Situated about 50 kilometers from the center of HCMC, Vam Sat Salt-Marsh Forest
Ecological Tourist Zone in Can Gio District, is one of the city’s oxygen lungs
and a popular venue for day trips.

Tourists pat a deer at Vam Sat Ecotourism Area in HCMC’s Can Gio District.

The diverse fauna and flora make it
ideal for scientific research, ecological tourism and rejuvenation.

A sanctuary away from vehicle noise
and exhaust, millions of trees send oxygen back into the atmosphere, one of the
reasons why it is recognized as a world salt-marsh biosphere reserve.

Visitors can enjoy fishing,
cruising, watching wildlife, walking on bamboo bridges and tasting the local
specialties.

The tour starts with a hired
motorboat at Dan Xay Bridge accompanied by female guides in traditional
costumes. The boat follows the canals under the tree canopy.

One of the gibbons at Bat Swamp. (Photos: SGT)

After about 20 minutes, you will
arrive in Bat Swamp, where you can see troupes of monkeys and bats in the tree
tops. You can also try your hand at catching one of the local crabs so you can
eat its giant claws for lunch.

Saying goodbye to the Bat Swamp, the
tour takes you crocodile fishing at a crocodile farm, swimming in the sea, or
feeding monkeys and deer.

The view of the mangroves from Tang
Bong Tower is not to be missed. The binoculars up there make it easy to spy on
the forest’s many water fowl.

Visiting Vam Sat Eco-Tourist Area by
boat from HCMC is a new way to see the mangroves. The journey starts from Bach
Dang Wharf in the very early morning. Visitors can also head to Binh Khanh ferry
station and then take an hour long bus ride to Dan Xay Bridge.

VietNamNet/SGT