A resident rows her way through the perennially flowering U Minh cajeput forest.

With the nation’s largest mangrove swamp, complex waterway networks, multiple bird sanctuaries and islands with sparkling rocks, the southernmost Ca Mau Provinces will not remain a hidden charm for long.

That much is made obvious to the visitor very soon after she or he enters the southernmost province in the country, now famous as a premier shrimp breeding area.

Situated about 350 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City, Ca Mau has great ecotourism potential, given its salt-marsh ecological systems, vast forests, highly diverse flora and fauna, and a 254 kilometer coastline.

At the very top of the province’s ecotourism attractions would be U Minh, meaning twilight, the largest mangrove swamp in the country, serving as an ideal and idyllic retreat.

The U Minh area is a day trip from Ca Mau City, but well worth the distance traveled as you walk through the rice fields, indigo and mangrove forests and honeybee breeding areas.

U Minh is the lungs of the Mekong Delta, and is second only to the Amazon forest in South America in terms of biodiversity. The lower section of U Minh, U Minh Ha, contains the Vo Doi protected forest, which has over 3,600 hectares of cajeput trees. The cajeput trees flower all year round, attracting swarms of bees, generating excellent quality honey.

U Minh Ha also has 6,000 hectares of peat, one of the biggest such reserves in Vietnam. Its lush vegetation provides a habitat for 72 species of mammals and birds.

Several of these species are listed in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources’ (IUCN) Red List and Vietnam’s Red Book of endangered species, such as the pangolin (Manis pentadactyla), the hairy-nosed otter (Lutra sumatrana) and the king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah).

Also nestling in the green foliage and marshlands of U Minh Ha are various kinds of water-fowls, like herons, egrets, storks, ibises, ducks, rails and shorebirds. A large variety of fresh-water fish can also be found in the brackish water, including ca ro (Anabas testudineus), ca loc (Ophiocephalus maculatus), ca tre (Clariidae) and ca thac lac (Notopterus notopterus Pallas).

Visitors to U Minh National Park are allowed to go fishing and even cook their catch to satisfy their culinary instincts, but these are also well served by local specialties like the ca loc nuong trui (unscaled fish grilled whole in straws) and ca keo nuong ong tre (small fish grilled in bamboo sections).

Ca Mau is also home to several bird sanctuaries, including well known ones like Cai Nuoc, Dam Doi and Ngoc Hien. Interestingly, the National Bird Park 19-5 Sanctuary attracts more and more feathered visitors right to the heart of residential areas. About two kilometers west of downtown Ca Mau, the eight hectare park features approximately 10,000 birds, 80 percent of them storks. Some new species including teals, parrots and wild geese have begun to reside and reproduce here.

Visitors also have the chance to observe first-hand the wild creatures typical to mangrove forests, including crocodiles, monkeys, iguanas, pythons, snakes, and tortoises.

Done with the forest safari? The sea of Ca Mau throws up many must-see places on its myriad islets.

Islet highlights

Hon Khoai, the biggest of a group of islets, is one such spot. About 15 kilometers from the mainland, Hon Khoai is a rocky island of hills and forests including various kinds of precious wood like the “Star” wood. A path to the top of the island zigzags round the hillside and is shadowed by large trees. Jackfruit and mango trees, many of them decades old, are a beautiful sight in their own right.

Many wild flowers blossom in rock cavities as though specially placed there as part of some artistic arrangement. The sound of running water and the chirping of birds complete a heavenly picture. On the Hon Khoai coast, there are numerous algae that are used to cook delicious dishes. Many species of birds, including wild geese and swallows, have made Hon Khoai their home.

The architecturally intact 318 meter-high lighthouse on Hon Khoai Island, built in 1920, unfailingly puts on its best postcard behavior for visitors. The lighthouse tower is one of the earliest constructions on Vietnamese territorial waters.

Not to be missed is the “the silver stone,” as Hon Da Bac Island is colloquially known. The 180-million-year-old East Sea island off the coast of Ca Mau gets its name from the shiny granite rock formations that make its shore sparkle in the sunlight.

The island has gained a reputation as southern Vietnam’s spot for do-it-yourself oyster, with visitors having the opportunity to dive for their own shellfish. Visitors dive 1-3 meters deep to reach the mollusks and use mallets to loosen the oysters from their beds. It is said that the oysters here are the most wholesome and delicious in the country.

Not surprisingly, Hon Da Bac has one of southern Vietnam’s best seacooking restaurants, specializing in bird’s nest dishes and its trademark oysters.

Another one of Hon Da Bac’s unique tourist attractions is a temple that houses a giant whale’s skeleton placed on an altar. From the provincial capital of Ca Mau, it is an hour and a half by motorbike to travel the 60 kilometers to the island, which is linked to the mainland by a bridge. Travelers can also reach Hon Da Bac by motor boat or ferry.

Historic lagoon

In the heart of green fields and surrounded with nipa trees, the Thi Tuong Lagoon, one of the largest in the Mekong Delta, is a breathtaking natural landscape that, along with other historical relics in the area, lures legions of photographers, filmmakers and researchers.

Sunrise on the lagoon is a mesmerizing experience as the light interacts with the dew, accompanied by the singing of birds. When the sun is up and the dew has disappeared, the daily life of the people in this coastal area comes into sharper focus.

Around the lagoon, there are many historic relics and army bases used in the two wars of resistance against the French and the Americans, including the Xeo Duoc Base.

Visitors can also stay in houses on stilts in the floating village, to observe or even take part in the daily life of the locals. Traveling in the lagoon by canoe under the shadows of the nipa trees provides breathtaking scenery.

A trip to Ca Mau is a tryst with nature that feels like the beginning of a long courtship.

Reported by Diem Thu