Bonsai garden at Binh Hoa Phuoc Island - Vinh Long

Just a short boat ride from Vinh Long, is Binh Hoa Phuoc Island. The boat ride to this island paradise is full of photo opportunities; red-eyed boats piled impossibly high with rice move downriver, a "long-tail" filled with produce putts by on its way to the local market, a lady in a conical hat stands in the aft of a boat effortlessly rowing with the current.

On shore we visit a beautiful bonsai garden; and, even though it is a popular tourist destination, I feel that we are their long-awaited guests - their only guests. Wandering through the garden we discuss the differences between the Japanese-style bonsai featuring miniature trees and the Vietnamese bonsai. Here are larger, flowering bonsai presented in pairs. The owner greets us with a big smile as he offers his hand in welcome. I just know he and his family have been waiting for us... just us. We are invited into his house for some tea and wine. My husband is offered snake wine that is politely declined as we vividly recall the bottles of wine we have seen with snakes coiled up in the bottom.

A plate of fruit accompanies the wine. In Vietnam we discover a whole new world of fruit: the crimson-skinned dragon fruit, jack fruit and longans from the same family as litchis. All wonderful new taste treats. I add my business card to the hundreds of others under the glass covering the table, amazed that so many people have found this garden paradise.

This is part of an article from Destination Vietnam online magazine, written by Sandra Scott - read the full article here

Mr. Giao's house and Bonsai garden - Vinh Long
this could be the same place as above ?
Rent a boat and travel on the Mekong 30 minutes from Vinh Long to Mr. Giao's house and Bonsai garden, known as Artist Nguyen Thanh Giao (Binh Thuan II Hamlet, Hoa Ninh Village, Vinh Long Province; no phone); have dinner on the veranda and spend the night amid the orchids.

Http://chocay.net