The Mekong Delta is a popular weekend getaway from the bustling southern hub of
Ho Chi Minh City. What is there to do in this maze of rivers and rice paddies? Here are some activities you must try.
Visit floating markets to enjoy the daily life on Mekong River
The most unique and peculiar thing about Mekong Delta is no other than floating markets where you can see all the way of life, daily activities and culture of the people here. Floating markets are not a specialty that can only be found in Mekong Delta. Thailand also has many floating markets. Yet, Mekong Delta’s floating markets have their very own different charms. These markets has been existing just simply for local farmers to sell fruits and vegetables to the folks on the land.
Swim in the swamps and try net fishing
Swamps are a lot more fun to swim in than pools, and children in
Vietnam love doing it. From September to December is when this activity is at its best because the water levels are higher during this time. Swamp swimming is a particularly favorite play time activity of children in the area, especially on hot afternoons as a great way to cool off. You will also probably come across some locals partaking in net fishing. They will gladly welcome you and let you have a try and your catches will be cooked for dinner.
Taste freshness of fruits in Cai Be Fruit Orchard
Since Mekong Delta provides two-third of the fruit consumed throughout Vietnam, tasting the fruits should be while in Mekong Delta. The perfect places for that are the fruit orchards which can be found in most of the region. Cai Be Fruit Orchard is the largest fruit orchard in the delta, offers the tastiness of all kinds of tropical fruits. During your visit to the orchard, you can pick up the ripe fruit right off the trees and enjoy them.
Visit the little coconut candy lady
Many residents of the Mekong Delta specialize in producing goods such as rice paper, coconut candy, bricks, handicrafts and the like. They even open their homes for you to visit, look around and buy items if you wish. One of our favorites is a wonderful lady named Tu Ha who makes the world’s best coconut candy. She is 62 and lives by herself doing what she loves, and part of that is sharing with the rest of the world her delicious sweets. She spends her days making different kinds of candies from coconut and ginger which are packaged and sold off to buyers. She is always open to teach you what the process is like, so go with a local who can help translate. Don’t miss out on the coconut rice wine! Take some back home—it is delicious, and strong.
Listen to Southern Folk Songs
After a long trip of roaming around Mekong River by boats, tasting fruits, catching fish and visiting floating markets, you will be then inspired and calmed by traditional Southern folk songs and performance. Also called "Đờn Ca Tài Tử" in Vietnamese, the Southern folk songs are one special kind of musical art, reflecting the lifestyle of Southerners who live and earn their bread on the land and along the Mekong River.
Through the songs, the locals want to express all of their inner feelings and emotions, generosity, industriousness, and courage of their own. That is why this performance has become popular to any domestic and international locals. You yourself will be quickly cooled down and recharged after wallowing in the soothing sound of the music, in addition to drinking fruit refreshments and tea of the area.
Read more:
Explore the taste of Mekong Delta cuisine in Vietnam
Source Internet
