MEKONG

11 MUST – VISIT ATTRACTIONS IN THE MEKONG DELTA , VIETNAM 

The  Mekong Delta is a vast maze of rivers, stilt houses, and rice paddies. Scattered within the giant Delta are plenty of things to see that give you amazing insight into what life may be like in the Vietnamese countryside. Here are the must-visit attractions in the area.

1.Ninh Kieu Wharf

Address: Cầu Ninh Kiều, Cần Thơ, Vietnam

Ninh Kieu Wharf is located close to the Can Tho city center, on the bank of the Hau River, a large tributary of the Mekong River. Over at the wharf is a park that covers an area of about 7,000 m², running parallel to the Hai Ba Trung street. Many bars, restaurants and hotels are scattered around this area, making it a crowded area that is especially popular among tourists. Wander here around sunset, take a few pictures of the gorgeous waterfront that is packed with colorful fishing boats, have some dinner at a riverside restaurant and then go explore the night market that is only a few feet away. It will be a nice evening in Can Tho.

2. Cai Rang Floating market

Address: 46 Đường Hai Bà Trưng, Tân An Cần Thơ, Vietnam

The Mekong Delta has a water system that is over 33,500 miles (54,000 kilometres) long. The residents of the Delta have built their life around this, and while a floating market to us is merely a tourist attraction, to them it is a way of life. Visit the Cai Rang Floating Market, the most popular and easiest to access of all, to witness how local life thrives on the water. The market is open from as early as 03:00 a.m. but is at its liveliest at around 5:00 a.m. You can easily catch a boat from the Ninh Kieu Wharf. Take your time to observe what life is like for those that live here – how they conduct their business, how they eat, drink, sleep, and live life on boats.

3. Vinh Trang Pagoda

Address: ấp Mỹ An, Thành phố Mỹ Tho, Tiền Giang, Vietnam

This pagoda, located in My Tho, Tien Giang province, was built in 1849 and occupies an area of about 2,000 m². The architecture is a melting pot of Chinese, Vietnamese, Khmer and European styles, and the site features various Buddha statues, a beautiful ornate gate built by craftsmen from Hue mosaic decorations made out of broken pottery, and intricately detailed woodwork inside. Visit around 10:00 a.m. and you will hear the sound of monks chanting peaceful Buddhist prayer verses.

4. Cai Be Floating Market

Address: Tien Giang, Vietnam

Cai Be Floating Market is one of the largest whole sale markets in the Mekong Delta. It is located in Cai Be town, Tien Giang Province and here you will find not only fruits but also fabric, household items, fresh seafood, food and drinks handed over from boat to boat.

5. Cai Be Fruit Orchard

Address: Cai Be, Tien Giang, Vietnam

The Mekong Delta provides 70% of the fruit consumed throughout Vietnam, and there are plenty of fruit orchards scattered around the different provinces that make up the Delta. You will be able to find various fruits such as mango, grapefruit, guava, apple, Jackfruit, Dragon fruit, Mangosteen, plums, durian, etc., being cultivated. Cai Be Orchard is the largest fruit orchard in the Mekong Delta. You can take a tour through the premises, pick ripe fruit off the trees and enjoy them right then and there.

6. Tra Su Mangrove Forest

Address: Tra Su, An Phu, Chau Doc, Vietnam

Located in the An Giang province of the Mekong Delta, this fascinating ecotourism site is a vibrant forested area that is dry most of the year. However, come end of year during the rainy season, the area turns into a flooded forest, making it ideal for a guided boat tour through the region. Best months to visit are from September to November.

7. Sam Mountain

Sam Mountain is near the city of Chau Doc, and climbing it is an adventure. Not only are the views scenic, composed of breathtaking rice fields, stilt villages and beautiful greenery, but you will also pass dozens of shrines, tombs and even a temple on the way to the top. Once you reach the summit you will find a small military outpost with a grand view featuring Cambodia on one side and Vietnam on the other.

