Bussing it to the Delta

It does amaze me that so many people come to Saigon and miss out on the delta. We had a friend from France over for a few days and told him he just had to go to My Tho at least and see some of the countryside and delta life and he agreed.

We arrived in Pham Ngu Lao downtown at 8am on the dot half-expecting the bus to be pulling away but that is only regular public buses in the city, which it has to be said are very prompt. It was a sleepy Saturday morning in the backpackers’ area and because the bus was taking foreigners the lax schedule saw us leave about half an hour later but no problem as the trip only cost just over 12 dollars and at least we were on our way and on the National Highway before we knew it and heading to the delta.

The bus consisted of French, Filipinos, Sri Lankans, Malaysians, British, Americans, Danish and locals and the compere had us in the palm of his hands from the get-go. He was funny and in his own words ‘very handsome’ but he had to apologize to all the beautiful ladies that their love for him would be wasted as he was married.

His banter kept the journey short and sweet and we were about to pull into the famous sign that says My Tho when we pulled into a small gift area. It was nice green area for taking pictures and the visitors on our bus took full advantage.

It was so hot we sat down and had to partake in some water and sit in the shade. It was time to go to My Tho and into the tourist boat bay and onto the murky brown Mekong River and as the sun burned down from the skies we sat on the shaded side of the boat and took it all in – a grand sight. Our motor boat went through the Bao Dinh natural canal and then took in My Tho’s colorful street fruit market alongside the canal as locals traded and bargained. Another perfect photo op.

We then took a slow cruise on Tien River to see Tortoise Island and view the fishing port, stilt houses and boat-building workshops. We also caught a glimpse of Dragon, Phoenix and Unicorn islands on the way to Ben Tre Province.

Once we arrived it was time for a canoe ride down in the shadows of the water-coconut palms along the tiny canals of Ben Tre Province.  We had a few close escapes as we battered fast down the canal. A few bumps and we were back to the port to wait for the biggish boat on our way to Ben Tre. However, one foreign lady decided to go walkabout instead of coming on the canal ride and was charmed by a local man who invited her into his home for a cup of tea when the rain poured down. Obviously when he confessed his love and asked to marry her despite the language barrier she was understandably a bit scared and panicked until the guide finally found her as we all waited getting a bit concerned and frustrated as we lost an extra hour stewing in the boat in the searing heat as the sun had returned as sudden as it had left.

We did the usual touristy things which are great fun such as trying the honey tea and getting pictured with some pythons which was fun seeing who was scared in our bus group with some running a mile from the snake.

We also enjoyed some delta food and the Mekong Delta fish favorite C Tai Tuong which was delicious and a few beers whilst being entertained with southern folk songs by young girls who were really good despite having to sing all day long no doubt.

We then headed back to the tourist port and our bus back home to Saigon with the compere keeping us entertained on a fun-filled day down the delta.

This is a popular tour for tourists and locals alike but is obviously geared to the backpackers converging in the Pham Ngu Lao/Bui Vien area. It is especially recommended for visitors who have a tight schedule and it is a steal at just VND250,000 a person.