Back in 2014, I ended up in Ha Tien by complete accident, having missed a ferry from Phu Quoc to Rach Gia, 90 kilometres away.
What a stroke of luck.
Wanting to explore for an afternoon, I rented a bicycle and was instantly charmed. Venturing even a few minutes past Ha Tien’s bland hotel zone yielded lovely streets with cheerful local life and almost no tourists, all surrounded by magical green hills.
The town just had something about it, and going back stayed at the back of my mind. So when the came up for an extended break, I spent two weeks hanging out there before heading off on a longer cycling trip through the Mekong Delta.
Ha Tien offers possibly the ideal conditions to acclimatise to Vietnamese road conditions, with very light traffic and plenty of good, flat roads through great countryside.
More than a stop over for Phu Quoc Island
Nestled amongst more than twenty forested peaks, Ha Tien has scenery galore.
The surrounding countryside has bit of everything that is classic Vietnam: emerald rice fields, canals, coastline, as well as the towering and serene limestone formations more commonly associated with the North.
The town itself is centred around a broad estuary where the Giang Thanh river meets the sea, and boats of all shapes and sizes zoom back and forth, fishing and transporting goods.
And as you’d expect from a coastal border town (Ha Tien is a key border crossing with Cambodia) the area has a rich and complex past and strong links to its Khmer neighbours.
Cultural sites, ancient legends and local heroes pop up in various places, all interwoven with the area’s unique landscape.
Integral to to the town’s history is the Mac Dynasty, founded by Chinese adventurer Mac Cuu, who founded an independent kingdom at Ha Tien around 1700, and whose tomb sits atop one of the hillsides.
And, according to local legend, the town’s name is derived from the water fairies or nymphs (tien) that were drawn to the area’s beauty and remain to this day in Dong Ho Lake, basking in the lake.
Ha Tien is a popular weekend getaway for domestic Vietnamese tourists, but (sadly) sees only a smattering of international visitors. Most pass through town on their way between Phu Quoc Island and Cambodia and don’t venture past the scruffy main market area to see the more attractive parts of town.
Why go?
Ha Tien would have to be up there as one of Vietnam’s underrated destinations
Laid back, friendly and endearing, there are some cracking – if not truly landmark – sights around this little town. Refreshingly un-touristed, its a great place to get in step with the southern Vietnam vibe.
Ha Tien’s streets are broad and relatively traffic free, and scattered (if not packed) with quaint old buildings. Tasty and varied food is everywhere, from good quality street food to seafood on the waterfront.
As a westerner walking about town you’ll receive some surprised ‘hellos’ from children and adults alike.
Of course, this is Vietnam, and parts Ha Tien is a little rough around the edges – but that is part of its charm and authenticity. That said, this is a town on the up – recently declared a ‘special economic zone’ by the government, and workers have been busy with landscaping and other civic works around the streets.
Not surprisingly much of this focus is around the waterfront area, and (at the time of writing) it looks like that is continuing around the untidy section of waterfront west of the market, where a villa development is underway.
Things to see and do
Travel books or web sites will generally tell you there’s not much to do here. I’d politely disagree with that.
To do the area justice (and since I was there a while) I decided to covered the sights over a few posts including my: Top ten things to do in Ha Tien.
There are a number of things to occupy your time, both in Ha Tien itself, and in the surrounding area. Of course it helps to have access to a bicycle or scooter, but there’s also a fantastic market, tree-lined streets, charming shop houses and some intriguing temples all within walking distance. Check out a suggested walking tour here.
Cycling
Cycling around Ha Tien is an absolute pleasure, and should be a reason in itself for visiting. As I said earlier, it really is a terrific place to find your bearings ahead of a longer cycling trip, given the remarkable lack of traffic.
During my two-week sojourn I took the chance to map out the area’s best cycling roads: including four loops that also take in Ha Tien’s main sights.
Hiring a bicycle
Unlike towns with more established traveller scenes, Ha Tien hasn’t quiet woken up to the fact that bicycle hire is a good – and normal – thing. Even if there is no advertised bicycle rental at your guesthouse, be sure to ask as they may be able to organise something for you. I’ve previously stayed at the Gia Phuc guesthouse and hired bikes on an informal basis.
Happy Hotel, Ha Tien’s main backpacker hangout, hires pushbikes for a rather steep $7 per day.
Motorbikes/scooters can be rented everywhere.
Repairs and bike shops
Head to corner of Lam Son and Mac Cong Du. You’ll find a small bike shop that does repairs, sells accessories (I had a bike stand fitted) and also has a range of modern bikes for sale.
Bird farming (what’s with the chirping?)
Swiftlet farming is on the rise around South East Asia, and has fast become big business in Ha Tien.
Swiflets produce birds’ nests which are edible and highly sought after for a host of medicinal properties, using a saliva gland in their neck.
