08:00 You will be picked up at your hotel . Transfer to Ben Tre.

10:00 Arrive at Ben Tre town, take a boat trip on Mekong river. Sight-seeing  local activities on river.  Stop  to see how people make bricks, salts, coconut worshop.  Boat on  Cai Son  and Nhon Thanh creeks to see some family making mats.  Take  pull cart (xe lôi) passing by rice fields and vegetable plains to know how to culture in country.

12:00 Stop to Mr. Hai Ho house for learning  how to cook local food, then enjoy your lunch.

In the afternoon, take rowing-boat along water palm creek. Boating a long Cai Coi creek back to Ben Tre City. Then move back to Saigon.

08:00 You will be picked up at your hotel for the transfer to Cai Be. Take a boat trip on Mekong river. Then stop at local workshops to see how rice paste, coconut candy and pop-rice, pop-corn made.

Later the rowing boat takes you deeper to the countryside along the smaller cannals. Enjoy the peaceful time, traditional house made of wood & palm tree leaves, watching the local farmers catching fishes….

After lunch, we can walk around and then enjoy some kinds of fruits while listening to the traditional music. One more thing to do in this trip is biking! It will be so amazing to bike on village paths to see the local farms, houses, real life and the ancestral ways to pick up fruits in Mekong Delta.

End of the day, the cruise take you to Vinh Long city where you take your vehicle back to Saigon.

Special authentic tour –  http://www.mangocruises.com/

Overview:

A short 2 hour car transfer delivers you to the pristine natural beauty that is Ben Tre Province. Known as “Coconut Island,” many of its people still rely on tradition and centuries old methods of production. Our program focuses on the Giong Trom and Phong Nam districts, areas untouched by commercial tourism.

We showcase the amazing local people, the villages they call home and the peaceful rivers they use as a part of their daily lives.

Detailed Itinerary

08:00 You will be picked up you at your hotel for the transer to Ben Tre.

Ben Tre province is famous for its coconut production and quiet, peaceful waterways. On arrival, take a Xe loi ride through the local village of Huu Dinh to enjoy the green fields and gardens. Continue with a short walk to Huu Phuoc Bridge, where you will start your boat trip through small canals with beautiful tropical scenery. On board the boat, enjoy a welcome drink and tropical fruits while cruising.

The cruise will first stop at a Coconut processing family owned business. Here you will learn what Ben Tre is known for and the hundreds of uses of each single coconut. Return to your boat and cruise across the water to a brick making factory, where the locals still use centuries-old traditional methods to make the bricks by hand. Enjoy a casual cycling trip that will take you to visit a local rice noodle factory which produces Hu Tieu noodles, one of the most popular dishes in the region. After your visit take a short walk to one of our friends, Mrs. Huong, who lives with her 3 children and grandson – they live on fishing, shrimp and fruit orchards. Enjoy fresh fruits and tea and then board a rowing sampan taking you through a lush narrow canal, displaying the tranquil nature of the region.

After our team rows you through the quiet canal, reconnect with your Day Cruiser and enjoy a cruise to a private riverside restaurant. It is time for you to relax and enjoy a 5-course lunch of local specialties. Relax and have a walk around the lush garden setting.

Then continue your cycling trip to My Long to visit Mr Sau Tuong, a former Vietcong soldier who survived two years fighting the Khmer Rouge in Phnom Penh. Now he and his wife live on making rice paper which is the most famous specialty of My Long village. Have a chat with him and enjoy the crispy rice paper made by his wife, and see how it is made. Then visit the nearby house of Mr Hung, who is a famous sticky rice maker in the village. You can also feed his stock of catfish and walk through his fruit garden.

After the visit, the boat will be waiting for you at the pier nearby to bring you back to Ben Tre city where your car will be ready to take you back to Saigon.

07:30: Be picked up in Saigon. Alternatively, meet us at the Cai Be jetty at 10:00. Your crew welcomes you with cold towels and a refreshing drink while your Cai Be Princess sampan sets off for its leisurely cruise on the busy waterways. Observe from the comfort of your sampan life as it plays out on the riverbanks – the people, the stunning landscapes – while your attentive crew serves you tea and seasonal fruit. At Tan Phong Islet board a little rowing boat to explore the canal’s hidden mangroves. Return to your sampan to visit an ancient house built in the 19th century. We’ll make stops along the way to provide glimpses of local cottage industries: coconut candy and puffed rice (the local equivalent of popcorn), products that provide a living for the river people. Your cruise ends at Le Longanier Restaurant. Lunch is served in this exquisite colonial-style villa set in a lush tropical garden by the river, surrounded by fruit trees, giving you a sense of life during Indochinese times. After lunch, at around 15:00, take a short walk along a small canal, towards the Ba Bon Bridge where your personal vehicle awaits to drive you to Ho Chi Minh City. Arrive at your hotel around 17:30.

