Mekong Delta travel guide

Mekong Delta is listed as top 10 destinations that you should visit in your Vietnam holiday. The region has a total area of 40,518.5 square kilometers including 13 provinces in the South of Vietnam: An Giang, Bac Lieu, Ben Tre, Ca Mau, Can Tho, Dong Thap, Hau Giang, Kien Giang, Long An, Soc Trang, Tien Giang, Tra Vinh, and Vinh Long.

To be inherited by fertile sediment from a lot of big rivers (2 biggest rivers - Tien river and Hau river), Mekong Delta has a diverse ecosystem and fascinating scenery. The most especial things when visiting this area is to visit floating markets by boats. Besides, coming to Mekong delta, the tourists will have a chance to visit a lot of national parks (Cat Tien National Park, Can Gio Mangrove Forest, etc.), bird sanctuaries (Tram Chim, Thap Muoi, U Minh Thuong, etc.), fruit gardens and a chance to experience with homestay.

How to get there?

Be the final part of Vietnam on map and have a border with Cambodia, you can get Mekong delta from Ho Chi Minh or Cambodia. You can flight to Tan Son Nhat airport (Ho Chi Minh) then drive to Mekong delta by car or motorbike. From Cambodia, the easiest way to get Mekong delta is by boat from Phnom Penh. It takes about 1 hour and a half. In Mekong delta, the main transportation is ship, cruise and boat.

Best time to visit Mekong delta:

You can visit Mekong delta all time of the year except rain season from May to August. However, the rains in this region are usually short and won’t affect your trip seriously.

From September to April is a good time to visit Mekong delta. In floating season (from Sep – Nov), the local people usually go fishing by their small boat. If you get Mekong delta this time, you can join with us then enjoy the meal cooked with the fish you just caught. From Dec to Apr, the rainfall is very low in most rivers of this region. The weather is comfortable with cool air, blue sky and suitable temperature. It also is a season of fruit harvest in Mekong Delta. If you can get Mekong delta this time, you will have a chance to enjoy a lot of fresh and delicious fruits.

Things to do and see in Mekong delta:

• Visiting floating markets: your Vietnam holiday will not be perfect without visiting floating markets in Mekong delta. Here are 4 biggest floating markets in Mekong Delta: Cai Rang floating maket in Can Tho, Phung Hiep floating market in Hau Giang province, Cai Be floating market inTien Giang province, and Nga Nam floating market in Soc Trang province.
• Homestay in Mekong delta: Mekong delta is one of the best places for homestay in Vietnam. The price is cheaper than staying at hotels while the tourists have an opportunity to experience more things with local people. You will also experience the daily life activities and rhythms in rural Vietnam with local people such as walking on gravel track and dirt road, ride a oxen cart or row a small boat to visit the rural villages, catch fish in pond by hand and prepare a meal by yourselves or with the local host, and talk with the local people to explore their life and Vietnamese culture more deeply.
• Visiting national parks: There are many tours to visit national parks in Mekong delta today. If you love eco-tourism, you can consider to book tours to visit the following national parks: Can Gio Mangrove Forest, Cat Tien National Park, Tram Chim National Park, U Minh Thuong National Park. These parks are homes of a large number of birds, plants and mammals.
• Biking: Taking a cycle along small roads to see the real life of Vietnamese in Mekong Delta is also a good thing to do in this region.  
• Boat trip in Mekong delta: the main transportation in Mekong delta is boat so you will have an opportunity to take boat trip here. Boat is the easiest way to visit some villages in the islet on the river and floating markets in Mekong delta. Relax on boat and see the beauty of villages along the river will be a wonderful experience in your Vietnam trip.

Where to stay in Mekong delta?

There are 2 options for accommodation in Mekong delta: stay at hotels or homestay. Homestay is highly recommended by most travelers. Although Mekong delta has 13 provinces, only Can Tho, Tien Giang, and Ben Tre are suitable for overnight.