As summer arrives, bringing sweltering heat and the stuffiness of the city, it is also the time when wandering feet begin looking for a peaceful retreat, shaded by green trees to escape the sun. Nestled peacefully in the middle of the poetic Tien River, right at the foot of Rach Mieu Bridge connecting Tien Giang and Ben Tre provinces, Thoi Son Islet (also known as Lan Islet) is becoming the "hottest" destination in the Southwest region.
Free from noise and pollution, this lush green islet opens up a pristine garden eco-space, captivating thousands of tourists every week with its rustic beauty and the characteristic slow pace of life of the Southern river region.
Coming to Thoi Son Islet, visitors' experiences begin with cool breezes as the large boat from My Tho Tourist Boat Station cuts through the waves to take everyone across the river. Looking from the side of the boat, the scenery of lush green islets gradually appears, intertwined with the rustic floating life of the locals, creating a highly vivid watercolor painting.
However, the true soul of the trip lies in the intricate network of small canals deep inside the islet. Leaving the large boat, tourists will put on a rustic traditional Southern shirt, wear a conical hat, and step down into the fragile wooden rowboats. Under the skillful paddling of local women, the boat slowly cuts through the water, gliding in silence, weaving through rows of nipa palms whose fronds interlock to form a lush green canopy, completely shielding out the blazing summer sun.
Leaving the canal banks, the journey of discovery continues to guide curious steps to natural honey bee farms. Here, visitors not only witness the heavily laden honeycombs and learn about the honey extraction process, but they are also treated to warm cups of longan honey tea, mixed with the refreshing tartness of kumquat. That sweet aftertaste seems to melt away all fatigue, recharging energy for visitors to continue wandering on traditional horse-drawn carriages. The "clippity-clop" sound of horse hooves on the narrow village road, flanked by fruit-laden orchards, suddenly evokes a nostalgic memory of the Mekong Delta from decades past.
This cultural journey concludes perfectly in shady gardens, where visitors can both savor juicy specialty fruits such as rambutan, longan, mango, and papaya, and let their souls drift to the melodic highs and lows of Southern amateur music, a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
It would be a huge omission to visit Thoi Son Islet and miss out on the culinary scene that bears the deep pioneering marks of the Southwest land. Every dish here is unfussy in presentation but conquers diners with its absolute freshness and cooking methods that retain original flavors. The most prominent dish on the banquet table is the deep-fried elephant ear fish, a culinary symbol of the islet region. The fresh fish is dropped with its scales intact into a pan of boiling oil; when taken out, it is golden brown, with its scales puffed up and crispy. Picking up a piece of snow-white fish meat, rolling it in a thin rice paper with fresh vermicelli, various wild vegetables, adding a bit of sourness from starfruit, astringency from green banana, and dipping it deep into a bowl of skillfully mixed fermented anchovy sauce, all the senses seem to be awakened simultaneously.
Besides the elephant ear fish, the countryside flavor is also expressed through the rustic grilled snakehead fish in rice straw. The firm-fleshed field snakehead fish is covered in dry straw and grilled until the outer skin is charred and fragrant; the meat inside is perfectly cooked and incredibly sweet, eaten with spicy lime chili salt.
Diners shouldn't forget to order golden-yellow "banh xeo" (Vietnamese sizzling crepes), with paper-thin, crispy edges, hugging a hearty filling of sweet river baby clams or earth shrimp and pork, rolled up with a whole basket of assorted fresh herbs picked straight from the home garden. After being full with savory dishes, a visit to the artisanal coconut candy workshops will be the perfect dessert. The tantalizing aroma of coconut milk simmering on a wood-fired stove will captivate anyone, and the experience of tasting a chewy, piping hot coconut candy fresh out of the mold will surely be a sweet, unforgettable memory.
Geographically, Thoi Son Islet possesses an extremely prime location, making it a perfect "day trip" destination for those living in Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring provinces. Only about 70km from Saigon, it takes tourists less than 1.5 to 2 hours traveling via the Trung Luong Expressway to arrive at My Tho Tourist Boat Station (Tien Giang Province) and begin the journey. The convenience of transportation makes this place a top choice for weekend getaways for families or groups of young friends.
Not only scoring points for its scenery and convenience, Thoi Son Islet also makes a strong impression with its extremely reasonable cost, unmatched by almost any other tourist destination. For only about 70,000 VND to 150,000 VND per person (prices vary depending on the group size), tourists already have an all-inclusive ticket covering all core activities: taking a large boat across the river, experiencing the rowboat, riding a horse carriage, enjoying seasonal fruits, listening to amateur folk music, and drinking honey tea. Even lunch services are served on traditional bamboo trays very affordable prices, with absolutely no tourist traps or overcharging.
This summer, instead of burying yourself in stuffy air-conditioned spaces or squeezing into crowded tourist areas, try a change of scenery and head to Thoi Son Islet. Under the shade of nipa palms, amidst the rhythmic folk music and a rustic meal full of countryside warmth, you will surely find a peaceful, quiet moment to recharge your energy after fast-paced working days.
Thoi Son Islet is not merely a summer retreat, but a place that completely preserves the affection and the rustic essence of the land and people of the Mekong Delta.
