Mekong Delta Day Tour from Ho Chi Minh: My Tho & Ben Tre Islands

4.25

(4 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The city noise faded fast after we left Ho Chi Minh at 8 AM. Our driver took us past endless green rice fields—some folks napping on hammocks under banana trees, others already out tending the paddies. By the time we reached My Tho, the air felt heavier and sweet, almost sticky with the scent of river water and ripe fruit.

We hopped onto a motorboat at the Tien River dock. The boat chugged past floating fishing huts and a couple of old wooden boats patched up with blue tarps—our guide, Linh, pointed out the Dragon, Phoenix, and Unicorn islets as we passed. On Qui Islet (locals call it Tortoise Island), we wandered into a small village where kids waved at us from behind mango trees. There was this one spot where you could hear folk music drifting through the leaves—turns out it was a group of islanders playing for visitors in a fruit garden. We sat down for fresh pineapple and longan while listening to their songs; honestly, it felt like time slowed down there.

Linh showed us around a bee house (the honey’s got this wildflower taste), then someone handed me a snake to hold—wasn’t expecting that! Lunch came right in the middle of an orchard: simple rice dishes and fried fish with lemongrass. Afterward, our boat drifted into Ben Tre province—the “land of coconuts.” The coconut candy shop smelled like caramel and wood smoke; you can watch them pour hot syrup onto trays before cutting it up. Later, we squeezed into tiny rowboats for a ride under thick water coconut palms—just the sound of paddles hitting water and cicadas buzzing overhead. Before heading back to Saigon, some folks lounged in hammocks while others pedaled rusty bikes around the island paths. We got back just as dusk started to settle over the city.