What to See and Do in the Mekong Delta? In Southern Vietnam, the Mekong Delta is home to myriad attractive destinations and unique ecosystems, which is a place worth exploring. The Mekong Delta is completely surrounded by water, which explains why the only way to move to this region before is going boat. Today, although the roadway is developed, the waterway still has advantages. To fully explore the Mekong Delta, traveling by boat is the ideal way. You will admire vast green rice paddies, fruit-laden orchards, lively floating markets, peaceful Buddhist temples, and houses made of simple coconut wood and leaves clinging to the river’s banks.
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What to See and Do in the Mekong Delta
Browse Cai Rang Floating Market
Cai Rang Floating Market is one of the biggest ones in the Mekong Delta, which is about 6km from Can Tho. Big boats are filled with fresh watermelons, tiny dugouts carry pigs, and barges overflow with pineapples. The locals wear conical hats on their heads and yell their prices whilst packing greasy foil packets. A Cai Rang appears in front of tourists authentically like that.
Coming here early in the morning will be a chance to see the best of the market. For the best vantage point, you will be able to make use of a traditional boat to go through the market and watch locals trading the produce with each other.
What to See and Do in the Mekong Delta?
Live a local life with a Family in Vinh Long
As a major transshipment point, Vinh Long has lots of geographical advantages over other areas of the Mekong Delta. Vinh Long is the place connecting the mainland with the offshore islands of Vietnam. Surrounded by rivers and canals, households in Vinh Long can take advantage of the flow to earn living. Currently, many local families in Vinh Long welcome tourists, giving them the chance to experience local life in the most authentic way.
The houses are located on the river banks, surrounded by orchards laden with tropical fruits. You will be offered a basic but separate, clean, private room to stay during the days you stay here. You will get to enjoy local meals with the hosts and observe the daily life and listen to them share about culture, cuisine,… this is really not an easy-to-find experience for any tourist when visiting the Mekong Delta.
What to See and Do in the Mekong Delta?
Walking through Sa Dec Port
Sa Dec Port used to be the former patrol base for the US and a stop for long cruises. Today, Sa Dec Port is a busy commercial port, but only receives a moderate amount of visitors because it is oriented to maintain the local feel.
This place has tree-lined streets and houses with French-styled terraced architecture with pastel-colored facades. One of the most impressive houses is the Huynh Thuy Le Old House, which used to be the residence of a wealthy Chinese family. Huynh Thuy Le is the son of the family, he fell in love with the French writer Marguerite Duras, and he was the one who inspired her to write the famous autobiography The Lover.
Visit Sam Mountain in Chau Doc Town
Chau Doc is a crowded town bordering Cambodia. The telltale sign of this town is Sam Mountain rising up in the middle of green rice paddies. Although only 182m high, this small mountain still offers a largely flat landscape. Climbing to the top of the mountain, you will be able to admire the entire delta of Cambodia.
Along the way, you will see brightly painted temples and tombs. Coming to the top of the mountain, you will witness a trail of dinosaurs made of ceramic. On the peak, there is a watchtower made of tin, where the Vietnamese army observes the border with Cambodia.
If you like to watch Chau Doc dawn on the mountain peak, rest assured that along the way, it has been lit up to help you climb the mountain easily. After the dawn experience, you will be able to have breakfast at the small eateries along the way to refuel before going down the mountain.
What to See and Do in the Mekong Delta?
Admire the Mekong Delta on renovated rice barges
Barges that used to transport rice have now been converted to carry tourists. A typical example is the Bassac fleet, which has been converted into a cruise for tourists to travel along the Mekong Delta for one or two nights. With this barge, you will be able to observe the lives of local people passing by very realistically.
On the barge, there are lots of finely sculpted handmade vessels. Especially, The comfortable cabins are decorated with unique local textiles. As the tourist boat travels along the river, you will see local villages and floating markets, and your onboard guide will also talk about the history of rice barges that appeared frequently along the route.
What to See and Do in the Mekong Delta?
Visit Tra Su Mangrove Forest
Located in An Giang territory of the Mekong Delta, Tra Su Mangrove Forest is an area characterized by almost year-round dryness. The rightest time to watch the forest’s beauty is at the end of the year, amid the sunny season when the water level rises and the territory transforms into overwhelmed woods that is very convenient for tourists to enjoy the scenery on the watercraft. The nicest month of the year is from September to November.
What to See and Do in the Mekong Delta?
Tan Lap Village
Tan Lap Floating Village is a well-known ecotourism site in the Mekong Delta. This place is a flooded forest, located deep inside the center of Dong Thap Muoi. Covered by a cool green forest system, you will be able to visit the floating village at any time of the year, but the nicest time is the floating season from August to November. At this time, you will witness the vigorous growth of both fauna and flora, blooming lotus ponds with sweet fragrances. For an extra USD2.5, tourists will be able to stroll on the lifted path through the cajuput backwoods or take a boat along the channel.
What to See and Do in the Mekong Delta?
Best Time to Visit the Mekong Delta
The ideal time to travel to the Mekong Delta is from October to March when the river water level is highest, ideal for boat markets and sailing trips. That is also when life on the river becomes the busiest. January to March is the best weather in the whole of Vietnam, despite prices being quite high at this time because of the recent Lunar New Year and shops and restaurants closed for a few days.
To book a hotel with the best price, you had better visit the area in late September because it is the end of the rainy season when the trees are lush and the crop is at harvest time.
Festivals and Events in Mekong Delta
The followings are some well-known festivals and events in Mekong Delta that travelers should not skip during their trip:
Ok Om Bok Festival: At the end of November, Khmer ethnic people hold the Ok Om Bok festival on the full moon day. At this festival, local people celebrate bountiful harvests, express gratitude to the gods for their blessings, dance, and play folk games. Each village will hold its own small festival and gather around the local temple.
Tet Holiday: The Lunar New Year from late January to early February is the most important holiday in Vietnam. Cities and towns are flooded with red flags và yellow stars. This is also the busiest and happiest time in the Mekong Delta when you see boats filled with yellow flowers.
What to See and Do in the Mekong Delta?
