Boating in the Mekong Delta - Traveling as the Locals Do

Cai Rang Floating Market

The Cai Rang floating market is not only famous in Vietnam, but all around the world, as one of the busiest markets of its kind. Local farmers and vendors come to the market early in the morning and jostle for the best parking spot from which to sell their fruit and flowers.

The market is an interesting cultural experience and an excellent place for grabbing a healthy breakfast. You are recommended to try to reach the market in the morning, to avoid the heat and see it at its busiest time.

Sampan Ride Through Narrow Canals

You will never feel as completely immersed in the local environment as you will on a wooden sampan, getting pushed through the narrow canals that locals use to travel on the periphery of the river. A personal favorite of the staff at Asia Highlights, the overgrown foliage around these narrow canals gives this type of boat ride a very different feel from riding a motor boat on the main river.

Visit a Local Orchard

When you explore a floating market, you might find yourself admiring the wealth of fresh produce. Visiting a local orchard gives you the opportunity to see how this produce is grown, as well as a chance to see how local farmers live and work.

The orchards are beautiful, well maintained groves of often delicious-smelling trees. Stopping in an orchard can be both relaxing and educational.

Stop at the Home of a Local and See a Traditional Wooden House

After a long day on a boat, it can be important to get off and stretch your legs. Walking around one of the many islands sprinkled throughout the area is an excellent way to do just this. At some, you will even be able to rent a bike, if that is more your speed.

If possible, enter the home of a local. Most houses in the area are built well away from the river and its hostile tides, but many are built on stilts right above the water. Sharing a meal with a local in one of these traditional houses can be a truly memorable experience.

If you travel with Asia Highlights, this stop and many others can be arranged for you.

Float by the Cao Dai Temple and Cai Be Cathedral

Vietnam is a predominately Buddhist country and the Mekong River is lined with towering temples. One of the most famous and conveniently located is the Cao Dai temple. You can admire its impressive architecture from a boat, or make a stop and walk around inside. (Most choose to experience the views from the water.)

Another popular landmark along the water is the Cai Be cathedral. At almost 100 years old, the building is impressive, and creates a marked contrast with the landscape and architecture around it. This stop is particularly pleasant in the evening, when the setting sun provides excellent photo opportunities of the cathedral next to the water.

Experience the Thua Thua Irrigation Canals

Much of the water that flows through the Mekong River Delta is used for farming. In the Thua Thua area you can ride a sampan or small motor boat up some of the irrigation canals cut by farmers to move water inland to their crops. The Mekong Delta area is a famous regional producer of agriculture and a tour of these canals highlights how extensive and important farming is in the region.

In addition to being educational, the canals feel like a natural extension of the river, and the sprawling farms and orchards create a beautiful landscape.