Dubbed the "sea lake in the plains" of the Southwest region, Thi Tuong Lagoon is one of the largest natural brackish water lagoons in the country. It possesses a vast, peacefully majestic landscape and the highly unique aquaculture culture of the people of the Cape Land. Below is a complete set of travel experiences for Thi Tuong Lagoon to help you prepare best for your journey of discovery.
Lagoon area
About 700 ha,
over 10km wide
Landscape
Stilt houses on the river,
surrounded by cajuput stakes
Specialties
Eel, mullet,
brackish water shrimp and crab
Distance
About 40km
from Ca Mau City
1. Where is Thi Tuong Lagoon located in Ca Mau?
Thi Tuong Lagoon is located on the border between the three communes of Tran Van Thoi, Cai Nuoc, and Phu Tan in Ca Mau province. This giant brackish water lagoon flows straight into the Gulf of Thailand through the My Binh River, divided into 3 main lagoons: Upper Lagoon, Middle Lagoon, and Lower Lagoon (in which the Middle Lagoon is the widest and most bustling water area).
The lagoon has a depth of about 1 to 1.5m depending on the daily tidal regime. Thanks to its rich brackish water ecosystem, the lagoon is a gathering place for many species of natural fish, shrimp, and crabs living under the scattered branches and bamboo huts everywhere.
2. How to get to Thi Tuong Lagoon?
From the center of Ca Mau city, you travel along National Highway 1A down to Cai Nuoc district for about 30km, meet the Cai Nuoc intersection, then turn right and run for another 10km on a rural asphalt road to reach the river wharf. At the river wharf, you rent a small motorboat to take you straight to the heart of the lagoon. The journey of surfing the motorboat through the wind on the breezy lagoon brings a feeling of absolute freedom.
3. Enjoy fresh seafood on unique stilt houses
An unmissable highlight at Thi Tuong Lagoon is the simple wooden stilt houses with water coconut leaf roofs erected right in the middle of the vast lagoon. These houses are connected by loose bamboo walkways, supported by sturdy stakes.
At these ecological stilt houses, you will enjoy seafood just caught from the lagoon such as: eel cooked in sour hotpot, grilled mullet rolled in rice paper, crispy fried mullet dipped in tamarind sauce, sweet boiled earth shrimp in coconut water. All ingredients are extremely fresh, with natural sweet and chewy meat.
4. Suggested Thi Tuong Lagoon sightseeing itinerary
You should spend about half a day in your journey to explore Ca Mau to visit the lagoon. This activity is very reasonably integrated in the Ca Mau 2 Days 1 Night Tour or custom itineraries by Ba Ngoai Homestay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to book a table in advance on the stilt house when visiting Thi Tuong Lagoon?
If traveling on weekends or major holidays, you highly should ask the homestay or directly contact the restaurant on the lagoon to reserve a spot in advance for the freshest crab and fish and thoughtful service.
How beautiful is the sunset at the lagoon?
The sunset here is extremely mesmerizing. Around 17:30, the entire flat lagoon surface sparkles with reddish-orange hues, the silhouettes of bamboo huts and wooden stakes deeply imprinted against the sky create a fascinating landscape photography setting.
References
To ensure accurate ecological and geographical data, the contents in the article are cross-referenced from research studies and official documents:
- Ca Mau Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism: Planning for conservation of coastal wetland ecological biodiversity and tourism promotion of Thi Tuong Lagoon.
- Southern Institute of Water Resources Research: Survey report on hydro-oceanographic characteristics, tidal regime and self-purification mechanism of Thi Tuong brackish water lagoon.
- Electronic information portals of People's Committees of Tran Van Thoi, Phu Tan, and Cai Nuoc districts: Documents on administrative boundaries and management of lagoon aquatic resources.
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Written by
Tran Bi (Founder of Ba Ngoai Homestay)
Tran Bi is a local tourism expert with over 10 years of experience guiding visitors through Cape Ca Mau and the U Minh mangrove forests.
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