Exploring the Mekong Delta river system from Can Tho, Vietnam
The Mekong river is a life-source for many people living in Vietnam and across South East Asia, so we were keen to experience some of the Delta where many of its tributaries meet. Can Tho is a huge city at the heart of the delta that combines the bustle of city life with the rural tranquility of river life. We really enjoyed our time here!
The garden area that runs along the river is fairly well looked after and is pretty with lots of flowers and benches to sit on and watch the boats on the river. There are lots of colourful lights around here on an evening too, which is always nice!
Our main highlight during our time here was a trip on the river on a little rowing boat that had a two-stroke engine stuck on the back. It’s cheapest to book these boat trips directly from the many operators along the river bank. We paid 450,000 dong for the two of us for the seven hour trip, including some fruit for breakfast. The floating markets start at the crack of dawn so we were up early to begin our trip at 5.30am. After filling up her engine from a floating Shell gas station, our Vietnamese guide (who spoke zero English but giggled regularly) chugged us up to Cai Rang – the largest floating market in the area. We got there just as the sun was rising so it wasn’t too hot, humid or hazy.
The market seemed to primarily deal with wholesale fruit and veg. It was so fun to watch the locals throwing melons from boat to boat and chugging around in tiny vessels laden with literally hundreds of coconuts or pineapples or sweet potatoes! Many of the boats would indicate what they were selling by spearing one of their fruits on a long flag pole. There were also little boats selling noodle soup and rice dishes, although we didn’t stop for any as it was pretty early.
We had fruit to come at the next market, but not before a quick stop at a rice noodle workshop! Here we paid a small tip to the old guy working here and he showed us how he makes the rice paper for noodles from a paste cooked on a hot plate. He even let us help by moving the hot, sticky rice paper using a bamboo handle! I was convinced I was going to tear it, but it was surprisingly strong and I managed not to entirely stuff it up ha!
The next floating market a little further along the river was smaller but just as fun. This one was mostly tiny boats of fresh fruit and we enjoyed getting sticky with delicious mango and half an entire pineapple each! We also bought some dried and candied banana slices, which were absolutely delicious!
After all the fun of the markets on the big stretch of river, our guide took us around the small canals. I really loved this part. Some of the bridges going over the canals were so low we had to duck down, and some were just a few sticks of bamboo strung together. It was great to see all the houses on stilts and watch people at their day-to-day life down these narrow waterways. I was surprised to see a few ladies doing their laundry in those brown waters and one man transporting four pigs on one tiny boat! We stopped at a homestay for a very delicious beef pho at the edge of a canal, before heading back to where we started. It was a fantastic trip and the little insight it gave us into life on the Delta was a real highlight of our time in Vietnam.
