For travelers who want to explore the sprawling Cuu Long (Mekong Delta) by boat, Cai Be Town in Tien Giang Province, some 100km south of Ho Chi Minh City, is one of the best launching points - and here you can also travel the delta’s seemingly endless waterways on a sampan.
Traditional sampans are small Asian flat-bottomed boats, propelled by oars or a rear-mounted oar. The sampans used for the new Mekong tours are larger, luxury versions of the smaller traditional vessels. These 22m-long and 4m-wide wooden boats, with two bedrooms and a living room, offer a relaxing way to cruise the waters.Sampans used to be the vehicle of choice for locals on the Mekong Delta, which is filled with wide waterways and meandering rivers and canals. Now the sampan has proved to be suitable for tourists, with many visitors from Europe taking the sampan tours since they were launched in June.Each boat carries a maximum of four tourists along with the crew. The sampan also tows a smaller junk, which is used to penetrate deep into the delta’s many narrow canals.
The first stop is at a coconut-candy maker in Cai Be Town.
The town is famous for its coconut products and visitors will see how they are made.After a bellyful of coconut treats, the boat heads for Cai Be floating market, cruising among local barges that are stocked with fruit and vegetables, before cruising upstream on the Tien River and heading to Vinh Long and Sa Dec.Sa Dec Town in Dong Thap Province has a long history.
"The village has changed a lot during the last decade," says Hung. "House with roofs made from coconut fronds now increasingly have roofs made from sheet metal. But the local people still keep their lifestyle and tradition of hospitality. People are so friendly here that visitors can feel free to stop at any house they like, where hosts often offer tiny cups of rice wine."
With the sampan anchored nearby, tourists have two hours to walk around and explore the pagodas and houses in the area.
Sa Dec is like a small, Asian-style Venice, with numerous narrow canals criss-crossing the land. There’s a local market, which is a lively centre of town. The town’s narrow streets still have many beautiful French houses and Chinese temples, built in the 19th century.
After exploring the town on foot, dinner is served late in the evening at a local house. Then, it’s time to get back on board the sampan to cruise down to Can Tho City.
At night, the crew anchor the vessel in a peaceful part of the river.
The boat’s bedrooms, with their timber furnishings, are cozy and romantic. Blankets are provided to keep travelers warm, as the Mekong’s breezes can make the night-time quite cool. But with the boat gently rocking on the water, a good night’s sleep is almost guaranteed.
The second day starts early in the morning. Breakfast is served on board while approaching Cai Rang floating market - the largest in the Mekong Delta.
The sampan will cruise through the large cluster of boats selling everything from sand and rice to fruits, vegetable, fish and flowers.
The cruise ends around 10am in the morning, when the boat stops at Ninh Kieu Wharf. Tourists will hit the road to have lunch in Can Tho, before cycling around the large town.
With their journey almost complete, visitors can make a four-hour bus trip to Ho Chi Minh City in the afternoon or stay for the night in Can Tho City.
