Authentic Mekong Delta Day Trip from Ho Chi Minh City: How We Avoided Tourist Traps

Go the road, or river, less travelled and hop a speedboat for a Mekong Delta day trip from Ho Chi Minh City, an authentic alternative to the usual tours that lets you watch rural life unfold without another tourist in sight.

Fruit orchard stroll in the Mekong Delta.

We’ve all heard about the Mekong Delta’s famous floating markets like Cai Rang and Phong Dien and were stoked to see them in action. But after doing our trip planning homework, we were pretty gutted to learn they’re on the decline, thanks to rising development and changing trade habits. Cai Rang is still active, but mostly caters to tourists. Do you really want to wake up at 3 AM, travel for hours, and end up surrounded by a throng of tourists photographing a few farmers?

After many hours of research, we learned that most private or group Mekong Delta day trips from Ho Chi Minh City are pretty formulaic, bound for the coconut candy factory and commercial orchards of the Mekong Delta. But we took the road, or river, less travelled, hopping on a speedboat with just eight other people, and it completely changed how we experienced the Mekong Delta.

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AUTHENTIC ALTERNATIVE TO THE USUAL MEKONG DELTA TOURS

We were picked up sharp at 8 AM by a van at our hotel, and after two quick stops to grab a few more guests, we were at the harbour in 10 minutes for a quick toilet break (pro tip: bring your own toilet roll and hand sanitiser!). And just in case you’re wondering, no, the speedboat doesn’t come with a toilet.

The boat was pretty comfortable, with enough space for everyone to stretch out, plus an awning to shield us from the sun (or, we assume, the occasional rain). We were also provided with life jackets, which we had to wear for the entire trip—safety first!

Stilt houses hug the banks of the Saigon River, telling quiet stories of resilience and resourcefulness.

As we zipped through Ho Chi Minh City's District 8, we passed the stilt-house communities that once numbered 40,000 but are now down to 20,000, thanks to government relocation programs. These families live on about $500-700 USD per month, a humbling contrast to the modern development happening elsewhere in the city.

He collects 100 bottles from the Saigon River and trades them for US$1. By any measure, it is a brutal exchange. And yet, when he looked up from the water, there was no despair in his eyes. Just calm, dignity, and the steady rhythm of a life lived as it is, not as we imagine it should be.

Moments like this are why we wanted to see the Mekong Delta beyond the polished tours, to understand daily life as it really unfolds along the riverbanks, unfiltered, uncurated, and quietly extraordinary.

Lime groves in the Mekong Delta where the air smells citrusy-fresh. Farmers pivoted to these tangy treasures as rising salt levels made rice a tougher crop to grow.

We kicked things off with a visit to a lime farmer’s house and groves. This guy’s considered pretty well-off for a landowner, so it was cool to see his home and get a peek into life in this hardworking, lush region.

Just your average day in the Mekong Delta: a farmer's pet python named Lisa and a lime farm in the backyard. Because why have a guard dog when you can have a 45 kg snake? Naturally, James had to hold her and let’s just say, she was about as heavy as wearing Shal around his neck and the experience was mildly terrifying!

Next up, we stopped by Thu Thua Market. By the time we arrived, most of the hustle and bustle had died down, but we still caught a few locals shopping for meat, veggies, live ducklings, and other random bits.

Quick hands, quicker deals: Catching the rhythm of daily life as a produce vendor seals the deal at Thu Thua Market, one bunch of herbs at a time.

Then it was off to the Thu Thua Cao Dai Temple, a colourful tri-faith pagoda blending Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism into Caodaism—basically a symbol of religious harmony and unity.

Thu Thua Cao Dai Temple

Thu Thua Cao Dai Temple

We also popped by a beautifully kept orphanage run by local monks. No surprise, James became an instant celebrity. A group of boys swarmed him just to say "hello" and ask his name with no ulterior motive, just pure, heartwarming curiosity.

We hopped on a sampan (a traditional wooden rowboat for two) and cruised through scenic canals for about 20 minutes to a local lunch. While the food wasn’t quite Shal’s thing (though her shellfish allergy was well-catered for), we sat with a mom-son duo from the boat and had a great time kicking back a couple fresh coconuts and super cheap beers.

(Note: The beers were the only thing during the entire day that wasn't included in the tour price and had to be paid in cash.)

Throughout the trip, the boat crew was fantastic, keeping us captivated with interesting stories about the people working on the river, hydrating us with unlimited water, and offering fresh, local fruits to snack on. They even handed out banh mi sandwiches for breakfast if you happened to miss your hotel’s spread.

After lunch, we zipped back on a speedboat and were dropped off at our hotel by around 3:30 PM. The Mekong Delta tour from Ho Chi Minh City (£89 pp; converted: €103 / US$120) was well-organised, and we really got to experience life outside the city, an authentic slice of the Mekong.

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