Going to mangrove for tourism, homestay

Taking tourists into the water to sleep

Many community eco-tourism destinations in Ca Mau have become ideal places for domestic and foreign tourists. In Ca Mau, the community eco-tourism model is currently being strongly developed, attracting many people and tourists to visit and experience.

However, they have a long-term vision for Dat Mui tourism, because Dat Mui has only one, one, cannot have a second. Tourism can only develop, not stop. Therefore, after a period of working in tourism, Mr. Nguyen Van Hon boldly sent his child to study tourism.

Mr. Hon believes that he can do it thanks to the guidance of all levels and sectors, but to develop, he must study and be methodical. That is why he sent his son to study Tourism Management. After graduating, Nguyen Trung Kien - his son - managed Hoang Hon tourist destination.

When Hoang Hon Trading - Construction - Tourism Company Limited was established, Mr. Hon was both a director and a renewer of tourism products such as: cross-forest tours experience, "Muicamau Beach Camping - The first coastal camping in Mui Ca Mau"... The company has also connected with travel companies such as: Vietravel, Saigontourist... to control the safety of tourists choosing tourism products.

Because this is forest land, without a "red book", it is impossible to build houses, hotels... Without hesitation, Mr. Hon thought of a way to make a bedroom for guests in his own way. "I use old ships, use buoys that raise the embankments on both sides to keep the ships from shaking, use planks to build the foundation; use leaves to roof and install air conditioners, so there is no need for soil, no need to build, no need to destroy the forest trees," said Mr. Hon.

It is this uniqueness that unintentionally makes this tourist destination a specialty. Mr. Nguyen Tuan Kiet - a tourist in Can Tho after experiencing the rooms here - said: "I have stayed in many places, but this is the first time I have stayed like this. Strange, attractive, unique".

Nguyen Van Hung, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City, commented: "I have been sleeping in the forest, but I have not been sleeping in the water since I opened the door to see the forest. Too unique, attractive".

Link to keep customers

Nguyen Trung Kien, Mr. Hon's son, manages Hoang Hon tourist destination after receiving basic training. Kien shared that every family in the locality has forest land, this is a valuable tourism product, but his peers often do not stick to the forest land but work in many places.

When returning to the locality to participate in the Youth Union, Kien shared the idea of linking to develop community tourism, serving tourists together, and benefiting together. Some friends recognized their strengths and together established a club with 15 union members participating.

These people take tourists to experience and plant trees at home. Tourists who contribute to the ecological environment and nature regeneration will be more excited and this is what motivates tourists to come back again.

In 2025, Dat Mui has 18 households registered to develop community tourism. In addition to experience products, Dat Mui commune encourages the development of additional tourism products with historical elements, such as: restoring and investing in Uncle Ho Temple area to become a destination; recreating the lives of teachers and uncles before the revolutionary activities in the locality so that visitors can see what "all the water in the can, all the fish sauce is".

Hoang Hon tourist area is located right on the way to Dat Mui. Recently, it has been developed into a business, expanding the scale of investment, and building motels located deep under the forest canopy.

Mr. Nguyen Trung Kien said: "Currently, the company is developing tourism products to recreate the traditional profession of Dat Mui people such as: Shrimp square bowl, three-season scanning, crab bottle placement... for tourists to experience".

With a cool space blown by the sea wind, Hoang Hon community tourism destination has created a comfortable feeling for visitors after tiring working days. There is also a system of seaweed restaurants with a capacity of 350 guests, parking lots, and a ferry terminal through the forest. Coming to Hoang Hon, visitors can experience catching fish, catching solan, snakehead fish, crab fishing, feel the peaceful, rustic life of the gentle and hospitable Dat Mui people.

One of the highlights of Hoang Hon is the eco-tourism tour through the forest to visit the last top of the mangrove forest; tour through the protective forest to visit the alluvial plains with the vast natural scenery of the sea; tour to visit the oyster farming village along the Rach Vam canal, with more than 1,000 oyster paths until the harvest season; tour to visit the traditional craft village and the sea dike of Ca Mau Cape by motorbike, boat raft and canoe... Currently, these tours have stabilized, attracting hundreds of domestic and foreign tourists every day.

"You are all trained and guided in tourism. When visitors come to experience, each person is in charge of a group of visitors, introducing experiential services and local specialties. They are paid a fixed salary of 3.5 - 5 million VND/person," Kien said.

Kien's enterprise alone has created stable jobs for more than 20 local workers.

In addition, Kien's group also connected with YouTubers to review the experience service images. The group builds attractive diverse experience services, attracting thousands of visitors to travel each year.

Welcoming tours to see Hon Khoai, the sea-crossing bridge

Mr. Nguyen Van Hon shared: "Local people are looking forward to the completion of the Ca Mau - Dat Mui expressway soon to make travel and transportation of goods more convenient. In addition, when there is this modern transport route, more tourists will come to Dat Mui, creating more jobs and stable income for people, more motivation for businesses and people to invest in tourism development".

In addition to these advantages, the challenge for community tourism in Dat Mui in general and Hoang Hon in particular is not small. With the highway, the number of visitors staying in Dat Mui will decrease. Because, getting on a expressway took more than an hour to get to Ca Mau, why sleep in Dat Mui?

Then there will be many large enterprises in Dat Mui invest more modernly, more methodically, and more attractively. Mr. Hon had planned these things in advance. He said: "It's a certain thing to happen, I can't resist. But this is an opportunity for community tourism destinations to develop because they have the conditions to cooperate with large enterprises to serve in their own way".

He did not wait until the Ca Mau - Dat Mui Expressway, Hon Khoai Port, or the mainland bridge to Hon Khoai to complete the business before calculating the business plan. Right now, he converted fishing boats into tourist boats, registered wharves, yards, and licenses to perform new tourism services, which are to take visitors to see people build a bridge over the sea to Hon Khoai.

Through the eyes of tourism workers, Mr. Hon commented: "Customers coming to Dat Mui today, in addition to going to see the landmark, the symbol of Dat Mui... also need to see people build bridges, build roads, and ports. Having a passenger train to see me me me meets the needs of tourists".

All preparations have been prepared by Mr. Nguyen Van Hon for the trips to see Hon Khoai to open as soon as possible.

On December 20, a group of tourists from Hanoi came to Hoang Han to rest, the Head of the group wanted to go see Hon Khoai and asked him how to go. After a period of explaining to the customers, he turned to me and exclaimed: "I don't see it, the customers' need to see Hon Khoai is real. Many customers have asked. When this tour route is put into operation, please invite me to go down and go with Hoang Hon".

Dat Mui and Hon Khoai are opening up new business opportunities for tourism here.