Mekong Delta

Can Tho is the delta’s biggest city with a population of over a million. The city is perhaps best described as the best of both worlds. Its hectic almost chaotic urban life is balanced out by its breezy, pleasant waterfronts. Can Tho is home to the best famed floating markets of the Mekong Delta. Surrounded by a vast network of canals, the floating markets are a lively scene where most of Can Tho’s trades take place. You can easily hire a boat and make your way to the floating markets. On your way you will go through many of the city’s oldest and smallest canals. Holidays in Mekong Delta would be incomplete without a visit to a floating market. The most popular floating market in Can Tho is the Cai Rang wholesale floating market. Phong Dien is the largest retail floating market. Most of the floating markets are the busiest at dawn as that is when you get items the freshest. If you do not want to go to the markets, then you can just go on a boat trip along the Can Tho River and take in the city in all of its unrestrained glory.

A trip to Ca Mau, the southernmost part of Vietnam, during your holiday to Mekong Delta is akin to making a journey to the end of the world. But, unlike Jules Verne’s novel, the journey is not nearly as epic. Ca Mau also signals the end of mainland Southeast Asia and you are going to have to get there via speedboat. The speedboats tend to get crowded but you get the chance to see houses and shacks that are on the banks of the river. Ca Mau’s main attraction is the Mui Ca Mau National Park. The remote location of the park just adds to its overall appeal. At Mui Ca Mau National Park you can go trekking through its mangrove forests. If you do not want to do that, there is a watch tower which gives you a bird’s eye view of the entire area. This place, so cut off from the modern world, is bordered by an ocean that stretches as far as the eye can see. Enjoy the gazing at the ocean or the mountainous Khoai Island near the coast. The restaurants here are built on stilts so overall this a trip to the park can be quite an amazing experience. The U Minh Forest and National Park, also in Ca Mau, is renowned for its cajeput forests. The park’s canals are filled with coffee-colored, marshy water and a boat ride through the canals makes for a tranquil trip. Just ignore the incessant whining of boat engines.

The town of Chau Doc has more to offer than the barrage of paddy fields and floating markets that most other Mekong Delta towns offer. Just across the Hau Giang River in Chau Doc is the island of Con Tien. Usually a half-day tour, the island is a fishing village and so you will witness plenty of fish-farm houses floating in the water around the island with cages as large as 1000 cubic meters. The Muslim majority Cham community in the Chau Giang District is a short boat ride away from Chau Doc. Wooden houses and the Mubarak Mosque are the major highlights of this community. The Sam Mountain dominates the Chau Doc skyline. Serving as a backdrop to numerous paddy fields, the hill is 230 meters high and well worth the hike. Many Vietnamese make the trip to the Mountain as it houses a large number of pagodas and villages. The view from the top of the Sam Mountain is stunning especially in the rainy season. Overlooking the lush paddy fields, you get a spectacular view of all the waterways that makes this flat-terrain so rich in beauty. Tup Duc in Chau Doc is another hill you should definitely visit during your Mekong Delta holiday. The site of a long-drawn battle during the Vietnam War, Tup Duc now serves as a tourist spot. You will find your fair share of restaurants, lakes and fruit gardens. There is even an ostrich farm at the foot of the hill while the tour to the hill itself concentrates on how the Vietnamese army were able to use the hill and its structures to protect themselves from the American onslaught. The Ba Chuc Memorial in a village near the Ba Chuc hill pays homage to the 3157 villagers who were massacred by the Khmer Rouge. The bleached skulls and blood stains at the nearby Phi Lai Pagoda create a very raw experience.

Holidays to Mekong Delta are also a culinary delight because all the food you eat is fresh. As a result, everything from vegetables to fruits, many of which are exclusive to this region, taste amazing. The more tourist appropriate restaurants are located near Can Tho city center but you can find restaurants that serve traditional Vietnamese dishes with rice as a staple all throughout the city.

Vietnam receives a lot of rain throughout the year and so Mekong Delta holidays, like any holiday in Vietnam need to be planned in advance to get the best out of the destination.

With a typical tropical climate, the weather in the Mekong Delta can be divided into two seasons, the dry season and the wet season. The weather is influenced by the monsoon and you can expect it to be hot and humid regardless of which time you choose to have your Vietnam holiday in the Mekong Delta.

The Season of Floods

The rainy season is often referred to as the season of floods as constant rain can cause the rivers to overflow and flood the low-lying Mekong Delta. Hence holidays to Vietnam during the months between May to October are best avoided. Even though the temperature remains close to 30 degrees, the heavy showers, risk of flooding, and occasional storms can throw a wrench in your plans. But, the Mekong Delta is at the peak of its natural beauty during the rainy season. Coupled with low ticket prices, a Vietnam holiday in Mekong Delta may be worth the gamble.

The Season Of Travel

The dry season from November to April is the best time for a Vietnam holidays in the Mekong Delta. Despite the lack of rain, the temperature remains in the less scorching mid20s. This is the peak season so tickets cost more and hotels are booked to their capacity. Another disadvantage is the fact that many rivers dry up, making journeys to some remote locations impossible. Even if you will miss out on a few places, this is still the safest time to travel. Just remember to book everything way in advance.