Countless families have now converted the upper stories of their homes as nesting places for a share of this lucrative business, and the sound of amplified chirping (which encourages nesting) fills the air.
At sunset, the sight of hordes of swiftlets flying across the water ‘back to base’ in town is quite something. Anyway, should you be interested, I found this article to be pretty informative: https://www.audubon.org/news/birds-nest-soup-more-popular-ever-thanks-swiftlet-house-farms
Here are some sights and sounds from the swiftlets taken from my hotel balcony.
Markets, shops and services
Ha Tien’s large market precinct is a tourist attraction in itself. To say this is a vibrant market would be an understatement – this place is a thriving buzz of activity.
There are actually four covered sites clustered together: each specialising in meat and vegetables; fish; fruit, flowers and food respectively. Behind behind them, you’ll find an area that is a sort of cheerful free for all in the morning before transforming into a clothes market later in the day.
Best of all, you can sleep in and still see it. Where other Vietnamese markets are dead by 8am, this one is still busy well past 9 or even 10am, and then again in the late afternoon. It’s a great place to grab breakfast or stock up on sweet treats for later in the day.
Supermarket
In late 2018, Coop mart supermarket opened its doors on Mac Cong Du street. Shiny, new and commercial, it’s worlds away from the Ha Tien market but a very handy place to stock up on life’s necessities (including fruit) without the need to haggle. It’s also a handy place to get change from those pesky 500K bills.
Pharmacy
I had cause to visit one of these and can report that the lady at Anh Tuyet at 38 Bach Dang was helpful and speaks good English.
Haircut
Likewise, I had a very good experience at the Le Cuong salon at 17 Chi Lang street. The lovely Mr Cuong can really cut hair!
Swimming pool
You would never know it from walking past, but the River Hotel (Green Hills Restaurant) has a swimming pool – perfect for cooling off in the heat of the day! Depending on who’s on staff, you might be charged a small fee or get away with just buying a drink.
Oasis Bar – Ha Tien’s traveller hang out
THE place for travellers to hang out and arrange onward travel, Oasis is a local institution and serves up comfort dishes including mozarella salad, curries, hommus and a full English Breakfast.
Proprietor Andy is a great source of local knowledge, and a reliable person to help you arrange motorbike hire and onward travel to Cambodia (motorbike taxi is a great way to reach towns such as Kep and Kampot).
Where to eat in Ha Tien
Ha Tien is famous for seafood but also has a vibrant and high-quality street food scene. Locals pack out the many stalls and eateries in the mornings and evenings – avoid the hottest part of the day the town is like one big street food buffet.
With most dishes costing around 25-30K (or less), this is one of the most affordable destinations you’ll find in any part of Vietnam.
It’s all so good I have put together a separate street food guide – check it out here. Even if you aren’t staying long enough in town, this guide gives you a great snapshop of dishes you’ll find all over southern Vietnam.
Accommodation
By far the nicest part of Ha Tien to stay is the small pocket of leafy streets bordered by Mac Cong Du (look for the Oasis Bar on the corner) and Mac Cuu.
Only around five to ten minutes’ walk north east of the main market, this is a designated heritage or cultural area, and forms part of my walking tour.
There are plenty of small guesthouses: look for signs saying ‘Nha Nghi’ (guest house), and with so many in town it shouldn’t be hard to negotiate a discount, especially on a weekday.
Khach San Hai Yen
15 Duong To Chau. Standard room: 300-400K
Following a most excellent tip from the Vietnam Coracle, I stayed on the fifth (top) floor of the Hai Yen Hotel.
It’s a fantastic place to stay, not least for the 180-degree views from the room and balcony, which take in the sunrise. The room is beautifully presented with a kettle, fridge, and decent wifi.
They don’t speak much English, but the staff are delightful, and lovingly tend to their collection of ornaments and orchids. It’s a large, solid, rambling building with so many rooms that you are pretty much guaranteed to get one without booking.
Nha Nghi Hoa Hiep
Around the corner from the Hai Yen at 12 Chi Lang is a small, friendly guesthouse with good AC rooms for around 200K (make sure you bargain).
The top floor has an excellent view over the waterfront and there’s a communal roof top area for hanging out or drying your clothes.
Closer to the market on Dang Thuy Tram (opposite the prominent Hai Phuong hotel) is the Gia Phuc guesthouse. I enjoyed staying there on my last visit. They have bright, spotless rooms for 250K, the front ones having great views of the water.
Weather and when to visit
While temperatures don’t vary so much in this part of Vietnam, the best time to visit is probably November to February when mornings are cool and humidity is low.
As a general rule, mornings, late afternoons and evenings are extremely pleasant, especially right by the waterfront, a magnet for locals who come out in droves to stroll, exercise and let their kids run around.
When planning your day, try to factor in some ‘chill time’ in the middle of the day between 12pm and 2pm when things can get baking hot. This is a good time to retreat to your hotel room or a cafe and catch up on life admin.
