Can Tho is a town nestled deep within Southeast Asia’s ‘rice bowl’; the mighty Mekong Delta. Set on the southern bank of the Hau River, Can Tho is famed for its meandering canal network, animated floating markets and fertile surrounds. Conveniently close to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s largest, Can Tho makes for a perfect break from the smog, pollution and chaos of Vietnam’s large cities and can be enjoyed as either a day trip or a longer vacation.
Cai Rang market is Can Tho’s most famous floating market, and is accessible only by boat. Hiring a boat to take you around the market will only cost you a few USD, but will take you the full thirty-minute ride from Can Tho town into the heart of the market, through lush countryside.
The market is best seen during the morning rush, which usually starts at around sunrise. Here, boats compete for space alongside other bobbing vessels, selling colorful arrays of everything; from fruit and vegetables, to hot coffee, to full meals, as well as fabrics and handicrafts from local artisans. To find out what they’ve got for sale that day, simply take a look at whatever’s hanging from the poles at the front of their boats.
The Mekong Delta is affectionately known as ‘Vietnam’s rice bowl’ for one solid reason; the array of produce that can be farmed on its fertile soil could feed the whole country three-times over. One amazing crop that thrives in and around Can Tho is cacao – the raw ingredient of chocolate.
Cuong’s cacao farm is an amazing place to spend a day of or visit to Can Tho. You will see how the raw cacao makes it into the final product that you’re used to seeing on your shelves; body butter, alcohol or, of course, chocolate. The tour itself, run by the owner, is around 1 USD and will teach you the drying, roasting and fermentation process of cocoa beans –and yes, you will get to taste some!
If you fancied making a stay of it, Cuong’s cacao farms also doubles up as a homestay by the name of Mien Tay Homestay. Staying the night, including pick-up, on site breakfast and dinner (occasionally featuring some of Cuong’s cacao produce) will cost you as little as 15USD!
As tourism has gradually increased, so too has the standard of accommodation in Can Tho. Plush hotels are to be found all over Can Tho, equipped with all of the amenities you would expect but with distinctively Vietnamese prices. However, if you want to experience the Mekong Delta properly, we recommend opting for a homestay. This way, you will get to see how the folks of the Mekong live their lives, and get the chance to help them cook local dishes with local ingredients, and occasionally they will offer tours around the city.
The most common way to get to Can Tho is by bus. Buses run from every major city and town in Vietnam, so even if there’s not a direct route to the town, you will be able to get a bus to Ho Chi Minh City just a few hours’ drive away. Buses leave from Ho Chi Minh City every hour or two from the Western Bus Station (Ben Xe Mien Tay) and usually cost between 4-7USD.
If you didn’t fancy taking the bus, it is also possible to fly to nearby Tra Noc Airport, which now has a large international terminal, as well as servicing flights from Hanoi, Phu Quoc and Danang.
Situated in one of the most fertile places on earth, you’d imagine that the cuisine of Can Tho would incorporate all of the stunning produce that grows locally. And you wouldn’t be wrong. Cai Rang grilled rolls are perhaps the most famous of all of Can Tho’s delicacies. Simple fresh pork spring rolls are served (usually on a banana leaf) with fresh fruit and veggies and thin rice paper – putting it all together is up to you! Roll up the delectable, juicy ingredients as you wish, and then dunk them ceremoniously in a dipping sauce made from chili, daikon and of course, fish sauce.
If you’re particularly adventurous, locals in Can Tho have a slightly more unusual specialty that you can try. Farmers along the Mekong have long been dealing with pesky rats on their fields eating all of their unguarded produce, so they found an ingenious way of dealing with them –sticking them in a pot and eating them. Now, these aren’t the rats that you find along the streets and sewers of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. These ‘country’ rats survive by eating healthy diet of food from the fields; there’s no garbage to be found. Many kinds of rat dishes existing this region; soups, curries, or simply grilled rat meat on a stick. The char-grilled tail makes for a tasty bar snack, too!
If the desire for shopping strikes, you’re in good hands in Can Tho. Here, you’ll find large malls featuring the usual fare; Vietnamese clothing stores, some electronics shops, a food hall, etc. Both inside and outside the malls you’ll find designer boutiques selling quality garments for fairly low prices, as well as the predictable market share of tat and tourist nonsense.
However, the best shopping in Can Tho can of course be found on the Mekong itself! Get on a boat and explore the rivers and canals, for here you’ll find the floating markets that put Can Tho on the map in the first place. As we mentioned before, you’ll find fresh produce, as well as traditional souvenirs, fabrics, clothes, and everything else that you can fit on a tiny boat on a river.
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