Originally we planned to only go as far south as Saigon. Luckily we always stay flexible, and again on this trip our adaptability paid off. We had heard mixed reviews on the Mekong Delta, but after talking to more travelers as we headed through Vietnam we decided to make time to go. It was super easy to book a tour online last minute.
The Mekong Delta fills a large part of the southernmost point of Vietnam. The Mekong River, which flows through China, Laos, Cambodia, and finally Vietnam, bringing life to wherever it touches, ends here. In taking this trip, we hoped to see a view of old Vietnam life. Many residents of the Delta live their entire lives on the water.
After a very quick night in Saigon (most of which was spent in our hotel) we woke up early. A taxi brought us to our tour provider where we would meet up with the others on our tour. Upon arrival we were relieved to see that we would be traveling with an extremely friendly Australian family, a cheery young German and a firefighter from Hong Kong (among others). With our group together we departed.
Our bus drove south, stopping at a few (very nice) market/rest stops along the way. After 3 hours of driving we stopped to take a longer break at a Buddhist temple. Vietnam isn’t known for its Buddhism like Thailand or Cambodia or Laos or Myanmar are, but there is still a presence here. The temple was beautiful. With manicured gardens and impressive gold-laden structures. We enjoyed spending an hour walking around the grounds, admiring the beautiful vegetation and peering in at Buddhists finishing supper.
After this stop, we continued on to the delta. We arrived after a few more hours in a bus in Cần Thơ, a city situated on the Mekong River delta. We quickly unpacked and showered in our surprisingly nice bedroom before heading out for dinner.
We ended up eating a delicious meal, exploring the city and its little markets and waterfront pathways, before falling asleep. The next morning we had to wake up early to spend some time on the Delta.
The tour of the Delta ended up being excellent. We toured fruit plantations, boated through the Delta, saw how coconut candy was made, saw how rice noodles were made, rode in a horse drawn carriage, and much more. We had a great guide, some big storms, and a really friendly group traveling with us. Overall it was a really nice way to spend two days. This tour is best summed up with the photos below.
We now have just one night left before leaving Vietnam for Singapore. It will be very sad to leave Vietnam.