To Can Tho & The Famous Floating Market of the Mekong Delta

From Ben Tre it was a Ride to Can Tho the largest city in the Mekong Delta but I did not want to go the short route, so I made a big loop down south all the way to Soc Trang. This means going over some large bridges and a few more ferry crossings

Riding the Countryside of Mekong Delta to Soc Trang

More Ferry Crossing through the Delta 

At Soc Trang the main attraction was the unfinished Buddhist Temple called Chua Som Rong. The massively big sleeping buddha was a sight to see even incomplete. It was such a detour away from Can Tho with nothing much in between. 

60km away from Can Tho which is a large distance in terms of Vietnam infrastructure but yet this massive sleeping Buddha was already attracting many tourist to do day trips from Can Tho.

Chua Som Rong Temple in Soc Trang

Massive Sleeping Buddha at Chua Som Rong Temple - Soc Trang

I checked into the Hostel in Can Tho and the group of students there just hanging out was eager to practice their English with me. Their main selling item was the tour to the famous Cai Rang floating market. 

I saw the price and made a quick calculation decided to join in and support the students instead of trying to save a few dollars while wasting time bargain hunting.

Monument at Downtown Can Tho 

Night Fishing at Can Tho 

The next super early morning we walked to the riverside in Can Tho and made the journey upstream in the little boat with five people. The floating market was a live market. Not made for tourist and it was in a way a dying trade. 

While in the past, the floating market was the hub for transportation around the delta revolved along the water path, these days there was a road on both side of the river so the floating market seamed a bit redundant in transporting goods.

Boat Tour to Floating Market in Can Tho

Cai Rang Floating Market 

Cai Rang Floating Market 

The guide explained that these people enjoy a certain tax relief and also not requiring to pay rent for space on the river. However due to the high cost of repair for the boats when it breaks, the number of vendors are slowly diminishing as the boats lifespan runs out.

From the floating market it was up a little canal streak to a local rice noodle factory. Nothing fancy and interesting to see the first time, it was how the locals make their rice noodles from grounded paste to dried and preserved for sales in other parts. 

Vietnamese Rice Noodle 

Rice Noodle Making Process 

Mekong Delta Rice Noodle Factory 

The noodles while we could see the whole making process, the end product looked eerily so much like plastic noodles. A few more temples visit during the day in Can Tho and the tour was complete. 

I further explored a little with Zuki to see Den Tho Vua Hung which was shown on one of the Amazing Race Series then finished up Can Tho with Binh Thuy ancient house which was like a normal person home open to be a tourist attraction.

Chua Ong Temple - Can Tho

Den Tho Vua Hung

Traveled on: Jan 2024