DAY 1 : SAIGON – CAI BE – VINH LONG – CAN THO (-/L/D)

08:00 You will be picked up at your hotel and depart Mekong region. After arrival in Cai Be, embarkation and starting your discovery of Mekong. Have lunch at an ancient garden house, then proceed to Vinh Long, passing a small and beautiful canal with peaceful tranquil villages, the unique natural setting of Mekong Delta region. Stop at An Binh islet to visit some of the famous fruit orchards. See how local people make ceramics, popcorn and rice paper… A nice chance for bicycle riding through the village and its handicraft shops. Another stop at Vinh Long market before arriving to Can Tho. Dinner on your own . Overnight at hotel in Can Tho.

DAY 2 : CAN THO – SAIGON (B/L/-)

Early breakfast at hotel.

07 :00 Early morning cruise along the small and picturesque tributaries by motorboat, you will see the Cai Rang floating market- the busiest but nicest one with heaps of boats. See the beautiful scenery and daily activities of the locals. Walk around a village, visit a rice husking mill. Disembark at Ninh Kieu quay. Visit an ancient house in Binh Thuy (10 km from Cantho). Have lunch at a local restaurant on the way back to Sai Gon via My Tho.

DAY 1: SAI GON – BEN TRE – VINH LONG – CAN THO (L,D)

08:00: Pick up at your hotel and depart to Ben Tre (2 hour).

10:00: Arrive and visit Phong Nam brick kiln, where bricks are still painstakingly made by hand.

Then, get on boat and will cruise along the Chet Say river (a branch of the Mekong) and stop off at various local workplaces to give you a picture of how the local economy works, including coconut activated charcoal factory where coconut shell is put into high heat kiln to produce coconut charcoal; a coconut processing workshop, where you can sample fresh coconut and see how every single part of this versatile nut is turned into food and other products.

Then the boat will cruise through the small canal, discover the local life. The boat will then stop at a quiet village where you can have a short walk to experience real Delta village life, visit  a mat weaving house, where straw mats are woven using a hand loom – you can even have a go at weaving yourself before boarding your xe loi (a kind of motorized rickshaw) or biking into the village where you can see farm, rice field and vegetable plan  before stopping at a local house for a delicious and filling lunch, featuring such local specialties as elephant-ear fish and river shrimp, washed down with some cold drinks or beers.

It’s time to board a sampan for a relaxing trip along narrow canals.

Take boat back to pier and continue to Can Tho (2 hours).

Dinner on your own . Overnight at hotel in Can Tho

DAY 2: CAN THO – CHAU DOC – TRA SU (B,L)

Early breakfast at hotel.

07:00 Early morning cruise along the small and picturesque tributaries by motorboat, you will see the Cai Rang floating market- the busiest but nicest one with heaps of boats. See the beautiful scenery and daily activities of the locals. Walk around a village, visit a rice husking mill.

We then travel by land Chau Doc. Upon arrival, continue to Tra Su cajuput forest which is renowned for not only its almost-untouched natural beauty but also its sanctuary of flora and fauna. Taking a boat trip into the forest and harmonizing oneself with nature. The impressive pictures of cajuputs, the fragrance of flowers and the music-like noise of birds, insects and animals will definitely make travelers do not want to leave. From the observation post, the forest can be seen with an area of nearly 900 ha, home of many birds and animals, including some rare ones.

Check in hotel at the end of the day.

Dinner on your own. Overnight at hotel in Chau Doc.

DAY 3: CHAU DOC – PHNOM PENH / SAI GON (B)

Breakfast at hotel.

Option 01: Boarding a speedboat which takes you to the frontier post at Vĩnh Xương for the emigration formalities. Once the formalities have been expedited, boarding back onto the speedboat and departure towards Phnom Penh.

Option 02: Boarding a local boat and cruising up Hau river to Chau Doc floating fish farm. A visit to this farm brings you the understanding of the local people’s life and how they earn living. After leaving the fish farm, you proceed to the Cham village (a Muslim village) where you can explore the Cham people’s culture and their brocade weaving.

You will return to the city center and then directly to Sai Gon.

