The Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta is large, covering more than forty thousand square kilometres. There are four main river branches at the lower reaches.
The four main rivers are: the Mekong River, the Ham Luong River, the Co Chien River and the Hau River. The bridges crossing the Mekong River at My Tho are about four kilometres long. The one arch alone over the wider river channel to Thoi Son island is almost two kilometres long.
The size of this river is amazing. The islands themselves are interlaced with rivers and canals. The narrow walkways and houses on the islands are surrounded by water everywhere.
Can Tho is the largest city in the Mekong Delta. This tourist destination is on the southern banks of the Hau River. Can Tho is a great access point to the western and southern provinces of the delta.
The city is built at the confluence of the Hau River and the Song Can Tho River. The rivers here are home to floating markets and restaurants.
Mekong Delta and the Vinh Trang Pagoda Review
The full day tour from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is a way of sampling the Mekong Delta if you don’t have enough time to stay in the Mekong. This was our challenge in the two weeks of travelling around Vietnam.
This tour takes you down to the borders of the Dong Thap Province, the Vinh Long Province, and the Bến Tre Province. In fact, the Mekong River at this point is the border between these two provinces.
At My Tho, on the Mekong River, there are four or five smaller islands in the river. Interestingly, the mainland on the other side of the river is also a large island itself. The tour takes you to the southern bank of the Mekong River and also to three of the smaller islands, Con Quy, Cồn Phụng, and Cồn Lân.
My Tho on the Mekong River is the closest point to Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City. This is a built-up area, all focused on supporting busy river traffic. The tour boat bypasses the island Cồn Tân Long, then crosses the Mekong River to the island Con Quy (also called Turtle Island).
We were then broken up into smaller groups of two to three people and transferred to smaller sampan boats. On the sampans, we navigate up the narrow channel between Con Quy Island and the mainland.
Landing on the main island, we walked through narrow paths to a very unusual restaurant for lunch. The menu of choice is one very ugly fish, which luckily tastes better than it looks, for sure.
Crossing back over the Mekong River after lunch, the tour took us to two islands, Cồn Phụng, and Cồn Lân. On these islands, there are various local tourist attractions, including beekeeping, coconut manufacturing, and local singing.
Local Attractions in the Mekong Delta
The local attractions are very interesting. In particular, navigating the narrow waterways on the sampans and exploring the narrow walkways on the islands was the highlight for me.
Due to the unique geography, it seems like you are never more than a few feet from a river or creek. The small houses that you see along these narrow pathways are amazing. How they stay dry is beyond me.
These small winding paths are the only way of getting around the islands. All deliveries are on small scooters piled high with parcels. Exploring these narrow paths and waterways gives one a sense of how these amazing locals live their lives on these small islands.
Vin Tràng Pagoda
One final part of the tour is to visit the Vin Tràng Pagoda on the mainland on the way back to Saigon. Depending on the weather, this visit can be before or after the Mekong River boat trip. This pagoda is massive with intricate architecture and detailed gardens, from a historic time, built originally in the 1850’s.
Is the Mekong Delta tour worth it?
The tour of the Mekong Delta is worth it if you cannot afford the time in your trip to stay in the delta. It samples a very small part of the delta. You only get a few hours to explore the little villages and island pathways.
The tour gave me enough insight into the Mekong Delta to make me want to explore the region in more detail.
Next time, we would plan to stay somewhere like Ben Tre or Can Tho for three or four days.
Best time to visit to the Mekong Delta
We visited the Mekong Delta in early January, during the so called ‘Dry’ season. We were relatively unlucky in that during the day tour, it rained and was overcast most of the day,
The overcast skies remove colour from the river and the narrow and dark waterways and paths become even more darker, so visiting the delta during the dry season is by far the best time.
Dry Season: December to April
Through December to February – average monthly rainfall is below 25 mm. In March and April, average rainfall climbs to about 50 mm. Generally during this period there are clear skies, with lower humidity, giving better weather for the floating markets, cycling and boat trips.
Wet Season: May through to November
By the end of April into May, average monthly rainfall has risen to over 150mm, with June and July reaching over 200mm per month, and August peaking at close to 300mm of rain. Monthly rainfall rapidly drops month by month to around 50mm in November.
Practical Tips before going to the Mekong Delta
Where to stay in the Mekong Delta?
The Mekong delta and the rivers are a major transport route in Vietnam, and consequently the major ports and towns do have large areas of built-up industry close to the river. Staying in hotels on the smaller islands or along the major rivers just outside the built up areas would allow exploration of the more natural parts of the delta.
Is it safe in the Mekong Delta?
The area we visited in the delta is fairly busy with tourists. Even exploring the narrow waterways and paths on the delta’s islands felt very safe, with very friendly locals where ever we were.
Is it expensive in Mekong Delta?
The hotels in the delta are generally much cheaper than equivalents in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh, with prices from a quarter to half of an equivalent hotel in Australia.
Read all about our Vietnam holiday in our two-week Vietnam trip article.
