Rach Gia Travel

Best time to visit Rach Gia (Kien Giang)

You can take a Rach Gia (Kien Giang) tour at any time when having the nice temperature from 25oC to 35oC.. However, if you do not want to be upset with persistent rain, you should avoid rainy season (June – October). The dry season in Kien Giang begins from November to April. This period is the best time to take a Kieng Giang tour. Because the weather is less rainy and sunnier, we can see beautiful landscapes, soft ocean waves. 

According to some travel guides, the number of tourists to Rach Gia (Kien Giang) from November to April decreased much more than the summer. As we mentioned above, this dry season is the best time to choose a Rach Gia (Kien Giang) vacation and enjoy peaceful environment there. Easy to buy flight tickets or boat tickets are amazing advantages offered to you. Therefore, you can also save much money in this travel time due to the decline in airfare or cheap hotels in Kien Giang.

Check the below table for the general idea of Rach Gia (Kien Giang) weather throughout the year:

Rach Gia’s current weather and 7-day forecast

RẠCH GIÁ WEATHER

Rach Gia (Kien Giang) is one of the interesting and ideal tourist destinations for young people in the South of Vietnam. With many beautiful places, this land attracts more and more visitors.

Hon Son Island

Hon Son, also known after its main village of Lai Son, is a solitary and beautiful mountain island about 50km southwest of Rach Gia. It is very undeveloped and has some pretty coastline, with a single road circling the island and connecting a handful of communities and remote beaches. Superdong has boats to Hon Son (150,000d, 1½ hours), departing Rach Gia at 7.30am (continuing to Nam Du for 100,000d around 9am) and returning to the mainland at noon.

The island is ringed by some large rock formations that make popular photo opportunities for Vietnamese selfie fans. In the north, Bai Bac and Bai Bo are the best beaches, but Bai Bang, in the east, is also popular thanks to a horizontal coconut palm and lots of strategically placed swings. Accommodation in the 250,000d-to-500,000d range is available in Lai Son and dotted about the island.

Nam Du Islands

The Nam Du archipelago is a cluster of 20 islands located more than 80km off the coast and ringed with sandy coves. The main island of Hon Lon (Big Island) is popular with young Vietnamese travellers, but sees few foreigners, There's a major litter problem in the dock and around the island's beaches. Superdong has boats to Nam Du (210,000d, 2½ hours) via Hon Son (100,000d), departing Rach Gia at 7.30am and returning to the mainland at 11am.

Bai Tret is the main village and port. Accommodation in the 300,000d-to-800,000d range is available here and at various beaches about the island. In general, prices are about one-third higher than the mainland and electricity is still sporadic. The best beach is Bai Cay Men, in the southwest of the island, where there is a shack selling fresh seafood, coconuts and beer. Seafront shacks in Bai Tret set up dockside tables at night and sell fresh seafood straight from plastic tanks.

Nguyen Trung Truc Temple

This temple is dedicated to Nguyen Trung Truc, a leader of the 1860s resistance campaign against the newly arrived French. The first temple structure was a simple building with a thatched roof; over the years it has been enlarged and rebuilt several times. In the centre of the main hall is a portrait of Nguyen Trung Truc on an altar.

Among other exploits, Nguyen Trung Truc led the raid that resulted in the burning of the French warship Esperance. Despite repeated attempts to capture him, Nguyen Trung Truc continued to fight until 1868, when the French took his mother and a number of civilians hostage and threatened to kill them if he didn't surrender. Nguyen Trung Truc turned himself in and was executed by the French in the marketplace of Rach Gia on 27 October 1868.

Kien Giang Museum

Housed in an ornate gem of a French-colonial-era building, this museum's collection includes lots of war photos and some Oc-Eo artefacts and pottery. The museum sees few visitors, so don't be surprised if staff are a little lax with the opening hours.

Looking to find comfortable accommodation in Rach Gia (Kien Giang) for a night or two so before heading further to Phu Quoc or exploring the surrounding area? Checking our selection below and find the most suitable one for you.

Budget options

Dong Hai Hotel _ Rach Gia

Add: Lot A3 Tay Bac Area, Vinh Thanh Ward, Rach Gia City, Rach Gia

Situated within less than 1 km of Rach Gia Harbour and 2.3 km of Tam Bao Pagoda, Dong Hai Hotel _ Rach Gia provides rooms in Rach Gia. This 2-star hotel offers a 24-hour front desk. The accommodation features free WiFi.
Guest rooms at the hotel come with a seating area and a flat-screen TV. The units at Dong Hai Hotel _ Rach Gia have air conditioning and a desk.

Khách sạn Ngọc Thành 2

Add: E12 no 41.42.43.44 Ton Duc Thang Street, Vinh Lac Ward, Rach Gia

Situated in Rach Gia, within 3 km of Rach Gia Harbour and 2.6 km of Tam Bao Pagoda, Khách sạn Ngọc Thành 2 features accommodation with a garden and free WiFi as well as free private parking for guests who drive. The hotel has family rooms.

