5 cities you should visit in the South of Vietnam

When visiting a new country with a limited number of days, travelers should choose a region and explore it. For travelers heading to the South of Vietnam, these are five can’t-miss cities.

Ho Chi Minh City

The economic backbone of Vietnam and the nation’s largest metropolis, Ho Chi Minh is one of the most fun places to visit in the country. The sprawling city is officially home to some 8 million residents, yet in reality, it’s far more populous than that. The central business zone or District 1 is the area of the city that’s most traveled by tourists. However, for the adventurous types, head to the less explored, more authentic and interesting neighboring districts: Binh Thanh, Phu Nhuan or District 3. The city is home to a number of great centrally-located museums, endless shopping and vibrant nightlife. Anyone spending time in Ho Chi Minh should explore Nguyen Hue, Ben Thanh Market, Bui Vien, the Bitexco Tower, the seafood restaurants along the canal and Binh Thanh’s maze of alleys.

Nha Trang

The most famous beach town in Vietnam, Nha Trang is an increasingly popular destination for foreign tourists. Lively nightlife and excellent seafood make a great addition to the white sand beaches and calm blue sea. Scuba diving has skyrocketed in popularity in the area and the bay is warm and clear year round. The city is one of the more family-friendly destinations in Vietnam, home to a number of amusement parks, water parks and resorts. For an unparalleled view, take a ride on the mile-long Vinpearl Cable Car.

Can Tho

Can Tho is the largest city in the Mekong Delta and home to some of the country’s most interesting markets. The commercially-friendly location along the banks of the Hau River has made this an important trading center for centuries. Anyone visiting should set aside a day to rise early and visit the wholesale Cai Rang Floating Market and the retail Phong Dien Floating Market. A day trip exploring the numerous narrow canals and tributaries of the region, with stops in rice paper factories and crocodile or python farms, is also highly recommended.

Phan Thiet

A lively fishing port along Vietnam’s South Central Coast, Phan Thiet serves some of the best seafood in the country. Spend the day exploring the mishmash of streets surrounding the colorful harbor. Just north of the city center lies the increasingly well-traveled ward of Mui Ne, famed for its Sahara-esque sand dunes and miles of picturesque coastline. Like almost everywhere in Vietnam, the best way to explore is on two wheels. Those with a motorbike should also take the opportunity to ride south from the city along the great coastal roads.

Da Lat

Check out this cool mountain escape when motorbike madness becomes too much. Da Lat can be reached by bus or motorbike from the country’s largest urban center in 4–6 hours and is a peaceful pine-scented alternative to Saigon’s concrete sprawl. The city itself can be explored in a day; just make sure not to miss the central market, or Hang Nga Guesthouse. The outlying areas offer even more to see. The region is the epicenter of Vietnam’s enormous coffee industry and the hills and valleys surrounding the city are blanketed in coffee plantations. For nature lovers, the areas’ forests offer some great canyoning through dense valleys and over misty waterfalls. On the way in or out of the city, make sure to stop at Elephant Falls, the most famous waterfall in the Central Highlands.

See more: Top 5 places for hiking near Saigon

Source: Internet

A short trip in Can Tho, Vietnam

Can Tho comes from ‘cam thi giang’ which means ‘river of poems’ and is the largest city in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. Of all the things that the city is known for, a few aspects stand out such as its floating markets, Buddhist pagodas, delicious food, and fresh fruits. There are many things to do in Can Tho which makes it an attractive and frequently visited tourist destination for many from across the world.

Go Shopping in Cai Rang Floating Market

Heading to Cai Rang, the biggest floating market in the Mekong Delta is one of the most recommended things to do in Can Tho Vietnam. Make sure you carry a camera here to click pictures around the bridge which is a very photogenic point. The best time to visit the market is between 6 am and 7 am since you can beat the swarms of tourists that come in as well as the heat.

Taste Mekong Delta Specialties

No trip is ever complete without tasting the indigenous specialties and the same holds true for Can Tho. There are many dishes that you should try while in Can Tho such as the Cai Rang grilled rolls made out of pork and served with pineapple, cucumber, bitter banana, star fruit, and thin rice paper. Other dishes you should try are bun ca (fish noodles), hu tieu Sa Dec (dry noodles), bun rieu (crab noodles) and lau mam (fish hot pot).

Visit Pitu Kohsa Rangsay Pagoda

Trying to hide down a quiet backstreet, but gloriously gold, this three-level Theravada Buddhist pagoda from 1948 contrasts sharply against the grey adjacent buildings. Carved detailed wall patterns, painted columns, a huge Buddha statue, and city views from the balcony are all impressive. Its charitable pursuits include helping disadvantaged youths to study.

Take Up Cacao Farming

One of the things that The Mekong Delta is known around the world for is its agriculture. Another popular place to visit in Can Tho is the Mien Tay Homestay, which is also a small cacao farm run by Lam The Cuong and his family. Take a small tour of the farm for a modest fee and get educated about the process of making cacao products from the fruit of a cacao tree. You also have the option to stay overnight in this homestay.

See more: Top hostels for backpackers in Can Tho

Live Locally

Photo MekongSmile

You should experience Can Tho with authentic Vietnamese spirit by staying in a homestay. There are many local homestays here are the owners are warm and friendly people who will look after you like one would treat a family member. They let you cook with them and even enjoy meals with their family. They will also be willing to take you out on tours around the city, make you take part in their farming activities, and even take care of their homes with them.

Source Internet

Get to know Cai Rang Floating Market

Together with Cai Be and Phung Hiep, Cai Rang Floating Market in Can Tho City is one of the three biggest in the Mekong Delta. The shops and stalls at the market are boats of different sizes.

One of the most interesting sights in the Delta are the floating markets and associated river life. Cai Rang Floating Market is open all day but it is busiest from sunrise to about 9am. The main items sold there are farm products and specialties of Cai Rang Town, Chau Thanh District and neighboring areas. Every boat has a long upright pole at its bow on which samples of the goods for sale are hung.

During the early morning market hours, larger sized boat anchor and create lanes that smaller boats weave in and out of. The waterway becomes a maze of hundreds of boats packed with mango, bananas, papaya, pineapple, and even smuggled goods like cigarettes. Sellers do not have to cry out about their goods because their goods can be seen in a distance and their cries would not be heard in the vastness of the river and the noise of boat engines. Small boats that sell beer, wine and soft drinks go among the other boats to serve market-goers and visitors. Sellers tie their goods to a tall pole so that buyers can see from a distance what they are selling.

Each boat is loaded with plenty of seasonal goods. Activities at the market are also an occasion for tourists to study the cultural aspects of southerners. You can see the market in the distance, it does not look like much, just a mass of boats. The boats all display their wares on a mast so you can see what they have available.

To visit Cai Rang Floating Market, visitors can join a tour of the Mekong Delta. On the way to Can Tho, visitors can stop to visit My Tho and take a boat trip to visit orchards, bee farms and coconut candy establishments in Ben Tre.

Many have agreed that visiting floating markets is among the can-not-miss experience in Southern Vietnam. There are a lot of travel agencies that offer a wide range of tours to Mekong delta with various tour duration and floating markets are included in most of them. Those without lots of time in their schedules are recommended to chose one Mekong delta day tour with floating market in its itinerary that best fit their time-frame.

Read more: Well-known destinations in Can Tho

Source vietnam-beauty