Water, water…everywhere..well
it’s the Mekong delta in Vietnam. Its water everywhere here. Its full of the
mighty Mekong river, small rivers, their tributaries, lakes and canals.
If you want
to enjoy sea food, floating markets, cruises, boats and farming then Mekong
delta is the right place for you.
Mekong delta
is the catchment area of River Mekong in South Vietnam. It is three and half
hours by bus from Saigon city. Can Tho is the nearest city to visit Mekong
delta.
From China to
Vietnam, the Mekong River is the lifeblood of Southeast Asia and offers a glimpse
into the long history and diverse cultures of the region. Mekong is the 12th
longest river in the world and the 7th longest in Asia. Mekong river
which flows down six countries from China , Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and
Cambodia finally winds up its journey by joining the sea in Vietnam.
The major
attraction in the Mekong delta is the floating markets on the river Mekong. It
is called as Cai Rang floating market.
The floating
markets should be visited early morning at dawn. This is because the farmers
and wholesalers bring the fresh produce from the farm at dawn. Farmers and
wholesalers sell vegetables and fruits in their small boats to retailers on the
river. The retailers also buy the produce and load in their boats to sell to
their customers far away.
Farmers come
from faraway places to Cai Rang to sell their produce. There are hundreds of boats
in the river every morning waiting for customers to sell their produce. Fruits
sold here include jackfruit, watermelon, dragon fruit, rambutan, mangosteen and
others.
Get up early
in the wee hours of the morning and walk to Ninh Kieu dock in Can Tho to board
onto a motor boat and travel to Cai Rang floating market. It takes thirty
minutes by boat to reach there.
A big board `Cho Noi Cai Rang’ on the bridge
welcomes you to Cai Rang floating market. There are floating petrol stations on
the river here to refuel the boats. You will be surprised to see vendors
selling tea, cigarettes, snacks and lottery tickets here on the river.
Stop at the
rice paper factory in the river side to see the demo of how rice paper is made.
Rice paper is a delicacy in Vietnam. You can also make a rice paper and rice
noodles here. The next stop along the river is the fruit orchard. Fruits like
dragon fruit, rambutan, jackfruit, mangosteen can be seen and tasted in the
orchard.
Petrol station
The last stop
is lunch at Nam Bo restaurant besides the Hau river.
A beautiful park besides
the Hau river is worth visiting.
A big bronze statue of Vietnam President Ho
Chi Minh is the major attraction here.
A long walking path besides the Hau
river attracts thousands of tourists every day to Can Tho. Enjoy a walk here in
the evening with gentle breeze.
A lovely pedestrian
bridge over the Hau river overlooking the hanging bridge over Mekong river is
picturesque.
Cruise boats here take a round of the river for dinner with
Vietnamese music.
