Day Tripping Mekong Delta From Ho Chi Minh City

New country, new city, new post! This time in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam!

It has been three months since my last overseas expedition to Borneo. We explored caves, dived in Miri, and climbed Mulu Pinnacles for the 100 ringgit visage.

For my latest travel, I solo yolo-ed a short trip to Ho Chi Minh City. When your job has 1.5 days of leaves that cannot carry over, this was the most logical plan to take. When nobody was interested to join you, this was what you got to do.

And so, I packed my bag and left on the first budget flight from Singapore to HCMC on a Saturday morning.

Find my three-day itinerary in Ho Chi Minh City here! But here is what I experienced and learnt from my one-day trip to the Mekong Delta.

I did this trip in Nov 2022. Post may be updated periodically.

Where is the Mekong Delta?

The Mekong Delta dug up forgotten childhood memories in me.

As a Singaporean kid, I learnt about river systems in Geography through the Mekong River and Amazon River. I remember being taught the importance of the Mekong Delta to Southeast Asia. The delta nourishes the land for paddy fields – the rice bowl of Vietnam.

The Mekong River is the twelfth longest river in the world and the third longest in Asia (4,900 km). Water from Tibet nourishes the river. It then moves southwards, cutting across China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam before emptying into the South China Sea.

I have seen a part of the river system on my trip to Cambodia – Tonle Sap – and even toured around it. I might have crossed a small tributary of the Upper Mekong while travelling in Shangri La, Yunnan.

If you are fascinated about the Mekong River: another website about the ongoing projects on the Mekong.

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The Tour

Most, if not all, generic tours have the same itinerary as the one I did. One word: touristy. But what to do when you have only three days, have a budget, and are a solo traveller?

I booked the trip from my hostel the day I arrived and went for it the following day. Expect a group of around 20 – 25 pax for such tours. I paid 580 K dong or SGD 32, but you can have it cheaper or smaller on Klook (affiliate). Lunch was included.

The bus collected us from District 1 around 8 am. We left HCMC for the attractions in the Mekong within slightly over an hour. Traffic lightened once we were on the highway, as most scooters ply only within residential areas.

Green paddy fields flank both sides of the highway, often with one or two tombstones right in the middle. The tombstones act as deterrence against land stealers – bad luck upon those who steal or trespass on the family’s plot.

Disclaimer: The guide mentioned four islets in the Mekong Delta named after mythical creatures - Dragon, Phoenix, Turtle and Unicorn. I would think we have visited all four, but pardon me if I paired the activities and islands incorrectly.

(1) Vinh Trang Pagoda (Mỹ Tho)

Vinh Trang Pagoda may have been one of the most glamorous sites in Southeast Asia I have been, if not for the crowds of tourists. The temples, three giant buddhas and shrines glisten in bright white and gold paint under the morning sun. You could see the intricate designs on the pagoda, which were symmetrically appealing to the eyes.

Of course, this temple complex is nothing compared to the centuries-old grandiose of Angkor Wat or stupas scattered around Bagan. This vicinity belongs to the more recent history. Still, the Vietnamese government recognises this site for its historical and cultural significance.

The pagoda was built in the early 19th century by a district chief. After his passing, a Buddhist abbot took charge and named it Vinh Trang. Conflicts and neglect from then till the 1890s saw the temple into disuse. A new abbot entered the scene and renovated the vicinity, infusing architectural inspiration from both the East and West.

(2) Coconut Candy + ‘Whiskey’ (Phoenix Island)

Our next stop lies beyond the river.

We boarded a motorised boat to Phoenix Island, where our guide showed us coconut candy making. He went through the cooking, moulding and packaging steps. After which, we sampled some fresh candies. A few of us bought the 30 K dong coconut candies. But for me, the most interesting activity was not the candy but the local ‘whiskey’.

I am not some 酒鬼 or alcoholic. But when there is a platter of exotic alcohol to try, I am all for it. Why not when they have alcohol infused in the carcasses of a dozen snakes, reptiles and starfishes; alcohol made from banana seeds; and coconut wine? The first was to help men, the second to alleviate kidney problems, and the third could cure cancer. I am unsure about their incredulous health claims, but they all tasted the same – strong and burning, with alcohol content ranging between 29% and 35%. We paired the shots with sesame crackers.

(3) Cycle + Lunch (Turtle Island)

Post coconut candy, we boarded the boat to the next island – Turtle Island.

Nothing much was planned on the island apart from ‘meeting’ the villagers and cycling down their narrow motor path. Those villagers most likely find us annoying. I saw free-roaming kampong chickens, dogs, and trees heavily laden with bananas and jackfruit.

Having been to other less touristy places of Southeast Asia (my favourite was a three-day hike through the villages of Myanmar), this part of the tour was boring. I spent some time walking down the concrete path – instead of cycling since most bikes were faulty and I had three shots – before settling down on a hammock and people-watched till lunchtime.

Lunch was surprisingly good, or maybe I was hungry. Or maybe, I was drunk.

