In the Delta

Cai Be to Sa Dec (50 km): 90 minutes Sa Dec to Chau Doc (100 km): 3 hours

Leave Cai Be early for a 90-minute drive to Sa Dec, deep in the heart of the Mekong Delta. This charming, authentic Mekong Delta town seems to have escaped the modernization that has swept much of Vietnam. The town was immortalized by the French writer Marguerite Duras, who spent four years here from 1928 – 1932.

On arrival in Sa Dec, visit the charming Kien An Cung Pagoda. We then continue by road to Chau Doc and arrive in time for lunch.

Chau Doc is a friendly riverside community where Buddhism and Islam co-exist side by side, due to its close proximity to Cambodia and its ethnic Cham minority.

This afternoon take a boat to Chau Giang District where many floating houses double as catfish farms. Explore a tiny mosque serving the local Cham community and learn about their history and how Arab merchants gradually brought Islam to these shores. The Cham also practice silk weaving and there may be an opportunity to see them at work. Spend the afternoon and evening at leisure and sleep in Chau Doc

Chau Doc to Can Tho (110 km): 2,6 hours

Enjoy breakfast and seize the day with a visit to Chau Doc’s colorful market with a local guide. Continue with a three-hour drive to Can Tho, considered the largest city in the Mekong Delta. Spend the afternoon cycling around the quiet lanes and unhardened paths of Can Tho, as bicycles are the perfect way to get around. Explore the small farms, rice paddies and cottage industries, and discover hidden temples and friendly locals who are eager to talk and practice their English.

Spend the afternoon and evening at leisure and sleep in Can Tho.

Can Tho to HCMC (200 km): 4 hours

Wake up early for a boat cruise to Cai Rang Floating Market. Whereas most floating markets in the Mekong Delta are gradually disappearing due to improved infrastructure and higher living standards, Cai Rang proudly maintains its floating market. Witness large wholesale boats anchor during the morning hours and create lanes that smaller boats weave in and out of. The main items sold are fruit and vegetables and every selling boat has a long upright pole at its bow from which samples of the goods for sale are hung. Depending on the season, the boats may carry mango, bananas, papaya and pineapple. The Cai Rang Floating Market has several pho vendors, a typical Vietnamese breakfast and there is even a floating coffee shop. Enjoy a lunch at leisure, check out and leave Can Tho in the early afternoon for the approximate four-hour drive back to Ho Chi Minh City.