A 3-Day Introduction to the Mekong Delta

Cai Be Floating Market - Tan Phong Island

Morning We will get on the Mekong Ecolodge boat and set off to visit the Cai Be market which preserves the Mekong Delta market's traditional cultural activities. Submerge yourself in the market’s liveliness and see local vendors sell fresh sweet fruits on their boats. After floating along the river, we have a chance to visit the Com candy craft village to see how locals make candy nuggets and try this sweet authentic cuisine. We will visit a honey bee farm and refresh our thirst with fresh honey tea. We will continue sailing to Tan Phong Island to explore plenty of local fruit from longan, plum, jackfruit, to durian. Take a break with a cup of tea, fruit, and join the garden folk music exchange with some local garden artists when visiting Uncle 5 On's house . Later on, we will have a chance to experience dinghy sailing in a small canal around Tan Phong island to the Mekong ecolodge. Then take part in a cooking lesson to test your culinary talents, and enjoy lunch with Mekong Delta’s distinctive cuisine. Afternoon After lunch, we can wander around the Mekong Ecolodge campus for the surrounding sightseeing. We can also pick and enjoy fresh fruit such as guava, apples, cherries, strawberries, and To Nu Jackfruit right from the fruit garden. Around 13:00 , you will return to the boat and back to Cai Be pier.

Sa Dec - Can Tho hotel

Morning After breakfast at the hotel, the bus will pick you up and transport you to Sa Dec town, a well-known floriculture town where you may immerse yourself in the vibrant colors of flowers and tranquil vibe of the rural area. Learn about the long-standing traditional national culture when visiting the Tan Hoa community temple , an 18th-century-built architecture. When visiting Vinh Long, the red brick kingdom, we must stop by one of the brick craft villages. Visit Xeo Vat village and take part in the brick-making process, which is made from clay from the Sa Dec River. After that, you will get the opportunity to learn about the vibrant everyday life of the people in Sa Dec Market , one of the largest markets in the Mekong Delta. At lunch, enjoy the restaurant's regional cuisine. Afternoon This afternoon we will pass by the class learning extant Chinese culture in the Mekong Delta which memorizes an exchange culture period. We will head to the ancient house of Mr. Huynh Thuy Le - a Chinese trader who adored Marguerite Duras - a famous French writer in her youth. That love she wrote a despairing, sensuous novel then adapted to a film of the same name - L'Amant (The Lover). NOTE : Mr. Huynh Thuy Le's ancient house is temporarily closed Following that, we will visit Kien An Cung Pagoda which was built by Huynh Thuy Le's family for a group of Chinese people living in Sa Dec Town for generations, and Trung Vuong Primary School (former Girls' school of Sa Dec) where Marguerite Duras’s mother was the principal. Tonight, we stay overnight at Can Tho Hotel and the rest of our leisure time is yours.

Can Tho – Saigon

Morning Enjoy breakfast at Can Tho Hotel and prepare yourself before the last day’s excursion. Leave Can Tho province and travel around 6 kilometers to a Cai Rang market. When we arrive at the Cai Rang floating market , we will learn about the humble life of the locals and participate in the hectic activities along the riverbanks. Enjoy a special lunch on the river. Afternoon Visit a rice noodle workshop to witness how local people make Vietnamese rice noodles. A shuttle bus takes us back to Sai Gon. End of the trip.