Mekong Delta – Mỹ Tho and Bến Tre

Mekong Delta is a great getaway day trip for when you have visitors in Saigon. This time I decided to take my Boyfriend to Mỹ Tho – another area of the Mekong Delta. We decided to go with a tour company this time instead of wasting time with the hassle of finding appropriate public transport. We paid 210,000 VND each through The Vietnam Inn – which ended up being cheaper than the unguided trip we took to Cai Be. So I would suggest doing a tour through a hostel or tour company as they often work out easier and sometimes cheaper!

The tour left from the hostel at 7:30, which actually ended up being 8:10 am. The coach took us to a large Pagoda. The Tour Guide explained the course of the day, including a performance of a traditional Vietnamese folk song and various facts about where we were going. The Pagoda was amazing. The Buddha statues were massive! We were given half an hour to wander around the Temple and the Statues. Then we were off.

It took about two hours to get to Mỹ Tho from HCMC. Unfortunately for us it was raining, so we purchased ponchos for the day. We boarded a boat which took us to Turtle Island. The Guide informed us that there are four small islands on the Delta between Mỹ Tho and Bến Tre: Dragon (Con Rong), Tortoise (Con Qui), Phoenix (Con Phung) and Unicorn (Con Lan) Islands.

When we got off the boat, we got to taste honey made by bees on the island. We had tea with honey and a substance found in the hives used for medical and health reasons. A cream with many beneficial entities. After, we walked further into the jungle. We were taken to an opening where we were allowed to hold a Python. I guess, it was probably sedated but it was pretty creepy!

We were then taken to a restaurant to sample the various tropical fruits of the island, accompanied by a typical Vietnamese folk performance. We then moved on to a busy wee creak full on small wooden long boats driven by Vietnamese women in traditional dress. We hopped on the boat and enjoyed a half hour boat ride down the river. We were given the famous bamboo hats while we sailed along. This river was far more busy than the creak at Cai Be, but still peaceful and a nice break from the city!

After the boat we were taken to a small opening where there were several horses and carriages. The horses seemed a lot smaller than horses you get back home, but not quite as small as ponies. We enjoyed a trek through a village where we spotted several other horses and carts. They seemed so out of place in a Vietnamese Island. Who brought them here? Nevertheless, it was a pleasant trip.

Finally we ended up at our lunch spot. We were given a plate of pork, rice and veg, accompanied by a bowl of soup and a bottle of water. As it turned out, the lunch spot was positioned on a zoo. We were given half an hour to wander around to look at the animals. There were hedgehogs, frogs, snakes, multiple fish and crocodile! It was cool, until we realised that all of these animals were on the menu… In the end we discovered that it was more a farm than a zoo.

One more boat trip and we were back to our coach and a two-hour drive back to Saigon. It was a great day. I would definitely recommend getting a tour as it worked out being the same price as our trip to Cai Be without a guide. This time round, we learned a lot about the area and Vietnamese culture and food, thanks to our guide. In addition, we got to experience many other perks such as the horse and cart ride and the Python. Next time I go to the Mekong Delta, I will definitely be doing it through a tour!