Meandering the Mekong Delta
- Trip Style:
Vietnam
4 days | 3 nights
Ho Chi Minh City, Cai Be, Vinh Long, Tra Vinh, Can Tho, Saigon
The mighty Mekong spreads into tentacles and tributaries in southern Vietnam, making the delta fertile and the region one of Vietnam’s highest producers of rice, vegetables, and fruits. Cycling through rice paddies, orchards, along and over a myriad of small irrigation canals will let you see this unique area of Vietnam.
We ride from village to village, boarding a few boats along the way, to give you an up-close perspective of Vietnamese life on the river. We stay with locals, learn about their way of life, and enjoy a home-cooked meal they prepare for us. We stop to shop and take in the colorful Cai Rang floating market before heading back to Saigon. This Mekong Delta bicycle tour is perfect for someone wanting to venture off the tourist track and into authentic Vietnam!
Trip Highlight
- Cai Be, the gateway to the Mekong Delta
- Visit the colorful riverside life while pedaling past picturesque delta homes, and Khmer town of Tra Vinh.
- Visit Can Tho and Ba Om Pond with its magnificent lotus flowers.
- Phong Dien Floating Market
Inclusions
We start our bike tour with a transfer to Cai Lay and an exciting ride on backroads for around 1.5 hours. We have lunch on an island before continuing onto our local homestay run by a lovely retired couple, Mr. and Mrs. Ba. They live in a typical Mekong Delta Vietnamese house, with airy rooms and outdoor kitchen. The rest of the afternoon is free to bike the dirt paths surrounding the homestay. Dinner will be prepared by the homestay hosts.
Mr. and Mrs. Ba’s Home stay
Lunch, Dinner
Ride 30km
From Vinh Long enjoy a boat journey out to one of the Mekong islands. Bike along narrow country lanes, easy dirt tracks and trails. This is biking at its most glorious -- through tiny orchards, witness colorful life along the riverside, pedal past picturesque delta homes, pause to chat with welcoming villagers, clack across innumerable wooden bridges. Cross a narrow canal on a local sampan, before finishing at the main ferry for a refreshing boat trip across the expansive Co Chien River. Ride a final few kilometers to the very pretty Khmer town of Tra Vinh. There will be plenty of time to explore side tracks and trails as the cycling distance today is not far. This gives a great first impression of the ‘heart of the Mekong’.
Local hotel in Tra Vinh
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 40km
Day 3 marks a unique day of riding and sightseeing. As much of the area is populated by Khmer people, the regional architecture is interesting and there are many Khmer temples to stop and admire en route. Cycle along the beautiful surroundings with a support vehicle always nearby. The road is peaceful, narrow, and very picturesque all the way to Can Tho. Pedal to Ba Om Pond with its magnificent lotus flowers, where many local women get their futures predicted in the small temple nearby. En route, visit a local Buddhist Temple (doubling as a school) and learn about the life of the students. Arrive late in the afternoon to Can Tho, the Mekong’s largest town located at the confluence of the Can Tho and Hau Giang Rivers.
Ninh Kieu 2 Hotel
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 40km
We rise early and hop on our bikes weaving through Cai Rang floating market on the bustling banks of the riverfront. We ride on a narrow paved road to Phong Dien, absorbing the sights of endless cottage industries, timber merchants, coconut shredders and small docks loading/unloading rice. Continue by bike on the narrow lane and loop round to the main road. Ride to O Mon or Binh Thuy. We celebrate the end of our Vietnam bike tour with one last lunch at a local restaurant in town. Return to the hotel, check out and drive four hours back to your hotel in Saigon. Those looking to extend their stay can head to the coastal area of Nha Trang, venture to the picturesque Halong Bay, or explore mountainous Mai Chau.
Additional Information
Similar Trip
The Mekong, Southeast Asia’s longest river, is the lifeblood of southern Vietnam and Cambodia. Its floodplains harbor a cycling paradise, from the braided waterways and lush greenery of the Mekong Delta to the endless rice paddies and heritage sites of rural Cambodia. On this 9-day bike tour, we explore the lifeways, histories, and cuisines spanning the lower reaches of the Mekong as we connect the electrifying modern city of Saigon with the venerable ancient temples of Angkor.
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