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Ba Om Pond

A square pond ringed by ancient trees with their roots exposed above ground, beside a Khmer monastery.

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Typepond
WhereTra Vinh Province
Nearest cityTra Vinh about 5 km
Best seasonNovember to April
Time to allowHalf a day
Getting thereRoad south-west of Tra Vinh city towards Ang pagoda; walkable from the road
EntryFree

Ao Ba Om is a rectangular pond of about three hundred by five hundred metres outside Tra Vinh, ringed by an embankment on which very old dipterocarps and other trees grow with their root systems standing metres out of the eroded soil - the effect is the site's signature. The Khmer legend attached explains the pond as the result of a contest between men and women over who should propose marriage, won by the women through a trick, and it is named for the woman who led them. Beside it stands Ang pagoda, a Khmer Theravada monastery, and a museum of Khmer culture. Tra Vinh has one of the largest Khmer populations in Vietnam.

What you actually see

  • A rectangular pond - about three hundred by five hundred metres.
  • Trees with roots above ground - standing metres out of eroded soil.
  • A Khmer legend of a contest - between men and women, over proposing.
  • Ang pagoda and a Khmer museum - beside the pond.

When to go

November to April; the Khmer festivals are the busiest times. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The pond itself is unremarkable - the trees and the pagoda are the reason to come. Tra Vinh is off the tourist routes. Facilities are minimal. Heat is constant.

Nearby

Tra Vinh city is north-east; the coast and the Mekong mouths are south.

What to pack for Ba Om Pond

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Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.

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