Life in the far south of Vietnam rolls at a much slower pace than in the cities. No bigger dichotomy can be seen between Ben Tre and Ho Chi Minh City, located just about 100km from each other but taking on life in two completely opposite ways.

Ben Tre remains relatively inert, and the languid pace of life here continues despite its growing reputation in the tourism trade. Coconut trees rise highest here, rice paddies stretch on and the colour of the province is a brilliant verdant green, countering the grey of Ho Chi Minh City’s buildings and streets and providing locals and tourists alike with a much-needed escape to nature on a day-trip. This is our comprehensive guide of what you can see in Ben Tre.

Coconuts and Trees – Ben Tre’s Backwaters

The romantic images of Ben Tre’s magnificent palm tree-lined canals are scattered on the front of postcards throughout Vietnam, such is the pride that Vietnamese people have for this southern region. In a way, the slow drifting of sampan boats encapsulates the relaxed attitude of the Vietnamese that can still be found around the emerging country, in cities and in towns, but especially in the Mekong Delta, where the environment has bred a leisurely approach to life into the regional psyche.

Canal trips under the overhanging coconut trees and ferns can be taken via the most basic service of a sampan boat, all the way to high-end luxury boats with thatched roofs. The intricate canals that run between Ben Tre’s fertile riverbanks are a wonderful symbol for the region and a ride on its calm waters will transport you back in time, clearing the mind and getting you in touch with the nature around you. The river is often flanked with cycle paths, making up another of Ben Tre’s top things to do, cycling along with the languid pace of the flowing water.

Coconut Boat

Birds – Vam Ho Bird Sanctuary

Ben Tre’s picture of paradise is always strengthened by the presence of birds, which soar around the region in search of food in the water and trees. An absolutely unmissable event to see in Ben Tre is the flocking of the storks, an event whereby up to half a million storks fly high above the setting sun and land in an area called Vam Ho Bird Sanctuary. Such a sight is highly prized for bird watchers, who come to capture this most perfect accordance of an Asian scene; big birds, slow water, powerful sunset.

Besides the white storks that fall like snow on the treetops, herons and about 83 other species of bird can be spotted around Vam Ho, making use of its fantastic location on the riverbed and its fertile land to catch fish and mammals who live in the vicinity. You can skirt around Vam Ho on a boat and walk along its pedestrianised inside for a closer look at some of Vietnam’s most majestic feathered creatures.

Vam Ho Bird Sanctuary

Fruit – Cai Mon Fruit Orchard

Cai Mon Fruit Orchard is the best place to see the diversity of Ben Tre’s fruity offerings. Tropical fruits like mangosteens, durians, limes, lemons, and longans thrive in the hot, humid and occasionally very wet climate, giving Cai Mon and Ben Tre in general a splash of additional colour. Walking around the orchard, you will be greeted by exotic fruits that you may not have even heard of before. Java apples and rambutans flash a brilliant red, while the bulbous yellow-green of durians hang heavily from the branches and the dark purple mangosteens open up to the perfect white segments of flesh inside.

Orange Garden in Cai Mon Fruit Orchard

Religion – Tuyen Linh Temple

Despite the fact that it is only 150 years old, the Tuyen Linh Temple has been through some pretty tough times. It was heavily damaged after coming under direct bombing by the Americans but has since been rebuilt in a colour unfortunately in modern Vietnamese pale yellow as opposed to the original bold pink. Nevertheless, Tuyen Linh is an impressive Buddhist temple with unique colonial-style architecture, however, the upward-curved roofing and dragon motifs are decidedly Asian.

Tuyen Linh Temple

Handicrafts

The beloved coconut for which Ben Tre is famous knows no bounds when it comes to versatility. Aside from being food and drink, its shell can be made into any number of objects, and entire shops operating at the riverside can stock hundreds of coconut-made products on their tables. Lacquered coconut bowls are always a tourist favourite, as are tea sets and miniature figurines of detailed humans and bicycles. The most popular is the coconut candy, famous throughout the country for its uniquely sweet, creamy taste.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by coconut at any point, there are other things to see in Ben Tre that have nothing to do with the fruit. Popcorn is another famed export of the workers of Ben Tre, as is shrimp paste and fish sauce sourced from the abundant waters, as well as rice from the plethora of rice paddies stretching throughout the region.

Make coconut candy in Ben Tre

Biking in Ben Tre

Best Time to go to Ben Tre

Being situated even closer to the equator than Ho Chi Minh City doesn’t do much for the variety of temperature in Ben Tre. Any month you go will be hot, and it is likely you’ll try and find shade under the many coconut trees year-round when average temperatures span just 3 degrees between 30°C and 33°C (86°F – 91°F). Rainfall is practically non-existent from December to April, but skyrockets during the wet season from May till about mid-November, so try to avoid these months if possible.

