Rạch Giá

(In the Best Way – bún kèn, broken ferries, and a Khmer lullaby at sunset)

📍 KIÊN GIANG, VIETNAM · ⏱️ March 2024 – hot, still, perfect · 5 days · $189 · 3 sunburns, 1 missed boat

📋 Jump to... (i have ferry brain)

→ How I ended up in Rạch Giá → Hoods: Riverfront vs. Vĩnh Bảo → Food that broke me (bún kèn!!) → Tourist crap vs. actual gold → Getting around – ferry chaos → Where I crashed (Good, Bad, Crab) → What surprised me → What I actually spent → My screw‑ups (don't be me) → Day by day chaos → Practical stuff (no lists, just stories)

How I Ended Up in Rạch Giá

Honestly? I only came because I missed the last ferry to Phú Quốc. Like, stood at the Bến Tàu Rạch Giá ticket counter at 4:47pm, and the lady said "hết vé" (sold out) with this tiny, pitying smile. I could've taken the night ferry, but my motel in Saigon had kicked me out, I was carrying 14kg of luggage, and I just thought – fine. I'll stay. Rạch Giá isn't even on most backpacker maps. It's the jump-off point, not the destination. But I was too tired to jump. So I stayed.

First impression stepping out of the ferry terminal into the March heat: the SMELL. Not bad – the opposite, actually. That sharp, sweet, umami punch of fish sauce factories mixed with diesel and the brackish river. It hit me like a wall. And the light – 5pm, golden hour, hitting the phượng vĩ trees along Trần Phú street. They were flowering, explosions of red. I saw a graffiti tag: "THIỆN" in black spray paint on a concrete pillar. I saw it again the next day on a coffee shop wall. Thiện became my imaginary travel buddy.

What went wrong immediately? I didn't have a hotel. I stood on the sidewalk, sweating into my linen shirt, scrolling Agoda. Everything near the river was either "Liên Hệ" (contact) or 1.2 million VND. I walked 10 minutes inland, found a guesthouse on Lý Thường Kiệt. The door was open, no one at reception. I waited 5 minutes, then a barefoot man emerged from a back room, chewing betel. He showed me a room. No window. A/C dripped water onto the floor. He said "150k". I said "ok". He smiled. His name was Mr. Sơn. That was my first hour in Rạch Giá.

💡 Tip I learned on day 2: never book a hotel near the ferry terminal on a Friday afternoon – it's when families arrive for weekend trips to Phú Quốc. Walk 10 minutes inland or book 3 days ahead. Also, Phương Trang buses drop you at the station on Nguyễn Trung Trực, not the terminal. I took a Grab, 25k. Worth it.

The Neighborhoods: Real Talk

TRẦN PHÚ – the riverfront, my love, my chaos. This is Rạch Giá's spine. At 8am, it's already roaring: xe ôm drivers napping in hammocks strung between trees, women in nón lá selling jackfruit from baskets, and the constant, rhythmic thwack of a fishmonger scaling silver fish. I walked the entire promenade from the ferry terminal to the statue of Nguyễn Trung Trực. At 8pm, it's a different world. Families sit on the concrete steps, kids chase each other with glow sticks, and the Khmer-owned food carts set up grills. I heard "Chưa Bao Giờ Mẹ Kể" by Min & Erik three times in one hour. It was perfect. The coffee here – not the tourist stuff. At Cà Phê Bảy Thưa, an alley so narrow you have to exhale to pass, the owner roasts beans in a giant wok over a wood fire. I asked him, "Sao ngon vậy anh?" He said, "Bí mật của biển" (secret of the sea). 12k for a phin. I went every afternoon.

🚫 TRASH ZONE: Vĩnh Bảo – the "new" residential area. It's fine, I guess, if you like identical pink villas and zero shade. I walked through at 11am and felt my soul dehydrate. No street food, just a Circle K. A security guard stared at me. I stared back. I left. Skip it.

AN HÒA – the Khmer quarter. Not officially, but you feel it. The signs are in Vietnamese and Khmer script. There's a small pagoda, Serey Preah Moha Montrei, with yellow-robed monks and frangipani trees. I sat on the steps at 5pm, and the light hit the orange tiles and turned everything amber. No one asked me to leave. A little girl handed me a lotus flower and ran away. I still have it, pressed in my notebook.

Chợ Rạch Giá (the market) – honestly, it's overwhelming. But go at 6am before the tour buses arrive. I saw eels in plastic basins, piles of rau răm, a woman sharpening knives with a foot-powered whetstone. I bought a mango for 10k and the vendor laughed at my pronunciation ("xoài, không phải soài"). I laughed too. That's Rạch Giá.

