Nga Nam Floating Market in Soc Trang

The non-touristy Nga Nam Floating Market in Soc Trang and the nearby villages are two of the greatest genuine places to visit and activities to do in Soc Trang. Due to its charm, natural splendor, incredible sampan experiences, and breathtaking setting, this market reminds many tourists of the Mekong Delta floating market from thirty years ago. It is a must-see for everyone interested in learning about the authentic floating market of the neighborhood Vietnamese people as well as their traditional way of life on the Mekong River.

Nga Nam floating market is a part of the same town as Nga Nam and is around 60 kilometers from the heart of Soc Trang. This floating market is situated at the confluence of five river branches flowing in five different directions: Ca Mau, Vinh Quoi, Long My, Thanh Tri, and Phung Hiep. The name “Nga Nam” in Vietnamese means “five directions.” From three to four in the morning, there were several boats and motorboats on the entire river. The market is often busiest between 5 and 7 in the morning, however for some significant events, it may be open all day.

It was required to build the canal in order to develop the southern region of Vietnam, as opposed to the upper region, which included Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, and Ca Mau and had salty alum. When the French drilled the Phung Hiep canal, the term “Nga Nam” first occurred. People started congregating here for trade, ultimately developing the Nga Nam floating market into a distinctive characteristic of the West of Vietnam. Boats are used for all commercial operations in the river since they transport commodities that are transferred along the river.

Nga Nam floating market trades a variety of items, including vegetables, food, salt, fish, meat, apparel, textiles, coffee, breakfast, etc., in addition to meeting the people’s basic food needs. Foreign visitors were not previously a common sight among the local shopkeepers, but now that they frequently visit the market, the little vendors are accustomed to them. Visitors to Nga Nam floating market may see the warm grins of the vendors wearing the Ba Ba shirts. Tourists may enjoy the quiet sounds of the Nga Nam floating market while being fed traditional Mekong Delta foods, fresh fruits, etc.

It is not difficult to observe some boats serving as both a stall and a residence for individuals living in the river vicinity since Nga Nam floating market attracts many boats from nearby villages every day. The promotional sticks at Nga Nam floating market are another intriguing aspect. There is a promotional stick dangling in front of each boat. That boat sells whatever is written on that stick. In the congested market, this makes it simpler for tourists and consumers to find what they need. When a visitor is unfamiliar with a floating market, the advertising sticks are quite helpful in pointing them in the right direction and helping them discover what they need.

Fresh fruit is a good option if you want to purchase some mementos. Nearly all vendors at Nga Nam floating market exchange products from their own gardens; they are particularly sweet and tasty fruits that are less likely to contain pesticides than fruits found in metropolitan areas. Negotiating is nearly useless in this place since, despite the popularity of the Nga Nam floating market, the inhabitants used to live a free-spirited lifestyle where almost no one sells anything for too much money. You will be given presents to bring back even if you only briefly communicate with them.

The history of the Nga Nam floating market

Historical records state that the Nga Nam lands were formally recovered in the Nguyen Dynasty’s Mekong Delta reclamation strategy around the beginning of the nineteenth century.

The district of Nga Nam was a sparsely inhabited mangrove and reed-filled forest territory by the late eighteenth century. This area was considered an exploratory land by the French colonists.

French colonists created many huge strategic canals as part of their goal to conquer Indochina between 1900 and 1924. These canals included Quan Lo Phung Hiep canals – Ca Mau, Ngan Dua – Cau Sap, Gia Rai – Pho Sinh, and Long My – Phu Loc.

Nga Nam River flows in 5 directions:

– Nga Nam – My Long, Hau Giang province;

– Nga Nam – Vinh Quoi, Soc Trang province;

– Nga Nam – Phung Hiep, Hau Giang province;

– Nga Nam – Phuoc Long, Bac Lieu Province;

– Nga Nam – Phu Loc, Soc Trang province.

From that on, the landmark Nga Nam was formed.

The reason for calling it the floating market: The trade exchanges of goods take place in a very special place: On the river!

How to Get and Visit Nga Nam Floating Market

That is the first thing you need to be aware of. This genuine market is for the locals and the actual people. It is not situated in the middle of the city where there is a lot of noise, heavy traffic, and shopping malls close by. The floating market is located in the town of the same name in the province of Soc Trang. You may visit the market with or without taking a sampan ride because it is located both on the mainland and on the Nga Nam canal. However, the total sampan ride allows you to discover the other sides of the Nga Nam (Nga Nam meaning 5 tributaries/canals) canals in a special way.

First, you arrive at Nga Nam market, where there are several local sampan ferries along the riverbed. The size of your company will determine whether you take the hand-rowing sampan from there or one of the larger boats. You may tour all 5 canals of the Nga Nam floating market by boat in only around 15 minutes from that boat station. The best advice is to get a boat at least a day in advance because it will be too dark and hurried to have one at 5 a.m.

Why visit the Floating Market at the Sunrise

We can assure you that the floating market will be less crowded after 7 am because we are local travel experts. because it will take some time for the inhabitants to return to their house, which is far from Nga Nam. We examine this market frequently, and it is usually packed. The true magic happens around morning. KOLs, influencers, and the media may film in this market and offer value on both sides. The best time to appreciate the location is between 5:45 and 6:30 in the morning. I hope you enjoy a spectacular dawn over the Mekong Delta and take lots of pictures of students and people riding the sampan boat to school and the market!