Source: IncredibleAsia

Ben Tre – A fascinating stop to see everyday life
Nguyen Thanh Van

The Mekong Delta is a foodie’s paradise, one blessed with natural alluvial soils carried from the Mekong River, deposited along the banks, creating the ideal fertile wonderland. With this being said, the question of what to eat in the Mekong Delta is one with many answers. Aside from rice and fruit, the Mekong is blessed with seafood in its abundant rivers and canals, as well as all other produce that such tropical climates can afford. Here, we look at the best things to eat in the Mekong Delta to get a real taste of the region through its fabulous specialties and delicacies.

Bún Cá

One seafood dish is bun ca, with a very telling translation of ‘fish noodles’, and a favourite of instagrammers for its mishmash of colourful ingredients. The rice noodle, bun, is accompanied by slices of boiled snakehead fish, some prawns, pork, and various green vegetables and beansprouts, all of which sits in a steaming fishy broth. If this is sounding like an overly fishy concoction, then you may want to visit one of the restaurants that uses the roots of an autumn crocus to mask the scent of fish. This is one of Vietnam’s signature dishes, and deservedly so.

This nationally popular dish won’t be hard to find anywhere in the country, let alone in the vast waterways of the Mekong Delta. Many vendors at Cai Be and Cai Rang floating markets will serve up this classic piece of Mekong Delta cuisine from the convenience of their own floating kitchens.

Hủ Tiếu Mỹ Tho

Hu tieu My Tho is one such variation, coming from the city of My Tho, which lies on the northern banks of the Mekong River. As with most food in the region, this dish features at least a nod to the Mekong Delta’s strong fishing culture, with prawns set amongst pork and liver, while variations within this regional variation can feature fish balls or squid. Added vegetables like spring onion, shallots and chives are all optional, but they invariably sit in a colourful bowl, swimming in a pork stock soup. Even 70km up the road in Vietnam’s burgeoning metropolis, patrons enjoy a different version of Hu Tieu, and daytrips from Ho Chi Minh City to the Mekong Delta can provide a more conclusive look at the diversity of this flavourful dish.

Bánh Xeo

Named for the sizzling sound it makes when the raw ingredients are thrown together into the frying pan, banh xeo is not only one of the easiest and most effortless things to eat in the Mekong Delta, but nationwide as well. Its popularity is born for its ease of construction, ease of eating and powerful flavour with a beautifully crunchy texture. In the Mekong Delta, the ingredients inside the taco-like rice paper shell include pork, shrimp, chicken, beansprouts and mushrooms, all folded and fried to create a crispy pancake that is then dipped into fish sauce and devoured. Despite the dozens of versions of banh xeo cooked daily throughout the country, you will have to go a long way to find one bigger than in the Mekong Delta, where one pancake can take the force of two hungry diners.

The simple nature of banh xeo means that it can be made anywhere; on boats, on the streets, at home or in restaurants. The likely places to find it are in the Delta’s various provincial capitals, such as Can Tho, My Tho and Soc Trang. You can find particular speciality restaurant at Ban Xeo Ca Mau (Le Loi Street, Can Tho).

Cá Tai Tượng

The giant gourami is nicknamed the ‘elephant ear fish’ for its saggy, grey appearance. While not all that much to look at, the elephant ear fish endures as one of the most popular foods in the Mekong Delta, and is included in many southern Vietnam tours as an introduction to the wonderful seafood of the country. Its serving can be a little shocking, as it is usually deep-fried whole, with scales, fins, tail and all, and placed vertically in a stand for diners to pick apart with chopsticks. Although the bones make eating it a fairly labour-intensive experience, the crispy skin and tender meat are the delicious reward, and the accompanying noodles, rice, vegetables, rice paper or sweet and sour sauce only serve to bring out the punch of this flavourful Mekong fish.

The best way to tackle the elephant ear fish is with a guide on a south Vietnam tour package, as the nature of the fish requires delicate serving and an experienced hand to dig through the bones. These tours usually stop off in Can Tho, where you can head to a humble restaurant like Lang Tre Phi Ho (118/9/78B Le Loi Street).