8. Tan Lap Village

Address: Tân Lập, Mộc Hóa District, Long An Province, Vietnam

Tan Lap Floating Village is an eco-tourism site located in Long An province and is a typical flooded land of the Mekong region. For a mere entrance fee of USD$2.5 (VND$50,000), visitors can walk on elevated paths through a gorgeous cajuput forest or take a boat along the Rung Canal. You can also enjoy beautiful panoramic views of the forests form the observation tower, enjoy local dishes, participate in campfires, barbecues, picnics and other outdoor activities. November is the best time to visit — when the lotuses bloom, adding contrasting colours to all that greenery.

9. Co Tu Ha

Address: Co Tu Ha, Ben Tre, Vietnam

Co Tu Ha is a famous name in the Ben Tre province. When you mention her name to a local taxi or boat driver, they will know who you are referring to and take you to the home of a sweet old lady in her 60’s. By sweet, we literally mean sweet. She makes coconut candies! Co Tu Ha will let you try some of her delicious masterpieces, and also have a go at making some if you wish. Her coconut rice wine is also amazing.

10. Tram Chim National Park

Tram Chim National Park of Dong Thap province is also called the kingdom of birds in Vietnam. The park spans over 7,500 hectares, and houses as many as 200 types of birds (many endangered and rare), and makes up a quarter of the bird population in Vietnam. March or April are the best months to go bird – watching  in this part of the region.

11. Sampan Cruise in My Tho

Board a sampan, a small rickety wooden row boat, and paddle your way through small canals of the giant Mekong tributaries. This is the best way to get around in the Mekong and you will come across flower farms, fruit orchards, rice paper factories, temples, river restaurants and all sorts of attractions by the water. Ben Tre and My Tho are the best places to do this and you will be able to avoid boats full of tourists that normally head to Can Tho.

 

All  THINGS SHOULD KNOW & DO AT MEKONG DELTA

In addition to the tropical climate found here, the Mekong Delta gives the area unique landscapes, particularly charming characteristics, and a special floating lifestyle of the people. Pay a visit to the Mekong Delta in Vietnam and it’ll be a unique experience.
Starting from Tibetan Plateau, the Mekong River runs through China’s Yunnan province, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam before it goes all the way to the South China Sea. The river brings life to any location it passes through, and it is such a favor from Mother Nature for Vietnam that by the time it reached our territory, it separated off into nine smaller branches. In addition to the tropical climate found here, the Mekong Delta gives the area unique landscapes, particularly charming characteristics, and a special floating lifestyle of the people.
Mekong Delta, or the so-called Western region of Vietnam, is a large area which is comprised of 13 provinces – each one comes with a unique beauty and charm. It will be unfair if I just recommend one or two places in the region and leave out the others, so in this article you will find what you can experience in the delta (see, do and eat), how to do it right (best time to visit and how to get there), and I will provide you with two ideal itineraries to experience the Mekong delta for one or two days.  In short, it will be a complete guide for you to experience all that the Mekong Delta has to offer in Vietnam, so read on

Experience the Floating Life
I’ll repeat myself, your trip to the Mekong Delta won’t be complete if you don’t sit  down on a narrow boat (called a ‘sampan’) and paddle your way down the river under fronds of palm trees, while making numerous stops along the river at homes of those selling dried fruits or candy.
Life here is much lived by or near the water. Houses are built on stilts in order to withstand the floods that happen regularly, ferries can carry people, vehicles, and food, markets are not held on land but on boats and instead of walking from stall to stall, you will paddle your way through the river or walk on planks balanced between two boats to buy food. It is pretty easy to find a boat to help you explore the area once you arrive at one of the provinces in the region.

Floating markets are part of local life which explains why there are many of them. Below is a list of the six best floating markets in the Mekong Delta for you to consider:

• Cai Rang floating market, Can Tho Province
• Cai Be floating market, Tien Giang Province
• Phong Dien floating market, Can Tho Province
• Nga Bay floating market, Hau Giang Province
• Nga Nam floating market, Soc Trang Province
• Tran On floating market, Vinh Long Province

These floating markets open early in the morning (3 AM – 4 AM) and become busy around 5 AM – 6 AM since people will work on farms or paddle fields during the day. Make sure you wake up early enough to catch these.
See Some Sights
There are many points of interest in the Mekong Delta. Too much to list here in fact so expect another article! But, meanwhile, there are hundreds of different orchards in the area. You’ll be able to walk along the rows of dragon fruit trees and watch farmers as they collect the fruit. These are six of the most famous temples in the Mekong Delta for your reference:

• Vinh Trang temple, Tien Giang Province
• Truc Lam Phuong Nam Temple, Can Tho Province
• Doi temple (Bat temple), Soc Trang Province
• Kh’leang temple, Soc Trang Province
• Khmer Pothisomron temple, Can Tho Province
• Phat Lon temple (Giant Budha temple), An Giang Province

Another fun activity to do here is to sit on a xe loi (motorbike cart) and explore the area. Since the streets here are so narrow that cars cannot fit, xe loi’s are the main transport here. Taking one and riding through the maze of lanes and narrow walkways while keeping your head safe from the low hanging branches is an absolutely fun experience. Southern Folk Songs (Don ca tai tu) will be an inspiring activity for you. This special type of Vietnamese music is an art that reflects the local life of the Southerners. Through song, locals will tell you their story, their thoughts, and emotions. You will find yourselves instantly drawn in, calmed, and recharged after wallowing in the soothing sound of their music.
How to Get to the Mekong Delta from Saigon
There are three ways to get to the Mekong Delta from Ho Chi Minh City: by bus, private car, and by motorbike. If you take the car or bus option, the driver can just drop you off in a fixed location since they can’t cross the river. But by motorbike, you can board the big ferry and carry on once you reach land again.
Swim in the Swamps
Swamps are fun, more fun than pools. Swimming in a swamp has been one of the wildest and most fun experiences I have ever had. Even though I was born and grew up in the countryside with a river just a few steps beside my home, I had never done anything like this before.  Don’t feel shy or grossed out – it is a common thing to do in this area, children to older people enjoy the activity.
From September to December, the water from upstream of the river flows to the provinces located near the border (An Giang, Dong Thap, and Long An). This washes away all the dirt and garbage left from the harvest and covers the fields with water and this will be the perfect time for everyone to enjoy their afternoon swimming in the swamps. You can also take part in the fishing activities of locals here and of course, your catches will be your dinner. If you are a nature lover, then this is for you.
Tan Chau (An Giang), Tan Hong (Dong Tap), and Tan Hung (Long An) are the three most famous places for swamp swimming. You can easily find a local to guide you and show you how to do it properly. This is an activity that’s hard to put into a tour itinerary because the water level and streams change and you have to be lucky to find a time the stream is calm and clean enough.
Net Fishing in the Mekong Delta

Where else can you go net fishing if not in the Mekong Delta river tributaries? The dozens of creeks and naturally formed ponds are just perfect for a round of fishing. You can either sit on the bank with your fishing rod, waiting for your lunch to get hooked on your bait – or you can get muddy! Roll your jeans up and get into the water with countless other locals doing the same.
This process uses no modern equipment at all – it is done by your hands and a net. The net is cleverly placed in the water so the fish believe it’s part of the environment and is safe to swim in and around it. Once enough fish are seen swimming around, the net is simply pulled up with the unsuspecting fish trapped inside. The fish are separated from any plants and algae that are also caught in the net. You will find other animals too – sometimes frogs, sometimes crabs and sometimes even snakes! Best to toss out the snakes somewhere else. The small fish that are not big enough to eat are thrown back into the water so they can grow up and well, be caught again later to be eaten… The edible fish are then taken to the markets or you can prepare it yourself for lunch.
Why don’t you have a go at straw roasting the fish you caught like the locals do? The fish are placed on a bed of straw and set on fire. The outside skin burns and crisps, but you scrape it off before chowing down. The insides are as delicious and fresh as can be!