All rooms are fitted with air conditioning, a flat-screen TV with satellite channels, a fridge, a kettle, a bidet, a hairdryer and a desk. Featuring a private bathroom with a shower and free toiletries, rooms at the hotel also boast a garden view. All guest rooms have a wardrobe.

Staff at Khách sạn Ngọc Thành 2 are available to provide advice at the 24-hour front desk.

Mid-range option

Phuc Ngoc Hotel 

Add: 1328 Nguyễn Trung Trực An Binh,Rach Gia,Kien Giang, Ap Rạch Soi, Vietnam

Located in Ap Rạch Soi, Phuc Ngoc Hotel features a seasonal outdoor swimming pool and a shared lounge. Among the facilities of this property are a restaurant, a 24-hour front desk and room service, along with free WiFi throughout the property. Free private parking is available and the hotel also provides car hire for guests who want to explore the surrounding area.

Guest rooms are equipped with air conditioning, a flat-screen TV with cable channels, a kettle, a shower, a hairdryer and a desk. At the hotel each room is equipped with a wardrobe and a private bathroom.

Phuc Ngoc Hotel offers a à la carte or Asian breakfast.

Besides the perfect beaches, Kien Giang has numerous food specialties which could not be missed on any trip to the province. Many dishes from seafood including salads, rice noodle soups, Bitter bolete, Fermented lingula anatina are worth trying in Kien Giang.

Thot Not cake

This kind of cake is the specialty dish that you definitely have to taste when you arrive in Kien Giang. The cake is yellow and wrapped in banana leaves. As its name suggests, jaggery is made from jaggery, a soft sweet cake and a light fragrance. The best way to enjoy it is to let it cool and eat, then the cake will lessen. The popular price of this cake is sold in Kien Giang is 3000-4000 VND. It will not be difficult for you to buy it enjoy or bring it back as a gift for your loved one. Because it is widely sold in markets or grocery stores.

Herring salad

For whom like to eat fresh seafood, herring salad will probably conquer you with the freshness of seafood. The process of making herring is quite meticulous when the person doing it has to choose the really fresh herring, filtering it out for each flesh and then removing the bone. As well as Thot Not cake, herring salad should also be eaten in the right way to fully appreciate the local flavor. That is served with herbs, onions, cucumbers and dipping into soy sauce but must also be mixed soy Separate formula. Phu Quoc is probably the place where you can enjoy this delicious and freshest food.

Crab Soup

Crab soup is very popular in many restaurants in our country. It's popular for many people but not many people who eat in Kien Giang give you the most traditional taste of it. As a land owned by many islands. It is easy to catch fresh and delicious crabs to serve this dish. If the dish of herring will be the best in Phu Quoc, the crab soup made in Ha Tien will satisfy the best taste when coming to Kien Giang. A small suggestion is that Dong Ho night market has a lot of delicious cakes. But if not, any restaurant in Ha Tien will serve you.

Soup Cake with Ocean Crab and Fish Cake

Soup cake (Banh canh) is a Vietnamese traditional rice noodle soup which has won the heart of all ages. The comfort, flavorful and healthy soup cake is served hot as a meal which can fulfill your stomach. Soup cake with ocean crab and fish cake is one of must-try dish in Phu Quoc island, Kien Giang province. A bowl of Soup cake with ocean crab and fish cake consists of rice noodles, broth, toppings, vegetables, herbs, and dip.

Rice noodles of soup cake are thicker and shorter than rice noodles of other kinds of Vietnamese rice noodle soups. The broth of this dish is cooked from pork bone, dried shrimp, mackerel head. Not similar to the others, the broth of Soup cake with ocean crab is not clear but a little gelatinous. Topped with a whole ocean crab which has firm, tasty and smelling flesh, a bowl of Soup cake with ocean crab in Phu Quoc impresses diner at the first look. A dip from salt and green pepper is a must to be served with this rice noodle soup.

Rach Gia Rice Noodle Soup with Fish

The dish consists of the broth cooked from various freshwater fishes and fish bones, rice noodles, toppings (fish flesh, wild shrimp), vegetables, and herbs. Freshwater fishes caught in rice fields, lakes, ponds, swamps are used to cook this dish. Choosing fresh fishes is the most important step in cooking this kind of dish. Big and plumpy snakeheads which have sweet-tasty, tender but chewy, and very smelling are chosen. Boil snakeheads, separate the flesh and bones. The flesh is used to top the dish. The bones are ground, put into a cloth bag and used to cook the broth with other kinds of fishes which are smaller than snakehead. Cooked from fresh freshwater fishes, the broth is smooth, rich and very fragrant.

