My Tho, Vietnam – Quick Trip to the Mekong Delta
My Tho is the closest Mekong Delta city to Ho Chi Minh City, so it’s a great place to visit if you’re looking for a quick trip to the Mekong Delta. It’s possible to take a day tour here, but I feel that the small city is definitely worth a bit more of your time, and that heading there independently is a more rewarding experience.
Since we live in Vietnam, we drove our motorcycle there and spent one night. After strolling around the streets, stopping for coffee along the river, and chatting with locals, we relaxed in our hotel and watched the people below. The next day we were up bright and early for a boat tour. When you travel to My Tho independently, you can be on the river earlier than the rest of the tourists, and you can arrange to have your own boat. Tours from Saigon usually pack people in a minivan, then shift them to a boat, then back in the minivan to return to Saigon at around 3:00pm. We hooked up with a local, and arranged a private tour for only $20. Our guide spoke a bit of English and was quite a character. We went to a snake/gator farm, a coconut candy factory, and toured the small canals. At every stop, our guide managed to find some rice wine for us to sample. I doubt you get that with the regular tours. After 4 hours, we headed back to shore and zoomed out of town. If you’re coming from Saigon, a quick trip to the Mekong Delta needs about 1 night, which includes a half day after arriving (or more if you get the early bus), and a half day before catching a bus back to Ho Chi Minh City. That’s enough time to get a taste of the life and to get out on the beautiful Mekong River.
If you’re overnight in My Tho, I suggest eating at the night market. Cheap-delicious food, and an exciting atmosphere.
To plan your quick trip to the Mekong Delta, please have a look at our complete guide to traveling independently to My Tho.
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