Mekong By Boat

Head off from your hotel in Ho Chi Minh City and drive 2.5 hours to the beautiful Mekong Delta region to embark on a relaxing cruise on a converted rice barge called Le Jarai. First stop is Ben Tre where you will visit a family-owned enterprise that uses age-old techniques to hand produce bricks, burning rice-husks for fuel. After a short journey by local boat through the winding arroyos in the shadow of coconut trees, stop at a local processing site and discover how this fruit is treated to separate oil, flesh and husk. Sample the coconut sweets which are a local specialty and take a short stroll through a rustic village in a relaxing creek side setting before stepping into a local farmer’s house to see traditional matt weaving by hand.
Hop off the boat and on a tuk-tuk to drive through rural Vietnam, passing rice paddies and local life of the Mekong countryside to a pagoda where you can learn about the role of traditional communal temples in Vietnamese village culture. Back onboard the boat Le Jarai, and as you cruise along, there will be a demonstration of authentic Vietnamese cooking, and the chance for you to try your hand at preparing some dishes yourself before sitting back to enjoy a three-course lunch served by the friendly and attentive crew.  Relax and soak up the scenery while gliding the open waterways on the way back to Ben Tre. From here you will be driven to the city of Can Tho, the economic hub of the Mekong Delta, and on to your chosen hotel.

In the morning, visit Cai Rang floating market by boat where locals sell an abundance of  fruits and vegetables and other wares before heading on to  the picturesque fruit gardens in Can Tho for a leisurely stroll, then back to your hotel for lunch.
In the afternoon, you will be picked up from the hotel and taken on a cycling tour of the area. Starting from Can Tho city centre to Cai Son Canal, you will pass noodle mills and a traditional boat making workshop. Next stop is Rau Ram Creek, biking along the narrow village roads through orchards laden with fruits, with birdsong as your soundtrack. This scenic journey gives you a taste of the Mekong Delta local’s way of life, as you pass the monkey bridges and spot children bathing in the river and ladies rowing boats home full of fruit after the harvest. Take a quick refreshment stop in an orchard to enjoy some Mekong fruit and tea before heading back to your hotel.