Sóc Trăng: Bats, Khmer Pagodas and the Ok Om Bok Festival

Sóc Trăng is the deep-delta province with the second-largest ethnic Khmer population in Vietnam (after Trà Vinh). It's known for three things: the Bat Pagoda (Wat Mahatup), the Clay Buddha Pagoda (Chùa Đất Sét), and the Ok Om Bok boat-racing festival.

It's quieter than Cần Thơ, has more Khmer cultural presence, and rewards a half-day or full-day visit.

What's distinctive

Bat Pagoda (Chùa Dơi / Wat Mahatup)

A 16th-century Khmer Theravada pagoda where flying foxes (large fruit bats) roost in the trees of the temple grounds. Hundreds of bats hang upside-down from the high branches; at dusk they fly out to forage. Monks tolerate and protect them.

The pagoda itself is beautifully painted in Khmer style — gold-tipped roof, narrative murals on the prayer hall walls. Free entry; modest dress.

Clay Buddha Pagoda (Chùa Đất Sét)

A unique pagoda where everything is made of unfired clay — Buddhas, candles, decorative figures. Built by one family over decades, including extraordinary candles each weighing over 200 kg that have been burning continuously for years. Small, atmospheric, free.

Khmer pagodas across the province

Sóc Trăng has more than 90 Khmer Theravada pagodas. Most are working temples with monks living and studying; visitors are welcome with quiet respect.

Ok Om Bok festival

The Khmer "Moon Worshipping" festival, full moon of the 10th lunar month (around October). Lantern release, sticky-rice-cake offerings, and the headline ghe ngo boat races on the Maspero river — long racing canoes with crews of 50–60 paddlers, drums, and flags. One of the most spectacular festivals in the south.

How to get there

From Cần Thơ: 1 hour by car or bus south.

From HCMC: 5 hours by bus or car.

No flights, no train.

When to visit

• October Ok Om Bok: peak cultural moment, accommodation books out months ahead.
• December–April: dry season, comfortable.
• Year-round for the pagodas and bats.

Where to stay

Sóc Trăng city has mid-range business hotels (Quê Tôi, Khánh Hưng) and budget guesthouses. No international chains. For Ok Om Bok, book months in advance.

Food

• Bún nước lèo Sóc Trăng — fish-based noodle soup with prahok-style fermented paste; the local variant rivals Trà Vinh's.
• Bánh pía Sóc Trăng — flaky pastries filled with mung bean paste and salted egg yolk; a famous local sweet exported nationally.
• Khmer sweets with palm sugar and coconut.

Honest take

Sóc Trăng is a half-day or one-night stop on a deeper Mekong itinerary. The Bat Pagoda and Clay Pagoda are genuinely worth seeing; the Khmer cultural depth is real. Combine with Trà Vinh for a Khmer-focused detour from the standard delta circuit, or with Bạc Liêu and Cà Mau as the southward push.