Nam Thanh Homestay - Hostel

The breakfast was good, and the location on the island was convenient, near the boat. The boat tour was okay, though not the best. Room quality for the price was fine, and he helped us book a bus to HCM. We weren’t told why they started recording us as soon as we got out of the car. Maybe it was for safety, but they didn’t explain. The dinner price may be too high, though we didn’t eat there. We booked a room without air con because we hadn’t read the full description, so that was our mistake. Some homestays offer a welcome coconut drink, but this one didn’t.

The room was good, but dinner was way overpriced, and the free bicycles were in really bad shape. I wanted to rent a motorbike for half a day after checking in around 1 pm, but they still wanted to charge me for a full day. That’s the first time this has happened to me in three months in Southeast Asia. To get to ben Tre, we needed a bus from dinh khao. There’s no Grab on the island, so I asked the Owner, who said he could book us a motorbike for 70k. I walked 300m to the motorbike station myself, and a driver offered me 50k straight away, without even negotiating. I’m not sure what to make of it. Looking at other comments, it seems like he might try to rip you off when he can. Otherwise, he seemed lovely.

The host made the stay especially fun. He was friendly, spoke pretty good English, and was happy to have a party if we were up for it. In the evening he brought out his homemade “fun water,” or rice wine. There’s also a drinks fridge with a clipboard to note what you take, and a cold beer was 30,000D. The food was a highlight too. We could choose a set menu or order à la carte for dinner, and the home-cooked portions were generous. Breakfast was huge and really tasty. There are plenty of facilities, including free bike hire, a pond for fishing, and big communal spaces. The boat trip was cheap but basic. We took the 4.5-hour option, though 2.5 hours might have been enough. It’s a short walk from the An Binh ferry, in a peaceful rural area. There’s a small village nearby with a few shops and food vendors, an easy walk or bike ride away. The homestay itself was a very calming place after the bustle of Ho Chi Minh. We really enjoyed our stay here :)

We rented a bike or moped here, for 50,000 or 150,000 respectively. The friendly woman also let us use the toilet. We bought a soda and sat in the shade for a while.