The Ngo's Family Runion - Ca Mau, Bac Lieu - March 2026

 We had a long travel day from Chau Doc to Can Tho, our final destination, with about 6 hours of driving via Ca Mau and a lunch stop in Bac Lieu before reaching the city. 

Ca Mau: known as Ca Mau province, located in the Mekong Delta region of Southern Vietnam. It's the absolute Southernmost province in the country, forming a Peninsula that is bordered by the Gulf of Thailand to the West and South China Sea to the East and South.

Ca Mau Monument Roundabout.

Bac Lieu:  Lies on the Ca Mau Peninsula roughly 50km Northeast of Ca Mau and about 100km South of Can Tho. Bac Lieu is best known for having one of the largest offshore wind farms in Southeast Asia.

In Bac Lieu, we visited the Tac Say Church, also known as Father Diep's Church, and the extravagant historic mansion of the famous "Bac Lieu Prince".

Tac Say Church - Father Diep's Church.

Tac Say Church, a huge Pilgrimage site in the Mekong Delta. It's famous as the final resting place of Father Truong Buu Diep, a heroic Catholic priest revered for sacrificing his life to save his parishioners. Father Diep is scheduled to be beatified in July, 2026.

Tac Say Church in Bac Lieu.

Our next stop was the Bac Lieu Prince's House, located about 5 km from the city center.  As one of the city's main attractions, this mansion was built in 1919 and was once the largest residence in Bac Lieu. Designed by a French architect, it features building materials imported from France. Today, the house remains well- maintained, and the surrounding grounds are beautifully manicured. 

One of many cars that Bac Lieu Prince owned.

My favorite,  the Volkswagen Beetle - The house in the background.

And an airplane ...too.

New Year decoration around the property.

Before reaching Can Tho, we made a surprise stop at An Nghiep Industrial Park in Soc Trang province. Situated along National Highway, its strategic locaction supports the efficient transport of goods to major ports of Can Tho and the coastal regions of Bac Lieu and Ca Mau.
 
The main highligh of the park is visiting the "Tan Hue Vien" factory which is renowned for producing Banh Pia, a famous traditional Vietnamese pastry. 

Entrance to "Tan Hue Vien" Tourist stop.

One of beautiful garden and water sculptures in Tan Hue Vien.


 The massive " blooming lotus" sculpture or "Lotus Palace"  is the prominent cultural landmark in the Tan Hue Vien tourist stop.

                                    Fun place to hang out while shopping for Banh Pia.

Long lines of customers pack the shops.

We arrived in Can Tho late in the evening. It had been a long, busy day of covering plenty of ground and enjoying tourist attractions along the way.  

We stay at the Charmant Suites a Boutique Hotel, Can Tho, ideally located just steps from Ninh Kieu Wharf. Knowing we had an early 4:00am departure for our floating market tour in the morning, we grabbed a quick bite at a nearby restaurants before turning in for the night.

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The Ngo's Family Reunion - Phu Quoc , Rach Gia /Kien Giang - March 2026

 Our final destination today was Rach Gia, Kien Giang. We took the ferry from Phu Quoc to Rach Gia Port, where our two vans were waiting to continue our land journey. Taking advantage of the ferry's late-morning departure, Bao led us to a 'surprise' location in Phu Quoc, promising he had "saved the best for last". Shortly after passing Phu Quoc city center, we turned down a winding road that lead to scenic overlook restaurant.  

View of Phu Quoc from the hilltop restaurant.

Another pretty view.

From the hilltop restaurant.

The ferry from Phu Quoc to Rach Gia /Kien Giang port was smooth until minutes before arrival, when torrential rain suddenly hit.


Waiting for our van at the terminal.



Rach Gia is a vibrant coastal city in Kien Giang Province. It was the first city in Vietnam to successfully reclaim massive land areas directly from the ocean, expanding its western coastline. Today, it serves as an essential transit hub and gateway to the beautiful Nam Du and Phu Quoc Islands.

