Can Tho - Western Capital of Viet Nam ~ Sharing Vietnam Travel Experiences

Can Tho, which can be called “Western Capital” of Viet Nam, is situated in the center of Mekong Delta, near by the Hau river. With the population of nearly 1.2 million and good infrastructure as well as investment for development, Can Tho is considered as the central city of this region.

The weather in Can Tho is divided into two seasons: wet season from May to November and dry season from December to April. During the wet season, the tide is usually high and there can be rain and flood on the street. During the dry season, the air is cooler; this is a good time to visit Can Tho city.

Ninh Kieu dock is a must-see destination where you can take a walk along the Hau riverside and feel the smell of alluvial soil of Mekong Delta. From here, you can rent a boat to visit Floating Market and fruit garden with the price under 20 USD. A suggestion for an ideal plan is visiting the Floating Market in the early morning, then come to fruit garden or “Phù Sa” (Alluvial) ecological zone to enjoy the tropical air; if you still have energy, take a walk around the city to see some street lights and the night market on Nguyen Thai Hoc street.

Besides, Can Tho museum and Khmer pagoda (on Dai Lo Hoa Binh street) are worth visiting. There is also a lake inside the city called “Xáng Thổi” where you should come at night to eat barbecue and drink some beer. Riding across newly Can Tho bridge is also interesting, from here, you will have an overview of Can Tho city.

Are you a real traveller? You shouldn’t miss any street foods in Can Tho such as grilled- chicken leg, dry-beef with papaya salad, sticky rice with chicken, many kinds of scallop, soya milk, grilled corn,… Each of them with different taste may make you be addicted.

You will have a great experience with this type of bridge like that

How to get to Can Tho:

Cantho is 34km from Vinh Long, 62km from Long Xuyen, 63km from Soc Trang, 104km from Mytho, 116km from Rach Gia, 117km from Chau Doc, 169km from Ho Chi Minh City and 179km from Camau.

Road: Cantho has National Highway No.1A, 91, 80 linking to An Giang, Kien Giang provinces.

Waterway: Cantho has Cai Cui international seaport. The city is the centre of waterway network of Mekong Delta. There are daily hydrofoils between Ho Chi Minh City and Cantho City.

From Ho Chi Minh city, you can buy a bus ticket to Can Tho at Mai Linh or Phuong Trang company or take a flight from Tan Son Nhat airport. From Can Tho, you can flexibly travel to any other provinces in Mekong Delta or Cambodia by bus.

Top tourist attraction:

LONG TUYEN VILLAGE

This is an old village in the south of Can Tho City, including Binh Thuy, An Thoi, Long Tuyen and Long Hoa . The village is a destination that attracts many tourists not only because of its beautifully natural scenery, but also the cultural relics that remains after hundreds of years. The architecture and culture in Long Tuyen is very unique because it is the combination of various cultures from Western to Eastern, including Chinese, French, American, Cham and Japanese. This place also possesses six of 18 national relics in Can Tho, including famous locations such as Binh Thuy Temple, Nam Nha Pagoda or Binh Thuy Old House. Moreover, the Ky Yen Festival takes place here. It can be said that Long Tuy village is a rare destination that contains various typical characteristics of the culture in this region, and for sure it is a pity if you miss this destination in your travel.

NINH KIEU PIER

Location

Can Tho city lies along one of the biggest rivers in Mekong Delta – Hau river. To have the whole view of this river, travellers should spend some time at Ninh Kieu dock.

Ninh Kieu dock, with Ho Chi Minh statue standing still, is the symbol of Can Tho city. This is also an embankment and park, thus, it is always in bustle even day or night.

What to see and do

In the morning, you can roam around here to sightsee and to enjoy the fresh air of Mekong Delta. Many people come here every day to do morning exercise or play sports. This is where you can start your trip to the floating market by renting a boat which can be found everywhere along the dock.

In the evening, the food stalls are always ready with many Vietnamese foods, which you cannot miss. The tables are put along the dock so you can enjoy the food while watching the river at night. Every night, Can Tho bridge with sparkling lights, which is the most noticeable thing in dark, can be seen clearly from here.

Also, you can find Can Tho antique market here. Nowadays, this market is where people sell souvenirs for tourists. No matter what time you visit Ninh Kieu dock, there is always things for you to do!

CAN THO FLOATING MARKET

Location

If you have found your way to Mekong Delta, you cannot afford to miss floating markets or “Cho Noi". This type of market can be found in most provinces of Mekong and some big and famous floating markets are Cai Rang, Phong Dien (CanTho City), Nga Nam (Soc Trang) , Nga Bay (Hau Giang). Floating markets have existed for a long time in the region. It basically is a market where people sell and buy things above water.

Since rivers are the main way of transportation, ferries and boats are very popular for traveling and transporting. Gradually, people gathered together at one or some certain places on the river to sell fruits mostly picked from their own gardens. Then they made business by selling foods, goods which had been brought from other places.

What to see and do

A floating market usually starts at 4 or 5 in the morning before dawn and ends when the sun rises high at 9 or 10am. Fruits and vegetables such as pineapple, dragon fruit, water melon, yam, and cabbage are the dominant goods at these floating market. Besides, you can also find garden tools, crafts and Vietnamese breakfast like rice noodle “Bun” or “Hu Tieu”. It is very interesting to try to manage the chopstick and soup bowl while paddling along the river.

Another noticeable feature of the floating market is “Cay Beo”. This is a small pillar which is put in front of every boat. What can be bought from the boat will be hung on the small pillar as a notice sign. Of course they cannot hang on a bowl of noodle; therefore, if you want to eat, you should look for the smoke and the delicious smell.

Nowadays, in Can Tho City, you can visit floating market by a boat tour from Ninh Kieu dock. Usually it takes 5 hours to finish visiting 2 nearest floating markets and for most foreigners; these 5 hours are really worthwhile!