Wetland wonderland

The entire flooded cajuput forest of Tra Su appears to be floating on water.
Perhaps the most striking element of the Tra Su Nature Reserve are its birds and bats.
Sheltered by the dense jungle, bats and various kinds of water-fowl – herons, egrets and storks – all live in abundance here.
On quiet afternoons, you can watch large flocks of hundreds of birds rise from the dense green canopy making for a great photo.
Ten kilometers from the Cambodian border in Tinh Bien District’s Van Giao Commune, the wetland forest is a must see for anyone visiting the Mekong Delta’s An Giang Province.
At its center lies a rich ecosystem supporting 140 plant species, from paperbarks and aquatic plants to creepers and grass. The forest’s lush vegetation provides habitat for a diverse fauna, including 130 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and frogs.
Tra Su provides timber, food, medicinal herbs and cajuput oil to local communities. The cajuput trees flower all year round and attract swarms of bees that produce excellent quality honey.
The best time to visit Tra Su is at the height of the wet season, from May to September and sometimes through October.
At this time of the year, the entire forest floats on a vast sea, so a small canoe is the only way to travel around.
Fishing is allowed, and park rangers are keen to engage visitors in conversation and tell them about life in the forest.
In the dry season, there are plenty of paths good enough for cycling through the forest.
Deep in the thicket, about half an hour by bicycle from the road, there’s a rest area with hammocks and a restaurant serving local delicacies such as grilled snakehead fish covered in mud and grilled field mice served with forest vegetables.
The food is very fresh as nearly all the ingredients come from the wild.
There is also a rickety watchtower in the middle of the nature reserve with a panoramic view of the wetlands and a clear line of sight to Sam Mountain.
Together with Sam and Cam mountains, and Tuc Dup Hill, Tra Su is best reached from the town of Chau Doc, near the border.
To get there from Chau Doc, take the road past Sam Mountain and Ba Chua Xu Temple to Bung Dien Bridge, then turn left to Tra Su.
For more information, tourists can contact the managers of the Tra Su Ecotourist Site through phone number (0763) 877 423 or mobile 090 996 3076 or via e-mail kimlamts@yahoo.com.