We really enjoyed our trip and our stay on the Mekong Delta and would recommend doing this! We booked through our hotel (which was in District 1 - I would really recommend staying there when in HCM - you can get great deals by booking through hotels.com Agoda.com and booking.com) with TNKTravel.
We were met by our tour guide, An at 8.10am at our hotel. After a short walk to Ho Chi Minh bus station we joined a bus that had 40 other passengers on it. The bus left the station at 8.20am and we were all given bottled water.
We then took a small row boat down the Mekong; this was a highlight! Four people in each boat and women are encouraged to wear the traditional Vietnamese hat which is provided on each row boat. (You are again encouraged to tip here recommended 25cents per person).
When we got off the row boat we were overcome by the smell of Coconut. We arrived at a family business making Coconut candy, your not pushed to buy any but after trying it but we had to buy some! So tasty! (30,000 for candy) also, some of our group tried the "snake whiskey" which was around £4 a bottle.
After this we then took a big boat for 20 minutes for our stop for lunch.
At this point some of our group had been guided to another area for lunch, they were around the same age as our parents - we can only assume that they paid a lot more for the trip.
Our included lunch was tasty and we were satisfied. Lunch was rice, egg, vegetables and a choice of pork or fried tofu. You can order extras if you wish and drinks aren't included but are 20,000dong for a soft drink or beer. We didn't feel that there was any need to tip here, no one came to collect our plates or anything afterwards. We left here at 2.20pm after arriving at 1.30pm. Back on the boat for 25 minutes.
We then continued on the bus until we were dropped off (about ten of us in total) at 6pm. (For those who chose the hotel option they had to continue on the bus for another half an hour. Some people from the trip told us hotel was basic but clean)
After a short walk and getting a 30 minute boat ride we arrived in "Can Tho" at Hung's Homestay at 6.30pm. Click here to see our homestay in Can Tho. This was definitely one of the highlights from the trip. Not exactly being a proper "homestay" as each room is separate from the owners house. It was definitely a great experience staying here! You can also book to stay here on booking.com and can get a bus to Can tho directly from Ho Chi Minh if you don't want to do the tour option!
After meeting Hung he showed us to room 4, we had a river view room with a bench outside to sit. Our room consisted of a double bed with mosquito net, a mirror, fan and small bathroom - toilet flushed, shower only had cold water. Basic but clean. Door locked with padlock and key. We felt safe here.
After dinner we were brought "rice liquor" which we were told was 35% alcohol, in a bag using a chopstick as a stopper and everyone had a shot each! I don't think any of us really enjoyed it, it tasted a lot like tequila and we stuck to the cold beers which were in the fridge for 20,000dong each.
After a long day and great evening we left for bed Around 11pm ready for our early 6.20am start!
Day 2
Up at 6am, the included breakfast of a fresh bread roll, cheese, jam and tea and coffee served at 6.20am and we left with our belongings at 6.50am to meet the rest of our tour group at 7.20am boat swap and to go and see the Can Tho floating market. This isn't like a floating market in Thailand, you can't buy any souvenirs here but you can see the local Vietnamese people buying their fruit and vegetables. A real floating market which our guide An explained as technology is changing he doubts this will still be going in 10 years time.
The boat then took us to stop off to a Noodle factory - this was actually really interesting to see how the noodles we have been eating are made! Brief look and toilet stop then back on the boat at 9am.
Shortly after we arrived at a village It was our choice now whether to stay and enjoy the gardens here or hire a bicycle (this cost 50,000 dong per bike) most of our group decided to hire the bikes and our guide An guided us to see "monkey bridge" a bridge made from bamboo which the locals use to Carry their stock over to their home. We then rode to a "temple" this was where a bomb had been dropped in the War which had caused the tree there to break off and grow all around, quite a cool stop!
We arrived back at the gardens an hour later at 10.30am and were shown the "rat and frog BBQ" many people tasted it but didn't really enjoy it.
After leaving on the boat again at 11am we arrived at a local restaurant within a hotel (some of the group had stayed at) at 11.40am lunch cost us 115,000 for two (noodles and meat with rice).
Note: We left our big rucksacks in Our hotel in Hoi Chi Minh but if you need to bring them with you please note that if you stay at the Homestay you need to take these with you, those who stayed in the hotel left their bags at this hotel and collected them on arriving for lunch. Just something to be aware of as it was really hot when we visited even that early in the morning and it's hard work with heavy bags!
After lunch we then said goodbye to those who were going back to Ho Chi Minh as they were doing the 2 day tour. Our group got smaller as there were 15 of us doing the 3 day tour.
After another hour on the bus we arrive to our hotel for the night in Chau Doc at 6.30pm, wifi connection is really good in the room, bottle water is provided and most importantly it's clean! Our guide An told us of a good local restaurant just around the corner from the hotel and it didn't disappoint, very cheap also! Note: there is also street food around the other corner and a Jolibee (fast food chicken place) next door to the hotel. An explained that this is mainly a place you stay before you head to Cambodia so there's not much around and he said its not safe for us at night. We retired to bed early anyway exhausted after the second long day!
Day 3
After a good breakfast at the hotel with finally a good coffee we leave the hotel at 6.40am, all our belongings left in the Hotel lobby. We walk to a boat and are taken to see a Fishing village and fish farm - I didn't have high expectations for this place but it was actually quite interesting to see how they got their fish, how they live on house boats and walking across the small bridge with bamboo rail to the small village. You can also buy some lovely handmade scarves here if you wish.
The speedboat also takes four hours.
We arrived back in HCM at 4pm after stopping for an hour for lunch.
Just as a guide we spent $170 in total.
$55 each for trip. = $110
$60 = all food, beers, bicycle rental, tips, coconut candy and souvenirs.
Note: There is a stunning photo used for advertising this trip and that is of Tra Su forest so you have to do the 3 day tour to see this.
Note: We paid $55USD each for our trip which included one night in a homestay, with the second being a night in a hotel. The tour included two breakfasts, one lunch and one dinner. All transportation costs were also included in the price.
You can also cater the trip to you and upgrade to better hotels, we didn't but the homestay and hotel we stayed in were much better than many of the 3 star hotels we had stayed in on our travels!
This trip was the perfect way to start our adventure in Vietnam, our guide An who spoke better English than me grew up in the Mekong and was so knowledgeable. If you do decide to go with TNKtravel request for An!!
It was a tiring few days but the amount we saw and did was just great! I would definitely do it again.
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***OFFERS***
> Book 10 nights and get 1 night FREE at Hotels.com
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===> Use code: 1FRSUM2016 <=== at checkout
