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    Ha Tien photoblog

    / Last updated 09 Mar 2012

    Introduction

    All photblog of our travels to the cute little Mekong Delta town on Ha Tien on Vietnam's border with Cambodia.
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • Ha Tien is located in the Mekong Delta on Vietnam's far south west coast bordering Cambodia. We spent a night there en route to Kep in Cambodia having travelled from Phu Quoc Island.
    • Ha Tien, like many Mekong Delta towns is enjoying a surge in prosperity and that's created a building boom. The old market is gone and many of the simple old shophouses have too. We stayed in this hotel, the Anh Van. We found it on arrival. The owner was very excited about the nightclubesque facade although it blocked all views from the hotel's front rooms.
    • There aren't too many things to see around Ha Tien but it's very friendly and nice for a day of cycling and wandering. These are some of the delicious fruits in the market.
    • Ha Tien market
    • Ha Tien market
    • Bun rieu, Ha Tien
    • Bun rieu stall Ha Tien
    • Mui Nai beach at Ha Tien is pebbly but still very nice for a swim. The ride out to the beach is also very pleasant. Bicycle is a great way to get around Ha Tien and its limited sights. The rides are more rewarding than the sights.
    • Vietnam's motorcycle law is two years old and the locals have really taken it to heart. Many refuse to take them off. They can be regularly spotted at markets, on aeroplanes and here while rock fishing at Ha Tien.
    • Ha Tien's proximity to Cambodia put it at the frontline of the Khmer Rouge's attacks on Vietnam in the late 1970s. This memorial commemorates the victims of a Khmer Rouge incursion in 1978. Vietnamese forces invaded Cambodia later in 1978.
    • Thach Dong cave pagoda is one of Ha Tien's listed attractions. The pagoda has been so comprehensively modernised as to be almost devoid of atmosphere - despite the scenic location. It's an easy ride from Mui Nai beach so still worth the effort and the views are good.
    • Thach Dong cave pagoda, Ha Tien
    • Preparing the garden for Tet at Thach Dong cave pagoda. Ha Tien
    • Mac Cuu Temple, together with its nearby tombs are the most interesting sights of Ha Tien. Unlike the totally renovated nearby 18th century Tam Bao Pagoda, Mac Cuu's temple and family tombs feel old and atmospheric. Mac Cuu fled China in the 18th century and was central to the founding of Ha Tien.
    • Mac Cuu's temple Ha Tien,
    • Mac Cuu's temple Ha Tien,
    • Mac Cuu's temple Ha Tien,
    • Mac Cuu's family tombs, Ha Tien
    • Mac Cuu's family tombs, Ha Tien
    • Attractive old shophouses, Ha Tien
    • Ha Tien's Tet flower market
    • Delivering flowers by cyclo.
    • Delicious Bun Cha Gio - noodles and spring rolls - from Ha Tien's market.
    • The bun cha gio stall holder heartily endorses her product.
    • Kids at Ha Tien market
    • Farewell Ha Tien, farewell Vietnam
    • Lottery ticket seller, 82, at Ha Tien market
    • Xa Ngoc Tien is a large 1960s pagoda that sits opposite Ha Tien town. It's well worth a visit despite being ignored in guidebooks.
    • Xa Ngoc Tien pagoda
    • View across the Mekong Delta from Xa Ngoc Tien pagoda in Ha Tien. The view would be especially spectacular during wet season sunsets.
    • The Vietnamese border gate at Ha Tien. Ha Tien was an enjoyable transit en route to Cambodia. Not a whole lot to see but a friendly place to cycle around with some excellent local cuisine and pleasant countryside.
    • The market was especially interesting both for the fresh fruit and the other culinary goodies. We had lunch and dinner there.
    Quicklink - Introduction - Vietnam