Mekong Delta
Mekong
Delta covers an area of 67,000 square km in the southernmost region
of
Vietnam
and is often referred to as the rice bowl of
Vietnam
as it produces three harvests per year. The
Mekong
River
begins its life in
Tibet
and travels 4,500 km through six countries before eventually
splitting into nine tributaries (Cuu Long in Vietnamese) and flowing
into the
South China Sea
.
The
Mekong Delta– one of Asia’s most picturesque regions offers
travellers the opportunity to experience rural
Vietnam
and a way of life little changed over centuries. Because the plains
are periodically flooded by the rising
Mekong
River
, traditional transportation is by boat, along a vast network of
canals. These canals are the very lifeblood of the Delta and her 15
million inhabitants. Everything from human cargo to tropical fruits
with exotic names such as Dragon fruit and Longan (Dragon’s eye)
can be found along this complex system of waterways. A cruise along
these canals with their floating markets always proves to be a
fascinating and rewarding experience for all visitors.
Being
Vietnam
’s most fertile region, the
Mekong
’s riverine environment is simultaneously unique and beautiful.
From Vinh Long, travel by sampan along narrow canals to tropical
fruit orchards and bonsai gardens; sample freshly-picked fruits and
the local delicacy, fried elephant ear fish; and navigate though the
waterborne bustle of the area’s famed floating markets.
Many
of our tours through
Vietnam
take a day trip from Saigon to the
province
of
My Tho
, gateway to the
Mekong
. We then take a boat ride to one of the islands located in the
middle of the
Mekong
River
. on the island we visit a fruit orchard and sample some delicious
fresh local produce. We take the opportunity to visit a local
family's house, enjoy their hospitality and share with them some tea
or rice wine.
Deep
in the heart of the
Mekong
, Chau Doc is an enchanting riverside town - home to the Cham and
Khmer cultures, floating markets and houses and numerous beautiful
islands. once a part of
Cambodia
, Chau Doc is 285km south-west of
Ho Chi Minh City
and close to the Cambodian border. Though the old colonial covered
market has been replaced with 
a
metal and red-tiled version, colonial remnants remain. The narrow
alleys of the market lead down to the river where you'll find myriad
bobbing boats and people going about their daily riverside
commercial activity.
Mekong
Delta is also a great jumping off point for a visit to
Cambodia
, with a boat trip, you can now venture up the Mekong to
Phnom Penh
. Crossing the
Mekong
border is a wonderful way to enter a country.
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