The mighty Mekong River is one of the longest rivers in the world, it goes through 6 countries from China, to the border between Laos and Thailand, to Cambodia, and Vietnam before it empties in the East Sea (You may know with the name South China Sea, but Vietnamese don’t say that). This long river makes up the large Delta, the second in the world after Amazon River Delta. The Mekong Delta - or Cuu Long in Vietnamese - consists of nine branches (the Nine Dragons) of the mighty Mekong River, which begins its long journey to the East Sea (south China Sea) in the mountains of Tibet. The delta is the life-blood of southern Vietnam, nourishing the region's rice paddies, vegetable plots and fruit orchards. The Mekong Delta provides an excellent opportunity to observe and experience traditional Vietnamese rural life. A boat trip through the myriad canals offers travelers a real insight to life in the countryside: peasant hard at work in their paddy fields, water buffaloes, tangled fruit orchards, simple, thatched-roof dwellings, temples, fishermen and excited children everywhere. In the delta's towns - the major ones being My Tho, Cai Be, Vinhlong, Can Tho and Chau Doc - the river remains the central focus of daily life. Ferries ply its waters transporting people and goods to market or home after a long day's work, while providing a valuable link with the rest of the country and region. Travelers exploring the Mekong Delta will be well rewarded. Experience the traditional floating markets in Can Tho, effectively unchanged for hundreds of years and not yet spoiled by tourism as in Thailand, explore the many beautiful islands that surround My Tho, just a short distance from Saigon, or a touch of Mekong Delta life in Cai Be and Vinh Long. • If you have just one full day, you can choose the options of My Tho or Cai Be • If you have one night, you can have homestay in Vinh Long if you are adventurous, or in deluxe hotels in Can Tho. • If you want to do boat up Mekong River to Pnom Phenh, then you need to have two nights in Can Tho and Chau Doc before boat up to Pnom Phenh, Cambodia the third day. Please be advised that you must have Vietnam visa or Cambodia visa to go through border due to your nationality. Mekong Delta The Mekong Delta is the bottom half of Vietnam's two rice baskets, the other being the Red River Delta in the North. This vast delta is formed by the deposition of the multiple tentacles and tributaries of the mighty Mekong River which has its origin in the Tibetan highland plateau 2,800 miles away. From its source, the river makes its way through China, Myanmar (Burma), Laos, Cambodia and South Vietnam before flowing out into the South China Sea. The Mekong's Vietnamese name, Cuu Long, means Nine Dragons for the nine mouths that terminate the flow of this great river as it is absorbed by the sea. The people of south Vietnam are often very proud of the richness and vastness of this land. When referring to the rice fields in this area, they often say, "co bay thang canh", meaning the land is so large that the cranes can stretch their wings as they fly. Today, the region is one of Vietnam's highest producer of rice crops, vegetables and fruits. Life On The Mekong The Mekong Delta was an ancient Khmer territory. The area was mostly marshland and forest. When the Nguyen Lords took control of this region, a series of canals were built and a system of transportation was implemented in the maze of water ways in the area. The Mekong Delta is divided into 9 provinces: Long An, Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Dong Thap, An Giang, Vinh Long, Kien Giang, Hau Giang and Minh Hai. The people in this region are made up of Vietnamese and some people of Khmer, Chinese and Cham origin. This accounts for the variety of religions that add to the cultural diversity of this area. Among the religions practiced here are: Buddhism, Catholicism, Cao Dai, Hoa Hao and Islam. The southwest region of Vietnam is known for the vast rice fields and the huge plantations that make up the core of this region's economy. The region is also known for the many miles of waterways criss-crossing the land making this area both fertile and unique. Fruit Orchards The majority of Vietnam's fruits come from the many orchards of the Mekong Delta. On any given season, one can find a variety of tropical fruits that are produced by farmers of this region in the markets of Saigon, Hue, and Ha Noi. For many tropical fruits, the season is very short because they cannot be picked green and they don't last long in storage where they quickly loose their aroma. The greatest variety of fruits is available during the raining season, from June to September in the South. After they are picked, the fruits are transported on small boats to floating markets where they are sold to wholesale dealers. In the off-season, many orchards become flower nurseries to meet the peak demand for flowers during the new year celebration in the big cities. The orchards are divided by a myriad of small irrigation canals with delicate bamboo bridges called "Cau Khi" or monkey bridges crossing them. Life On The River The people living in the Mekong Delta make their living as farmers and fishermen. Often, they live right on the edge of the rivers or canals on various structures built from whatever materials found. Consequently, the architecture along the delta varies from place to place. Often, many homes have fisheries right under them. Enterprising individuals build a cage like structure of bamboo beneath their homes on these waterways to house fishes. As the fishes grew, they sell the whole batch to processors from the city and start with new ones. Life in the delta is tightly woven with its rivers as daily activities and businesses are conducted on its banks. Markets, stores, ship yards, repair shops are some of the more popular trades. Floating Markets Floating markets are held every morning from 5:00 to about 11:00. Phung Hiep market is the biggest since it is located at the intersection of 7 major canals. It is also a photographer's delight because it can be seen above from a bridge. Cai Rang and Phong Dien are two other notable floating markets in the delta. Boats loaded with produce from nearby orchards of the Mekong Delta converge to the floating market. They carry mostly fruits but also coconuts, vegetables and fishes. Buyers are local traders with bigger boats snapping everything by the bushels and resell at local markets or to wholesale dealers from big cities, often for a handsome profit. Large floating markets are not complete without its floating restaurants, floating gas stations and an occasional tour boat filled with tourists. Tropical Fruits in Vietnam Mangosteen The Mangosteen is a fruit that is unique to South-East Asia. The fruit is extremely hard to grow and it often takes 8-15 years for a tree to bear fruits. The rind of the mangosteen is dark purple marked by a yellowish resin. In terms of size and shape, the mangosteen is similar to the Japanese persimmon. It is also compared to a small tomato. When sliced at the equator, the mangosteen yields white segments of flesh. These segments taste sweet and sour and have a slight acid after-taste similar to grapes or strawberries. Rambutan The Rambutan, also known unofficially as Hairy Cherry, has its origin in the tropical low-lands of Malaysia. The name rambutan came from the Malay word 'rambut' for hair. Today, the rambutan is grown in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. The fruit is about 5 cm long and has soft fleshy hair from 2 to 3 cm long over the entire surface. The peel turns from green to yellow to red as the fruit ripens. Once peeled the fruit yields a flesh that is white and firm. The rambutans grow in large bunches on trees that are 20 m high. Sapodilla Sapodilla is one of several fruits which were brought to South-East Asia from Central America. During their occupation of the Philippines, the Spaniard brought this fruit to the country and eventually it was exported to the rest of region. When ripe, the fruit is very sweet, and has a molasses-like taste. The peel is thin and brown and the flesh itself is light brown. It is best eaten a couple days after it is picked, to wait for its resin to dry. Sweet-sop Sweet-sop, sugar-apple, and custard-apple are names given to this fruit from South America. Like the pomegranate, the sweet-sop is packed with seeds. The edible pulp is a thin layer covering the individual seed. The outer layers appear to be rough and scaly. The fruit is green even when it is ripe. Longan In Vietnamese, "long nhan" means dragon eye. The Longan is a close relative to the litchi. Longans are grown mostly in the cooler highlands of South-East Asia. It was brought here by Chinese immigrants as they migrated south and settled in various areas. The peel is brown and brittle. The meat is translucent white and is very juicy and sweet. In Vietnam, dried longans are cooked in water to make a dessert drink called 'nuoc long nhan'. Star Fruit The starfruit is a native fruit of South-East Asia.