Special authentic tour – http://www.jardindumekong.com/en/

DAY 1 : SAI GON – BEN TRE – CHO LACH (-/L/D)

08:00 You will be picked up you at your hotel for the transfer to Ben Tre.

10:00: Arrive at Ben Tre town, take a boat trip on Mekong river. Sight-seeing local activities on river.  Stop  to see how people make bricks, salts, coconut workshop. Boat on  Cai Son  and Nhon Thanh creeks to see some family making mats.  Take  pull cart (xe lôi), pass by rice fields and vegetable plains to know how to culture in country.

12:00 Stop to Mr. Hai Ho house for learning  how to cook local food, then enjoy your lunch.

In the afternoon, take rowing-boat along water palm creek along Cai Coi creek back to Ben Tre city.

15:00 Disembark and transfer to Jardin du Mekong in Cho Lach district (1 hour). You can join with the family to prepare the dinner. Dinner and overnight at homestay.

DAY 2 : CHO LACH – CAI BE – VINH LONG – SAIGON (B/L/-)

Breakfast at local home

08:00 Take a bike ride around the village (3-8 km, depending on your health).  Then transfer to Cai Be by car (40 km). On arrival take a boat trip – The program will start at  Cai Thia pier of Caibe.

Tranfer to have bicycles for 1-2 hours exploring the famous village of Hoa Loc Mango. You will be biking on small beautifull roads. It is so interesting to see traditional houses made of wood and palm tree leaves and see some activities of the local farmers with an apportunity to make contacts with them and see how they catch fish or pick up fruits by ancestral ways in Mekong Delta.

Then, the boat will pick up you to the local garden for lunch at Ut Trinh home. Have fruits and tea when enjoying the traditional music. Next, you will enjoy the peaceful time on the rowing boat, then visit brick factorie. Enjoy some kinds of fruits from this garden & homemade rice wine. Arrive Vinhlong city. End of the boat trip . Met by driver then transfer back to Saigon.

http://www.mekongrustic.com/

Leaving the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City right from the early morning, you will have the chance to enjoy the peaceful life of Mekong Delta in our two-day tour at the Mekong region. Cai Be will welcome you and offer you a chance to stay with locals and join their daily activities.

During the two days, you will do the gardening with local host, such as plucking the fruits, taking care of the orchards and cooking a local meal. Besides, you will spend time in floating market of Cai Be, the ancient house and traditional handicraft workshop of making products from fruits as well as listen to Don Ca Tai Tu – the intangible cultural heritage site of Vietnam. The tour is more fascinated when you meet and talk to local people to understand more about their cultural values and their Mekong lifestyle. Surely, you will have an unforgettable experience in our Mekong two-day tour at home-stay.  

Highlights

*  Visiting Tan Phong Island – Cai Be, one of the most abundant fruit gardens of Mekong river

*  Learning more about the local culture and life of Mekong people by staying  at their home-stay and working with them

* Joining the local activities of rowing boat, plucking fruits, taking care  for fruit gardens and trying doing the handicraft products under the guidance of local people

*  Experiencing one night home-stay surrounded by the lush orchards

*  Enjoying the local food with Mekong specialties

DAY 1: SAIGON – MEKONG Homestay (L/D)

You will be transfer from Ho Chi Minh City downtown to Cai Be district on morning. Arriving in Cai Be, you will be welcomed by the hospitable smile of the host and invited some fresh fruits before embarking  on a boat to visit traditional handicraft villages. You’ll have an opportunity to talk to the sellers on their boats. The boat will then lead you to the home-stay on Tan Phong Island for checking-in and having lunch.

In the afternoon, local host will lead you to his orchards where you can learn how to take care of the garden and how to pluck the ripe fruits as the host does every day. You will visit the vegetable garden and gather the vegetables for your dinner. You yourself will prepare your own dinner with the help of local host.  Stay overnight at the home-stay.

DAY 2: MEKONG Homestay – SAI GON (B)

After breakfast, our guide will guide you to explore more the Tan Phong Island by bike. You will visit kinder garden if it is school day. Stopping at a local farmer’s house to learn how to make Jackfruit leafs cake and then cycling to Bonsai garden and talking to him to understand how local farmers take care for their gardens, then try plucking the fruits and tasting them.

After cycling back to Mekong Rustic, taking short rest and check-out at about 11:00. Then the small boat will transfer you back to the tourist boat Cai Be for driving back to Ho Chi Minh City.

End of the tour at 17:30 at your hotel in Sai Gon.