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48 hours in Mekong Delta
There are a lot of interesting things to do when coming to Mekong Delta Vietnam. You have to spend much time to explore this region.
But, if your time is limited, planning carefully before your trip is important. In this post, we will suggest you the itinerary for 2-day trip there which can bring you unforgettable experiences.
Day One in Mekong Delta
Arrive at Ben Tre
To save spending an extra night at a hotel in the Mekong, just get a bus out of Ho Chi Minh City to Ben Tre early in the morning. The earliest buses leave around 07:00 a.m., meaning you can easily arrive at your destination in two or three hours depending on traffic.
Make sure you get a banh mi (Vietnamese baguette sandwich) to eat as breakfast on the bus. For reputable bus lines, you can check out Futa, Sinh Tourist or Phuong Nam.
Boat ride
Make your way over to the Ham Luong pier, a large tributary of the Mekong River. You can take a xe om (motorbike taxi) or ask a local tuk tuk to guide you there.
Over at the pier you’ll be able to find a boat to board that will take you through the river and stop at whatever looks intriguing. You will come across brick factories, rice paper factories, coconut candy production houses, fruit orchards, cacao farms, etc. Think of the boat like a river taxi — you will be able to cross out multiple must-see things this way.
For lunch just stop by any riverside restaurant you see. You’ll find Mekong specialties on the menu such as hu tieu Sa Dec (noodle soup), bun ca (fish noodles), lau mam (fish hot pot) and nem nuong Cai Rang (Cai Rang grilled pork rolls). Ben Tre is also the land of coconuts, so make sure you enjoy a nice fresh coconut during your boat ride or at lunch.
Sampan ride
The tour also includes taking a smaller wooden sampan through the tiny palm frond-lined canals of the Delta. You will get up close and personal with floating homes — boats with a covered mid-section where people sleep, cook, and spend their day shielded from the sun. It is interesting to see how the locals live their life on the water.
Off to Can Tho
Around 04:00 p.m., you should board your next bus and head off to the capital of the Mekong, Can Tho city. It will be late in the evening when you arrive, so it’s best to immediately check into your accommodation, take a shower and rest. Book yourself a homestay for a more intimate and authentic experience.
A quick dinner
For dinner head off to Sao Hom restaurant that is set by the riverside. Enjoy some seafood dishes and a quick beer or two but make sure to head off back to your place and sleep early because you need to wake up at dawn to head out to the floating market.
Day Two in Mekong Delta
A floating breakfast
You should be up and ready to head out by 04:30 a.m. Make your way over to Ninh Kieu Wharf, which is a short distance from the Can Tho city centre. You can board a boat here and tell them you wish to go to Cai Rang floating market, which is a 30-minute boat ride away.
Many people will be willing to take you, and it should cost you a little over USD$2.00 just to get to the market. On the way you will get to catch the beautiful sunrise (only if you make it early enough), and watch the city wake up from its slumber.
Cacao farm
After getting lunch in any of the restaurants you see lining up the streets, head over to Mien Tay Homestay. No, this is not a homestay. Well, it is. But it is also a modest cacao farm run by a lovely man named Lam The Cuong and his family. You’ll be able to learn the process of how fruit from the cacao tree becomes a bar of rich, dark chocolate, and even other products such as cocoa butter, jam and alcohol.
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Rooftop goodbye
What better way to say goodbye to a city like Can Tho than from the roof of a very tall building? Iris Skybar is located on the top of Iris Hotel, and here you will get unrivalled views of the whole city. It’s a little trendy, so leave your shorts and flip flops behind, dress appropriately, order yourself a nice cocktail and watch as the lights in the distance turn off one by one.
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