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Getting there

Accommodation

Attractions

Cuisine

Combined itinerary

Thoi Son Islet, also known as Thoi Son or Lan islet, spans an area of 1,200 hectares. It is the largest among the four famous islets — Long, Lan, Quy, and Phung — on the Tien River, located in Thoi Son ward, My Tho city, Tien Giang province. This ecological tourist destination has welcomed visitors since the 1990s. Its intricate system of canals, fruit orchards, and traditional craft villages define the unique charm of the destination.

Visitors experience a sampan ride on Ba Ngoan canal. Photo: Hieu Loki

The period from july to october marks the fruit ripening season, offering visitors the chance to pick longans, guavas, and citrus fruits, enjoying them fresh or purchasing them as gifts. Additionally, the islet provides services such as horse-drawn carriage rides and visits to bee farms, where guests can enjoy honey tea.

Getting there

For those traveling by air, the airports in Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho are the closest arrival points. From there, visitors can take a bus to Thoi Son Islet.

From Ho Chi Minh City, visitors should depart from Mien Tay Bus Station. One-way ticket prices range from 100,000 VND to 150,000 VND, depending on the bus company, vehicle type, and destination. Recommended bus operators include Duy Quy, Thong Nhat, Thao Chau, Phuong Trang, Phuong Hong Linh, and Ben Tre limousine. Travel time to My Tho is approximately two hours. Given its proximity to Ho Chi Minh City, visitors can also opt for a private moto or oto.

Taking a motorboat on the Tien River to Thoi Son Islet. Photo: Phuc Ho

Popular tours depart from My Tho Tourist Boat Pier, taking visitors on a cruise along the Tien River to Thoi Son Islet. Tour prices range from 150,000 VND to 450,000 VND per person, while personalized tours cost around one million VND.

Accommodation

Accommodation options for visiting Thoi Son Islet are primarily concentrated in My Tho.

In My Tho, visitors can choose hotels such as Mekong My Tho, Cuu Long, Song Tien, or Chuong Duong, with prices ranging from 500,000 VND to one million VND per night. More budget-friendly homestays, guesthouses, and hotels are available, with prices between 150,000 VND and 300,000 VND.

A hotel room overlooking the Tien River. Photo: Central Plaza

Staying at hotels located in My Tho's city center, along streets like 30/4, Ap Bac, or Tet Mau Than, allows visitors to experience the local night cuisine.

Attractions

Visiting a coconut candy workshop

On Thoi Son Islet, visiting a coconut candy workshop is an interesting experience to learn about one of the Mekong Delta's characteristic traditional crafts.

A coconut candy workshop on Thoi Son Islet. Photo: Paul

Here, visitors can witness the manual process of making coconut candy, from grating coconut flesh and cooking it with malt and sugar in large pans, to the stages of rolling, cutting, and wrapping the candies. Besides learning about the history and secrets behind the candy's rich, fragrant flavor, visitors can also taste freshly made candies and purchase them as gifts. This experience offers insight into the daily life, culture, and craftsmanship of the people in the Tien Giang river region.

Sampan rides on water coconut canals

A sampan ride on Ba Ngoan canal is a popular choice for many visitors to Thoi Son Islet. Local residents paddle the sampans, navigating through narrow canals shaded by water coconut trees, with lush fruit orchards lining both sides.

Visitors experience a sampan ride on Ba Ngoan canal. Photo: Jayni Tran

Visitors experience a sampan ride on Ba Ngoan canal. Photo: Jayni Tran

This 10-15 minute journey allows visitors to experience the peaceful atmosphere of the river region, away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Visiting a traditional puffed rice workshop

A traditional puffed rice workshop offers insight into a craft deeply connected to the lives of Mekong Delta residents. Here, visitors can observe the process of roasting glutinous rice, puffing it, and sifting it using manual methods, while also enjoying freshly made puffed rice with its distinct aroma. Many establishments also prepare dishes from puffed rice, such as puffed rice candy, flattened puffed rice, or cakes made from puffed rice, for visitors to sample and buy as souvenirs.

Experiencing puffed rice making on Thoi Son Islet. Photo: Phuc Ho

Horse-drawn carriage rides on village roads

A horse-drawn carriage ride along the village roads evokes images of the old Mekong Delta. The carriage rolls slowly past coconut trees, fruit orchards, and houses nestled under green canopies. The sound of hooves and the clatter of wheels on the road create a nostalgic atmosphere, becoming a highlight of the journey to explore Thoi Son Islet.

Horse-drawn carriage ride on a village road. Photo: Trong Hoa

Don Ca Tai Tu Southern Vietnamese traditional music performance

A Don Ca Tai Tu performance is an essential part of exploring Thoi Son Islet. In a garden setting, visitors can enjoy seasonal fruits while listening to Southern Vietnamese folk melodies performed by local artists. This art form, recognized by UNESCO on the "Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity", offers an intimate experience, helping visitors understand the spiritual life and cultural identity of the river region.

