Visit the Mekong Delta in Vietnam
The Mekong Delta area is known for it’s many small waters and islands. It is a labyrint of small streams and canals, where locals know their way around by boats. There are floating markets, parents who are taking their kids to school by boat, floating houses, fishermen… it’s such a lovely experience. A boat tour on the Mekong Delta river should definitely be on you Vietnam travel checklist.
We started our Delta tour at Can Tho. Beside the Mekong Delta River tour, this is a fun -but not a must- place to visit in Vietnam. You can easily arrange a boat yourself at the waterside in Can Tho. Right next to the statue of Ho Chi Minh is the boarding point for most of the boats. Go there a day before you want to make the tour and make sure you agree about an early take off the next morning (about 5.00h in the morning!!). The sounds and sight are stunning during that time. Most of the tours are quite “same-same” so you can and should negotiate about the price tag! There are two options for a boat tour; a small one with only one floating market, or a bigger one containing 2 floating markets, a stop at a local farm and some fruits and drinks. This big tour is about 8 hours – sounds like a lifetime but is worth it and not boring!
MEKONG DELTA BOAT TOUR FROM CAN THO
Boarding at 05.00 am is not what I am excited about during a holiday, but my hubby convinced me it was going to be worth it. So I got in the small motorboat, put on my life jacket and sat down on a wooden shelf. Manoah and me where the only 2 people on this boat, aside from the female captain. We slowly started our journey towards the floating market of Can Tho during sunrise. Quite stunning. Our host/ captain made us a sh*tload of rings, small bracelets and a bouquet of palm leaves, while she steered us through the water labyrinth. She showed us all kinds of fresh tropical fruits on route, bought us fresh pineapple + coffee and introduced us to a small farm community. We started at 05.00 am and ended at about 14.00 pm.
FLOATING MARKET MEKONG DELTA
The motorboat was already rumbling a while when we approached a coffee drive-by for boats. Really cool! For just a few Dong you get a Vietnamese coffee to go. This was the start of the first floating market. This floating market is quite big. Boats with coconuts and pineapples, potatoes and spices are all around you trying to sell you something. You can recognize a boats supplies by the product they have pierced on a stick and placed on front of the boat. Buy a snack or taste something you never had before. A few more minutes of motorboat pother later, we got to a second, smaller market. Which is a little the same pineapple and potato wise, but is still worth a stop. After that, our host dropped us off near a small visit, where a small path takes you to a farmer garden.
So if you are planning to travel Vietnam, the Mekong Delta area is definitely a place to go. From Can Tho, you can easily plan to visit a paradise like Island Phu Quoc!