Cruising Vietnam’s Mekong Delta

Cruise down Vietnam’s Mekong Delta and discover rivers, swamps, lakes, and jungle foliage. This bucket-list destination is less than a three-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City.

“The Mekong Delta is a vast and beautiful region of Vietnam, known for its tropical climate, tasty food and friendly people.”—Vietnam Travel

I sipped coconut water from its green shell while I observed freight boats ply the mangrove-lined riverways. Youngsters chased each other on the shore, and the musky scent of saline water and mangrove leaves wafted in the air. 

Traffic was brisk. We frequently passed other boats carrying merchandise or passengers. I could see the sweat on the boatmen’s brows. Families ate their fish and rice noodles on boats idling on the river.

Mekong Delta Tour

On this two-day Mekong Delta adventure—a #1 tour for any tourist who wants to understand rural southern Vietnam—I traveled back to another age. I wanted to understand Vietnam’s roots as a nation of farmers and fishermen.

Picture this scene on the Mekong Delta. Women still wore the conical hats to protect their skin from tanning. Arms and legs were also covered, even though the temperatures soared past 90°F in March.

“Keep your hands and arms inside the boat at all times,” warned our guide.

Wooden Boats

We boarded our wooden boat in the Delta city of Vinh Long and traveled down the Mekong Delta past the little market towns, Buddhist temples, and the new Catholic Church. 

We stopped at noon to eat lunch at a local restaurant. Our host grilled a whole fish and presented it standing up on a rod. His wife then delicately deboned the fish and stuffed the meat in summer rolls. It reminded me of the fresh rolls that I sampled on my Hanoi street food tour.

We also ate fresh-caught prawns. The chili dipping sauce made me gulp. Our dessert featured jackfruit and a “phin drip” coffee maker. Our coffee took over six minutes to slowly drip into the container.

Afterwards, we toured the family’s religious shrine (altar) in their house. Framed photos of ancestors hung on the walls.

Local Farm

After lunch, we traveled on our wooden boat to a local market where we watched locals make coconut (caramel) candies and nut candies.

The hot caramels stuck to my teeth. I turned down a taste of the flavored rice wine as a snake floated in the bottle. Yuck!

We also watched a woman make rice paper. She poured the liquid on the hot grill, watched it heat up, and then delicately lifted the gossamer paper and laid it on a nearby table.

We also toured a small town to see a fruit farm. Jackpot trees bulged with the bumpy lime green fruit dangling from branches. Tropical flowers bloomed. Mosquitoes hunted for their next victims.

After our stroll, we stopped for afternoon tea. Locals performed songs and skits about life in a small town. 

Sampan Transportation

After we finished our visit, we boarded our boat to sail further down the river. We would rendezvous with the pilots of four “river taxis” that ferry people.

My sampan, a small, flat-bottomed wooden boat, glides down the shallow waters of the Mekong Delta’s waterways toward my homestay. The river is choked by large, flowering leaves covering the surface. (Watch the journey on my Instagram page here.)

Our boat pilot, an older man speaking no English, slashed deep into the river with his oars, frequently causing us to get stuck. He paddled backwards and then forwards, rocking the boat.

I gripped my wooden seat plank to keep my balance. I didn’t want to accidentally fall into the murky water and feel the creepy foliage wrap around my neck.

Over the next hour, I squirmed a lot in my seat as there was no cushion for the plank seat. Since I couldn’t stretch my legs, they began to stiffen. The sampan trip is exotic, but I am ready to reach our destination.

Landing

Suddenly we hear rustling in the trees ahead. A boy darts out to the water’s edge to greet us. Our pilot steers the sampan to the shore, where the boy’s father helped him to pull it toward the landing.

We each step out of the sampan gingerly, determined not to plunge into the river. We were only allowed to bring a backpack for our overnight stay. My legs needed to bend and stretch after the grueling passage.

Residents of this small town do not have a Main Street. Their houses sit back from the river. A dirt path connects the villagers’ houses and runs parallel to the rivers.

Homestay Accommodations

As we passed under the gate of our homestay, a dog rushed up to greet us. We are guided to our simple accommodations after we greeted the mother and father who run the home stay. 

My bedroom had a double bed, a sink, and a separate toilet. The shower had a hose that you could hang above your head. I decided to skip a shower that night because I didn’t want to slip on the slippery tile floor. 

Cooking Lesson

After a short rest, our host called us for our cooking lesson. We would make spring rolls. A pile of vegetables sits on the long rectangular table. We grated taro—a root vegetable similar to sweet potato—which is a key ingredient in the filling. The fibrous veggie is tough, and my wrist soon gets tired of the repetitive action. 

The big group bowl soon fills with taro, shrimp, vermicelli rice noodles, leafy greens, fresh mint and cilantro, shredded carrot, and bean sprouts.

The next step is to stir all the ingredients together with our hands. Then, we wash our sticky hands before we individually prepare the fresh salad roll (Gỏi Cuốn) with rice paper wrappers.

I placed one tablespoon of the filling mixture into the bottom of the softened rice paper. Next, I folded the bottom edge over the filling and the opposing edges. I rolled up tightly. These spring rolls will be served with a sweet and spicy dipping sauce. 

Family-Style Dinner

Our hosts served our family-style dinner on their roofed patio. Their young sons served steaming bowls of soup. Next, platters of spring rolls circulated around the table. Finally, our chef placed a platter of grilled fish and a rice bowl on the table. Dessert consisted of jackfruit. We linger over our meal, enjoying the crickets serenading us.

I retired to bed early tonight, exhausted from a full day out in the sun and the long boat journey.

My hosts graciously equipped each bed with mosquito netting. Since it was hung over my bed, I unfolded each section individually and then tucked it into the mattress. Then, I crawled under the net and fell asleep in my gauzy world. The only thing to penetrate my slumber was the dogs barking at night.

Slower Life

My overnight journey into the Mekong Delta showed me the rugged lives of the fishermen and farmers who toil in this lush land known as Vietnam’s “rice bowls.” But I also saw the contentment of my homestay family, who created a business to provide accommodations and home-cooked meals to visitors while they raised their children. 

The following day, after a simple breakfast of fried eggs, baguettes, and jackfruit—plus strong Vietnamese coffee—we walked back into town to board our boat. (We couldn’t return by sampan as it was low tide.) 

Thankfully, our host ferried our backpacks on his red motorbike. Somehow, he bundled 14 guests’ luggage around the back of his bike.

Then he headed out of his yard and down the path, where he unloaded and deposited it on the boat.

We had a 30-minute walk back to the small town where we met our boatman. A bustling market sold fresh meat, fish, and vegetables. Clothes hung on a string line. Motorbikes rushed past us. But I also saw an elderly woman walking her bicycle across the bridge.

My Mekong Delta day is now a swirl of colorful memories—floating market boats, fish markets, sampans, conical hats, mosquito netting, and smiling locals—that I won’t forget.