Local Life At Sunrise

Tam Giang – Cau Hai Lagoon System: The Living Biodiversity Museum of Thua Thien Hue

The Tam Giang – Cau Hai lagoon system is the largest brackish water lagoon in Southeast Asia, covering 21,600 hectares, accounting for 48.2% of Vietnam’s coastal lagoon water area. Stretching about 27 km from the O Lau River mouth to the Huong River mouth, it spans Phong Dien, Quang Dien, and Huong Tra districts.

Researchers consider Tam Giang – Cau Hai one of the most complex and diverse tropical coastal ecosystems, combining riverine plains, open shallow waters, grass buffer zones, river mouths, tributaries surrounded by sandbars, and coastal mangroves. This makes the lagoon a true living water museum and biodiversity treasure.

Recent surveys have recorded 1,296 species in the area, including 41 rare species:

• Phytoplankton: 295 species
• Higher plants: 50 species
• Algae and aquatic plants (including 7 seagrass species): 73 species
• Zooplankton: 119 species
• Benthic animals: 215 species
• Fish: 361 species
• Birds: 137 species

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Specialty Seafood from Tam Giang – Cau Hai

The lagoon is not only rich in biodiversity but also a seafood paradise:

• Shrimp: Tender and flavorful.
• Flatfish (Ca Kinh): Lean meat with delicate, exquisite texture.
• Crab: Firm meat and rich roe, a true delicacy.
• Wild squid: Small in size but exceptionally sweet, especially the ink, which is often added to soups or broth for noodle dishes. It is commonly cooked with Tam Giang-style banh xeo: when the squid is fried in oil, its ink blends with the rice batter, and the natural sweetness from both the rice and the ink creates an incredible flavor. For a quicker treat, locals often take a freshly caught squid and drop it straight into instant ramen noodles – the sweet meat combined with the squid ink blending into the broth makes for a true delicacy.

These squids are wild-caught only and cannot be farmed, making them qualified to be featured in any fine dining establishments.
(The squid fishing tradition here is famously demanding: after heading out on large boats, each fisherman is given a small round basket boat (the one famouse you'll see in Hoi An), and under the cover of night, they fish individually in the dark open sea – an activity that can only be done at night.)

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Stop for more photo opportunities on the return trip. Then take a short walk around the local fish market to witness the daily life of the locals.

Transfer back to your hotel at approximately 9am.

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NOTES:

• Availability: Morning
• Suggested time: 05:00
• Durations: 4 hours
• Capacity: Minimum 2 pax, Maximum 12 pax
• This tour is not recommended from October to December