Mekong Delta in Vietnam - what to do and how to get there

The Mekong Delta is the region in the south west of Vietnam and on the border with Cambogia where the majority of rice is produced compared to the rest of the country, also thanks to the incredible fertility of the soil Mekong Delta in fact it is not only a self-sufficient region in terms of rice production but is also the second largest exporter in the world after Thailand.

Green predominates and thanks to the rich river and canals not only is it the area par excellence for rice production but here the floating villages and markets are what characterize it, all amplified by a trepidation of colors which I later discovered to be typical of the Vietnam, the population is particularly sociable and a good mix between Northern Vietnam and Cambodia.

The Mekong River crosses all of South East Asia starting from the mountains of Tibet, making it the 12th longest river in the world and the tenth in terms of water volume, 795,000 square km.
Once it arrives in Vietnam, the Mekong River is divided into small canals and rivers where the sand and sedimented earth have made it a very fertile and ideal region for agriculture, so that those who come here cannot miss a visit to the fields of wheat and to the villages and floating markets.

Historically the Mekong Delta region has been part of the Khmer Kingdom (Cambodian therefore) and still today it is called Lower Cambodia by the Cambodians themselves, in 1979 the Khmer Rouge regime tried to take control of it by invading the region but this attempt was blocked so that it never became part of it and at least they managed to escape the horrors of the Khmer Rouge years which exterminated a large part of the Cambodian population.

I must admit that although it is beautiful and I recommend it to everyone, it may be a little touristy especially if you go to discover this region with a tour, so perhaps if you are looking for something more original and unique it would be better to tour it independently by renting a motorbike since most of the region is also accessible by land.

Have you found plane tickets? See also on Traveljourn
Read also: A day at the Mekong Delta floating market in Vietnam

How to get to Mekong Delta

If you are already in Vientam and precisely in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh as you prefer to call it) the quickest and I would say economical solution is to book a tour with one of the numerous travel agencies in the backpacker area.
The choice is between a one day tour and a 2 or 3 day tour which involves 1 or 2 nights in a homestay.
The one-day tour begins at 8 in the morning and ends around 4.00 in the afternoon, when you return to the city by bus or the two-day tour will allow you to stay in a homestay, that is, at home with Vietnamese people and right on the banks of the river.
The cost of a one-day tour varies between $8 and $10 and a homestay between $18 and $25.
I visited all the agencies and didn’t see a big difference in prices but above all I believe that especially for a one-day tour you can easily rely on the cheapest agencies because the itinerary is the same, whereas for a two-day tour (which doesn’t I was able to do it due to time constraints) better to make sure of the conditions of the house.
Those traveling alone and without a companion will have to prepare to pay a little extra, bad luck for the lone traveller, for the homestay room.

Alternatively, if you arrive from Cambodia and do not take a direct bus to Saigon from Phon Penh but rather cross the border at Vinh Xuong near Chu Doc then once you enter Vietnam you can take a boat or a bus that will take you to the destination you want, a favorite and rather chaotic destination for many is Vinh Long.
The cost of the boat from Phnom Penh to Chau Doc is around $20.

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