Traversing Vietnam from South to North in 10 Days – Day 2
Do you want to know how all the people of Vietnam get fed? Do you want to see the life of local people living outside the city? Then a visit to Mekong Delta is must. It is the agricultural heartland of the country as its soil is highly fertile. Here, the Mekong river approaches and empties into the sea through a of the vast maze of rivers, swamps and islands. It is only 1.5 h away from the city, and the tour can take around 7-8 h. Organized tours in Vietnam are cheaper and more convenient than self-made tours. We booked Mekong delta tour with a renowned travel agency in Vietnam.
Highlights of the Day
Travel to My Tho
Boat to Unicorn Island
Experience Local Life
Sampan Ride
Dinner at Hum Vegetarian, HCMC
Ho Chi Minh City to My Tho
We were supposed to gather at The Sinh Tourist office by 8 AM. But before that we decided to take a stroll at Cho Thai Binh morning market. It was jst a few meters away from our hostel.
It is a typical local wet market, where the locals have their stalls selling fish, meat, vegetables, fruits, etc. and also some delicious Pho for breakfast that we enjoyed
Join-in group tour means there are other people joining too. We were around 20 people in total, led by an English-speaking guide.
There are two options of tour to Mekong Delta. One is the Cai Be floating market and Vinh Long market with a boat ride. While the other one is the tour to My Tho and Ben Tre. It involves visiting few islands like Unicorn island along with a beautiful boat ride and sampan ride. We chose the second one as we have already experienced many floating markets in Thailand. We were more interested in visiting different islands on the Mekong Delta. Also, checking the local lives of people in the islands seems interesting.
Our guide led us to the bus stop which was just opposite to the morning market, from where we took the air-conditioned bus to My Tho city
It took around 1 h to reach My Tho.
My Tho is the capital city of Tien Giang province in Southern Vietnam. Many Mekong boat tours start from this city as it is the first city in the Mekong Delta. In My Tho, the bus stopped by a pier where there were washrooms to use. Later, we boarded the motorboat and started cruising on the mighty Mekong River.
The Mekong is a trans-boundary river in Southeast Asia, which has originated from the Tibetan Plateau and runs through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and finally enters the complex delta system in Southern Vietnam and empties itself into the South China SeaThe interior of the timber motorboat was spacious and beautiful; it had plenty seats for all of us – we were also given wet tissue and water bottleIt was great to experience the incredibly lush beauty of the delta from the motorboat – we came across many unpolished creeks, stilt houses, and few enchanting fishermen’s portaThis is our English-speaking guide who gave us a detailed idea about how life is on Mekong DeltaAfter a 20-min ride on the motorboat, we reached the Unicorn IslandWe walked around the island and watched the life of rustic people inside the peaceful villagesMake sure you have a Vietnamese hat to protect you from the sun – it is a souvenir as well, which I bought from a shop outside our hostel for only 5 $We came across a small village where the locals were manufacturing rice paper called banh trang or banh đa nem – you can buy few varieties from them and help the local lifeRice paper is usually made of white rice flour, tapioca flour, salt, and water – our guide showed us a demo of how they are madeAfter a short walk, we were served lunch – there was a good vegetarian spread of soups, spring rolls, stir-fried veg, veg curry, and rice – make sure you let them know while booking that you are vegan or vegetarianAfter lunch, we got back to the motorboat which passes through beautiful orchards on both sides of the canalWe cruised to a village at Ben Tre where the locals were making coconut candies and many other items from coconut trees – we tasted few samples of coconut candies and bought few household items made from coconut treesFinally, we were brought to a performance site where we enjoyed Vietnamese traditional music called Dan Ca Tai Tu – a folk art form from Southern Vietnam accredited by UNESCO in 2013 as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity – while enjoying seasonal tropical fruits that were served to us as a part of the tourLater, we walked to a small area like a pier from where small groups of people could take the sampan rideWe rowed along the canals under the green canopy of water coconuts treesThe local lady living on the delta told that she does her living rowing sampan for tourists coming down to Mekong Delta and she also helps her husband in agriculture on the fertile soil of the deltaAfter around 30 min of sampan ride along the canals, we reached the wide Mekong river where we got transferred to our motor boat
The sampan ride was the most beautiful part of the day – I completely loved it.
