Ben Tre
The picturesque little province of Ben Tre, just south of My Tho, sees little of the tourist traffic of its northern neighbour. Its sleepy waterfront, lined with ageing villas, and active market nearby makes for a pleasant stroll, and there’s good exploring into Ben Tre’s rustic settlement across the bridge south of the centre. The town has a tiny lake (Truc Giang), ringed with a few cafés. Ben Tre is also a good place to arrange boat trips around the area – particularly those wanting to escape the tour buses.

Ben Tre is famous for keo dua (coconut candy). Many local women work in small factories making these sweets, spending their days boiling cauldrons of sticky mixture, before rolling it out and cutting sections off into squares and wrapping them into paper for sale.

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Getting there & away
The My Tho–Ben Tre ferry (motorbike/person 5000/1000d, 15 minutes one way) is the only option between the two towns – though a bridge due for completion in 2009 will provide a road link. Ferries run 24 hours a day, every 20 minutes or so (less frequently between 7pm and 6am). Ferry crossings are much quicker if you’re travelling by motorbike (as opposed to car) since there are numerous small boats that can take you across the river.

Public buses stop at the bus station west of the town centre on Ð Doan Hoang Minh. Private minibuses also make the Ben Tre–HCMC run daily. They operate on no fixed schedule, so you’ll need to inquire locally. Ask around the market, or by the petrol station on Ð Dong Khoi (where some vans arrive/depart).

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