The Surprising Mekong Delta

The Mekong Delta in Vietnam is a very exciting place to visit. It reminds a bit of the way of life in Cambodia, but it has that city pace you find in nearby Saigon. I visited the Mekong Delta with a group of friends and the four of us had no idea what to expect. Floating markets, home industries, friendly people, cycling adventures and a beautiful nature awaited us! From My Tho to Chau Doc, the waterways were busy canals with loads of fisherman boats, fruit markets and little industries where people made coconut candy, handicrafts and fruit plantations. A bit touristy at times, but a rewarding alternative we did was renting bicycles. We went on small paths along channels, into fruit plantations and through villages. Besides getting lost around every corner, we met the funniest people: kids coming from school following us on their bike, people doing the laundry in the river and fisherman who proudly showed off the catch of the day. The evenings were quiet as most people leave the streets for the sea and start fishing throughout the night. Local houses transformed into restaurants and little bars at night and the funniest experience we had came at night with a group of local young Vietnamese fishermen that chose to have a drink rather than making some money. After sitting for a while next to them they decided they wanted to teach us how to eat “Dinosaur Bone Soup”. The funniest conversations, games, and happenings took place. Besides all the beer that was offered to us, the soup was exquisite. We found the Mekong Delta to be a bit of a world on its own. The nature, the people, the activities and the pace of life were all different than we ever experienced. All different in a good way!