Food That Made Me Emotional

1. Bún kèn – quán Cô Ba, 144 Trần Phú. Fight me, this is the best bún kèn in all of Kiên Giang. It's a Cambodian-inspired fish curry noodle soup – coconut milk, turmeric, flaked snakehead fish, and a tangle of rice vermicelli. It looks like a sunrise. I ordered it without knowing what it was. The first spoonful made me close my eyes. Cô Ba, 78 years old, has been making it for 50 years. She told me (through a customer who translated) that her mother taught her, and her mother learned from a Khmer neighbor. 30k. I ate it four times in five days. On the last day, she gave me extra chả cá and said "mai mốt đi đâu?" (where are you going next?). I said "Phú Quốc". She nodded. "Nhớ quay lại" (remember to come back). I will, Cô Ba. I will.

2. Bánh canh chả cá – quán Bà Năm, góc Nguyễn Công Trứ. Thick tapioca noodles, fish cakes, a broth that tastes like the Gulf of Thailand distilled into umami. I went at 7am, still groggy, and the lady – Bà Năm, missing two front teeth – asked "ăn mấy tô?" (how many bowls?). I said "một". She laughed. "Một thôi hả?" (only one?). I ate two. 20k each. She called me "con" after that.

3. DISAPPOINTMENT THAT STILL HAUNTS ME: A "hải sản tươi sống" place on the riverfront with a neon crab sign. I ordered ghẹ hấp (steamed crab). It came out small, overcooked, and they charged me 320k. Later, Mr. Sơn told me that place changes prices based on your accent. I should've gone to the night market. Regret.

⚠️ HANGOVER CURE (I wasn't hungover, just crab-traumatized): cháo cá – fish porridge from a cart on Nguyễn Trung Trực. The owner, a quiet man in his 60s, uses leftover fish frames for broth, tops it with fried shallots and a sprinkle of white pepper. 20k. It fixed me.

4. Street food that scared then delighted me: ốc len xào dừa – snails stir-fried with coconut milk and lemongrass. I saw a group of monks eating it near the Khmer pagoda. Looked like a bowl of shells and weird noodles. I pointed, the vendor handed me a toothpick. I fumbled. A 12-year-old girl showed me the twirl-and-suck technique. It was sweet, spicy, addictive. 30k. I went back the next night just for that.

5. Expensive mistake: "Bún cá specialty" at a restaurant with an English menu. 95k for a bowl that was smaller and blander than the 30k version at Cô Ba's. The only special thing was the markup.

Tourist Stuff vs. What Actually Ruled

🔥 HOT TAKE Skip the Đình Nguyễn Trung Trực. It's a nice temple, I guess, dedicated to the national hero who set fire to a French warship. But it's tiny, always crowded with tour groups, and the incense smoke gave me a headache. I spent 10 minutes there and left. The statue on Trần Phú – the big one overlooking the river – is more impressive at sunset. And it's free.

What ruled instead: the fish sauce factory. Not the one they take tourists to (Phú Quốc brand). I found a tiny family operation on Hùng Vương called Nước Mắm Thanh Quang. The owner, Mr. Tư, saw me peeking through the gate and waved me in. The smell was potent – like a thousand anchovies fermented in patience – but he showed me the 500-liter vats, explained the process in broken English and hand gestures. He even gave me a taste. It was liquid gold. I bought a 750ml bottle for 80k. It's sitting on my kitchen counter now. I put it on everything.

The Tam Quan gate? It's the old city gate, renovated. You can take a photo. It's fine, I guess, if you like traffic swirling around a monument. I walked there at 8am, took two photos, and left. What I didn't expect: the little park behind it, where old men play cờ tướng (Chinese chess) every morning. I watched two men play for 20 minutes. Neither spoke. One sipped trà đá. That was better than the gate.

The island boat tours – I didn't do one, but I talked to a Danish couple who did. They paid 600k for a day trip to Hòn Tre. They said it was "nice, but lots of trash on the beach". So maybe skip, or go with a local fisherman (Mr. Sơn offered to take me for 200k, but I ran out of time).

Getting Around: What Google Maps Won't Tell You

Google Maps said: "Walk 1.2 km to the Khmer pagoda." It did not mention that the sidewalk ends abruptly and you have to walk along a drainage canal. I did it anyway. A xe ôm driver pulled up next to me: "em ơi, đi đâu? Xa lắm, lên xe đi!" I said "không sao" (it's fine). He persisted. I gave in. 20k to the pagoda. Honestly, it was worth it. His name was Mr. Vinh. He gave me his card. I called him three times during my trip. He always arrived within 5 minutes.

