Mekong Delta travel guide 2019

Many tourists think they can see enough of the Mekong Delta during a short day trip from Ho Chi Minh City. However, there is so much more than a pagoda and a floating market. This region is home to unique ecosystems and various unique communities.

5 reasons to visit Hanoi

1. Take a boat trip through the small waterways of the Mekong
2. Visit a floating market
3. Discover the unique life of the local population
4. Visit a National Park to spot more than 100 different birds
5. Cycle through the rice fields and local villages

Index

1. Practical information
   • In short
   • Best travel time
   • Money
   • Local events and holidays
2. What to see and do in Mekong Delta
   • Best things to do
   • Most popular activities in Mekong Delta
3. Accommodation in Mekong Delta
   • Where to stay
4. Transportation
   • How to get there?
   • How to get around?
5. Itinerary 2 days Mekong Delta

Practical information

In short

Region

South Vietnam; the Mekong Delta is a region of 12 provinces

Number of residents

17.512.900

Recommended travel days

2 days

Vietnamese name

Miền Tây (Western region) or Đồng Bằng Sông Mê Kông (Mekong river delta)

Best travel time

• Best travel time: The weather is pleasant all year round. Even when it rains, you still see interesting aspects of local life.
• If you want to avoid the rain, visit the Mekong Delta between December and March.
• May to August: Summer in Vietnam and this is the season that a lot of fruit grows in the area.
• Rainy season: September to November is the rainy season with many floods.

Money

ATMs are mainly found in the cities. Cash is preferred, but debit and credit cards can be used in many hotels.

Local events and holidays

• Oc Bom Boc Festival: Once a year the Khmer community from all over Vietnam and even Cambodia appears for this festival, with boat racing on the Soc Trang River. Races are held according to the lunar calendar on the 15th day of the 10th moon (approximately in November)
• Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year): Around February every year you can see how the locals prepare their festivities. They decorate their houses with flowers and prepare special dishes that are made only during this time.

1. Boat trip
The best way to explore the Mekong Delta is zigzagging through the canals with a boat trip. In the shade of coconut trees you have a beautiful view of lush orchards, rice fields and local houses.

2. Floating markets
Although a floating market is just a tourist attraction for us, it is a way of life and business for the residents.

3. Explore the Mekong by bicycle
The reasons is that this place has become an ideal location for cycling because of the quiet roads, a flat landscape, friendly people and a beautiful landscape

4. Tra Su Indigo Forest
A flooded forest with many rare species of faunas, some of which are on the endangered list. While you are sitting on a motorized canoe, you sail through the forest and you can spot birds.

5. Stay in a homestay
Spending a day in a homestay in the Mekong Delta is the best option to relax and enjoy a peaceful life, and you will also learn more about the local culture.

6. Tram Chim National Park
This park is a biological treasure house with no less than a quarter of the bird population in Vietnam.

7. Picking fruit
The Mekong Delta offers 70% of the fruit that is consumed throughout Vietnam, and there are numerous fruit orchards spread across the various provinces that make up the Delta.

8. Climb Sam Mountain
Not only are the views beautiful, with rice fields, pole villages and beautiful greenery, but you also walk past dozens of pagodas, tombs and even a temple on the way to the top.

9. Bang Lang stork garden
One of the best stork reserves in the Mekong Delta. It is surrounded by immense rice fields and the Can Tho canals.

10. Vinh Trang Pagoda
This pagoda dates from 1849 and is a large, quiet Buddhist temple about one kilometer north of the center of My Tho city.

Accommodation in Mekong Delta

Where to stay

My Tho – an important market town in the Mekong region. Because it is a local trade center, this city is quite busy compared to some of the quieter destinations in the area. This makes it an interesting place to visit and see the daily bustle of the many local shops and stalls. It is also a great place to start if you want to see the famous floating markets on the way to Can Tho.

Ben Tre – Just a short drive past the busy My Tho, you’ll find quiet Ben Tre, a picturesque province. Stay here for the tranquility of this area and enjoy the beautiful natural environment full of tropical flowers and green foliage waterways. Boat trips are the center of a visit to Ben Tre.

Can tho – The largest city of the Mekong Delta, is also one of the most popular destinations in the Delta region, mainly due to the famous floating markets. It is a good place to observe life in the river. It is an important transport hub for the surrounding towns and villages. Great photo spots in the area – small villages, cycle paths, green countryside intersected by local canals and floating markets.

How to get around?

Boat – Some delta cities have boat connections between them, although road improvement and building bridges reduce water travel. It is still the best way to explore the small waterways and floating markets in the Mekong.

Bus – It is easy to travel by public transport and the bus connections are excellent. Every city has a main bus station for both buses and minibuses.

Bicycle, motorcycle and car – The most flexible transport option is a private car, a bicycle or a rented motorcycle. Riding a bike or motorbike around the delta is fun, especially along the maze of country roads. The delta is fairly flat, but be prepared for toll roads and ferries, although these are gradually being replaced by new bridges. Ferries are cheap and frequent.

Day 1

Go very early in the morning to the floating market Cai Rang, the largest floating market in the area and explore the waterways in this area.

In the afternoon you travel from Can Tho to Ben Tre. Spend the night in Ben Tre.

Day 2

Explore Ben Tre by bicycle.
Go by boat and explore the different islands along the river along the water coconuts. Pedel with a sampan along small waterways, visit a coconut candy factories, local brick factory and local artisan factories.