Tra Su Melaleuca forest – Immerse yourself in the “green” space

For those who love the beauty of wild nature, Tra Su Melaleuca forest will be the ideal choice for you. Tra Su Melaleuca forest is considered the most interesting and attractive attraction of An Giang land. Visitors coming here to visit will feel overwhelmed by the immense Melaleuca forest and have the opportunity to explore the typical wetland ecosystem to the west of the Hau River with many rare and precious species of flora and fauna.

A brief introduction about Tra Su Melaleuca Forest

Tra Su Melaleuca forest is the name of a forest with many Melaleuca trees located near Tra Su mountain area of Tinh Bien district, An Giang. The name Tra Su is said by some to mean monk. In which, “Tra” is the transliteration of “ta” – in Khmer it means grandpa; and “Monk” is understood in the Sino-Vietnamese sense as a monk. There is even an opinion that “Tra Su” means a monk named Tra.

Tra Su Melaleuca forest was formed in 1983, from an abandoned lowland area, heavily contaminated with alum, which was tested by Tinh Bien Forest Enterprise to contribute to soil improvement and watershed prevention. Tra Su Melaleuca forest covers an area of 845ha, located in 3 communes Vinh Trung, Van Giao commune of Tinh Bien district and a part bordering O Long Vy commune of Chau Phu district (An Giang).

Tra Su Melaleuca forest has a very important effect on the water environment and climate control for the whole Bay Nui area, which is home to many precious plant and animal species belonging to Vietnam’s special-use forest system. According to the latest research results of An Giang University, Tra Su Melaleuca forest is home to 70 species of birds and storks, of which two species are listed in the “Vietnam Red Book” as the Indian stork (Giang Sen). and snake-necked storks (Dien Dien). The ecosystem is also very rich with 22 reptile species, 11 mammal species, 23 aquatic species, of which 2 species have scientific value and are in danger of extinction, namely white catfish and scorpion fish. Not only rich in animals, Tra Su Melaleuca forest is also very diverse in flora with 140 species belonging to 52 families and 102 genera, including nearly 80 medicinal species.

With the vast green space of Melaleuca forest along with colorful pictures of the real system, animals… Tra Su Melaleuca forest is not only a destination that cannot be missed for tourists, but also is appreciated for its beauty. of international importance in wetland conservation in the Mekong Delta.

Travel time to Tra Su Melaleuca Forest

According to the experience of “An Giang tourism” of the land, Tra Su Melaleuca forest in the floating season from September to November is the most beautiful time. The whole forest is covered with a bright green color, full of life and it seems that all the natural beauty is concentrated here, creating an extremely vivid picture of nature.

In particular, the most beautiful time to visit the Melaleuca forest is at 7am to 9am, you will be able to admire and watch a lot of birds gather here to play, dance, and chirping. Then, from 5pm to 6pm, you can go up to the observatory to watch flocks of birds flying back to the nest.

Means to Tra Su Melaleuca Forest

If you come from other provinces, you can take a train, plane, or bus to Ho Chi Minh City or Can Tho and then go to An Giang.

Tra Su Melaleuca forest is located about 30km southwest of Chau Doc city and 64km from Long Xuyen city. Arriving in An Giang, you can rent motorbikes, taxis, tourist cars… to continue the journey.

From   Chau Doc:  Travelers follow the Tan Lo Kieu Luong route connecting with National Highway 91. When passing the Tra Su Bridge of Nha Bang town, Tinh Bien district, turn left along Tra Su canal for a few more kilometers. to Tra Su Melaleuca Forest.

Starting from the center of Long Xuyen: Tourists go along Highway 91 to Chau Doc, then follow the above route to reach Tra Su Melaleuca Forest.

What’s good about Tra Su Melaleuca forest?

When you step into the Melaleuca forest, you will be overwhelmed by the natural scenery surrounded by the vibrant blue shirt of the Melaleuca forest, creating a cool and pleasant space. To visit and explore the Melaleuca forest, you will first go to the pier to buy tickets and rent a rowing boat (Transportation is like canoes, motor boats). The marina with a uniquely designed pigeon nest background is an ideal place for you to take virtual photos.

