October 12, 2015

Urban Adventures: Mekong Discovery

Written By Admin

Highlights:

• Experience the incredibly lush beauty of the Mekong Delta
• Cruise the Mekong River and see what life is like on the Delta
• Savour tropical fruit on an island, see how local coconut candy is made, and visit a honey farm
• Explore the bustling port city of My Tho
• Feast on Vietnamese cuisine at a local restaurant
• Row in a sampan along the canals under the green canopy of water coconuts trees

Schedule details:

• Duration:7-8 hours
• Pickup location:Pick up at the front entrance of the Saigon Opera House – Dong Khoi St, District 1 (intersection of Le Loi St).
• Pickup Time: 8.00 AM

Itinerary:

Escape the city for a tour of the Mekong Delta, where you’ll see what life is like beyond the urban centre of the south. About 2.5 hours away is the city of My Tho, a former naval base that is now a bustling port city in the Mekong Delta.

The area is the final destination of the mighty Mekong River, which winds its way from Tibet, through China, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, and finally into Vietnam. An incredibly fertile region, the Mekong Delta’s prime industry is food production, producing approximately half of Vietnam’s total agricultural output. Local life for villages in the area revolves around the rivers and canals that make up the delta, so much so that people are more likely to transport by river than road.

Upon arrival into My Tho, we board our private boat for a cruise on the Mekong River. Our first stop is at a fish farm, to gain an insight into one of the cottage industries in the region. On our Mekong tour, we’ll visit an island with lush tropical gardens where we have a chance to sample tropical fruit. Continuing to another island in the Mekong Delta, we’ll learn more about another cottage industry, coconut candy. Your local guide will take you to a factory and explain the process of making the sweet. As we meander down the Mekong, we’ll have a chance to visit local villages in the area and learn more about the traditional lifestyles, culture, and customs of people who call the Delta their home.

Continuing on our Mekong discover, we’ll travel by Xe Loi (motorised cart), and visit a bee farm, from where we’ll transfer to a smaller rowing boat to help us get deeper into the smaller canals of the Delta. For lunch, we’ll hit up Diem Phuong restaurant, where your local guide will provide you with some advice on the finer points of local cuisine and assist with ordering some of these delicacies.

After lunch, our Ho Chi Minh City river tour will come to an end, and we’ll head back to My Tho for the journey back to Ho Chi Minh City where you will be dropped off at your hotel.