Soc Trang
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Understand
This modern city has a very high Khmer population. The many temples here are in the Cambodian Khmer-style, and the culture is highly influenced by this. It is a bustling town with a population of around 120,000. Very few people speak any English here, and tourists are few and far between, although they are well received.
Get in
There are services to Soc Trang from HCMC (5 hr) leaving from the Mien Tay bus station.
It is about 1 hour from Can Tho, accessible by local bus.
Local buses from Tra Vinh only leave in the morning.
It is about 1 hour from Can Tho, accessible by local bus.
Local buses from Tra Vinh only leave in the morning.
Get around
You can walk anywhere in this town in under an hour. Xe oms are readily available, look for guys relaxing by their motorbikes on a street corner. Make sure to make the price very clear before you go.
See
Bat TempleThe monastery, while pleasing on its own, the main draw here are the fruit bats that live in the trees behind the temple. The monks protect them from the farmers in the area who consider them both a pest and a delicacy. Arrive about 1/2 hour before sunset to see the show begin. Any xe om in town can bring you here. There is also a Buddhist crematorium across the road from the temple.
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Clay Pagoda
address: D Mau Than 68This monastery was decorated by a monk sculptor who spent 60 years designing and installing thousands of statues into a colorful cacophony of Buddhist kitch. Notable features are: pillars with dragons on them, a baby white elephant, a white tiger, and golden turtles in the pond out back. Ngã Năm (5 fork intersection) Floating MarketBusiest at 05:00-06:00, but the market is held all day and all night on one fork of the river. You can rent a boat to go around for as little as USD2-3.
Eat
Soc Trang, despite its small size, has a good selection of restaurants serving traditional Vietnamese food. If you head over to Võ Thị Sáu St, there are a few restaurants specializing in hotpot (100,000-150,000 dong) and other countryside delicacies (snake, rice paddy rat).
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Hung
address: 6/24 D Hung VuongThis place has an extensive menu in Vietnamese. Drawing pictures sometimes helps, or bring a phrasebook along. The food is wonderful, and the open-air pavilion has a nice atmosphere. The staff is very helpful. -
Khánh Vi
phone: +84 793 616984address: 43 Lê Duẩn, TP Sóc TrăngSpacious restaurant, extensive menu, individual dishes from 65,000-150,000 dong. Attentive service.
Sleep
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Le Phong
phone: +84 79 382 4681address: 403-405 Le Hong Phong K5-P3Cheap and cheerful hotel, with air-con rooms. Clean and modern, it is a charming place with quirky fish tanks and a pleasant long-time owner.