hours
Hang Chau leaves Phnom Penh at 12:30 pm, border included: 1,580,000 dong, cash only, until May 2027. The other way, it departs at 7 am from the Victoria hotel, 1,640,000 dong. The Victoria's own boat, 4,590,000 dong, only runs with 7 passengers or more.
Tickets and times on 12Go Affiliate linkBus · 3 hours
About ten departures a day on 12Go, from 4 am to 6 pm, around €7 (VietNam Travel Bus).
Buses and times on 12Go Affiliate linkBus · 5.5 to 6 hours
FUTA Bus Lines in the late afternoon and evening, €10 to €11 on 12Go, to Mien Tay bus station. Chau Doc bus station is about 4 km from the centre.
Buses and times on 12Go Affiliate linkAbout 3 hours by road
Can Tho international airport is the nearest and accepts the e-visa. Can Tho city is about 110 km away.
Times and prices checked on October 11, 2026 on 12Go and the Hang Chau and Victoria hotel websites: check again before you travel.
December to February are the driest months: 30 to 32 °C in the afternoon, 22 °C at night. The monsoon runs from May to October, peaking in October (302 mm). The flood rises in July and recedes in December, usually peaking in early or mid-October: 3.48 m at Chau Doc on October 9, 2025, only 3.21 m on September 28, 2026. This is the season for Tra Su and flooded rice fields.
| Month | J (current month) | F (current month) | M (current month) | A (current month) | M (current month) | J (current month) | J (current month) | A (current month) | S (current month) | O (current month) | N (current month) | D (current month) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airhigh / low | ||||||||||||
| Rainmm | ||||||||||||
| Daysof rain | 4 | 2 | 7 | 15 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 15 | 7 |
| Mekonglevel | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Low | Rising | High | High | High | Falling |
| Our take | Ideal | Ideal | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Difficult | Fair | Good |
| Month | Low – high | mm | River |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan (current month) | 24 | Low | |
| Feb (current month) | 13 | Low | |
| Mar (current month) | 42 | Low | |
| Apr (current month) | 106 | Low | |
| May (current month) | 189 | Low | |
| Jun (current month) | 207 | Low | |
| Jul (current month) | 212 | Low | |
| Aug (current month) | 221 | Rising | |
| Sep (current month) | 276 | High | |
| Oct (current month) | 302 | High | |
| Nov (current month) | 116 | High | |
| Dec (current month) | 48 | Falling |
2 tours to book in Chau Doc
Affiliate links GetYourGuide · Prices checked October 11, 2026
The Tra Su cajuput forest by motorboat and then sampan, and the Ba Chua Xu temple at the foot of Sam Mountain, with an English-speaking guide.
from$128
AvailabilityMy Tho and the Ben Tre canals on day one, a night in Chau Doc, then the speedboat to Phnom Penh, border included.
from$241
AvailabilitySources: climate, Open-Meteo (ERA5 archive, 1991-2020 averages); floods, Vietnam's National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (2025 and 2026 bulletins) and Tuoi Tre (October 2025); administrative changes, National Assembly resolutions (2025); Ba Chua Xu festival, UNESCO (2024), Bao Van Hoa and Nhan Dan (2026); Sam Mountain and cable car, Tuoi Tre (2021); fish-farm rafts, Nhan Dan (2023); boat trips and Victoria speedboat, Victoria Hotels (2026); Cham villages and Mubarak mosque, VietnamPlus (2021); Chau Doc bridge, Vietnamese press (2024); Tra Su, Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, Wikipedia and mia.vn (2026); market and mam, VnExpress (2024) and Bao Phap Luat (2018); Long Xuyen market, Nhan Dan (June 2026); Hang Chau boat, operator's website (2026); e-visa, Vietnamese government portal (2025); safety, FCDO (2026); buses, Wikivoyage (2025); transport, 12Go (checked October 11, 2026); activities, GetYourGuide (checked October 11, 2026). Updated on October 12, 2026 by Pierre-Marie Coupry.