⚠️ SCAM WATCH: At the ferry terminal, a man in a fake "Superdong" uniform approached me and said the ticket machine was broken, but he could sell me a ticket to Phú Quốc for 350k (real price: 230k). I said "để tôi tự mua" and walked to the official counter. Machine worked fine. Don't trust helpers in uniform.

I rented a motorbike from Mr. Sơn – 100k/day, a Honda Blade with a wonky kickstand. Day 3, I ran out of gas on the bridge to Hòn Đất. I pushed the bike 500 meters, sweating like a sinner in church, until a xe ôm driver helped me coast to a petrol station. He refused money. I bought him a coffee. Lesson: Always fill up at the Petrolimex on Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm.

Also: the local bus to Hòn Đất (bus 11) exists, but it leaves when it's full. I waited 40 minutes, then gave up. Grab Bike is cheaper than you think. I used it 8 times, average 18k per ride.

Where I Stayed: The Good, Bad, and Weird

Nhà nghỉ Sơn – 47/12 Lý Thường Kiệt. No website, no Agoda, just Mr. Sơn's betel-stained smile. I paid 150k/night ($6). The room: windowless, A/C dripped into a plastic bottle, and the shower was a hose attached to a sink. BUT. The bed was firm, the sheets were clean, and there was a gecko named Gilbert (I named him) who chirped at midnight. Also, Mr. Sơn's wife, Bà Hạnh, made me coffee every morning – 10k, but she never charged me. I tried to pay; she waved her hand and said "thôi, con uống đi" (stop, drink up).

The noise: at 5am, the neighbour started frying chả cá. The smell of fish sauce and garlic seeped through the walls. At first I was annoyed, then it became my breakfast alarm. By day 3, I was waking up before the chả cá.

What photos don't show: the family altar in the lobby, complete with a jar of snake wine that had been there since 1998. Mr. Sơn saw me staring. "Uống thử không?" I did. It tasted like rice wine and regret. 5/10, but I'm glad I did it.

Price paid: 750k for 5 nights ($31). Worth it? Absolutely. Because of Bà Hạnh's coffee and Gilbert the gecko.

The Thing That Surprised Me

I thought Rạch Giá would feel like a transit hub – loud, dirty, impatient. And it is, a little. But it's also slow. The river doesn't rush; it just sits there, brown and patient. The people don't rush either. At 3pm, the whole city seems to nap. I sat on a bench at the riverfront, and a fisherman was mending his net. It took him 20 minutes. No one bothered him. I felt my own pulse slow down.

Also surprised me: the Khmer influence. I knew there was a Khmer population in the Mekong Delta, but I didn't expect to hear Khmer pop music from a mobile phone shop, or see monks walking barefoot to the pagoda. One evening, I walked past the Serey Preah Moha Montrei pagoda and heard chanting. I stood at the gate for 10 minutes, listening. A young monk noticed me and smiled. He didn't speak. I didn't either. It was enough.

And the sunset. Every evening at 5:30, the light hits the river and turns it into liquid copper. The fishing boats head out, their motors humming. I watched it five nights in a row. It never got old.

Money: What I Actually Spent

I track every dong. Here's the breakdown for 5 days / 4 nights. All in USD for y'all, but I paid in crumpled VND.

Category	What I Paid	Worth It?
Accommodation (5 nights)	$31	Yes, Gilbert was a great roommate
Food & drinks	$62	bún kèn alone worth $30
Transport (bike rental, Grab, xe ôm)	$48	Mr. Vinh's kindness = priceless
Attractions/entrance	$8	mostly fish sauce and pagoda donations
SIM card (Viettel, 60GB)	$6	essential, got lost daily
Souvenirs (fish sauce, a woven basket)	$34	fish sauce is already half gone
TOTAL	$189	cheaper than 2 nights in Phú Quốc

💰 Day 1 spending was $47 because I overpaid for the crab dinner (scammed) and bought a "vintage" fishing net decoration (200k, later saw same net for 80k at the market). Day 5 I spent $13 – just bún kèn and coffee. It balances out if you're not an idiot every day.

Mistakes I Made So You Don't Have To

• ✖ 1. I didn't bring mosquito repellent. March is the start of dry season, but the riverfront mosquitoes are relentless. My ankles looked like I had leprosy. Buy repellent at any pharmacy – 35k. I learned this on day 2, after 17 bites.
• ✖ 2. I tried to buy a ferry ticket to Phú Quốc the night before. Sold out. Had to wait two extra days. If you're planning to island-hop, book at least 3 days ahead, especially on weekends. The Superdong counter opens at 6am, but the queue starts at 5:30. I got there at 6:15 and still waited an hour.
• ✖ 3. I wore flip-flops to the fish sauce factory. The floor was wet and slippery. I nearly did a full split. Also, the smell gets trapped in rubber. My flip-flops smelled like anchovy for a week. Wear closed shoes.
• ✖ 4. I didn't bring a power bank. My homestay had one outlet, behind the bed. I had to charge my phone on the floor. Also, long days with Grab and Google Maps drain battery. Buy a 20,000mAh one. Your future self will thank you.
• ✖ 5. I assumed everyone spoke English. They don't, and why should they? I learned five phrases: "cảm ơn", "bao nhiêu?", "hơi đắt", "ngon quá", and "đi vòng quanh". They carried me through five days. Learn them.