Lẩu Cá Kèo 

If the elephant ear fish is too intimidating a meal, then maybe for you, what to eat in the Mekong Delta will be the more innocent-looking goby fish. The long, thin and smooth bodies of the goby fish offer a completely different dining experience, and its serving in hotpot style make it one of the more sociable lunches on a daytrip from Ho Chi Minh City to its southern neighbour. The goby fish are usually eaten whole after receiving a thorough boiling in the broth, bubbling alongside ingredients like tomatoes, dried onions, leafy greens and garlic. These are used to bring out the bitterness of the broth and highlight the flavour of the fish, which can grow to 15cm in length in the rich waters of the Mekong Delta.

For a slow and indulgent lunch, head to Lau Ca Keo 86 (86 Mac Thien Tich, Can Tho), where plates of fish and vegetables are piled high, awaiting their introduction into the hotpot.

Bánh Pía

The strong smell of durian fruit might put a lot of people off the banh pia, but it certainly found a lot of favour in the Chinese community, who emigrated from the Chaoshan region of China to find a new life in and around the old Saigon.  Many settled in Soc Trang, one of the more diverse of the Mekong Delta’s cities, bringing the ‘pia cake’ with them. These are baked buns with green beans, a salted egg and the infamous durian fruit, known for its intense pungency. Savoury flavours can have minced pork and mung bean paste, all covered with a buttery casing that creates a rich appearance and dense flavour – certainly one of the best things to eat in the Mekong Delta.

It would be sacrilege to try the speciality of Soc Trang anywhere other than the city itself, or in Saigon if you’re not joining a Mekong Delta tour from Ho Chi Minh City. The most famous company to produce banh pia are Tan Hue Vien, who sell their products throughout the city of Soc Trang, and even make it up to Hanoi, such in the popularity of this delicious piece of Mekong Delta dessert

Bánh Cóng 

Another output of the prolific city of Soc Trang, banh cong is a firm shrimp ‘muffin’, and also a firm favourite food to eat in the Mekong Delta for its many residents. Peeled and salted shrimps are placed into a liquid batter of flour, coconut milk and oil, before the whole thing is placed in the fryer, creating a crispy coating but fluffy interior. Along with the shrimp, minced pork and the ubiquitous onions and shallots are added, making a delicious snack and a great souvenir to take away from your Vietnam holiday package.

The ease of banh cong’s construction makes it one of the best street foods to eat in the Mekong Delta. You will find it along the streets of many cities, but Can Tho in particular, and can be experienced best on a food tour of the city.

Đuông Dừa

The resourceful Vietnamese have always found a way to make the best of a bad situation. For the residents of Ben Tre and other provinces of the Mekong Delta, the plague of worms eating through their precious coconuts is a constant one, but alleviated somewhat by the tastiness of the worm itself, which is one of the delicacies of the Mekong Delta. These fat grubs are served either grilled or alive and swimming in a small bowl of chili and lime-infused sauce – most certainly not a dish for the faint hearted. It’s also not a dish for those strapped for cash, as a kilogram of this costs around 500,000 VND ($22).

Naturally, the huge coconut trees of Ben Tre are a prime target for these coconut worms. Restaurants around the province, such as Nha Hang Noi Ben Tre, serve duong dua by the bowlful, if you can stomach more than one.

Source: incredibleasiajourneys

What to Eat in the Mekong Delta
Nguyen Thanh Van

If history of a new land is in your top concern for a journey, the Khmer museum is surely a must-visit place when you make a trip to Soc Trang Province, the Mekong Delta. The Khmer museum displays dozens of valuable artifacts, presenting the cultural and spiritual life of the ethnic community of Khmer from generation to generation. Something you find out for a visit there is traditional costumes, models of houses, pagodas, and musical instruments.

How to get to the Khmer museum from Ho Chi Minh City

To reach the Khmer museum, what you must do first is to find ways to Soc Trang Province. It’s easy to do that since bus lines to Soc Trang are always available at Mien Tay Bus Station – 395 Kinh Duong Vuong Street, An Lac Ward, Binh Tan District.

Upon arrival in Soc Trang City, Soc Trang Province, you’ll find out the central market. The Khmer museum is two minutes’ walk from this market. The museum is opposite Kh’leang Pagoda and situated at 53 Ton Duc Thang Street, Ward 6, Long Phu Town, Soc Trang City.

An alternative to get to the Khmer museum from Ho Chi Minh City is to take a tour to the Mekong Delta. A plus point of the tour is that you not only visit the Khmer museum, but also explore other fascinating spots in Soc Trang Province, such as Nga Nam Floating Market, Bat Pagoda, Tan Long Stork Sanctuary, Kh’leang Pagoda, and My Phuoc Island.

What are inside the Khmer museum?

