Mekong Delta

The Mekong Delta is a region in southwestern Vietnam, characterized and named after the delta of the Mekong River. The Mekong River flows into a network of distributaries connected by several channels, ultimately emptying into the South China Sea. The delta continues to grow by about 80 meters annually and covers an area of approximately 39,000 square kilometers.

To escape the city for a bit, I took a tour to the Mekong Delta. That's what pretty much every tourist does here... So, I had to think long and hard about whether it was even worth it because, as I've mentioned before, I'm not a fan of overly touristy attractions.

But then, by chance, I discovered Susan and her small tour company. On her Facebook page, she advertised that the tour takes you off the beaten path and is conducted in a small group. So, I booked it.

Day 1: After a 3-hour bus ride from HCM to Binh Minh, Susan picked me up from the bus station, and I met the other group members - an Australian family on a two-week vacation in Vietnam. We then boarded a small wooden boat and set off to visit a plant nursery and a rice mill where the locals separate the rice from its husk. We then went to a market, where we bought ingredients for our dinner (we could even decide what we wanted to eat). On the way to Susan's house, we passed by a Buddhist temple. We spent the night at Susan's parents' homestay, where we had a relaxing time in their garden, enjoying beer and fruits, and cooked dinner together in the evening.

Day 2: The next day, we started at 5:30 AM and headed to the floating market to arrive at the best time. The market was filled with countless boats, each loaded with different goods, which were easily identifiable by long poles displaying the respective products. We had breakfast in our small boat, right in the middle of the action, with a 'floating Subway' (Banh Mi vendor) and a 'floating Starbucks' (coffee vendor). We then visited a rice noodle factory and had the opportunity to try making them ourselves. Finally, we visited an orchard and enjoyed an extensive and exotic tasting session.

So, the two days were well worth it, and apart from the floating market and the orchard, I didn't see any other tourists. The tour was very authentic, and Susan shared a lot of information and humorously guided us throughout the two days.

Now, I'm back here in Ho Chi Minh - in the midst of city life - and I'm looking forward to my flight to Sydney on April 4th.