Home » Countries » Asia » Mekong Delta River Cruise in Vietnam

Mekong Delta River Cruise in Vietnam

Fruits of the Dragons

As the mighty Mekong river reaches Vietnam and approaches the South China Sea the main waterway splits into a maze of rivers that form the Mekong Delta. The region is known locally as Cuu Long, or “Nine Dragons”, representing the nine main tributaries. Located just a few hours away from Ho Chi Minh City, enjoying a Mekong Delta river cruise is a lovely excursion when visiting south Vietnam.

The delta region covers an area of around 40,500 square kilometres in south-western Vietnam. It is the mouth of the Mekong, Asia’s third longest river, which has run nearly 5000km from its source in the Tibetan plateau, through China, Myanmar, Lao PDR, Thailand, Cambodia and finally into Vietnam.

Mekong Delta River Cruise map

River Cruise

Three to four hours’ drive away from the relentlessly loud and energetic Ho Chi Minh City, the hectic urban hubbub slowly transitions to rural rice fields. It is possible to undertake a river cruise along the Mekong Delta from a number of locations in the area; there are plenty of choices with various levels of indulgence. It’s a lovely way to see the country from a very different perspective and at a pace that is much more laid back. We chose a two day journey from Cần Thơ to Cái Bè starting along the Sông Hậu branch of the river and sailing into the Mekong.

Depending on budget there are different boats available. Some are rather splendid – we travelled on a traditional style Bassac boat. These are wooden vessels with private cabins and a decks with seating so that you can enjoy the view.

Mekong Delta river cruise

The cabins are compact, but had all the facilities we needed, including a teeny en-suite shower room.

Mekong Delta River Cruise

A Slow Journey Along the Mekong Delta

Cruising along the Mekong can best be described as ‘leisurely.’ We saw all sorts of vessels, large and small, as we travelled along.

Mekong Delta river cruiseMekong Delta boat
Mekong Delta river cruise

All along the journey we saw water hyacinth floating gently by. This is a fast growing plant that floats freely in the river. It is a bit of a problem in the delta as it can get clogged up in a motor boat’s propellers and is also somewhat invasive, preventing other life thriving on the river. It is apparently edible (not sure we’d want to fish it out of the river and have a munch and, anyway, it needs to be cooked first) but it can also be collected and processed in order to make woven products such as mats, bags and baskets, which local people can sell.

Palm trees on the mekongMekong Delta river cruise

Mekong Delta River Cruise – A Land Excursion

Many of the boat trips offer excursions to various attractions along the way. It is also possible to visit some of the onshore villages in the area and to explore them on foot, visiting local farmers and learning about the food that’s produced there.

The area is extremely fertile and rice is the major crop grown. Due to the climate in South Vietnam it is possible to achieve three crops per year.

There are no cemeteries in Vietnam so families set up graveyards in the fields.

There are also a number of fruit trees that grow in the region. Some are familiar.

Pineapple
coconut in Mekong Delta
Coconut
Banana (with its amazing flower)
Wild lime

Jackfruit has become hugely popular in recent years as a ‘meat substitute’. Its texture and ability to absorb flavours make it incredibly versatile for vegetarians and vegans – mock ‘pulled pork’ is a particular favourite. But actually it is very tasty as a fruit in its own right.

Tapioca is the starch derived from the roots of the cassava trees and often used in puddings (which are far more delicious than school dinners).

Some of the residents are happy to open up their houses and it is possible to do home stays with local families. If you’re just on a day trip, visitors are sometimes offered some of the amazing fruits grown on the island.

This platter was exceptional. There is an sequence to eating the fruit in order to gain maximum enjoyment: Always start with the fruit with sour flavours and finish with the sweet.

One plate that was a particular revelation was the pineapple. Of course, fresh pineapple is utterly scrumptious, especially when it hasn’t travelled half-way around the globe, but it was served by sprinkling a little chilli and salt on each piece and was a taste sensation. It makes sense: like a lot of Vietnamese food it includes sweet and sour flavours (which the pineapple provides) plus an additional salty dimension and a good dose of heat from the chilli.

Banana leaves are not only functional, they can also be decorative – just look at this lovely banana leaf ‘origami’ grasshopper.

It was late afternoon by the time we returned to our boat.

Mekong Delta river cruise

Time for a delicious, decadent seafood dinner…

…followed by after-dinner drinks watching the sun set over the Mekong.

Mekong Delta River Cruise

Journey to Cái Bè

Our boat docked at Tra On for an overnight stay onboard. The following morning we headed towards Cái Bè. The Mekong becomes much more of a working river and we passed by many riverside emporia and floating shops.

Mekong Delta river cruise
Mekong Delta river cruise_11

Cái Bè has a Catholic church – an unusual structure to see in the region. Dating from 1929-1932 apparently it has the tallest bell tower in the province.

Mekong Delta river cruise

The local boats have eyes painted on them which reputedly scares away the crocodiles.

Mekong delta river cruise

On arrival at Cái Bè we disembarked and visited a factory which made rice products – rice paper and rice cakes – as well as candies.

rice paper
Rice paper

In making coconut candy, shredded coconut is used to make coconut milk and cream which is combined with sugar and malt syrup and then heated and mixed together.

Whilst still warm, the mixture is then laid into strips to cool and then they are cut into bite-sized candy pieces.

Kerala Houseboat
A houseboat cruise on Kerala’s backwaters
Vietnam
How to cross the road in Vietnam
Mekong Kratie Cambodia
Ramblings and boat trips in Kratie, Cambodia
Luang Prabang Lao
Lunching in Luang Prabang, Lao (Please Don’t Rush)
Vietnamese summer roll spring roll
How to make Vietnamese spring rolls
vietnamese pickled garlic
How to make Vietnamese pickled garlic
More posts from SouthEast Asia
If you liked this post, please share it:

9 Comments

  1. Sounds like an amazing way to see the area. The dinners looked equally amazing as well. How many people stayed on each boat? Great post as always. We have always dreamed of visiting Vietnam.

    • Thank you! The boat had capacity for around 20 people so it was a very intimate journey. And yes, the food was delicious!

  2. I’ve seen the Mekong and crossed it by boat and bridge but never did a tour on it. It is something I have wanted to do as the thought of sleeping on one of the biggest rivers in the world is a once in a lifetime experience.
    The sound of pineapple with salt and chilli sounds very interesting – I couldn’t imagine the taste but it would be quite unique no doubt!
    My trip to Vietnam also meant I saw bananas, coconuts and jackfruits growing on trees (rather than laid a supermarket shelf!) for the first time – I was fascinated!
    Lovely post.

    • Thank you so much! It is brilliant being able to see familiar fruits actually growing in their natural environments. They taste so much better too! We absolutely loved this journey along the Mekong, we were very lucky to be able to spend time exploring the magnificent Mekong.

    • Thank you so much. The loungers were definitely very popular – you had to get onto the deck pretty quickly to get one! But there were other comfy seats all over the boat and the view was guaranteed to be great where ever we sat. It was a delightful trip, we really enjoyed it.

  3. What a fantastic experience! I’ve had my eye on the Viking River Cruise on the Mekong and it just keeps calling to me. You always manage to find the most interesting, most authentic experiences!

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sign Up To Our Very Tasty Newsletter

Loading