Erected in 1938, the Khmer museum was formed by two zones. The exhibition zone is the Xamacum Assembly House and the office zone. The museum displays countless precious artifacts, offering you an outlook on the spiritual and cultural life of the Khmer community.

The Khmer community has a population of over one million and is portrayed through two cultural museums; one is in Tra Vinh and the other is in Soc Trang. If you pay a visit to the museum in Soc Trang, what you will see comprise collections of Black masks, costumes, musical instruments, sets, books of leaf, and many other things of Khmer culture. This visit entitles you to obtain more understanding of the Khmer community and know why it has become a crucial part in the population of Soc Trang Province.

In Soc Trang Province, there are plenty of spots for sightseeing, but you certainly visit Khmer Museum because of values it brings back. You will realize that the Khmer people have a high aesthetic mind whereby they could simulate real life to make their own cultural beauty and create elaborate traditional family items and production tools for life. This shows that they have great skills as expert artisans.

Source: tnktravel

Khmer Museum – Places to Visit in Soc Trang
Nguyen Thanh Van

Chau Doc in An Giang Province has long been attracting the domestic and foreign visitors, especially the pilgrims who have faith in the Lady Temple (Mieu Ba Chua Xu). People also know about this town for its delicious fish paste. To talk about a sacred and attractive town in Vietnam Mekong Delta for a spiritual trip, then it is Chau Doc. Besides, everyone just know this town thanks to its tasty fish pastes and floating villages. And whenever somebody asks you where is the most charming town in the Mekong Delta for a spiritual purpose, then Chau Doc should be the first option.

The town shares the same border with Cambodia, and often takes six hours to arrive on a bus trip. Besides, this place is a big home to many ethnic groups, such as the Cham, Kinh, Chinese, and Khmer groups. Among these, Kinh people are considered as the most crowded community who live almost everywhere.

EXPLORE CHAU DOC MEKONG DELTA WITH RUBICON TOURS PACKAGES

Like some other provinces in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam, An Giang, where Chau Doc belongs to, experiences the two season:

• December – April: This is the dry season in Chau Doc that gives the town the pleasant atmosphere and abundant sunlight. According to the common belief, the dry time is the best time to visit Chau Doc as there is no rain interrupting your outdoor activities. Also, this period witnesses the massive celebration of Ba Chua Xu Festival – the most colorful festival of the region.
• May – November: This is the rainy season in Chau Doc when some rain comes, and the visitors have to keep in mind the weather forecast on the go. For the cruise trips during the rainy time, it is vital to keep the life-jackets on hand.

Chau Doc – A spiritual land
Nguyen Thanh Van

Southwest of Vietnam has long been renowned as the land of verdant, fertile, the preferential tropical nature creates cultural features attractive gardens. The set of 13 provinces and cities to form a broad delta area of 40,000 square meters kilometers with nature and man give visitors a sense of the familiar.

The establishing gardens are the creative employment of the native people in here with a natural sense of improvement nature for serving human life. Gardens in Southwest are concentrated together into large space with lush fruit orchards laden with fruit around the year.
Travel to the land of gardens, the first impression of visitors is the wealth that nature bestowed on this land, the most typical kinds of fruit are concentrated on there such as durian, big longan, soapberry, tamarind, star apple, mangosteen, mango, rambutan. The gardens appeared throughout most parts of the Mekong delta but the biggest gardens are in Binh Minh, Tam Binh, Binh Hoa Phuoc (Vinh Long); Cai Be, Chau Thanh, My Tho (Tien Giang), Mon, Cai Rang (Tho), Hong Ngu, Cai Tau Lai Vung (Dong Thap), Tra Vinh… A journey through Mekong Delta must be written on your travel list during Vietnam vacation.

Discovering and learning the unique culture of the Mekong delta has enchanted more and more foreign tourists, in addition, can come to see the trade villages, the bakeries, oven nuggets. The only market tour, visitors can see the fullness of life of people living here.
The market always shows what the most prosperous of the country, with various types of markets as diverse as floating market and provincial markets mentioned as Cai Be floating market, Cai Rang floating market, Phung Hiep floating market. The markets are full of food of the world, attracting more and more tourists to visit.

Source: myhanoitours

RELATED TOURS:

04D/03N ~ Can Tho + Chau Doc @ Mekong Delta

The Beauty of Southwest Vietnam
Nguyen Thanh Van

The tunnels of Củ Chi are an immense network of connecting tunnels located in the Củ Chi District of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam, and are part of a much larger network of tunnels that underlie much of the country. The Củ Chi tunnels were the location of several military campaigns during the Vietnam War, and were the Viet Cong’s base of operations for the Tết Offensive in 1968.

