The Long Way Round Asia 20213 views
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Step 12/60: Vietnam - Mekong Delta

Mekong Delta photo by Jantine De jong

About Mekong Delta

To Cambodia from Ho Chi Minh City, there are of course multiple ways of getting there. But one of the loveliest ways, I think, is taking a boat (in my case the cheaper slowboat) through the Mekong Delta. The Mekong Delta is a huge system of waterways. What I liked about this tour is that it is quite divers; A bus will take you from HCMC to the harbor where you'll get on a boat and sail through a watervillage. There you'll visit a 'factory' where they make traditional candy and rice-paper. You'll sail across the river through small villages. You'll get off the boat and cycle through nice scenery to where you'll have lunch. After that it will take the rest of the day to sail and drive to Chau Doc, where you'll spend the night until you'll continue your journey to Phnom Penh by slowboat the next day. One downside of a tour like this is that you'll visit a few watervillages, where there isn't much to see, but the tour operator just hopes you'll unload some of your money over there.
Boat icon
How I got here ?

Price: 34 €

Traveling time: 3 hours

Price: 2 days including 'hotel', time: from HCMC to the harbor.

Tips & Tricks

  • Spend the extra 7 dollars for the floating hotel. The 'cheap' one isn't great.
  • Bring earplugs for the slowboat and a good book...it's loud and takes forever.

Things to see

Watervillage 7 /10
- €
Watervillage photo by Jantine De jong

User's opinion
This is the village where you'll get off the bus and into a boat. You'll sail through it, which is quite a cool sight. All the antennas, people selling veggies and stuff from boats, houses on stilts... You'll hop off the boat to visit a factory where they make rice paper and candy. After another sail you'll get off again for lunch, which is a very nice bicycle ride away. Lunch is not included in the price.
Village near Chau Doc 5 /10
- €
Village near Chau Doc photo by Jantine De jong

User's opinion
The next morning you'll visit another village. It's actually not that interesting. There are about 4 houses and it's just people selling food/souvenirs. Little kids selling cakes, but there are signs all over that you shouldn't buy anything from them, since the food is past its expiration date and will make you sick. But aren't they their own kids though? So why not give them good stuff to sell?
Watervillage with fish farms 6 /10
- €
Watervillage with fish farms photo by Jantine De jong

User's opinion
After the village near Chau Doc, you'll visit a real water village. All these houses are floating on the water and house fish farms. You'll get to feed the fish and see them jumping out of the water, there are so many in one tank!
Slowboat to the border of Cambodia 6 /10
- €
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User's opinion
In the beginning it's ok. Nice scenery. The engine is really loud though, so talking or listening to music is quite difficult. But after a while you don't know how to sit on the wooden benches anymore. The scenery doesn't change much either since you're on a small canal. After the border you switch to another boat, which is better; it has pillows and isn't as loud.

Practical

Hotel in chau doc 4/10
Price 5 $
Address

Quốc lộ 91 ('Highway' QL 91)
Chau Doc

User's opinion:

Appointed to us by the tour operator. We took the 'cheap' option, instead of the water hotel ($12). Very noisy till 2am, started again at 5am!! Not able to sleep! Take the 'expensive' hotel!!