Journey south of Ho Chi Minh City by road for approximately 3 hours to the Mekong River town of Cai Be to board a motorised sampan for an introduction to life on the river.
Southern Vietnam, Vietnam, Mekong Delta
Cai Be With Lunch at a Local House
Cai Be is famous for its large floating market, where vendors hang food produce from bamboo poles over their boats to attract customers.
From the market, the journey continues across the upper reaches of the river, passing a maze of tributaries and fruit plantations. Barges navigate these routes, often carrying rice husks used as fuel for the region’s numerous brick kilns.
Depending on the season, you can sample fresh local tropical fruit with lunch in the shade of a local farmer’s home. Afterwards, you rejoin your boat for a leisurely cruise back to Cai Be. Then, continue the journey back to Saigon in the late afternoon.
What you’ll do
- Travel by road from Ho Chi Minh City to Cai Be and board a motorised sampan for an introduction to life on the Mekong River.
- Observe the lively Cai Be floating market, where traders advertise produce from bamboo poles suspended above their boats.
- Cruise through smaller tributaries lined with fruit plantations, passing working barges transporting rice husks for local brick kilns.
- Enjoy a seasonal tasting of tropical fruit with lunch at a local farmer’s home before a relaxed cruise back to Cai Be and return to Saigon by late afternoon.