The tunnels were used by Viet Cong soldiers as hiding spots during combat, as well as serving as communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weapon caches and living quarters for numerous North Vietnamese fighters. The tunnel systems were of great importance to the Viet Cong in their resistance to American forces, and helped to counter the growing American military effort.

TRAVEL HO CHI MINH CITY & CU CHI TUNNEL IN 3 DAYS 2 NIGHTS:

3D2N ~ Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) + Cuchi Tunnel Tour

Don’t miss to visit Cu Chi Tunnels in Sai Gon
Nguyen Thanh Van

Delving into the world of floating markets in Vietnam is an unparalleled experience for travelers who truly want to explore and feel the vibrant atmosphere here. Floating markets have existed for hundreds of years and have become a vital part of the local life in the Mekong Delta. Let’s plan a trip to one of famous, vibrant Vietnam floating markets.

THE BEAUTY OF SOUTHWEST OF VIETNAM

There are several floating markets in the country, most of them are located in the Southern region. These markets are always crowded with a lot of boats selling plenty of products. The locals come by land or water to buy their food or household goods. Here are some floating markets in Vietnam to enjoy the special shopping sides of Vietnamese people.

Long Xuyen Floating Market – An Giang

Long Xuyen floating market is a hidden gem, this market is one of the less popular floating markets in Vietnam, but definitely worth a try if you are in search of a place that gives off easy and genuine vibes of Mekong Delta’s people and nature. Surprisingly, you cannot find a single person bargaining here since the market mostly serves local people and hardly commercialized. If you are searching for a non-touristy and not crowded shopping place, this market is a good choice. The market is a great combination of the charming countryside and the water area. Here, the local lifestyle and traditional culture still remains.

Arriving the market early in the morning, you can witness the busy life on the river where people sell and buy are veggies, pickles, squash, sweet potato, fruits and typical West-Southern snacks as fish rice noodle, pig-skinned pieces or salad roll by boats.

Cai Rang Floating Market – Can Tho

Like other floating markets in the Mekong Delta, Cai Rang was firstly formed to meet the trading needs of local people. Located on the river with the same name – Cai Rang, the market is more than 100 years old now.

GET TO KNOW ABOUT THE CAI RANG FLOATING MARKET

Phong Dien Floating Market – Can Tho

Phong Dien Floating Market is 20 kilometers southwest of Can Tho, the best floating market in the Mekong Delta. Boats loaded with produce from nearby orchards of the Mekong Delta converge to the floating market. They carry mostly fruits but also coconuts, vegetables and fishes. The market is at its bustling best between 5am and 8am.

Phong Dien floating market is a place full of interesting things for not only domestic but also foreign tourists. It is not so far from Cai Rang floating market, but there is a big difference in the function of each market. While Cai Rang boasts its largest wholesale market, Phong Dien is a retail one that is located in the complex system of rivers and canals. With this function, you hardly find big boats here but only the small sampans, which is also the daily vehicle of local people.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CAN THO – THE EVERGREEN CITY OF MEKONG DELTA

Nga Nam Floating Market – Soc Trang

Nga Nam floating market is located in the Nga Nam town where the five rivers Vinh Quoi, Ca Mau, Thanh Tri, Long My, and Phung Hiep meet. Compared to other markets, it is well known for the hustle and bustle atmosphere which is hard to find in other markets. In this market, you can admire the endless stretches of big and small boats full of wide ranges of goods like tomato, garlic, cabbage, potato, etc. And, you will find it hard to resist temptation when approached by some southern merchants, offering their delightful fish noodle, rice soup or coffee..

Nga Nam floating market nowadays still retains the uniqueness of Mekong countryside as well as typical attributes that make it special such as “ao ba ba”, sweet old folk songs and distinctive accent of Southern people.

Cai Be Floating Market – Tien Giang

Cai Be floating market is located in Cai Be district, Tien Giang province – on the giant Tien river (one of the two main streams of Cuu Long river). This is a hub for transporting goods, fruits and seafoods to and from the Mekong Delta and the rest of Vietnam.  It remains a convenient choice for many foreign travelers due to its short distance from Ho Chi Minh city.

TRAVEL CAN THO – CAI BE FLOATING MARKET IN 4 DAYS 3 NIGHTS

Unlike other floating markets in Vietnam which start early in the morning and therefore finish earlier, Cai Be market stays open until late, to accommodate for travelers who might not be as keen on mornings as the Vietnamese! As the floating market is open all day long, you can easily visit whenever you like to witness the lively and vibrant atmosphere of a Southern styled market.

5 Famous Vietnam Floating Markets
Nguyen Thanh Van