Finally, the motorboat took us back to the pier at My Tho. Then, from there, we boarded the same air-conditioned bus at around 4 PM. We were dropped next to our hostel close to The Sinh Tourist office by 6 PM.
For your note, the tour included lunch, round-trip transfer from HCMC to Mekong delta, boat trip and sampan ride, English speaking guide, lunch, and also fruit platter while enjoying traditional music performance.
Dinner at Hum Vegetarian Lounge and Restaurant
After such a lovely tour to Mekong delta, we rested for an hour or so in our hostel. Later, we took a taxi to one of the top TripAdvisor rated vegan-friendly and vegetarian restaurants, only 2.5 km away from our hostel – Hum. Expect to pay around 10-15 $ per head if you are planning to dine out in a fine dining restaurant like this in Vietnam.
We started with a bowl of young ivory bamboo soup – this was a bland soup with a relishing flavorFresh spring rolls – a good amount of fiber for a healthy digestionSquare deep fried spring roll – a great source of protein for a healthy heartA mix of fresh veggies made our garden salad look beautiful and taste deliciousFresh seasonal potatoes were served with tasty whole grain bean sauceVeggie in quattro spice sauce – the sweetness of crispy asparagus, zucchini, bell pepper and flavorsome potato went so well with the special Hum sauceGrilled eggplant in turmeric sauce was a great delicacy – one of my favorites in hereStewed taro with red peppers and lemongrass – the mixture of aromatic lemongrass, spicy red peppers, and starchy taro brought a distinctive flavorful dishOur main course was served with white and brown jasmine riceAt Hum, they believe that food is one of the most essential aspects of a healthy and happy life – the vegan Vietnamese dishes they served were one of the bests I have ever had till date
After having a great fine-dining experience, we preferred to walk back to our hostel. This was our last night in Ho Chi Minh City. It was a very short stay indeed, but so many miles to cover in just few days. Next morning we fly to Da Nang – a new place, a new experience!
NET EXPENSE FOR 1 PERSON (IN USD)
Let us have a look at the expenses of Day 2 in Vietnam – Ho Chi Minh City.
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looks like you had lots of fun. Food is so tempting! We spent 10 days on north side of the country, and fell in love with it. Next time it will be south side.
I’m so hungry after reading this now! I didn’t make it on this kind of trip on the Mekong when I was in Vietnam, and am now totally regretting it! It looks like an excellent day trip from Ho Chi Minh.
The tour on the riverboat looks really interesting, especially getting to meet locals and watch them as they live their lives. And your feast afterward looks delicious!
This post bought a smile to myself as it reminded me of the meekong river trip I did, but I did it from Can Tho – that river is just so amazing and remarkable just how important it is to people especially down in the delta – Did you do the river market tour ?
Nice adventure! A tour around the countries around Southeast Asia has always been in our sights, and it may come to fruition this 2018. A river tour in Mekong river is in our list, and your photos make us more excited to push through with our SEA itinerary.
This looks so interesting! Can’t wait to finish our travels in Europe and start going to Asia. I am so curious about every country there and a tour on Mekong river sounds really awesome!
What a beautifully cultural experience on unicorn island. I could not have imagined learning and seeing that much on one island. What an experience. OMG that found look absolutely amazing. I am looking at plane tickets now to come experience the exact same thing.
Those fresh spring rolls look AMAZING!!!! I love them usually, so would love to try fresh ones 🙂 And I’d love to visit Saigon one day, it’on the bucket list! x
I live in Ho Chi Minh City and always recommend my family members and friends to visit the Mekong Delta. It’s a fabulous place to escape from the chaos of Ho Chi Minh City.
My favorite part about the Mekong Delta trip is the Ben Tre’s coconut candy factory. The candy is so delicious. It looks like the factory that you visited is making pandan coconut candy due to the green color.
I’m thrilled to see that you tried Hum Vegetarian! It’s a fabulous place to eat. The square spring roll is one of my favorite dishes too!
Glad to see that you had a great time along the Mekong!
The boat ride looks so fun, a great way to explore the delta. Love the lush greenery everywhere, so beautiful! All of your food pics are so tempting, they’re making me hungry!
I have never been to Vietnam, but if I ever go there, I will definitely take your tips into account. I would love to go on such a Mekong cruise. What beautiful banana trees! And the food looks very tasty.
