Chau Doc is a city in the heart of the Mekong Delta, in Vietnam. There’s not an enormous amount to do, but it’s a wonderful place – small, cheap, rather unspoiled and very friendly. It’s dominated by a large Indoor Market. If you’re the type that prefers markets to malls, you’ll love it.
A stroll along the riverside will be well worth it. You will bump into many young people eager (but a bit shy) to engage you in conversation. It can be very rewarding after a morning spent haggling in the colorful markets.The region of Chau Doc is where some Muslim Cham settled in the 18th Century after having been expelled from Central and South Vietnam by the Viet in several centuries of war (other Cham clans settled in Cambodia -Kompong Cham means “Cham Landing”- Malaysia, and the Chinese island of Hai Nan). Therefore, one finds mosques in the region, including the Ehsan in the island of Con Tien and Jamiul Azhar ones. 7 km south-west of Chau Doc is Mount Sam, a sacred hill (230 m – The only hill in the region) full of temples and pagodas, both at the foot of the hill and on it ; the view from the top (1 hour climb) is superb.
