Ha Tien
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Ha Tien is a small town at the far southwestern corner of Vietnam, where the Gulf of Thailand meets the Cambodian border. Most people arrive to leave — for Phu Quoc, for the islands, or for Kampot — and the town is better than that suggests.
Is Ha Tien worth going to?
For a night, yes. Limestone hills rise out of flat delta country. There is a hillside of Mac family tombs, a cave temple almost on the border, and a riverfront that fills with food in the evening.
Ha Tien is not worth a special journey from Saigon. It is very much worth not treating as a bus stop when you are already passing through, which is what most travellers do.
What is there to see?
The Mac Cuu tombs first: a terraced hillside of graves belonging to the family that governed this corner in the eighteenth century. It is quiet, shaded and five minutes from the centre.
Thach Dong is the second: a cave temple inside a limestone outcrop a few kilometres from the border gate. Shrines fill the chambers, and the view runs over the plain into Cambodia.
Mui Nai beach, west of town, is where the locals swim. The sand is dark and the water is not the Gulf at its clearest. That describes the whole coast here rather than one beach.
| What | Where | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mac Cuu tombs | In town | An hour | Hillside terraces, shaded |
| Thach Dong cave temple | Near the border | An hour | Shrines inside a limestone outcrop |
| Mui Nai beach | 4 km west | An afternoon | Dark sand, local rather than scenic |
| Night market | The riverfront | An evening | Seafood, and the reason to stay |
| Ferry terminal | In town | — | Phu Quoc and Nam Du |
Where does the boat go?
Phu Quoc, in about an hour and a half on the fast craft — the shorter of the two mainland crossings, against roughly two and a half hours from Rach Gia. Boats to the Nam Du islands also leave from here.
Departures cluster in the morning and they are weather-dependent from May to October. In the wet season, plan the crossing as the first thing you do on a given day rather than the last.
What about the Cambodian border?
The Xa Xia gate sits about 7 km from town and connects towards Kep and Kampot. It is one of the quieter crossings on that border and it is used mostly by people joining the Cambodian coast to the Vietnamese one.
Requirements at land borders change, and they change without announcement. Confirm the current position before you travel rather than trusting anything written in advance, including this.
Where do you sleep in Ha Tien?
In town, near the river, in ordinary small hotels at the bottom of the tiers in the accommodation guide. Ha Tien is a working town rather than a resort and the rooms reflect that.
Being near the ferry terminal is worth a little, given how early the boats leave.
What does a night in Ha Tien cost?
Cheaply. A hotel room runs roughly 250,000 to 600,000 dong, the night market feeds you for very little, and the tombs and cave temple charge nothing or nearly nothing. At about 26,000 dong to the dollar this is one of the least expensive nights in the country.
The ferry to Phu Quoc is the real expense of being here, and the seafood guide applies at the market as it does anywhere on this coast.
How long is the road from Saigon?
By road, roughly 330 km and seven to eight hours from Ho Chi Minh City, usually on an overnight sleeper. From Can Tho or Rach Gia it is around three hours, which is the sensible way to arrive if you are already in the Mekong Delta.
Chau Doc is about four hours northeast, and the two border towns make a natural pair for anyone travelling the delta's edges rather than its middle.
FAQ
Is Ha Tien worth visiting?
For a night, and mostly because of where it leads. Ha Tien is a small town on the Gulf of Thailand at the Cambodian border, with limestone hills, caves, the Mac Cuu family tombs and a riverfront night market. It is also the ferry port for Phu Quoc and the Nam Du islands.
How do you get to Ha Tien?
By road from Ho Chi Minh City it is roughly 330 km and seven to eight hours, or about three hours from Can Tho and Rach Gia. Sleeper buses run overnight from the western bus station in Saigon, which is how most people arrive.
Can you get a ferry from Ha Tien to Phu Quoc?
Yes, and it is the shorter crossing — around an hour and a half on the fast boats, against two and a half from Rach Gia. Departures cluster in the morning and are weather-dependent in the wet season, so check on the day rather than assuming a timetable.
Can you cross to Cambodia at Ha Tien?
Yes, at the Xa Xia border gate about 7 km from town, which connects towards Kep and Kampot. It is one of the quieter crossings and rules change, so confirm current requirements before travelling rather than relying on a page.
What is there to see in Ha Tien?
The Mac Cuu tombs on a hillside above town, Thach Dong cave temple near the border, the limestone outcrops around Mui Nai beach, and the night market on the river. It is half a day of sights and an evening of eating.
When is the best time to visit Ha Tien?
November to April, the southern dry season, when the sea is calm and the island ferries run reliably. May to October brings the rain and the sea conditions that cancel boats, which matters here more than elsewhere because the boats are the point.