Mekong Delta overview

Mekong floating markets, fruit orchards and wildlife

The Mekong River travels over 3,000 miles on its method to the ocean, the place its journey terminates at Cuu Long, the well-known Mekong Delta. The title means of ‘9 dragons’ - the 9 mouths that wend their means throughout the 62,160km canals, channels, silt islets and mangrove swamps that comprise the delta. Believed to have formed over 6,000 years ago, it is likely one of the best rice-growing regions in the world.  

Can Tho

Apart from being the provincial city, Can Tho is also the unofficial ‘capital’ of the Mekong Delta. It’s a vigorous modern place with some good hotels and restaurants, however not a lot else. Nevertheless, it’s a useful centre for visiting the Cai Rang and Phong Hiep floating markets and cruising the labyrinth of the

Mekong’s channels and canals.  

Initially a small settlement within the 18th century Can Tho expanded rapidly in the course of the French colonial interval when rice-growing was launched to the Mekong. Now it has a population of a quarter of 1,000,000 folks, making it Vietnam’s ninth largest city. 

Soc Trang

Soc Trang province is located in the Mekong River Delta area near the mouth of the Bassac River (Song Hau Giang). It is the centre of an intensive rice-rising area and a crossroad for street and canal traffic. It’s a poor area (as demonstrated by the scruffy condition of the provincial capital, Soc Trang city) with an estimated population of 59,000 simply over 200km from Ho Chi Minh City. The street journey entails two ferry crossings.  

The main ethnic communities residing in Soc Trang province are the Kin, Khmer (28%), and Hoya (8%). There are a number of attractions in and around the town, including some excellent pagodas. 

Vinh Long

For many travelers, Vinh Long is the first place within the Mekong Delta where it’s possible to achieve reasoning a position expertise of the area’s distinctive culture. Most head straight for a boat to cruise among the Mekong's famous canals and channels. It is a pity, for the city itself is one thing of a backwater is thus worthy of consideration by these wishing to flee the commercial side of tourism. 

The city has fascinating attractions, including some superb French buildings one in all which is of singularly uncommon design. From there, a 2km stroll will take you to the Temple of Literature. Though not on the size of Hanoi's Van Mieu, it's nevertheless a good example of nineteenth century Vietnamese architecture. The temple is dedicated to Confucius - unusual in the south of Vietnam. It would most likely be locked, so you will need to ask your guide to find out who has the key. 

Phu Quoc

Phu Quoc, 45km from the coast of Vietnam, can be reached by a quick flight from Ho Chi Minh City or a lot longer boat trip from Rach Gai, 250km from Ho Chi Minh City by road. 

It’s a large, teardrop formed island, about 50km from top to bottom and around 30km across at its widest point, and a population of approximately 75,000. There is a sizeable military presence in the north of the island as it's claimed by Cambodia, only 15km away.  

Phu Quoc is a part of an archipelago of one hundred and five islands in the Gulf of Thailand; of makes it which 13 are in shut proximity to its shores. A land area of 1,320km Vietnam’s largest island. It has among the best seashores in Vietnam, a large forest area, and coral around the small islands to the south. Although comparatively underdeveloped, the island is turning into a tourist attraction. 

Ha Tien

Ha Tien is within the extreme south-west of the Vietnamese mainland as regards to the Gulf of Thailand and the Cambodian border. It’s a hectic, however remote, the city of approximately 42,000 people around 100km from Chau Doc and 340km from Ho Chi Minh City through road. There is also a canal to Chau Doc.  

As soon as part of Cambodia, the area was once matter to Thai incursions. The Kh’mer governor, an immigrant from the Chinese language ‘Mac’ extended family, turned to Vietnam for support in 1708. On the end of the 18th century, the city and its surrounding area was taken over by the Nguyen Lords.  

Chau Doc

Chau Doc is as close as you can get to Cambodia with out being in it. The Bassac River flows through the town and is a border crossing for river borne site visitors, and the small Sam Mountain has a very good view of the flat plain at the different side. It’s a lovely, busy position with a good hotel and a number of interesting attractions.  

It becomes a part of Vietnam in the midst of the eighteenth century as a gift, praise for serving to the Cambodian monarch to put down an insurrection. Unsurprisingly, it has a prime proportion of ethnic Kh’mer other people among its population, simply identifiable through their darker skins and a chequered scarf instead of Vietnam’s ubiquitous conical hat. There’s also a good number of ethic Cham and Chinese language other folks, and sufficient Christians to fill a local cathedral, making up an extraordinary pot-pourri of cultures and religions.