Express trip in the MEKONG DELTA

The Mekong Delta is huge. You can easily get there from Ho Chi Minh with a bus tour. You can do a one-day or multi-day tour. We decide on the former. But we don't go very far.

We are accompanied by a guide on our tour. There are only three of us, including a German, and we are looking forward to the promised "non-touristic tour". But it quickly becomes clear that we are visiting all tourist places. The "non-touristic" probably referred to the small group. Along the way, we meet other groups, but luckily it's not very bad.

First, we visit a brick factory. There, they show us the ovens and various production processes. We don't find it very exciting and look forward to the boat tour that follows, with fresh coconut milk from the coconut. The Mekong Delta is known for its many sweets made from coconut. We can try a few. We continue with a short bike tour to see the making of bamboo carpets. For lunch, we eat the typical Elephant Ear Fish of the region. The name comes from the size of the fish. We also have rice, chicken, and pineapple.

Full from all the food, we head to the smaller rowing boats. Unfortunately, this boat trip is also too short. We find that very unfortunate. Once again, we notice the tourist handling. Everything is planned exactly and the boat trip cannot be extended. Finally, we take a larger boat to an unspectacular market. First of all, it is practically empty and the lights are not on. So we are outside again in less than 10 minutes.

The tour was okay, but not earth-shattering. We would have liked to see more of the otherwise beautiful area and less of the planned showcase work. But for that, you would have to spend several days in the Mekong Delta and not go with a tour guide.