5 Fantastic Experiences for First-Time Visitors to the Mekong Delta During the Floating Season

Don't miss out on the delicious lotus rice in Dong Thap or glide over the lush green water ferns in Tra Su.

5 Must-Try Experiences for First-Time Travelers to the Mekong Delta During the Floating Season

Around September and October each year, travel enthusiasts eagerly await the floating season in the Mekong Delta. Below are some suggested stops and experiences you shouldn't miss when traveling to the Mekong Delta.

Explore the Floating Village of Tan Lap

Located in Moc Hoa district, Long An province, Tan Lap floating village, also known as Tan Lap mangrove forest, is sought after by many tourists for its dense mangrove forest, creating a mysterious atmosphere as you delve deeper inside. This place is also ideal for escaping the urban hustle and immersing yourself in nature, surrounded by lush greenery.

Here, you can rent a boat or canoe to navigate through the mangrove forest or walk on the longest concrete road through mangrove forests in Vietnam. The 38-meter-high tower is the highlight of the floating village. From the top of the tower, tourists have the opportunity to take in the panoramic view of the floating village, which is vast and refreshing, something rarely seen in the city.

The road to Tan Lap floating village is quite easy, about 100 km from the center of Ho Chi Minh City. You can ride a motorbike along National Highway 1A towards Tan An city (Long An) about 40 km, then continue on National Highway 62 to Moc Hoa district about 62 km more to reach the destination.

The entrance fee is 50,000 VND per person, including boat ride inside. If you choose a canoe, the price is 130,000 VND per person. The trip is suitable for weekends, one or two days. If you stay and go with a group, you can organize camping. There are many guesthouses around with an average room price of 100,000 VND.

Discover Lotus Rice in Dong Thap

Dong Thap is one of the stopovers with many characteristic attractions of the floating season. The province, located at the headwaters of the Mekong River, leaves tourists impressed with its vast lotus fields. Not only providing beautiful check-in photos, but the lotus fields also supply ingredients for many attractive dishes such as lotus leaf-wrapped rice, lotus shoot salad...

Delicious lotus leaf-wrapped rice must be cooked from dragon blood rice, a type of rice with red color, small, round grains, light, and slender for a better taste than any other rice. The dish is also combined with lotus seeds. The seeds are mixed with sesame salt, wrapped in lotus leaves along with rice, and steamed until cooked.

When the fragrance becomes overwhelming, it's time for the rice to be cooked. Opening the lotus leaf, you'll find red rice, white lotus seeds, and prominent black sesame salt. Enjoying this dish, you'll taste the distinctive flavor of lotus seeds, the precious rice, and the savory taste of sesame salt. Slowly chewing, you'll also feel the sweet and savory taste and the faint fragrance.

In itineraries from Ho Chi Minh City, tourists often stop by Sa Dec first, known for its hundred-year-old flower village. Then, you can visit the ancient house of Huynh Thuy Le, built in 1895 by a Chinese merchant, a character in the famous novel 'The Lover' by the French writer Marguerite Duras.

Admire Migratory Birds at Tram Chim

Also in Dong Thap, Tram Chim National Park is one of the must-visit destinations in the Mekong Delta during this time. The park, located in Tam Nong district, is covered by the lush greenery of the melaleuca forests and various rare flora and fauna.

Visitors can rent a rowboat here for exploration, with prices ranging from 500,000 VND per boat. Additionally, you can also purchase guided tours for 1 - 3 hours. Guides will provide you with extensive information about the park's ecosystem, bird species, and nesting times.

In the afternoon, you can find a breezy spot to admire the gentle sunset while the bustling flocks of birds return to their nests. In the evening, you can try fishing like a real garden farmer.

Explore Tra Su Melaleuca Forest

The tour route in Tra Su Melaleuca Forest, An Giang, can be said to be the most characteristic route as this is the area most flooded in the Mekong Delta. Travelers can easily reach Chau Doc by motorbike or car, with a distance of 250 km.

Tra Su is about 30 km from Chau Doc, with an area of nearly 850 ha. The entrance fee starts from 45,000 VND per person, depending on group or individual visitors. The three-leaf boat will navigate you to the most beautiful areas of the region. Here, you can touch the lush green water ferns. Early morning is the time when there are the most water ferns.

You can continue your journey in Chau Doc by exploring the lives of the locals here. Chau Doc is famous for being densely populated by the Khmer and Cham communities. Many mosques or traditional Cham cultural stilt houses will fascinate you.

Food enthusiasts can wake up early and go to the market to enjoy dishes like fish noodle soup, num prohoc noodle soup, or Nam Vang-style noodles. You can also venture further to visit the Ba Chua Xu Temple on Sam Mountain or Chau Giang village. Traditional weaving villages or sponge cake villages will also provide you with many experiences.

Have Breakfast at Cai Rang Floating Market

Can Tho is one of the most captivating destinations in the South. Despite its rapid economic development, the 'Western Capital' still retains the distinctive cultural traits of the Mekong Delta.

Floating markets are a specialty of the Mekong Delta. If you visit Can Tho and haven't been to Cai Rang floating market, you're truly missing out. The market usually operates from early morning, so you have to wake up early if you want to fully enjoy the bustling atmosphere. The ideal time to visit the floating market is around 5 am - 7 am.

Cai Rang floating market is about 6 km from the city center. You can get here by waterway or by road. The market is located near Cai Rang bridge, and everyone here knows this famous floating market area, so you can ask about transportation.

In addition to fruits and vegetables, many small boats also sell breakfast, drinks, and snacks to serve traders and tourists. Enjoying a bowl of hot noodle soup, surrounded by the bustling buying and selling scene on a three-leaf boat gently swaying on the water, is an unforgettable experience for tourists.

The market starts to wind down around 9 am. At this time, tourists can return to the mainland and explore other attractive destinations of the Western Capital.

According to Phong Vinh/Vnexpress

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Reference: Travel Guide by Mytour