Visiting fruit orchards

Visiting fruit orchards is a favorite activity for many tourists coming to Thoi Son Islet. Depending on the season, visitors can stroll beneath trees laden with fruits such as rambutan, longan, plum, or mango, learning about the local gardening models. Many orchards also serve freshly picked fruits on-site.

Experiencing folk games

Tourist areas on Thoi Son Islet offer many folk games that capture the essence of the garden region for visitors to experience. Notable activities include walking on monkey bridges, cycling across plank bridges, paddling sampans, bailing water to catch fish, or swinging on ropes over canals. These activities are suitable for groups of friends and families. Beyond entertainment, they help visitors better understand the distinctive lifestyle of the Southern Vietnamese river region.

Cuisine

Enjoying water coconut

Water coconut is a rustic treat linked to the Mekong Delta's river ecosystem. After exploring Thoi Son Islet, visitors can enjoy water coconuts freshly separated from their clusters, featuring transparent, crispy-soft flesh and a cool, sweet taste. This fruit is often eaten fresh or combined with ice and syrup to quench thirst, offering a flavor unique to the Tien River region.

Enjoying honey tea

At bee farms, visitors can observe the process of bee care, honey harvesting, and learn about the characteristics of different types of honey according to the flowering season.

Enjoying honey tea. Photo: Jayni Tran

After the tour, visitors can enjoy honey tea mixed with kumquat or pollen—a sweet, fragrant drink often served to refresh in the garden setting.

Picking garden fruits

Strolling through fruit orchards is a characteristic experience of Thoi Son Islet. Under the cool green canopies, visitors have the opportunity to learn about garden cultivation models and hear locals introduce seasonal fruits such as rambutan, longan, plum, durian, or mango. Many orchards also serve freshly picked fruits on-site, allowing visitors to savor fresh flavors in the peaceful river setting.

Crispy fried elephant ear fish

Crispy fried elephant ear fish is a specialty dish in the garden meals on Thoi Son Islet. The fish is deep-fried whole until the skin is golden and crispy, while the flesh inside remains sweet and tender. When eating, diners wrap the fish meat with rice paper, fresh vegetables, and vermicelli, dipping it in sweet and sour fish sauce, creating a harmonious flavor characteristic of Mekong Delta cuisine.

Visitors enjoy Southern Vietnamese banh xeo on Thoi Son Islet. Photo: Phuc Ho

Depending on the number of diners, restaurants serve various fish sizes, with prices ranging from 150,000 VND to 250,000 VND per fish.

Southern Vietnamese banh xeo

Southern Vietnamese banh xeo is a dish served to many visitors at restaurants on Thoi Son Islet. The pancake has a crispy golden crust and a filling of shrimp, pork, and bean sprouts, served with various garden vegetables and sweet and sour fish sauce. On weekends or peak seasons, visitors should book in advance to ensure the restaurant prepares it, avoiding long waits after their tour.

Cu lao hotpot

Cu lao hotpot is a familiar dish at gatherings in Southern Vietnam and is served by many restaurants on Thoi Son Islet. The hotpot is placed on a charcoal stove with a central chimney, featuring a sweet broth made from simmered bones, served with shrimp, squid, fish, meat, green vegetables, and vermicelli. This dish is suitable for large groups, especially after exploring the garden region.

Combined itinerary

A trip to Thoi Son Islet typically lasts one day. Visitors can combine it with visits to Con Phung Islet, Vinh Trang Pagoda, and other nearby attractions.

Con Phung Islet

Con Phung Islet is one of the four famous islets on the Tien River, located in Tan Thach commune, Vinh Long province (formerly part of Ben Tre). This destination is associated with Nguyen Thanh Nam (1909-1990), who founded the Coconut Religion in the 1960s. He built many structures reflecting spiritual themes and a philosophy of religious harmony, notably the Cuu Long yard, Hoa Binh tower, and worship areas. After the Coconut Religion ceased operations, the area was converted into a tourist site, preserving some structures and artifacts to introduce visitors to a unique period in the Mekong Delta's cultural history.

Vinh Trang Pagoda

The pagoda is located on Nguyen Trung Truc street, My Phong ward, Dong Thap province. Vinh Trang Pagoda was built in the mid-19th century, with architecture combining French, Roman, Khmer, Chinese, and Vietnamese styles. The Vietnam Records Book Center recognized Vinh Trang Pagoda in 2007 as the first Vietnamese pagoda to combine Eastern and Western architectural styles.

The front of Vinh Trang Pagoda. Photo: Tran Quynh

The grounds of Vinh Trang Pagoda. Photo: Tran Quynh

The pagoda, covering approximately 20,000 square meters, features a complex of Buddha statues, a bell tower, a main hall, and an ancestral house, making it a popular tourist attraction in Tien Giang.