Gateway to canal country: my guide to Chau Doc

Chau Doc is a rough-edged regional city right on the border with Cambodia.

Like the southernmost border town of Ha Tien, the town is mainly a transit point and largely unexplored by visitors.

Unlike the languid vibe of its southern cousin however, Chau Doc is a churning hub of commerce where the pace often approaches the frantic.

Or at least, from the back of a bicycle, that’s the way people drive.

Yep, central Chau Doc is not a great place for either walking or cycling.

I’m sure there are incredible local speciality foods to be tried, but if you’re just passing through, and want to conserve your energy, I’d recommend keeping roaming to a minimum.

There’s a nice little district across the river – there you’ll find a few good place places to stay and some OK local places to eat.

Life in Chau Doc is organised around the river: locals struggle to negotiate a steep arch bridge

Perfect launching point for classic Delta country

Of course, there is some really lovely rural scenery surrounding Chau Doc, and I read that the sunset from Nui Sam hill are amazing.

Visit the Chau Doc vicinity in the right season (I was there in December) and you’ll find lush carpets of rice fields criss-crossed by endless canals.

All this can be experienced in experienced by cycling a flat 20 kilometre route between town and the wonderful Tra Su forest and bird sanctuary, You can do this either as a return day trip, or en route from Ba Chuc as part of my Mekong Delta cycling tour.

Chau Doc accomodation

The suburb of Phuoc Tho, located across the Con Tien bridge, offers a cluster of good accommodation options.

This is a new-ish area and not exactly bursting with charm or character, but it’s convenient for onward travel if you’re planning an early morning river crossing by ferry.

I for one found it blissfully free from the traffic noise and low-level chaos I’d experienced making my way through town.

There are a handful of guesthouses and hotels making it quite easy to show up and shop around.

I stayed at the very new and slightly fancy Dang Khoi 2 Hotel (300K); ultra clean and comfortable after a long day on the road.

The standard rooms don’t have windows but staff were happy enough to upgrade me, for no extra cost, to a large and airy family room.

Just down the road, Bao Thy guesthouse is a backpacker favourite. It has budget-friendly rooms (with windows) for 200K. The smooth-talking owner speaks English and there are a bunch of tour and booking services on offer. Breakfast is available.

Breakfast and dinner

A cluster of food and drink stalls can be found just around the corner from the guesthouses, and is a popular evening hang out place for young people and families.

In the morning, grab a plate of Com Tam Suon (think Vietnamese bacon and egg with rice). At night, there’s also noodle soup with fish. (Just don’t accidentally order the ‘special’ version – you’ll end up with a weird tasting fish head).

For dinner, head to the ‘Quan Hai San’ (informal restaurant). It does good, cheap seafood fried rice (Com Chien Hai San) for 35K. Bia Saigon goes down a treat for 10K.

First though, please visit the adorable Ms Linh for an evening snack at her Banh Trang Nuong stall right on the start of the bridge.

Linh takes rice paper rounds, piles on various fillings, folds them over and then grilled until crispy. It’s hard to describe, but extremely tasty to eat.

Market

Chau doc is well-known for its market, and rightly so. This one is jam packed with market-y goodness: look for a cool, quiet coffee place tucked amongst the busy aisles.

My favourite section was an alley specialising in fishy ferments and preserved tamarind candy.

As mentioned, I found the drivers quite aggressive in Chau Doc. My experience was marred by people trying to force their motorbikes through the tiny lanes.

There are two temples behind the market. The easternmost is well worth popping your head into, if only for a moment of stillness.