Approximately 100km from Ho Chi Minh City, the floating village of Tan Lap is located on National Route 62 in Tan Lap Commune, Moc Hoa District, Long An Province. The total area of the floating village is approximately 135 hectares, located in the heart of the Dong Thap Muoi region. With its picturesque natural scenery and vast tracts of mangrove forests, the floating village of Tan Lap has become an unmissable destination for tourists visiting Long An Province.
Many locals who have lived in the area explain that the name "floating village" originated from the fact that the land was once flooded year-round, and the local residents built stilt houses to adapt to the rising water levels. Each time the water level rose, the houses were lifted accordingly. Over time, the locals began to refer to the area as the "floating village." The floating village of Tan Lap has since been designated as a tourist area and no longer has any residents.
The floating village of Tan Lap is at its most beautiful during the flood season from August to December. When the water returns, lotus flowers and water lilies begin to bloom in the surrounding fields, creating a breathtakingly serene and peaceful landscape.
Ms. Huynh Ngoc Han, born in 1996, a tourist who visited the floating village of Tan Lap, shared her experience: "The floating village during the flood season is incredibly beautiful and romantic. I had the opportunity to experience catching fish, cycling through the mangrove forest, and eating sour soup and grilled fish at a restaurant near the lotus pond. I also got to row a three-paddle boat around the flooded fields and explore the mangrove forest by speedboat."
To get a panoramic view, tourists can climb to a 38-meter-high observation tower in the middle of the mangrove forest. From this height, the floating village appears as a green patch in the vast expanse of water. Alternatively, tourists can choose to row a three-paddle boat through the mangrove forest to admire the floating village from a different perspective.
Tourists can also choose to take a 5-kilometer-long path through the mangrove forest to admire the various bird species and egrets. This path is a small road located in the middle of the mangrove forest, with a width of 1 meter. The path is famous for its picturesque and romantic scenery, making it the most popular spot for tourists to take photos and check-in when visiting the floating village of Tan Lap.
The bird sanctuary in the floating village of Tan Lap is a separate island located deep within the mangrove forest. This area is where experts care for and breed birds, creating a suitable environment to attract various bird species and egrets from the wild to live and form large flocks.
The bird sanctuary is home to thousands of birds and egrets that come to forage, playing a significant role in the conservation of rare and endangered species, as well as species unique to the floating village of Tan Lap.
The entrance fee to the Tan Lap Floating Village Ecotourism Area is 70,000 VND per person. The cost of rowing a three-paddle boat is 70,000 VND per person, while the cost of a tour on a boat with a propeller or a cable-pulling boat is 80,000 VND per person, along with various other packages with listed prices. For accommodation, tourists can choose to stay at a 2-star hotel within the ecotourism area or at nearby hotels.