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Visiting Rach Gia is a personal must-do while in the Delta because it is my father's birthpalce. He left Rach Gia as a young boy, eventually relocating to Saigon permanently.
My earliest memory of Rach Gia is a quick trip with my father to visit his brother (Bac Ba)  there. I recall visiting the family graveyard and the land near my uncle's house. I later heard that this area was eventually annexed to be part of the Rach Gia airport. 

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We will have a short stay in Rach Gia, spending just one night at the Hoa Binh Rach Gia Resort, which features beautifully manicured grounds.


The perfect restaurant for dinner just a few steps from the hotel. 


Many popular dishes and the famous claypot rice (com nieu).

We spent an evening in the city center enjoying the cool ocean breeze and the calming pace of life.  While driving around, we noticed widespread stalled hotel and luxury resort developments. Similar to what we observed in Phu Quoc, this was caused by severe oversupply, corporate cash flows shortage and slower-than expected tourism.. 










 Although our visit to Rach Gia was short, being here in the year of my father's  100th  birthday was very special. The memory of the visit will stay with us for a long time!.

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The Ngo's Family Reunion - Phu Quoc Island - March 2026

Today is travel day, and big adventures are ahead! We're catching the ferry from Ha Tien Port over to Phu Quoc Island. It takes about 1.5 hours by high-speed hydrofoil.

Joining the crowd at port terminal before boarding.

On board.

Arriving in Phu Quoc.

Phu Quoc is a Vietnamese island off the coast of Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand. It is the largest island in Vietnam and known for white-sand beaches and resorts, most of which are along the palm-lined southwest coast. More than half of the island is part of Phu Quoc National Park which features mountains, dense tropical jungle, hiking trails and wildlife.

A Superdong ferry in Phu Quoc terminal.

During our two-day in Phu Quoc, we occupied a spacious Airbnb house within a residential complex owned by Bao's company.

A beautiful white-sand beach just a short walk from the house.

We spent the afternoon visiting the famous "Sunset Town," located on the southwestern coast of the island just north of An Thoi Port. The town is designed to mimic Italy's Mediterranean Coast, featuring Roman-style pillars, pastel-colored houses, fountains, and a clock tower. It is also home to the famous Kissing Bridge and a cable car system.

Central Village - Sunset Town.


Central Village - Clock Tower in the background.

Central Village.

Sunset Town Beach.

Cable car at work.

The sun about to set in "Sunset Town".

The Kissing Bridge at sunset.

A popular place to watch sunset in Sunset Town.

Our dinner stop after sunset.

The resident dog, an original Phu Quoc Ridgeback.

We spent our last full day on an island-hopping tour, visiting four islands in the An Thoi archipelago to the south. In addition to exploring beautiful beaches, the tour included a seafood lunch and a snorkeling experience in the remarkable tropical waters of southwestern Vietnam.

 

On our way to reach the An Thoi harbor.

An Thoi harbor.

Catching our boat at An Thoi Harbor.

Leaving Phu Quoc.

Our speedboat -speding through the rough, wind-swept waters.

High tides along the waterfront.

Yeah... We made it!! - May Rut (inside) Island.

Island time -  in the shade @ May Rut.

A specialty dish served at lunch- @ Hon Xuong (Xuong Island).

A resident dog, a Phu Quoc Ridgeback hung out with us.

After a long lunch break, we continued to "Mong Tay" (Fingernail) Island. Mong Tay Island is considered the "Maldives of Vietnam" because of its clear, turquoise water and fine white sand beaches.

Hon Mong Tay.
 

Snorkeling at the last stop.

What a great time we had!

We went downtown for dinner and checked out the night market.

 

Phu Quoc city center.

Phu Quoc night market.

A delicious downtown dinner and a stroll through the famous Phu Quoc Night Market wrapped up a perfect day!