Mekong Delta Day Trip - A Fullday Interesting Itinerary

Located at the end of the Mekong River, about 88 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh city, Ben Tre is a picturesque little province in the Mekong Delta famed for coconut, in particular, the sweet, sticky coconut candy which is produced there. There are many canals, coconut groves, orchards scattered in many districts in Ben Tre, so coming here, tourists can enjoy the fresh air, and participate in many ecotourism activities.

Morning trip

A day tour from Ho Chi Minh to Ben Tre (Mekong Delta) often starts at 8:00 after you have had your breakfast at the hotel. The driver and the tour guide will pick up you at the hotel, and you will be transferred by car to Ben Tre

Arriving in Ben Tre, you will get on a boat to cruise along Ham Luong River, which is a branch of the Mekong. The boat will stop at various local workplaces so that you can how local people work to earn their livings. One of the workplaces you will be stopping by is the brick factory. It is in fact not a factory, as as the bricks here are made with a small amount and total by hand.  Then you head to a coconut processing workshop, where you can sample fresh coconut and how local people make food and other products from coconut. Another interesting thing to do is to see how straw mats are woven using a handloom. You can even weave the mats yourself!

After few stops at the workplaces, the boat keeps traveling to a quiet village where you will have a short walk to experience real life in a typical village of the Mekong Delta. Local people in Ben Tre are indigenous, friendly, and helpful, so you can easily talk with them. After the visit to the local village, you will be visiting fruit orchards on a kind of motorized rickshaw, a popular kind of transfer in the region. The local orchards are not too large but enough to convince those who love rustic areas. It’s awesome to move through narrow paths of green trees at two sides inside the orchards while witnessing heavy succulent fruits hanging above. Not only are the kinds of fruits there are sold in markets through Vietnam, but they are also exported to plenty of Asian countries. A visit to the orchards is the chance to taste the most luscious fruits in the Mekong Delta such as durian, mangosteen, mango, pepper, citrus, and citrus.

Lunchtime

You may be tired of walking in the orchards, picking up your favorite fruits, so now it is time for lunch and relaxing at the local restaurant. The food in this region is fresh and delicious as unlike other regions in the country, the Mekong Delta's inhabitants still grow and make food by themselves. The specialties here are considered the most authentic Vietnamese delicacies, and the cuisine of Mekong Delta also reflects the characteristics of people and nature here. The region has a huge network of rivers, canals, streams…, therefore aquatic and agricultural products become the main food. At your lunch, you will be able to taste the best food in the region such as rice, elephant-ear fish, river shrimp, and enjoy some cold drinks or beers.

Afternoon trip

After lunch, it’s time to board a sampan boat for a relaxing trip along narrow canals. Using the sampan boat is the best way to explore the beauty and uniqueness of Ben Tre and the Mekong Delta as this area is in fact a complex system of channels. From the small boat, you can feast your eyes on stunning sights of green or yellow rice paddies, lush orchards, lines of coconut trees, quiet stilt houses, as well as the traditional lifestyle around the Mekong River. This will be an unforgettable experience for your day trip to the Mekong Delta.

The tour will end around 17:00 so you can get back to Saigon before feeling hungry.

Your trip to Vietnam is incomplete without a visit to the Mekong Delta. Just only 2 hours from Ho Chi Minh City, a Mekong Delta day trip is highly recommended. If you have more time, join 2 days 1-night tour and stay at the homestay to fully experience the local life here.

Jenny

Sources: Internet