Ca Mau
Built on the swampy shores of the Ganh Hao River, Ca Mau is the capital and largest city in Ca Mau province, which was devastated by Typhoon Linda in 1997. It occupies the southern tip of the Mekong Delta – a wasteland for centuries, the area was first cultivated in the late 17th century. The population of Ca Mau includes many ethnic Khmers.

Owing to the boggy terrain, this area has the lowest population density in southern Viet­nam. Ca Mau lies in the middle of Vietnam’s largest swamp and is known for its powerful mosquitoes.

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Getting there & away
Land
Bus
The buses from HCMC to Ca Mau leave from Mien Tay bus station. The trip takes 11 hours by regular bus and eight hours by express bus (around 115, 000d). There are several daily express buses to HCMC leaving between 5am and 10.30am. Regular daily buses also connect to other towns in the region, including Bac Lieu (24, 000d) and Can Tho (60, 000d).

The Ca Mau  bus station is 2.5km from the centre of town, along Hwy 1 towards HCMC.

Car & motorbike
Ca Mau is the end of the line for Hwy 1; it’s the southernmost point in Vietnam that’s accessible by car and bus. Drivers who boldly attempt to drive on the ‘highway’ south of Ca Mau will soon find their vehicles sinking into a quagmire of mud and mangroves.

Ca Mau is 178km from Can Tho (three hours) and 347km from HCMC (eight hours).

Boat
Ca Mau has several piers, where you can catch boats around the region. Three to four hydrofoils a day travel between Ca Mau and Rach Gia (the boat docks in Rach Soi, about 10km from Rach Gia). This departs from Ferry Pier Can Ganh Hao daily between 7.30am and 1pm (90, 000d, three hours). This pier is also where you can catch a speedboat south to Nam Can (one daily, one hour, 40, 000d). Ferry Pier B also has departures to Nam Can (one daily, one hour, 40, 000d).

Boats to Can Tho (three daily, three to four hours, 97, 000d), with a stop in Phung Hiep, depart from Cong Ca Mau pier (Ð Quang Trung), 3km east of town.

Also popular are the (slow) boats to U-Minh Forest. These depart from Ferry Pier A (two hours, 25, 000d). For a guided tour, it’s best to inquire at the tourist office.

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See more Viet Nam

About Hanoi Vietnam | Around Ho Chi Minh City | About Halong Bay Vietnam | Ba Be National Park | Ba Vi National Park | Bac Lieu | Bai Tu Long Bay  | Bo Nau Cave (Pelican cave) |  Beaches North of Nha Trang |  Ben Tre | Buon Ma Thuot | Ca Mau  | Dien Bien Phu | Dong Hoi | Ha Giang | Haiphong | Halong City | Ho Coc Beach | Dong Hoi | Kon Tum | Kim Quy Grotto | Lang Son | Lao Cai | Long Hai | Luon Grotto | Long Xuyen | Mai Chau | Mekong Delta | Mui Ne Beach | My Tho | Phan Rang & Thap Cham | Phan Thiet | Phat Diem | Phong Nha Cave | Phu Quoc Island | Pleiku | Quang Ngai | Rach Gia | Soc Trang | Song Cau | Tam Coc | Tam Dao  | Tay Ninh | Thay & Tay Phuong Pagodas | Tra Co Beach | Tra Vinh | Tuy Hoa  | Van Don Island  | Vinh Long | Vung Tau |