The charm of the river region
It only takes more than an hour to travel from Ho Chi Minh City for tourists to set foot on Thoi Son - a land of alluvial deposits with fruit-laden orchards all year round, in the old Tien Giang province (now Dong Thap province).
Surrounded by the gentle Tien River, the island is about 1,200 hectares wide, with a dense system of canals. It is where people have been attached to fruit gardens, beekeeping, fishing, and now community tourism .
Tourists travel by boat to Thoi Son Islet in the middle of Tien River (Photo: Moc Khai).
Mr. Tahrin - a tourist from Canada - could not hide his surprise: "I thought Ho Chi Minh City was just bustling streets. But just over an hour's drive, I arrived at a completely different place: green, peaceful and extremely interesting."
At Thoi Son Islet, Tahrin enjoyed freshly picked fruits from the garden, tasted freshly baked hot coconut candy, and sat on a sampan along the river. The most impressive moment for Tahrin was probably the moment he first came into close contact with a honey bee hive.
At first he was a bit hesitant, but the enthusiastic guidance of the locals helped him boldly reach out to catch the beehive covered with industrious bees flying around.
Mr. Tahrin enjoys getting close to the honey bee nest (Photo: Moc Khai).
Excited and nervous at the same time, he quickly saved the memorable frames. “I never thought I could experience this in real life. It’s very unique and interesting!”, he laughed excitedly.
For him, it was not just a simple experiential activity, but also a way to better understand the lives of farmers in the garden and their attachment to the rich nature here.
Ms. Eva Alcalde - a Spanish tourist - also shared her feelings when she first let herself drift along the vast river: "I want to come back here again. The scenery, people and experiences are all wonderful."
New countryside - changing appearance from tourism
Thoi Son Islet exploits the strength of garden ecotourism, but still preserves its traditional identity. Walking on tree-lined roads, visitors can cycle or ride a horse-drawn carriage, leisurely finding the peaceful pace of life in the river countryside.
Tourists sit on sampans weaving through small canals (Photo: Moc Khai).
Those who love to experience handicrafts can stop at coconut candy, rice paper or handicraft workshops to see each stage firsthand and try making the typical products of the coconut land.
As the sampan weaves through the winding canals, the cool water and rows of water coconut trees invite visitors to get closer to nature.
Those who like to explore can also go down to the lagoon to catch fish with the locals, then prepare and enjoy the "spoils of war" with excitement like a true son of the river region.
Amidst that lush green space, a cup of shimmering longan honey tea, some freshly picked fruits from the garden next door, and the haunting folk songs and melodies of traditional music… are enough to awaken all the senses.
All blend together to create a complete experience, imbued with the breath of the Southern countryside - rustic, liberal and imbued with the flavor of alluvium.
Foreign tourists enjoy the coconut candy production facility of the locals (Photo: Moc Khai).
Recently, Dong Thap has focused on diversifying tourism products, upgrading infrastructure, regional connectivity... towards sustainable tourism development, in line with the orientation of new rural construction according to the Rural Tourism Development Program in new rural construction for the period 2021-2025, approved by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 922/QD-TTg dated August 2, 2022.
The program's core objective is to promote traditional cultural values, typical ecological landscapes of each region, promote community tourism associated with heritage conservation and environmental protection.
In the old Tien Giang province alone, there are dozens of effective agricultural and rural tourism spots, employing thousands of local workers. Households are encouraged to participate in homestays, promote craft villages, preserve the cultural environment and garden ecosystem.
In Thoi Son Islet and many other potential localities, the government supports people in landscape beautification, training in community tourism skills, and at the same time encourages travel businesses to build new tour routes.
Thanks to that, tourism revenue has increased, people's lives have improved significantly. Indigenous values, which seemed to only exist in memory, have now become attractive highlights for international tourists.
Not only stopping at Thoi Son Islet, Dong Thap also expands agricultural tourism development in many potential areas such as districts of the old Tien Giang province: Cai Be, Go Cong Dong, Cai Lay...
Tourists are fully equipped with life jackets when taking the ferry to the island area (Photo: Moc Khai).
From rich orchards, coastal mangrove forests to the Dong Thap Muoi region, each place develops unique products associated with the unique advantages of each ecological region.
In that picture, Thoi Son Islet emerges as a bright spot leading the community tourism model. This islet not only brings interesting experiences but also clearly demonstrates the spirit of developing rural tourism.
Thoi Son Islet not only exploits local advantages, preserves regional cultural heritage, creates stable livelihoods for local people, but also forms unique tourism products, attracts international visitors, and aims for long-term sustainability.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/ngot-lanh-mien-phu-sa-thoi-son-diem-du-lich-nong-nghiep-hut-khach-quoc-te-20251129165008117.htm
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