Vietnam – Mekong Delta Cycling – 3N / 4D

Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City – Mekong River Islands – My Tho

The cycling tour starts just on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City where beautiful serene countryside roads take the place of busy main roads. The route passes vivid green rice paddies tended by local farmers and a few oxen, and lush orchards bursting with fruit. Take the local ferry to My Tho where row upon row of rickety wooden buildings overhang the waterfront. In the afternoon visit the Mekong River Islands where miles of placid waterways crisscross the land breaking it up into small evergreen islands filled with tropical gardens unknown to many tourists. Explore the small canals in a hand-rowed sampan and visit a fruit orchard to listen to traditional music played by a local farming family.

Approximate distance cycled is 45-55 km over even terrain.

Overnight in My Tho.

Day 2: My Tho – Cai Be – Vinh Long

Spend the day cycling besides the upper Mekong River along shaded back roads, passing through rural villages where local villagers go about their daily business of fishing and farming. In Cai Be you can see the floating market where hundreds of local barges are piled high with exotic fruits, vegetables, rice and fish. Take a boat trip to Vinh Long along picturesque narrow canals, often straddled by flimsy-looking wooden bridges known as monkey bridges.

Approximate distance cycled is 45 to 55 km.

Overnight in Vinh Long.

Day 3: Vinh Long – Long Ho – Can Tho

Travel by road to Long Ho and then spend the day cycling on quiet country roads around the town of Can Tho. Visit the morning An Hoa Market, and the small riverside fishing community of Tra On where wooden houses perch on stilts overhanging the river bank. This day really ventures off the beaten track to areas that few tourists go and where curious children stare and wave from the dusty roadside.

Biking distance approximately 35 km.

Overnight in Can Tho.

Day 4: Can Tho – Cai Rang – Ho Chi Minh City

In the early morning set out by boat to explore Cai Rang Floating Market, the biggest and most bustling of the Mekong Delta markets. Early morning the waterway becomes a hive of activity as hundreds of small boats rowed by locals wearing traditional Vietnamese coolie hats weave between the larger barges that sell wholesale produce. Some boats are piled high with mangos, papayas and pineapples, while others sell soft drinks, beers and snacks.

Travel by vehicle to Ho Chi Minh City.