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Inside of this post

• About the Mekong Delta.
• How to visit The Mekong Delta – River of Nine dragons.
• Activities that The Mekong Delta visitors should – not –miss

The Mekong Delta, where I was born and had a peaceful childhood with my family, is like a green land picture, with orchard and paddy rice fields. During the harvest season, early in the morning, me and my parents were carrying fruits to markets, and we often saw foreigner tourists who were traveling by boats or were walking through the village to take photos, while the locals were observing them with happiness. I dreamed that one day I will guide travellers to my hometown.

ABOUT THE MEKONG DELTA

The Mekong Delta in Vietnam is located in the downstream region of the mighty Mekong River. It is the third biggest delta in the world, with over 44 000 square kilometers, and the 4,350 km ( 2,700 miles) long River is very deep, sourcing from the upstream in the Tibetan plateau and flowing through 6 countries such as: China, Myanmar (Burma), Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and flows into the South China Sea.

The Mekong River’s both name and role is “Mother River”, as more than 100 million people are living along its sides and rely on its rich resources. Each country has its own name for Mekong River, such as: Lancang Jiang (China), Mae Nam Khong (Thailand), Menam Khong (Laos), Mekonk (Cambodia), Nine Dragons River (Vietnam).

HOW TO VISIT  MEKONG DELTA –THE  RIVER OF NINE DRAGONS

The country is upgrading its tourism services and continuously building more infrastructure so the travelers have more shortcuts to their destinations. Travelling in any regions of the Mekong Delta becomes easily, you can get there by boat, air and road, depending on where you start your vacation. 

• If you only have ONE DAY to visit Mekong Delta and start your trip from Saigon. Your travel guides will give advices about the nearest destinations, such as: a touristy Mytho, an attractive and famous destination for local and international tourists, or driving further to Ben Tre, where you can explore and experience the Mekong’s Delta rustic life at your own speed. Besides that, the travel experts will continue the trip to Cai Be – Vinh Long if some tourists expect to discover more. My opinion is that you should choose a short distance trip, it will offer you more than expected, because the tour guide and driver will stop on the way for rest and local sightseeing in places previously set by their travel agency.
• If you have TWO or more than two days, you will be happy to choose some destinations that help you discover more of the outstanding Mekong Delta, an experience ranging from a standard trip to a luxury trip, according to your budget. Please don’t miss local home or farm accommodation, staying one night can bring back your childhood memories and moments such as: cooking with local people, biking around villages, sleeping inside mosquito net, watching stars during a full moon night, the crickets sound or cock/crow early in the morning. Don’t forget to visit the floating market in Can Tho, where you will understand more about Mekong’s Delta water life and its many kinds of fresh fruits and veggies.
• Beside classic tours, there are some new destinations, the travel expert will suggest you to visit: Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, Ca Mau Cap, National Park or natural Sanctuary (Tra Su Cajuput forest, Bang Lang stork garden, Tram Chim, Sac De flower village), prilgrimage sites. If you want to explore the Mekong River more, you could take a speed boat from Chau Doc (An Giang) to Phnom Penh (Cambodia). To be more relaxing, you can rest at Phu Quoc paradise beach (by taking an airplane from Can Tho airport) or take a hydrofoil from Rach Gia to Phu Quoc.

ACTIVITIES TO VISIT THE MEKONG should – not – miss

The Mekong Delta region comprises 12 provinces, each one providing local activities and services for tourists. Before you decide to book your vacation, you could take a read below – it will give you more ideas on how and where to choose your trip there.

• Enjoy a cup of hot tea, local fresh fruits and watch the Don Ca Tai Tu (Amateur music) – listed by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
• Rowing by sampans through the narrow canals: In my opinion, this is the best choice, after escaping motorbike or motor boat noise, you will hear only the sound of birds, wind, and see a peaceful scenery with orchards on both sides of the canal. You will be able to see the flexibility and skill of the local rowing ladies that wear the traditional charming dress of the Southern region and the lovely conical hat.
• Take a bike through the village: thus you could explore rice fields or contact local village people, sometimes the weather is hot or rainy late in the afternoon, it’s better if you would check the weather before choosing this trip.
• Handicraft villages and old houses: there is plenty of local traditional handmade products (coconut candies, puffed rice, weaving mats, bamboo baskets, conical hats, fish nets….) and you can also visit old houses (built more than 100 years ago) whose architecture is a mix between oriental and western style.
• Explore the diverse of fauna and flora sanctuary through bird watching such as storks, cranes, cuckoos, king fishers, water hens, admiring water chestnuts, water lilies, cajuput trees, fish. Further into the Mekong Delta, you can visit shrines, there are Chinese temples, Mosques of the Cham ethnic and Khmer temples surrounded by palm plains.
• Don’t miss some suggestion homestays in Mekong such as: Ut Trinh, Mekong Rustic, Hai Dao, Ut Hien. Muoi Huong ….

These are some highlights of the Mekong Delta, I think you can find special things that will create a suitable vacation for you. This article is a general presentation, not a special itinerary for you. You can expect a journey from Mekong to Cambodia as well. For further information, please don’t hesitate to email or contact sales@indochinago-tours.com

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