The speedboat was not too slow, not too fast, through the canals, straight inside. On the way to visit, visitors can see local people harvesting Melaleuca honey from tanks placed in the forest. This type of honey costs from 300,000 VND to more than one million VND per liter depending on the quality.

"Tail motor boat" brings tourists to visit

Through the road on the water stretching about 3km, visitors will come to Tra Su Melaleuca Forest Landscape Protection Area. You continue to walk along the small path going deep inside. On both sides of the path are tall melaleuca trees, covered with cool green shade, making all fatigue seem to disappear.

Coming to the core area, visitors switch from a canoe to a rowing canoe to go deep into the nooks and crannies of the Melaleuca forest. Without any engine noise or other noisy sounds, the bamboo canoes have just enough room for 4 people to gently drift along the water, weaving between small canals, through the canopy of melaleuca hanging overhead.

Here, you can see under the water is a layer of green water hyacinth covering the surface of the water, you can touch it and see the bright yellow flowers and the green melaleuca creating a picture of nature. wonderful.

Going deep inside Tra Su Melaleuca forest, you will see with your own eyes many rare species of birds. With a fresh air filled with birdsong, Tra Su is suitable for travelers who want to escape from the noisy and dusty city to find nature, giving you a trip to An Giang with many experiences and experiences. interesting.

When you have finished exploring inside the forest, do not forget to stop by the Observation Gate to admire the entire vast Melaleuca forest with a telescope with a view of 25km.

From here you can see glimpses of the villages of Khmer and Kinh people. If you have time, you should also visit the unique handicrafts such as silk weaving, brocade of the Khmer ethnic people, beekeeping for honey, Melaleuca essential oil area …

In addition, visitors can also rent bicycles to go around sightseeing and take photos with animals on Tra Su mangrove forest. Visitors can see many birds foraging, nesting and listening to their calls during the journey of discovery. Occasionally, there is a monkey bridge across the water channel connecting two patches of forest.

The hundreds of meters long love bridge weaving between the quiet and green forests is an attractive highlight of Tra Su Melaleuca forest.

Besides natural beauty, Tra Su Melaleuca forest also has beautiful man-made structures. Gathering all kinds of Vietnamese bamboo in all parts of the country, the investor is determined to build a project with the Guinness record of “thousand-step bamboo bridge” through Tra Su Melaleuca forest to serve tourists.

Wandering into the core area on the graceful winding bamboo bridge, visitors will enjoy the feeling of time slowing down to immerse themselves in nature. The “Bamboo” traffic network is decorated like beautiful flower roads weaving through each row of ancient Melaleuca trees. No dust, no noise pollution, no reinforced concrete, ten thousand spans of bamboo bridge like an extension arm as a pedestal for Tra Su resources to grow faster.

Since being put into operation, the bamboo bridge has completely changed the face of the Melaleuca forest, attracting a lot of attention from tourists, especially international visitors because of its uniqueness and charm.

What to eat in Tra Su Melaleuca Forest?

As the navel area of the Long Xuyen Quadrangle, the countryside products here are very rich. You can go to the restaurant area with small leaf huts to enjoy delicious dishes, attractive specialties in Tra Su Melaleuca forest such as: eel hot pot, frog hot pot, snake hot pot, chicken hot pot, grilled fish, grilled chicken, Steamed chicken, grilled frog, quail… The most famous ones are still grilled field mice with salt and pepper, grilled snakehead fish, grilled chicken with honey and melaleuca flowers.

A meal imbued with Western flavor and very rustic in the romantic setting of this forest will surely be an unforgettable experience for visitors.

Prices are affordable, clearly announced, you don’t have to worry about being hacked. In the floating season, don’t forget to enjoy the classic Linh cotton fish, the sour fish hot pot with the crazy flower water lily… delicious. After eating at the place, don’t forget to buy melaleuca essential oil, honey … as gifts for family and friends.