Chau Doc Overview

This little riverside border town is worth a visit in and of itself is the main stopover for travelers going to and from Cambodia. Chau Doc is a bustling center of trade and river transport, yet also a lazy, riverside burg and a throwback to another time.

You'll still see old-style Ho Chi Minh surreys, called xe loi, a two-wheel cart on the back of a regular bicycle, instead of the standard cyclo. And though most boats have long-tail motors, many fishermen and small-time traders still row their own boats in the standing, forward-pushing style.

A large floating market and nearby ethnic Cham villages are popular for early-morning tours (usually part of a larger Mekong Delta package), as well as the small pilgrimage peak called Sam Mountain just outside of town.

Sam Mountain

The main attraction of Chau Doc is Sam Mountain. Situated 7 km from town along Bao Ho Thoai Street , the mountain has a number of pagodas at its base, and some kind of army listening post on the top. The main pagoda gets full marks for kitsch...more

Ba Chuc Temple

Ba Chuc is situated between Chau Doc and Long Xuyen where there is a temple and ossuary dedicated to over 3,000 Vietnamese that the Khmer Rouge massacred in September 1978. It is very moving and well worth visiting.

Chau Doc Market

Chau Doc has a large covered street market on Le Cong Thanh Street. Here you can get everything from something tasty to eat to a new Hi Fi. There is also a great food market by the river, past the post office.