Rough Guide to Vietnam - Jan Dodd [96]
The only other place worth visiting in town is the Dong Thap Museum (daily 7–11.30am & 1.30–5pm; free), also located to the southwest of town, just to the left beyond the first bridge. Though there are no English signs, the well-organized display of fossils, skulls, farming tools, fishtraps, basketware and textiles, as well as the inevitable paintings of heroic Vietnamese forces repelling French and American troops, is worth a look.
And that’s about it, unless you’re here for the birds. Of the 220 species nesting 45km northwest of Cao Lanh at the Tram Chim National Park (previously called the Tam Nong Bird Sanctuary), it’s the sarus cranes, with their distinctive red heads, that most visitors come to see, though numbers have sadly declined drastically in recent years, and there’s not much to be seen outside the months of December to May. In flight above the marshland of the sanctuary, the slender grey birds reveal spectacular black-tipped wings. Cranes feed not from the water but from the land, so when the spate season (July–November) waterlogs the delta, they migrate to Cambodia. Visiting the park, however, can be very expensive, so this is a trip for committed bird enthusiasts only: if you’re keen, ask at the office of Dong Thap Tourist in Cao Lanh for details (see "Practicalities").
You’ll also need to approach the tourist office if you want to take a trip out to Xeo Quyt Relic Area, deep in the cajeput forest 20km southeast of Cao Lanh. The district’s dense cover provided the perfect bolt-hole for Viet Cong guerrillas during the American War, and from 1960 to 1975 the struggle against America and the ARVN was masterminded from here. The boggy nature of the terrain made a tunnel system similar to that of Cu Chi (see "The Cu Chi tunnels") unfeasible, so they made do with six submerged metal chambers sealed with tar and resin. Suspecting the base’s existence, Americans bombed the area regularly, and even broadcast propaganda from the air to demoralize its occupants, but by developing a policy of “going without trace, cooking without smoke, speaking without noise”, the cadres residing here escaped discovery throughout the war. The boat trip there involves a charming glide along eucalyptus-shaded canals teeming with freshwater fish and shrimps.
There are further birdwatching opportunities at the Gao Giong Stork Sanctuary, where storks can be seen any day of the year. It’s located just 23km from Cao Lanh, though getting there involves an expensive boat ride, so you’re better off visiting the Bang Lang Stork Sanctuary near Long Xuyen (see "Long Xuyen and around"), which is much easier to get to.
The Mekong Delta | Cao Lanh and around |
Practicalities
Buses to and from Cao Lanh stop at the bus station, a few paces below the town centre. From Long Xuyen or beyond, buses cross the Tien Giang via the Cao Lanh ferry, around 4km southwest of town, necessitating a short xe om ride (15,000–20,000đ) to the town centre. The Vietinbank on Ly Thuong Kiet exchanges dollars and traveller’s cheques, while Sacombank has an ATM directly in front of the Hoa Binh Hotel. Dong Thap Tourist, whose office (daily 7–11.30am & 1.30–5pm; 067/385 5637) is at 2 Doc Binh Kieu, just off the main road, Nguyen Hué, is the place for tourist information about visits to the nearby bird sanctuaries, though very little