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We travelled to the Mekong Delta as part of our one-day private tour (Cu Chi tunnels and Mekong Delta Excursion) with Innoviet tour agency. After our visit to the Ben Duoc tunnels in the morning (Find out more about our journey to the Ben Duoc Cu Chi tunnels here!), we headed straight towards the Mekong Delta, a car journey that took some 3 hours. Suffice to say, our knees were a little sleepy after that slightly long car ride.
As you travel towards the Mekong Delta, one should really look out the window and see how the scenery changes as you venture out of the city. Skyscrapers and buildings give way to farmland, and you will see rows of crops planted alongside both sides of the expressway. Check out the different crops being grown, and look out for the tapioca that is still being grown today.
One really interesting anecdote I found out from my guide is that in Long An province, which is just beside Ho Chi Minh City, the province’s tombstones are actually located on each family’s own farmland, as opposed to being at a cemetery. This happened due to an important reason. Where in the past cemeteries were used by the province, animals came out at night to hunt for food, and found a ready source at the cemeteries. This happened to the point where families could no longer tolerate this, and decided to park their loved ones’ tombstones in their own backyard instead. And since then, it became a tradition for Long An province!
The experience of being in Mekong Delta really starts the moment you begin the journey in the car. Once you are in the Mekong Delta, you will notice that there are many shops by the roads selling coconut or coconut candy. This is because coconuts and their related products are the province’s top exports. Hence, you will always find an abundant source of this delicious fruit literally lying around on the ground!
As you travel towards the Mekong Delta, one should really look out the window and see how the scenery changes as you venture out of the city. Skyscrapers and buildings give way to farmland, and you will see rows of crops planted alongside both sides of the expressway. Check out the different crops being grown, and look out for the tapioca that is still being grown today.
One really interesting anecdote I found out from my guide is that in Long An province, which is just beside Ho Chi Minh City, the province’s tombstones are actually located on each family’s own farmland, as opposed to being at a cemetery. This happened due to an important reason. Where in the past cemeteries were used by the province, animals came out at night to hunt for food, and found a ready source at the cemeteries. This happened to the point where families could no longer tolerate this, and decided to park their loved ones’ tombstones in their own backyard instead. And since then, it became a tradition for Long An province!
The experience of being in Mekong Delta really starts the moment you begin the journey in the car. Once you are in the Mekong Delta, you will notice that there are many shops by the roads selling coconut or coconut candy. This is because coconuts and their related products are the province’s top exports. Hence, you will always find an abundant source of this delicious fruit literally lying around on the ground!
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Get to experience how locals travel, as they rely on motorcycles to travel on small roads that are simply not accessible by four-wheeled vehicles. Not to worry too much though, as you are not required to travel on them! When you need to cross the river to get to the other side of town, everyone makes use of a ferry to get across, motorcycle included. This is an extremely efficient way of crossing the river, and a really affordable one too!
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Possibly the best part of this journey is to have a home-cooked meal at a local family’s home. They only bought the fresh ingredients that very morning and cooked to perfection just when you are about to arrive. Sample a tasty meal of fish, meat, and fresh fruits and understand how locals in Vietnam really eat. It was simply one of the best meals we have eaten in Vietnam, and indeed anywhere else. Take a look at the garden, and look at the amazing fish pond where the fish are huge.
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Next up, get into a sampan and experience how locals probably used to travel when motorised transport was not yet available. Since you do not have to row the boat, simply enjoy the experience as you wander through the Mekong Delta in the most authentic way possible. Remember to put the camera down and just enjoy it!
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If you are fortunate, you will get to see some animals reared by the locals, and find some pigs and chickens in their backyards. The piggies really look quite cute, although it is best not to get too attached to them. Finally, enjoy the breeze as you take a motorised transport (phew!) back to your starting point, where your car awaits to bring you back to the city.
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Throughout this trip to the Mekong Delta, it might seem a little too rushed and short, especially when you have travelled some three hours just to get here. Bearing in mind it takes the same amount of time to get back to the city! However, the fact that the day trip consists of both the Cu Chi tunnels and the Mekong Delta means this is really the most amount of time you can spend in both places within one day.
The lovely folks at Innoviet highly recommend a full-day tour to the Mekong Delta instead to really embrace the local culture and get more involved with the locals. However, they also understand that visitors may not always have sufficient time to do this, especially if Cu Chi tunnels is a must-do activity as well. Hence, they created this tour to cater to such visitors, which we thoroughly enjoyed.
The lovely folks at Innoviet highly recommend a full-day tour to the Mekong Delta instead to really embrace the local culture and get more involved with the locals. However, they also understand that visitors may not always have sufficient time to do this, especially if Cu Chi tunnels is a must-do activity as well. Hence, they created this tour to cater to such visitors, which we thoroughly enjoyed.
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Travel agency to choose and costs involved:
There are a few travel agencies that offer visits to the Ben Duoc tunnels. We took a one-day private tour of the “Cu Chi tunnels and Mekong Delta Excursion” with Innoviet, which costs US$186 for one person (Find out more about our journey to the Ben Duoc Cu Chi tunnels here!). It provides a free hotel pickup and drop off, along with all relevant entrance fees. We enjoyed our time with Innoviet and you may wish to consider their services too! Find out more about Innoviet and their other tours here (https://innoviet.com/)!
There are a few travel agencies that offer visits to the Ben Duoc tunnels. We took a one-day private tour of the “Cu Chi tunnels and Mekong Delta Excursion” with Innoviet, which costs US$186 for one person (Find out more about our journey to the Ben Duoc Cu Chi tunnels here!). It provides a free hotel pickup and drop off, along with all relevant entrance fees. We enjoyed our time with Innoviet and you may wish to consider their services too! Find out more about Innoviet and their other tours here (https://innoviet.com/)!