* Option 1: Ho Chi Minh city – My Tho – Ben Tre
8:30AM Departing from your hotel for My Tho city by air-conditioned car. In My Tho, boarding the motorboat at a pier and cruising on the Mekong River. Here, overlooking floating houses where fishes are farmed beneath the house (viewing from the motorboat).
Continuing the journey on the river until reaching Con Thoi Son (Unicorn Island), from here taking a horse cart to reach a performance site where Vietnamese traditional music (Dan ca tai tu) – A folk art form from Southern Vietnam accredited by UNESCO in 2013 as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity) can be heard and seasonal tropical fruit can be tasted (included).
Afterward, being on a small hand-rowing boat (the main mean of transportation in My Tho & Ben Tre) and slowly cruising through a small creek with beautiful overhanging coconut trees. Lives from both sides of the creek can be observed.
Before heading to lunch, passing through bee-keeping farm and enjoying honey tea, a typical Mekong house can be viewed here. Then, it is lunch time after a short walk.
After lunch, boarding the motorboat and heading to learn coconut candies making process from a workshop. Sample of candies can be tasted.
03:00PM Returning back to bus and going back to Ho Chi Minh City.
My Tho – Mekong River
*Option 2: Ho Chi Minh city – Cai Be – Vinh Long
- 08:00 am: Depart from Saigon
- 10:00 am: Arrive at Cai Be pier and start boarding the Mekong Queen
- 10:15 am: Sightsee Cai Be floating market
- 10:30 am: Disembark and walk to visit the crafting factories
- 11:15 am: Board the cruise and onto Lady Five canal or Bay Buoi canal
- 11:30 am: Take a 30-minute sampan ride
- 12:00 pm: Board the cruise and head toward the village entrance
- 12:15 pm: Leave your cruise for a short walk to a local home for lunch
- 12:30 pm: Have lunch
- 01:45 pm: Cruise upstream the Nine – Dragon river (Mekong river) toward Vinh Long town
- 02:45 pm: Stop to visit a local fruit garden of Mr. Tam Ho
- 03:00 pm: Continue your cruising
- 03:15 pm: Stop to visit a local brick factory
- 03:30 pm: Cruise to Vinh Long pier
- 03:45 pm: Disembark and bid farewell to your crew for the drive back to Saigon.
- 06:00 pm: Arrive in Saigon
* Option 3: Ho Chi Minh – Cai Be – Sa Dec
- 09:00 am: Arrive at Cai Be pier and start boarding the Mekong Queen
- 09:15 am: Sightsee Cai Be floating market
- 09:25am: Disembark and walk to visit the local craft factories
- 10:10 am: Board the cruise and head upstream toward Sadec town
- 12:45 pm: Stop en route to visit a local brick factory
- 13:15 pm: Continue your cruising to the famous ancient house of Huynh Thuy Le, the main male character in “L’amant” of Marguerite Duras
- 13:30 pm: Disembark at Sa Dec central market and walk to the ancient house
- 13:45 pm: Enjoy lunch
- 14:45 pm: Stretch your legs and hop on a bicycle for a short ride to visit a local flower growing village
- 15:00 pm: Arrive and take photos. Possible opportunities to interact with the local farmers
- 15:15pm: Cycle back to the main road
- 15:30 pm: Say goodbye to the boat crew for a 3.5-hour drive back to Saigon.
Sadec flower market
* Option 4 : Unique Mekong
- 08:00 am: Depart from Saigon
- 10:00 am: Arrive at Cai Be pier and start boarding the Mekong Queen
- 10:30 am: Take a 30min sampan ride along the small canal.
- 11:00 am: Re-board the cruise and head to Tan Phong Island
- 11:15 am: Start a leisure 45’ cycling trip with stops en route to visit the local handicraft making families.
- 12:15 pm: Embark on the Mekong Queen for a 45min boat trip around the Dong Hoa Hiep Island and Cai Be floating market.
- 01:15 pm: Enjoy lunch at an ancient house
- 02:30 pm: Drive back to Saigon
- 05:00 pm: Arrive in Saigon
Cai Be floating market