You paid way too much for your hat hahahaa. When I was in northern Vietnam, they were like $1. But it’s great that you’re helping the locals with their livelihood! The ride through sampan is just stunning. I can see why you loved it and all the food looks to die for too!
This looks like a dream vacation to me! I’ve always wanted to go to Vietnam and it looks like you were able to get a great local experience with their culture and food. It looks so beautiful there and I’d love to go on one of those boat rides.
looks like you had lots of fun. Food is so tempting! We spent 10 days on north side of the country, and fell in love with it. Next time it will be south side.
It would be great if you go to the south. It’s lovely as well.
I’m so hungry after reading this now! I didn’t make it on this kind of trip on the Mekong when I was in Vietnam, and am now totally regretting it! It looks like an excellent day trip from Ho Chi Minh.
Oh Lisa, next time, come down! Let’s rock the Mekong!
The tour on the riverboat looks really interesting, especially getting to meet locals and watch them as they live their lives. And your feast afterward looks delicious!
Yea, the lunch was well served in the tour.
This post bought a smile to myself as it reminded me of the meekong river trip I did, but I did it from Can Tho – that river is just so amazing and remarkable just how important it is to people especially down in the delta – Did you do the river market tour ?
No Amit, I had done a similar in Thailand, so skipped that one here just coz had few days in hand.
Nice adventure! A tour around the countries around Southeast Asia has always been in our sights, and it may come to fruition this 2018. A river tour in Mekong river is in our list, and your photos make us more excited to push through with our SEA itinerary.
That’s really nice to know! Happy to welcome you guys to SE Asia!
This looks so interesting! Can’t wait to finish our travels in Europe and start going to Asia. I am so curious about every country there and a tour on Mekong river sounds really awesome!
Keep me in mind when you come here. We may just catch up!
What a beautifully cultural experience on unicorn island. I could not have imagined learning and seeing that much on one island. What an experience. OMG that found look absolutely amazing. I am looking at plane tickets now to come experience the exact same thing.
Day tours are effective as they organize everything including lunch
Those fresh spring rolls look AMAZING!!!! I love them usually, so would love to try fresh ones 🙂 And I’d love to visit Saigon one day, it’on the bucket list! x
I guess we ordered spring rolls with almost every meal in Vietnam
I live in Ho Chi Minh City and always recommend my family members and friends to visit the Mekong Delta. It’s a fabulous place to escape from the chaos of Ho Chi Minh City.
My favorite part about the Mekong Delta trip is the Ben Tre’s coconut candy factory. The candy is so delicious. It looks like the factory that you visited is making pandan coconut candy due to the green color.
I’m thrilled to see that you tried Hum Vegetarian! It’s a fabulous place to eat. The square spring roll is one of my favorite dishes too!
Glad to see that you had a great time along the Mekong!
Great to know that you spent your journey so nicely.
I wish you had a photo/video of the dancing! It looks like you ate a lot of delicious foods…what was your absolute favorite from this day?
Yes, we have Photo/video over there.
How interesting is the making of rice paper. And the waterways flanked by exotic plants i is so intriguing. I would love to explore it someday.
You should visit Saigon very soon.
The boat ride looks so fun, a great way to explore the delta. Love the lush greenery everywhere, so beautiful! All of your food pics are so tempting, they’re making me hungry!
Great to know that you love the journey.
Do you think its a good time to visit Vietnam. I am planning for June and the coronavirus scare has put my bookings on hold.
Vietnam is not affected yet, so you can visit.
I have never been to Vietnam, but if I ever go there, I will definitely take your tips into account. I would love to go on such a Mekong cruise. What beautiful banana trees! And the food looks very tasty.
You must visit to Myanmar.
You paid way too much for your hat hahahaa. When I was in northern Vietnam, they were like $1. But it’s great that you’re helping the locals with their livelihood! The ride through sampan is just stunning. I can see why you loved it and all the food looks to die for too!
Great to know that you love Myanmar.
This looks like a dream vacation to me! I’ve always wanted to go to Vietnam and it looks like you were able to get a great local experience with their culture and food. It looks so beautiful there and I’d love to go on one of those boat rides.
You must visit Myanmar soon.