WEATHER , TOURIST SEASONS IN MEKONG

The southernmost part of Vietnam, the Mekong Delta has an interlacing canal system throughout the wide alluvial plain. It shares the same climate as the south of Vietnam: a tropical monsoon climate which is characterized by hot and humid air. The annual average temperature ranges from 23 to 34 degrees Celsius. However, conveniently, the difference in temperature between day and night is low. There are not many storms or weather disturbances but like the rest of Vietnam, there are two distinct seasons. You guessed it: rainy and dry season. Ninety percent of the year’s rainfall occurs during the rainy season, dry season almost sees no rain.
1.Rainy Season
The rainy season usually begins in late April and early May and ends at the end of November. At that time, tropical low pressure flows occur on mainland Asia and the southwest monsoon barges in which creates heavy rain.
Rain in the Mekong Delta changes unexpectedly. Sometimes, there is soft rain while it is sunny, which is the sign of termite mushroom (nam moi) season. Sometimes, it rains a few minutes then stops, and continues to do this all day. Other times, heavy rain lasts half of a day.
After it rains for a few months, a flood occurs in the Mekong Delta, called flood season. During flood season, a big amount of water from small and big rivers flow into the paddy fields. Water is full of sediment which provides abundant nutrients for rice, and can create a bumper harvest. Therefore, farmers in the Mekong Delta are happy when the floods are high, which is the opposite mentality to other provinces in Vietnam.
2. Dry Season
The dry season begins in November and ends in April. At that time, the presence of high pressure from the Siberian – Mongol region and the northeast monsoon affect the climate. Rainfall in the dry season is very low, it only sees about five to ten percent of the total rainfall in the whole year.
From December to January, the temperature is cooler, and the weather is comfortable. The temperature in other months is hot all day, especially in the afternoon.
Due to the lack of rain in a long time, the Mekong Delta faces drought and saltwater intrusion. This parches the paddy fields and makes it hard to grow crops. The life of the farmers grows harder as well.  .
3. Best Time to Visit
The dry season is the best time to visit the Mekong Delta because you can go outside and enjoy the full day without an onslaught of rain. Cruise on the boat with the blue sky and quiet water, walk through and take photos in the middle of the paddy fields, cycle around the villages, enjoy sweet fruits from the garden, catch fish in the canal nearby, and visit brick and noodle factories while you’re there
Moreover, Lunar New Year Holiday which happens at the end of January or the beginning of February is the most important and bustling holiday in Vietnam. Local people start preparing everything half of a month before the holiday. On the way to the Mekong Delta, flower gardens stretch all over the street sides for sale, many kinds of jams and cakes are displayed at grocery stores, markets are crowded with an abundance of traditional food like Vietnamese sausage (Lap Xuong), pickled small leeks (cu kieu), and Vietnamese cylindrical sticky rice cake (Banh Tet). Local people work hard to prepare enough food and things to use during the holiday. At the same time, they enjoy their night with karaoke and parties. The atmosphere during this time is lively and bustling.

EAT AT MEKONG DELTA SPECIALTIES

What should you eat in the Mekong Delta? It is so hard to answer this question because there are so many delicacies, but let me try. Providing 70% of the fruit consumed throughout Vietnam, where else in the country can satisfy your fruit craving other than the Mekong Delta? There are a dozen different kinds of tropical fruits that are grown here so it’s a bit impractical to list them all but here are a few: pomelo, orange, coconut, water coconut, mango, star apple, pineapple, longan fruit, rambutan, jackfruit, mangosteen, soursop, plum, banana, dragon fruit, and durian. Now I feel out of breath. By the way, you can even eat these fresh from the tree if you pay a visit to a local orchard. The locals are also very resourceful – coming up with different ways of incorporating these delicious fruits into dishes. For example, banana can be eaten fresh, or grilled, or covered with sticky rice then grilled and draped with coconut milk. Coconut can be eaten fresh, blended as a smoothie, or processed to become dried coconut candy. If you think you can survive on fruit for the rest of your life, you should move and stay here. Another highlight of the Western region is its cuisine. As mentioned above, people here are very good at inventing new dishes using their wide array of fruits available.
1.Fish Noodle Soup – Bun Ca
This noodle soup is a mixture of thin noodles, green herbs, fish caught from the Mekong river and soup cooked using fish bones. This is a very common dish in the area and people often have it for breakfast.
2. Snakehead Fish Thick-noodle Soup – Banh canh ca loc
Different from the thin noodle soup above, this kind of soup includes a fatty version of noodles made from rice flour or tapioca flour. The soup is thick and cooked with snakehead fish meat. You can easily find this in the area and it is the favorite meal of the locals.

