Touring the floating markets in the Mekong delta is a must-do activity for the family tours in Vietnam in this part of the country. Here are four floating markets that shouldn’t be missed on your next trip to Vietnam:
Cai Rang
The Cai Rang floating market in Can Tho province is one of the largest and most visited markets in the region. It is easily reached from the Ninh Kieu port with a 30-minute journey and well worth a visit on the Vietnam holiday. The market is open from 3:00 AM to 9:00 AM on a normal day and crowded with literally hundreds of boats packed with agricultural produces and fruits. Most of the sellers use a tall bamboo pole with a sample of relevant goods to let customers know what is available to buy.
Plus, there are plenty of traders selling local dishes with popular specialty foods to taste, including Bun ca (fish noodle soup), banh canh (soup cake), and Hu tieu (clear rice noodle).
Cai Be
An early visit to the Cai Be floating market is essential with a typical open time of 2:00AM to 8:00AM. This famous market is located in Tien Giang Province on the Tan Phong islet and has been in use for nearly 300 years. The market sells a wide range of materials and commodities, including chicken, seafood, animals, fruits, as well as popular souvenirs like coconut soap and candy.
Other attractions of the local area include the surrounding landscape with the lines of apple mangrove trees and coconut trees, and also the stilt houses on the riverbanks. Sitting on a floating boat with a cup of fragrant coffee and a bowl of noodles in the early morning gives a great experience that isn’t likely to be found elsewhere.
Phung Hiep
Located approx 30 km from Can Tho city, Phung Hiep floating market (also known as Nga Bay floating market) is another of the market destinations with a vibrant atmosphere and hundreds of boats selling specialties and goods to locals and travellers. This floating market was first established in 1915 and makes a great tourist attraction for travellers on the package holidays to Vietnam to discover the local ways of trading goods, as well as appreciate the culture and traditions on the Mekong Delta.
The Phung Hiep floating market is not only a great place to buy local fruits and vegetables, but also to taste specialties like lizards, squirrels, birds, turtles and snakes. Plus, there are typical dishes for the less adventurous, such as pancakes, pho and hot rolls.
Long Xuyen
The Long Xuyen floating market is a little less famous on the tourist itinerary and located approx 2km from the centre of Long Xuyen city. It is great for fresh vegetables such as sweet potato, pumpkin, greens, tomato and cucumber, and it does not lack in a choice of mouth-watering fruits like orange, mandarin, pomelo and banana. The market is typically open during the day so there is less of an urgent rush to arrive first thing in the morning.
Visiting the floating markets in the Mekong Delta on the Vietnam tour gives a perfect opportunity to learn more about the interesting culture daily activities of the ingenious people.