Please note that this tour is designed as a self drive tour where you will be guided by one of our knowledgeable team. It is the responsibility of the client to ensure that they are compliant with local motorbike license regulations. We can discuss this with you at the time of booking. If you would like to do the tour as a pillion rider, please contact us for more details,
Exploring the Mekong delta on two wheels, you get a unique perspective on this scenic area as well as being a witness to daily life here as it has been going on for centuries. The lush delta is really a gift from the Creator for the almost 20 million inhabitants living and working on the lower section of one of the longest rivers on earth, providing rice, fruit and aquatic products for worldwide market. This fertile area is where the mighty Mekong River approaches the sea and splits into nine very big branches and then into a network of hundreds of tributaries. We call it “Cuu Long” or “Nine dragon’s river delta”.
Follow our guide to escape from Saigon to the back roads, we delve deep into the Ben Tre province of southern Vietnam and explore the Mekong Delta. Driving back roads mostly through villages away from the tourist track and discover the real life of people living along this magic river. We take quiet laneways and dirt paths weaving in and out of villages and fields waving to kids whizzing by on their way to school, saying “Xin Chao” (hello) to women pedalling gracefully in their traditional “ao dai” dresses, and hopping onto small ferries to cross the tributaries alongside elderly vendors carrying groceries on their bikes.
Later we board our private boat and cruise past some interesting places such as old style brick kiln before stopping at a coconut processing workshop where you learn step by step how the locals waste nothing from the coconut tree in making a variety of products, handicrafts and candy. Transferring to bicycle we cycle along trails under the green canopy of coconut plantation before stopping for a pleasant lunch of local specialities, including delicious “Elephant Ear fish”. After lunch we will row a sampan along the tree lined canals to get a closer look at life before taking our private boat back to the pier and riding on to Can Tho city for an overnight stay.
The next day we continue to explore the waterways with a morning boat ride to the bustling Cai Rang floating market, one of the biggest in the Mekong Delta. As we weave amongst the anchored boats, we’ll see vendors line up their boats and hang fruit or vegetables on a bamboo pole advertising the goods they are selling. Moving on from the floating market we will visit an inland market to compare the differences as well as a rice paper factory nearby. After that, you could choose one of two options below, depending on your next destination.
Option 1, destination: Saigon.
After the floating market, it’s time to explore the land with a motorbike ride through farming villages and small laneways on the way back to Saigon. We can stop as often as you like and will be certain to meet up with lots of friendly locals and we’ll stop en route for a lunch.
Option 2, destination: Phu Quoc island.
After the floating market, we will take you to Can Tho bus station to catch local bus (Phuong Trang bus) at 7.30 am to Rach Gia where you can board on Super Dong speed boat to Phu Quoc island at 1 pm. Your luggage will be delivered to Can Tho on the night before (delivery fee is included). Our guide, of course, will prepare a take away lunch with Vietnamese bread roll, fruits, drink. When you reach to Rach Gia, the staff of Phuong Trang bus will arrange a free transfer for you to the pier which is located around 10km from the bus station.
Whether continuing your Vietnam holiday with a trip north or flying home, you will leave the Mekong Delta with fond memories of the friendly locals, colorful markets and vibrant scenes discovered on this tour.
