Mekong Delta

The Mekong Delta region covers a large area of southeastern Vietnam, encompassing approximately 40000 square kilometers. This is the region where the mighty Mekong River advances and empties into the South China Sea via a network of distributaries. The Mekong River is one the most important rivers of the world, starting from the Tibetan Plateau and passing through China, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is also the 11th longest river in the world. The area is extremely fertile and an important rice bowl of the world.

Even before the Vietnamese people came to settle in the Mekong Delta, the Khmer Krom people had already made this their home. The delta has a diverse population and is also home to Chinese, Cham and Vietnamese people. The first Europeans to arrive here were the Portuguese in 1540. Nearly fifteen million people live near the wetlands of the delta, almost 80 percent of whom are farmers. The backwaters and canals are abuzz with boats selling vegetables, fruit and seafood. These boats are popularly called floating markets.

Amidst such hectic activity, surprisingly, the Mekong Delta is an ideal place to relax and soak in the rural ambience. There are many riverside home-stays that also arrange cruises on natural creeks and through quiet hamlets by motorized boats. It is indeed a pleasure to see rural life first hand, with peasants working hard in their fields, strong water buffalo bathing in the water, orchards laden with luscious tropical fruits and ancient Khmer temples. At My Tho, there are other things to do, such as a visit to fruit orchards and bee-keeping farms where you can taste natural honey and honey wine. You can also visit distilleries and the local coconut candy production units where you can take the pleasure of tasting candy and coconut pulp.