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Mekong Delta: top things to do, hidden gems and key tips

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A boat on a palm-lined canal in the Mekong Delta

Give the Mekong Delta two days, based in Can Tho. Take a bus from Ho Chi Minh City, and be on the river at Cai Rang by 06:00. If you only have a day, do Ben Tre, about two hours from the city.

How long have you got?

  • One day: Ben Tre by bus from Mien Tay station, for the orchards, canals and a coconut-garden bike ride.
  • Two days: Can Tho. Cai Rang floating market at dawn, then Binh Thuy ancient house and Ninh Kieu Wharf.
  • Three days or more: add Tra Su forest in An Giang, a long bus ride west via Chau Doc.

When are you going?

Top things to do

  • Cai Rang floating market: go early. The busiest time is 05:30 to 06:30, and it is quiet by about 09:00. A boat from Ninh Kieu Port costs 30,000 VND per person, or 350,000 to 400,000 VND to hire a whole boat.VnExpress (opens in a new tab)e.vnexpress.net It is shrinking: the number of boats has fallen steadily, as roads took over the wholesale trade and a high embankment pushed boats off the bank.Tuoi Tre, July 2024 (opens in a new tab)news.tuoitre.vnTip Ask the price before you buy; readers reported unposted prices.Tuoi Tre (opens in a new tab)news.tuoitre.vn
  • Can Tho, Ninh Kieu Wharf: a riverside park with a night market and floating restaurants.Tip Binh Thuy ancient house, built in 1870, is a short ride away.VnExpress (opens in a new tab)e.vnexpress.net
  • Ben TreBen Tre: about 85 km from the city. Vam Ho Bird Sanctuary costs 150,000 VND.VnExpress (opens in a new tab)e.vnexpress.netTip Leave early or after 09:00 to miss the 06:00 to 08:00 rush hour.
  • My ThoMy Tho: on Highway 1A, the road to Ben Tre goes through it.VnExpress (opens in a new tab)e.vnexpress.netTip It is easy to stop on the way to Ben Tre.
  • Tra Su cajuput forest, An GiangTra Su cajuput forest, An Giang: open daily 06:30 to 17:30. Tickets are 120,000 VND entry only, 200,000 VND with the motorboat, or 270,000 VND with motorboat and rowing boat.Tip Go at 07:00 to 09:00 for birds, or 17:00 to 18:00 to see storks return.Viet Nam News (opens in a new tab)vietnamnews.vn
  • Homestays: in Ben Tre they cost 400,000 to 800,000 VND a night.VnExpress (opens in a new tab)e.vnexpress.net On Son Islet near Can Tho, 79 families have offered homestays since 2015.VnExpress (opens in a new tab)e.vnexpress.net

Hidden gems

Getting there and around

If it doesn’t go to plan

  • Cai Rang quiet? Go to the Bang Lang stork sanctuary in the afternoon, or take a Son Islet half-day tour.
  • Missed the dawn boat? The market is busiest from dawn to about 09:00, so book the boat the night before.
  • No time for Tra Su? Ben Tre has Vam Ho Bird Sanctuary, two hours from the city.