We had stir-fried kang kong, soup, spring rolls, chicken coloured obscenely red, rice, and the highlight – deep-fried elephant ear fish. The fish, a delicacy in the Mekong, was propped upright and meant to be eaten rolled up with vermicelli, pineapple and salad leaves in rice papers. Since we had no clue what to do, a waitress came over to help.

I had a good time studying the other non-Asians grabbing food with chopsticks and was impressed by those who could do it naturally. Those who cannot eventually gave up and relied on forks and spoons.

(4) Honey Tea Sampling (Dragon Island)

Satisfied with lunch, we headed to the boat for the next island – Dragon Island.

En route to the island, our guide cracked open a bunch of ugly coconuts, and we each had one. As the saying goes – don’t judge the book by its cover – we shouldn’t judge the coconuts too. It was small and unsightly on the outside, but the juice and flesh within were top-notch sweet, soft and refreshing.

As a backpacker for some years, you know what those purposely integrated sampling in tours meant – shopping. It is a good way to support the local business, and the goods they promote may be cheaper than elsewhere, like Ben Thanh Market. But if you are not a shopper, this would be a waste of time.

We tasted local honey doused in pandan tea with a pinch of bee pollen. After tea, the ladies each get to try their fancy royal jelly gel on their hands, followed by eating the gel directly with more honey. It tasted like wax. Eating it every day helps you become younger, they said.

(5) Fruits, Tea and Vietnamese Songs (Unicorn Island)

We left the honey tea island for the boat to yet another island.

Unlike the previous islets, where we walked to our destination, buggies came and picked us up. The journey to our next stop wasn’t particularly difficult or long, but it was just nice for me to catch up with a Turkish guy in the group.

The young man, a recent graduate from Ankara with an Electrical Engineering degree, decided to take a long gap year teaching English at HCMC instead. For him, the four or five hours of teaching per day was more than what he could make as a fresh grad in Turkey. He hoped to pursue a Master’s degree in Europe eventually. Why do people want to return to school to study more after graduation?

We hopped off the buggies to yet another sampling of tea and fresh fruits, while Vietnamese singers belted tunes played by a small orchestra. The seasonal fruits – pineapple, pomelo, red dragon fruit, jackfruit, and chiku – are nothing special to me but not to my German tablemates. Most are suspicious of the latter two, so I had the benefit of eating more of those.

(6) Boat Rowing

The last on our itinerary was the peak activity. It is what everyone relates to for a trip on the Mekong Delta – the cliche boat rowing complete with the Vietnamese hat, nón lá.

Our guide grouped four per sampan, and we pretended to row out of the brownish canal towards the river. ‘Pretended’ because we did nothing; the Vietnamese ladies in front and behind the sampan did all the work. All we did was snap photos of us in nón lá pretending to row the sampan. 

I don’t think the locals would want us to do much rowing as well since the canal was narrow with incoming and outgoing traffic. We would have slowed down the team, hit someone, or broken their oars. In all, this episode lasted less than 15 mins, and we were back on the big boat towards Mỹ Tho.

(7) Back to Ho Chi Minh City

The big bus journey to Ho Chi Minh City was slightly more congested. I was back in my hostel by 6 pm.

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Ending

My tour experience is as what you have seen – touristy.

But I did learn a little more about the Mekong Delta – pre and post-tour for this post.

Life in those villages does not look that different compared to life in, say the villages around Mulu National Park, Borneo. The people of Mulu rely on longboats, similar to the sampan, to get by on the river. They use motors to get around on land. Tourism plays a huge role in both sides to support their livelihoods and conserve their cultures.

I would not put the Mekong Delta as a place I would spend days in, even if I am a long-term traveller. There aren’t loads of activities to do – hikes/sightseeing/ climbing – and infrastructure may not be the best for remote work. But I could be wrong as to what these two sites show –  a four-day itinerary and a 10-day one here

For me, a one-day tour is sufficient for a brief look. You may need a two-day tour to visit Cai Rang Floating Market in the morning or more if mangroves and wildlife interest you. What I would like to do next time in the South of Vietnam is to explore the underwater world of Phú Quốc.

Nevertheless, the Mekong Delta ought to be on your list, especially if you are in Ho Chi Minh City. It, after all, is a day trip away, contributes to a third of the country’s GDP, and is where a great Asian river ends.

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Notes

• The three S: sunscreen, sunhat, and shades
• Hydration. We each have a complimentary bottle of water, with lots of tea and coconut juice served in between.
• Insect repellant. Malaria is not gone in this region. While I see more mozzies in Singapore than in Mekong, I guess it is better to be safe than sorry.
• Tipping. Tipping is mandatory. Coming from Singapore, I prefer my tips already factored into the tour price. Tipping wastes time. Our guide had us tip the Vietnamese singers, sampan rowers, the big boat and bus drivers at the end. While the tips are not a lot – 10 to 20K dong per person or activity, it still annoys me. Have some small changes ready before the trip.
• Do not stray away from the group. And do not get lost. You do not want to be trafficked away.

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