What to do in Mekong Delta? Southern Vietnam covers the Mekong Delta, the extreme southern end of the Mekong River, and the area around Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam. Mekong Delta is often referred to as the ‘rice bowl’ of Vietnam due its huge production of rice crop. Vegetables, exotic fruits and fishing also feature prominently here. Life in the delta revolves around the river, and as such this is the only real way to view and understand it. Would you like to be driven there and enjoy cruising on a hand-rowed sampan under the shadow of the water coconut trees along natural canals, then taste seasonal fruit honey tea to the sound of “Southern Vietnamese folk music”, performed by locals.
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1. Cruise along rivers in Mekong Delta
A tourist tried driving the motorized boat and he did it
Mekong Delta has a complex system of rivers and channels which deposit silt along river banks. Cruising along calm and peaceful rivers by motorized boat, tourists can enjoy cool wind, fresh air and beautiful landscape of plug fruit orchards, green/yellow rice fields, lines of coconut trees and stilt houses along the banks. The boat can take tourists around islands with lots of interesting things.
2. Row sampan through narrow channels in Mekong Delta
Main means of transportation in Mekong Delta are boats and sampan. While boats are used on main rivers and big channels, sampans are favorite of locals to drive through narrow zigzag channels. It’s time to immerse yourself into local life by sitting on wooden sampan rowed by nice people, wearing conical hat, admire the beauty of green water coconut trees along the channels.
3. Plug and eat fresh seasonal fruits in Mekong Delta
Mother Nature gives this region enormous tasty fruits. Coming to Mekong Delta, tourist shouldn’t miss a big chance to enjoy fresh fruits which have just been plugged from trees. Red rambutans and yellow longan with juicy fleshes, crispy guavas and dragon fruits, smelling jack fruits… are served with salt chili mix and warm green tea. Just enjoy fruits as local!
4. Enjoy delicious specialty foods of Mekong Delta
Mekong Delta is rich in fishes, shrimps and vegetables. Sweet and sour soup cooked from freshwater fish, tomato, okra, Indian taro tree slices, pineapple is a popular food for home meals. Crispy deep-fried elephant-ear fish eaten with sweet and sour fish sauce dip, herbs, rice noodles and rice paper – a specialty food of this region has won hearts of many foreign tourists. Vietnamese pancake is also recommended to eat in Mekong Delta. In fact, you can find these foods easily at restaurants in Ho Chi Minh city. However, it gives you a local taste to eat foods where they originated. In addition, all of ingredients to make dishes here are fresher than that in any luxury restaurant.
5. Listen to Southern traditional folk song
Southern traditional folk song or Đờn Ca Tài Tử Nam Bộ is an amateur music and song style in South Vietnam. Musical instrument of Đờn Ca Tài Tử Nam Bộ consist of Monochord, Vietnamese two-chord fiddle, Vietnamese two-chord guitar, 16-chrd zither. Players are amateur musicians and singers. Songs are usually about fold tales, classical dramas or inspiration about the country and Vietnamese people. Authors are the masters having knowledge about music and literature. When tourists come to Mekong Delta, do not miss a chance to listen to this kind of art performed by local artists and learn more about a unique part of Vietnamese culture.
6. Ride horse cart
In the past, horse cart is a popular mod of transportation in Mekong Delta. Although in recent day it’s replaced by bicycle, motorbike and car, tourists can rent a horse cart for a fun ride around on their trip to Mekong Delta. These horse carts are safe to ride, the drivers are friendly and helpful.
7. Visit coconut candy factory
Many people in Mekong Delta make their living on working at coconut candy factory. This region is famous for a large amount of coconut trees and products made from coconut trees. All parts of coconut tree are useful; coconut trunk is used to build temples, houses, boats; coconut leaves are used to make sheets to dry rice papers, clear rice noodles or make brooms; coconut palm is used to cook a lot of delicious dishes; coconuts are used to make souvenirs and coconut candies. There are about 150 coconut candy factories in this region. Seeing how they make tasty and smelling candies from coconut is totally interesting.
8. Visit bee farm and sip some honey tea
Flowers are everywhere in this colorful region, there’s no need to explain why there are a lot of bee farms in Mekong Delta. It’s a great deal to visit bee farms with thousands of bees producing sweet and fragrant honey. You can also sip some tea with honey like locals. If you like the honey, you can buy some for yourself or friends.
9. Drink coconut water
There’s no better than complete the trip by drinking refreshing coconut water and eat delicious greasy young coconut meat in Mekong Delta. Your trip to a region rich in everything will leave the most beautiful memory in your life.
Let’s go to Mekong Delta My Tho – Ben Tre full day now.