Rach Gia rice noodle soup with fish is topped with white snakehead flesh, yellow, buttery fish egg or steamed ground fresh shrimp and egg yolk, orange stir-fried peeled wild shrimp, and herbs, usually coriander and green onion. The dish is served with vegetables (shredded banana blossom), lime wedge, chili pepper (minced, sliced or whole).
Salad with Banana Blossom and Anadara Subcrenata

Anadara subcrenata is a kind of clam which is a favorite food in Vietnam. Salad with banana blossom and Anadara subcrenata is a specialty food of Kien Giang province. To make the salad, mix Anadara subcrenata meat, thinly sliced boiled pork belly, shredded banana blossom with a dressing made from fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, chili pepper. The dish is topped with some crushed peanuts and served with chopped Vietnamese mint and pickled onion slices. When eating, diners can feel the crunchy banana blossom, the tender but crunchy clam meat, the fatty pork belly, sweet and sour pickled onion, the crunchy peanuts, and Vietnamese mint which has a strong mint flavor.

Fermented Lingula Anatina

One of the most famous food specialties is Fermented lingula anatina which travelers should not miss. Lingula anatina has the shell which consists of 2 valves and 1 long tender tail. It looks scary so that not many travelers know that this species could be eaten. After harvesting, lingula anatina is washed, the tails are removed. Then arrange lingula anatina and salt/refined salt in layers in a jar.

Ferment lingula anatina can be stored for a long time. It is better to ferment lingula anatina with salt in the morning and stir-fry the fermented lingula anatina in the evening on the same day when the lingula anatina meat is still fresh and not very salty. Just stir-fry fermented lingula anatina with garlic, sugar and black pepper. To eat, get the meat from the shell and eat with steamed rice.

Steamed Clear Rice Noodle

Originated in Cambodia, steamed clear rice noodle recipe has been changed to meet the local taste and products in Ha Tien. Dry clear rice noodles are steamed until tender but a little chewy. To serve, put some julienned cucumber, bean sprouts at the bottom of a bowl, then put steamed clear rice noodles onto the veggies, top the noodles with grilled pork, pork skin strips, spring rolls, herbs, crushed peanuts, pickled carrots and daikons, chopped chili pepper (optional). Pour coconut milk sauce onto toppings. If diners don’t like the greasiness of coconut milk sauce, they can ask for sweet-sour fish sauce dip to eat with the dish.

By Flights

Rach Gia Airport (VKG) is 10 kilometres southeast of the city centre. A meter taxi will cost around 150,000 dong, the journey taking 20 minutes.

VASCO Airlines, a subsidiary branch of Vietnam Airlines, services two domestic routes. There’s one flight daily to HCMC and as of December 2015, two flights a week to Phu Quoc.

Contact us for the latest flight schedule and price. Or you can check via some online platform such as SkyScanner.com or Kayak.com

Here you can find some tips to book the cheapest flight

By Bus

Rach Gia is served by two bus stations. If you're coming from Ho Chi Minh City, you'll likely be taken to the main Kien Giang bus station, inconveniently located seven kilometres southeast of the city centre in Rach Soi. It handles the bulk of Rach Gia's transport traffic, and has connections to buses all over the Mekong Delta, and a limited number of destinations beyond.

You’ll obviously need a taxi or xe om motorbike taxi to get to/from the station unless you arrive on a Phuong Trang aka Futa bus. This bus company provides free transfer to your hotel or the pier. Once you get off the bus look for their minivan with the company name in the window and disregard eager taxi drivers who try to snag foreigners unaware of this free service.

Note: As the provincial capital, Rach Gia is referred to as Kien Giang on bus signs/schedules.

Phuong Trang is reliable and has comfortable buses. It includes free pick up from your hotel.

• HCMC: Sleeping bus departs at 00:30. Costs 145,000 dong and takes 6 hrs.
• Can Tho: Sitting departs at 03:30, 06:30, 08:00, 09:00, 10:15, 12:00, 12:45, 14:30, 16:45, 18:35. Costs 105,000 dong and takes 3.5 hrs.

Other companies and destinations:

• Da Lat: Departs at 18:30. Costs 370,000 dong and takes 16 hrs.
• Nha Trang: sleeping bus departs at 16:30. Costs 295,000 dong and takes 16 hrs.
• Phu Chanh: departs at 04:30, 05:30, 07:30. Costs 110,000 dong.
• Ben Cat: departs at 04:30, 05:30, 07:30. Costs 110,000 dong.
• Ca Mau: departs throughout the day from 07:00 to 18:30. Costs 85,000 dong and takes 4 hrs.

The Rach Gia regional bus station, sometimes referred to as the central bus station, is located in the centre east of the market on Nguyen Binh Khiem Street. Primarily used by private minibuses, it offers express services to Ha Tien, Chau Doc and occasionally Hon Chong (Kien Luong).

Ha Tien: Mai Linh express has an air-con minibus departing hourly from 04:40-20:15. Costs 60,000 dong and takes 2.5 hrs.

Kien Luong (Hon Chong): Runs infrequently, costs 50,000 dong. Alternatively, take any bus to Ha Tien and tell the driver you're heading to Hon Chong. You'll be dropped at Ba Hon, at a small market town on the main highway 15 kilometres to Hon Chong. Hire a xe om to take you the rest of the way.

We recommend you check the latest bus schedule and price via rome2rio.com