Also, I called a woman "bà" and she was probably 50. She laughed, but I wanted to evaporate. Use "chị" unless they're clearly 80+.

How It Actually Went: Day by Day

Wednesday, March 13: Meant to arrive at 3pm. Sleeper bus from Saigon got stuck near Cần Thơ – engine trouble. Arrived 6:30pm, dark, sweating. Checked into Sơn's, met Gilbert. Ate bún kèn at Cô Ba's (she was closing up, but still served me). Walked along Trần Phú at night, heard karaoke from a coffee shop – "Bèo Dạt Mây Trôi". Went to bed at 10pm, lulled by the ferry horns.

Thursday, March 14: Woke up at 5:30 (chả cá alarm). Rented motorbike. Drove to the Khmer pagoda, sat with the monks for 20 minutes. Then to the fish sauce factory – Mr. Tư gave me a tour. Bought a bottle. Afternoon: got lost near Hòn Đất, ran out of gas, pushed bike, xe ôm angel appeared. Evening: bánh canh at Bà Năm's. She called me "con". I almost cried.

Friday, March 15: Planned to go to Phú Quốc. Tickets sold out. Sat at the ferry terminal, defeated. Then decided: fuck it, I'll stay. Walked to Tam Quan gate, watched old men play chess. Ate ốc len xào dừa, learned the toothpick technique from a 12-year-old. Evening: sunset at the riverfront. Mr. Sơn saw me and brought me a plastic stool. We sat in silence. He offered me snake wine. I said yes. We clinked glasses.

Saturday, March 16: Slept through my alarm. Missed sunrise completely. Didn't care. Spent the morning at Cà Phê Bảy Thưa, watching the alley come alive. Ate bún kèn again. Cô Ba gave me extra chả cá. Afternoon thunderstorm – I sheltered at a café, drank cà phê sữa đá, watched the rain flood Lý Thường Kiệt. The barista played a lo-fi mix; suddenly "See Tình" came on. I laughed. She laughed. It's the law.

Sunday, March 17: Last day. Ate bún kèn one last time. Cô Ba squeezed my hand. "Mai đi Phú Quốc hả?" I nodded. "Ăn thêm đi" (eat more). I ate another bowl. Bought dried squid at the market, said goodbye to Gilbert. Mr. Sơn waved from his betel-stained chair. Took a Grab to the ferry terminal. Watched Rạch Giá shrink in the rearview mirror. Already planning my return.

Practical Stuff (Without the Boring Lists)

This almost happened to me: At the ferry terminal, a guy offered to "watch my bag" while I bought a ticket. I said "không cần" (don't need). He insisted. I walked away. Later, a German tourist told me his bag was stolen exactly that way – they distract you, an accomplice grabs it. Never let strangers touch your luggage.

Health thing that went wrong: Not me, but a guy at the homestay. He ate raw oysters from a street cart and spent two days in bed. I stuck to cooked food and fruit I could peel. Also, the sun in March is no joke. I got burned on day 1 because I thought "it's only 9am". Wear sunscreen. I bought a bottle at the pharmacy – 80k for SPF 50. Worth it.

Thing I wish I'd packed: A sarong. Not just for the beach (there's not much beach in Rạch Giá proper), but for covering my shoulders at the pagoda. I used a scarf, but it kept slipping. Also, earplugs. The ferry horns start at 4:30am. Gilbert didn't care, but I did.

One random hack: The best bún kèn is at Cô Ba's, 144 Trần Phú. She opens at 6am and runs out by 10am. Go early. Also, the Viettel store on Nguyễn Văn Cừ sells SIM cards with no passport scan – just handed me a card, 120k for 80GB. I used 25GB in 5 days because I kept watching Vietnamese cooking videos.

Still have questions? Wanna fight about bún kèn?

Drop a comment below – I read every single one. Even the guy who says Cô Ba's isn't the best (you're objectively wrong, but I still respect you).

Last updated: March 2024 · prices probably went up (everything's gone up)

❤️ If you see Cô Ba at 144 Trần Phú, tell her the Aussie who ate four bowls in five days says hi. And give Gilbert the gecko a cricket for me.