Chau Doc – Where the Mekong Meets Cambodia

Chau Doc is a multicultural border town in An Giang Province, at the junction of the Mekong and Hau rivers, 245 km from Ho Chi Minh City (5 hours). It is the principal crossing point for the popular Mekong River speedboat route to Phnom Penh (Cambodia) – one of Southeast Asia's great travel experiences. The town itself is a fascinating blend of Kinh Vietnamese, Cham Muslim, Khmer and Chinese communities, clearly reflected in its mosques, pagodas, temples and markets. Sam Mountain (Nui Sam) rises 284 m from the flat delta plain, offering panoramic views of Cambodia from the summit, with dozens of pagodas and shrines on its slopes – pilgrimage site for millions of Vietnamese annually. Cham fishing villages on floating houses in the river are unique to this area.