3. Sa Dec or My Tho Noodle Soup – Hu tieu Sa Dec/ My Tho

• Hu tieu is a type of noodle that is very familiar to foodies. However, there are different ways to make it and those different methods reflect the different areas of the country
• Hu tieu My Tho bowl is like a painting full of attractive colors with red shrimp, green celery, chrysanthemum, and red peppers. A very important spice creating the unique aroma of the dish is the minced garlic
• Although full of familiar ingredients such as shrimp, meat, and liver, hu tieu Sa Dec has its own distinction which helps it to stand out from hu tieu My Tho and hu tieu Nam Vang. If hu tieu Nam Vang noodles are white, small and soft, the noodles of hu tieu Sa Dec are big, slightly crunchy and chewy with a milky color.
• “The easiest taste to recognize is the clear, sweet broth combining with other ingredients to create a perfect symphony of flavors. Added scallions and cilantro,you cannot resist the allure of such an amazing dish from the western land.”

4. Vietnamese Pancake – Banh xeo
For those who don’t know, the Western region is the hometown of banh xeo, the famous Vietnamese pancake. Everyone loves it.
5. Salted Fish Hot Pot – Lau mam
The hotpot is made from salted fish (mud carp fish and snakeskin gourami fish) cooked with coconut water or bone broth. Then shrimp, meatballs, blood cake, squid, and special greens (bitter veggies, bean sprout, eggplant, lemongrass, etc…) are added.
6. Mud Roasted Chicken in the Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta has a pretty unique culinary culture as shown above. Delicacies like this are hard to find in other regions of Vietnam. Another example is mud roasted chicken. This dish came about from pure ingenuity. What would you do if you have a chicken to eat, but absolutely no instrument to prepare it? No pot? No gas? Well, mud roasted chicken is the solution.
The chicken is covered in mud from the rice fields. The mud should be perfectly moist – not too dry but not too wet. You need just enough slather the whole chicken. It will ultimately look like a dinosaur egg. Place this dinosaur egg under many thick layers of straw or hay, and then light it on fire. Let the chicken roast for about an hour. After this is done, the chicken is to be removed and the mud peeled off. The chicken will look absolutely delicious and taste even better. Soft, and juicy – not dry at all. Locals love to eat this with spicy chili salt mix with a few drops of lemon. Don’t miss this!

7. Snakehead Fish Rice Porridge (congee) – Chao ca loc
This is a simple dish with just two main ingredients: snakehead fish and rice porridge. It is simple but delicious and most people agree with me.
8. Mud Carp Fish Hot Pot with Sesban Flower – Lau ca linh bong dien dien
Unlike the salted fish hotpot, this hotspot is less salty, cooked with fresh mud carp fish, and the flowers of common sesban. The color is what will attract you to the dish but it is the flavor that will make you keep coming back for more.
9. Durian Cake – Banh pia
The best durian is found in the Mekong Delta and therefore, so is the best durian cake. It doesn’t come as a surprise that most people hate the smell of durian. Fun fact – durian is banned in subways in Thailand. To ease yourself into enjoying the taste of this fruit, start with durian ice cream. If you are okay with this, the next step is to try durian cake.
10. Rat Meat – Thit chuot
Rats here enjoy damaging coconut trees and rice fields, so locals in return enjoy catching them to use as food. It’s a common delicacy in the Mekong Delta. There are many ways to cook rats – you can grill, steam, deep fry, or make a curry out of this small animal. You tell me the best way to have it! That is, once you’re brave enough to try all these methods of preparation. If you’re not ready, just skip it. There are more excellent dishes on the list above for you to try. However, if you are still curious, check out this video and decide.
11. Coconut Worm – Duong dua
These beetle larvae pierce holes in coconut trees and lay eggs inside. The Mekong Delta, of course, will be an ideal place to find them due to the massive amount of coconut trees grown in the region. Eating the grilled larvae is the most recommendable way to enjoy this dish. If you want something challenging, try to eat it while it’s still alive! This is not the most common way, but it is the best way. I haven’t done it but my friend, Sonny Side, ingested one in his food review show. If you need some tips on how to stomach it, check it out: