(TITC) – Leveraging the natural conditions of their homeland, many households in Khanh Thuan Commune, U Minh District, Ca Mau Province have, in recent years, created attractive tourism and experiential services beneath the forest canopy. These initiatives aim not only to develop tourism-based livelihoods but also to protect the “green lungs” of the region in a sustainable manner. Among them, the Song Trem Ecotourism Area has emerged as a standout model in Ca Mau’s rural tourism landscape.
Song Trem River, a tributary of the Ong Doc River, stretches just 36 kilometers but plays a vital ecological role by dividing the vast U Minh Forest into two regions: U Minh Ha (lower), located in Ca Mau Province, and U Minh Thuong (upper), located in Kien Giang Province.
The Song Trem Ecotourism Area, managed by U Minh Ha Forestry One Member Limited Company, covers 110 hectares, including expansive melaleuca (tràm) forest. This is an ancient, decades-old forest protected with strict conservation measures. Beneath its canopy thrives a diverse ecosystem of flora and fauna.
One of the most striking features of the ecotourism area is its wildlife conservation zone, home to more than 300 species of plants and animals, including rare species such as Asiatic black bears, crocodiles, and gibbons. Ongoing efforts to rehabilitate and care for wildlife have transformed Song Trem into one of Ca Mau’s most exemplary community-based ecotourism models. Visitors can even enjoy the unique and entertaining experience of feeding monkeys – an activity especially popular among families.
Beyond its rich animal life, the area boasts an equally diverse and enchanting plant ecosystem. Visitors can wander through lotus ponds, rows of acerola trees, purple glory flowers, coconut groves, plum orchards, pomelo gardens, and seasonal fruit plantations. Elevated wooden and bamboo bridges weave through the forest, leading guests into a lush, ever-changing landscape of blooms, fruits, and mysterious melaleuca stands.
A must-try activity at Song Trem is the motorboat tour through the melaleuca forest. The boat glides through narrow channels, allowing visitors to admire water lilies in bloom, watch flocks of birds forage, and immerse themselves in the tranquil sounds of the wetlands. Local guides – often residents of nearby villages – lead guests along forest trails, teaching them about medicinal plants, honey-harvesting trees, and the role of melaleuca forests in preventing erosion and retaining water in the floodplain ecosystem. During the high-water season, the river transforms in color and scenery, offering new discoveries with every visit – an irresistible charm of this ecotourism destination.
Besides sightseeing, visitors can participate in various hands-on experiences, including fishing, honey collecting, rowing traditional three-plank boats, and enjoying đờn ca tài tử performances. The culinary offerings are particularly memorable, featuring freshwater fish and naturally foraged vegetables. Signature dishes that visitors should not miss include salted fish hotpot (lẩu mắm), grilled snakehead fish, fried catfish with ginger fish sauce, young bee salad, and simmered eel with noni leaves.
What makes Song Trem especially admirable is the collaborative approach between local residents and forest managers. Together, they have shifted from exploiting resources to protecting them – and from protecting them to sharing them sustainably with visitors. Travelers do not come merely for photos; they come to experience boat rides through melaleuca forests, explore eco-gardens, learn about the traditional forest-based livelihoods of local people, and savor dishes made from native products such as freshwater fish, giant freshwater prawns, and nipa palm fruits.
These activities create stable income for the community while raising environmental awareness among visitors, making Song Trem a shining model of sustainable rural tourism in Ca Mau.
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