Enjoy The Colorful Life Of Mekong Delta Residents In Floating Markets

Mekong River plays a significant role in the daily life of local people residing on both sides of the river. Before the river makes its way to the East Sea in Vietnam, the Mekong has drafted a system of intertwined rivers and canals. With only one boat, people can travel to the most remote places in the Mekong Delta River. That's why instead of a physical market inland, inhabitants within the Mekong Delta area prefer floating markets. Let's see what you can discover when visiting such exotic places, only available on the Mekong Delta.

Reasons To Visit Floating Markets On Mekong Delta River

The Mekong covers a considerable length of 4,350 km and a massive area of about 795,000 km2. Hence, a Mekong cruise leads you through a wide variety of topography ranging from flooded forests, vast salt marshes, wetlands with an enormous freshwater lake, and even giant limestone mountains.

This diverse geography has been home to a large number of species. In fact, the Mekong aquatic biodiversity is only second to that of the Amazon. It is estimated that there are up to 1,200 of birds, 850 of fish, 800 of reptiles and 430 of mammals inhabiting in and around Mekong river. Mekong delta formed around Mekong river is also the land of more than 20,000 species of plants, including mangosteen, star apple, dragon fruit, durian,..., many of which you may not ever see before.

Furthermore, the life of Southeast Asian people by the river bank is so much vibrant despite the lack of super high-technology industry. The villagers beside the Mekong based mostly on agriculture and fishery. They "live on" the water both literally. No skyscraper is needed for trading and exchanging locally-grown produce; all the Mekong goods are sold and bought from boats to boats.

A Mekong cruise will bring you the chance to witness this exotic social life on the water with your own eyes. You can even sincerely join in local people's everyday life by moving from a boat to another to find for yourself the best tropical offering of Mekong Delta. This must be the most memorable cultural exchange in your whole life.

Best Experiences In Mekong Floating Markets

Cai Rang

Cai Rang is undoubtedly the most popular when it comes to floating markets in Vietnam. This market "opens" pretty early. From 4 to 5 am, boats of all shapes and sizes have flocked to Cai Rang, about 6 km from the city center of Can Tho. The common things of all the vessels are that they are packed with fresh produce and other goods. If you go to Cai Rang early enough, you can see the sunrise on hundreds of boats. The vibrant light seems to add more color to the Western region's specialties, which are abundant on the purchasing ships. 

Vinh Hoa

Vinh Hoa is a green island surrounded by several branches of the Mekong. This "floating" village can be reached via ferry or sampan. During their trips, visitors may see local farmers working their fields with traditional equipment. If you are eager to know more, let's visit a local family and learn how to make traditional conical hats from palm leaves. It is such a perfect way to explore Mekong citizens' lifestyle.

Sa Dec

Famous for lively floating markets, Sa Dec is where you can find the most indigenous yet exotic things. It's hard to imagine that things like rats (served fried), snakes, frogs, snails, and duck embryos are eatable. If this kind of specialties is too much, there are plenty of traditional Vietnamese foods. Don't forget bun Rieu Cua, hu tieu (cooked in Southern style) and hundreds of tropical treasures.

Cai Be

If Sa Dec has vibrant markets with a lot of exotic things, floating markets in Cai Be is the most dynamic in the southwest countryside of the Mekong Delta because of the volume of exchanged goods.

Several Ideas For The Best Mekong Delta Floating Markets

Best Time For Mekong Cruise

There are two main seasons in the Mekong area. The dry season begins from around November and ends around April to May next year. The temperature during this time of the year is quite high at around 28°C. The rainy season is from May to October. Rain is dramatic, but it does not last for too long, which makes the weather super humid. There is another flooding season in Vietnam from September to November when the river water level rises slowly. The locals have well adopted with this strange season while tourists consider it a unique thing of Mekong River delta in Vietnam. Therefore, if the South of Vietnam is the main stop in your Mekong cruise, come and join a tour in the strange flooding season.

Tasty Dishes To Try

First of all, floating markets are a paradise for fruit lovers. Not only there is a myriad of fruits, but the price is also affordable. Some of the most signature fruits are Vinh Long grapefruit. Vinh Kim star apples, Cai Mon durian, Hau Giang oranges, Hoa Loc mangoes… If you find it difficult to remember the name, just pick any fruits that you find delicious. I'm sure that their taste will not let you down.

Another striking feature of Mekong delta in the Western region of Vietnam is the extensive coverage of coconut trees. As a result, the local people have come up with a lot of munchies from coconut, including coconut candy or steamed coconut rice.

If these mentioned above are not enough to fill your stomach, have yourself a bowl of Hu Tieu. This is a kind of noodles with the main ingredients such as pig's intestine, pig liver, sliced barbecue pork, dried shrimp, and flavorful broth.