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The theme of this trip…rising with the sun.
Bright and early, I was on my tour bus and on the way to the Mekong delta. Although a long two hour journey, it was much more comfortable than the day before with a much lighter passenger load and a stop at the Mekong Rest Stop, a very picturesque place with restaurants and clean restrooms.
Arriving at the boarding point, we departed on our boat down the Mekong River. Dark and muddy, the waters swirled around our boat and the countless others traveling up and down the world’s twelfth longest river.
Before long, we were pulling up to the dilapidated dock at Unicorn Island. Venturing up the path to a pavilion at a local bee farm, we were shown some of the wooden bee hives and one of the wooden frames filled with bees and a honeycomb. Our tour guide invited each of us to hold the frame…which, of course, I did!
We were then invited to have a seat and enjoy tea, some of the honey and some tasty treats. After teatime was complete and we were exiting the pavilion, we were shown a cage, home to a boa constrictor. Not a native species, it was explained that the villagers keep the snake as a pet and to impress the tourists. The large snake was removed from its pen so that we could have a closer look. Feeling the snake’s skin, I was impressed with how smooth and cool to the touch it was and when my tour guide offered the snake to me, I decided to live in the moment and let him drape it around my neck, praying that it would not decide to strangle me! An exciting experience, I was extremely glad that I had allowed him to do so…where do you ever get the chance to have a boa constrictor around your neck?
Walking through a back street of Unicorn Island, crossing fruit sellers, clothes vendors and various craftsmen, we then found ourselves at another pavilion in My Tho town. Here, we were serenaded by local singers and musicians with traditional music, before setting out again.
Making our way down a palm-laden path, we found ourselves making our way down to another dock alongside a narrow canal on the Mekong Delta. Given conical hats to wear as we boarded sampans, we headed out into the shady waterways, sometimes making way for the many boats heading in the opposite direction down the same narrow canal. It was thrilling as we all jockeyed for space, but an amazing opportunity to get up-close and personal pictures of some of the villagers and their boats.
After reluctantly surrendering our hats, we were ushered off of the sampan onto another dock onto our original boat. Motoring down a much larger waterway, we soon pulled up to another area on Unicorn Island. A few small drops of rain were starting to fall as we make our way to the coconut candy factory where keo dua, was made. One of the most popular candies in Vietnam, the chewy candy is consumed in Vietnam and also exported to nearby countries such as Cambodia and Thailand. We were able to witness all phases of production. Simple and tasty, the candy is made from coconut and sometimes mixed with other fruits like durian or roasted peanuts.
Remembering that I purchased some of these candies last year while in Cambodia, I didn’t remember them fondly. The problem was that once I unwrapped the candy, there was a thin wrapping on the candy that I had a hard time getting completely off. Thinking that I wasn’t supposed to eat the thin wrapping, I decided that it was too complicated and I threw it out. Well, the one important thing that I learned at the candy factory was that the thin rice paper wrapping is to keep the outer paper from sticking to the candy…and it’s edible! Purchasing three packages, these were all eaten quickly once I was home, now knowing how to eat them!
The rain quickly subsided, leaving us in a cloud of humidity and we were escorted to horse drawn wagons. Splitting in to two groups, we jumped into the wagons and were driven through the small town to our next stopping point…lunch!
Our tour group and a few others were seated under a large pavilion and served elephant ear fish and many other fruits, vegetables and local dishes. The rain had returned and the air was thick and moist. After our lunch, we were invited to utilize the dozens of hammocks struck between the trees on the property or the bicycles available for our use. Deciding to walk around the property instead, I checked out the turtle ponds, the alligator pens and other caged animals.
Finally, we were gathered and boarded on our original boat. Pulling through the palm covered and bamboo lined canal, we soon merged into the Mekong river and made our way back to the main terminal. Reboarding our tour bus, we were soon on our way back to Ho Chi Minh City.
The Mekong Delta is a fascinating place. The people in each province make their livings from the land in various ways and each province is known for particular goods…Ben Tre, coconut candies, Vinh Long, conical leaf hats. There are also those who live a floating lifestyle, moving between their fields to fish or feed cattle during the season where the Mekong River rises to great heights.
During a future visit, I would definitely love to spend more time in this region. There are many trips that offer overnights at local Mekong hotels and with local families. Others offer overnights so that an early start can be had to visit to the floating markets, which are at their peak from 5 am to 8am. It is a region with much diversity and one that I highly recommend to anyone visiting south Vietnam.
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Mekong Delta Tours
- There are many tours that can be booked through hotels, travel agencies and the internet. The tour company that I used was Luxury Tour Group, booked through my hotel and was approximately USD $16. Lunch was included (excluding drinks) and the small boat operators and performers expect to be tipped. A tip for the tour guide is not mandatory but very much appreciated if you enjoyed his services.