Weekend getaway in Can Tho: Where to go?

To start your day, you should visit Cai Rang Floating Market (Cai Rang District, Can Tho City). This is the busiest floating market in the Mekong Delta and is ranked among the top 50 most exciting experiential tours in the country by the Vietnam Record Organization (VietKings).

Around 3 a.m., the Cai Rang floating market begins its day. The twinkling lights of the merchants illuminate a stretch of the river. Boats and ships arrive not only from the local area but also from Bac Lieu, Dong Thap, Soc Trang, Ca Mau , and other provinces.

Tourists visit and enjoy fresh fruit at Cai Rang floating market.

When visiting the floating market by boat, everyone should try to catch the most beautiful moment: the sunrise. The market begins with the lively sounds of vendors shouting and hawking their wares. Goods are transported back and forth on the river in a bustling manner, including all kinds of boats, large and small, small and large, five-leaf and three-leaf canoes. Cai Rang floating market sells a wide variety of goods, most notably "homegrown" fruits, giving visitors plenty to choose from.

Cai Rang floating market is also one of the most famous destinations in Can Tho.

If you're going to Cai Rang floating market, you should definitely go on an empty stomach. They sell a wide variety of dishes like noodle soups such as hu tieu, bun rieu, bun mam, bun nuoc leo, banh canh, com tam, banh tam, and banh mi with meat; as well as drinks like coffee, tea, fruit juice, and fresh coconut water. Just order your favorite dish, and the vendor will paddle right up to your boat, quickly adding ingredients to your bowl, pouring in hot broth, and then passing it to you.

Every day, many tourist boats visit the floating market.

For many tourists, Cai Rang floating market is a must-see destination when visiting the Mekong Delta. Some have been there several times and still don't tire of the lively and bustling atmosphere of the trading life. Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Bich (37 years old, from Quang Binh province) happily said: "Sitting on a boat early in the morning, sipping coffee and eating a hot bowl of noodle soup, it feels so good. The traders are enthusiastic, cheerful, and sometimes spontaneously shouting their wares in a charming way."

Tourists visit and buy noodle soup at Cai Rang floating market.

"Escaping the sun" at Son Island

Leaving Cai Rang floating market, you can head to Son islet (Bui Huu Nghia Ward, Binh Thuy District, Can Tho City), an ideal place to escape the heat and take a midday rest. Son islet, a green island in the middle of the Hau River, is blessed with abundant fruit trees.

For visitors accustomed to city life, a first visit to Son Island will surely be refreshing as they stroll through shady orchards and breathe in the fresh air. Along the breezy embankment lies the peaceful and tranquil scenery of simple, rustic local houses.

Con Son Island is a destination that offers visitors fresh, cool air and the opportunity to immerse themselves in the natural beauty of the riverine region.

The alluvial soil of Son Island allows for abundant fruit trees year-round. Almost every month offers at least one type of fruit, such as longan, rambutan, star apple, and green strawberries. The peak fruit season is from March to May (lunar calendar). What could be better than escaping the heat in the orchards and picking ripe fruit to eat right away, experiencing the richness of this land?

Tourists experience koi fish massage at a fish farm located at the entrance to Son Island.

It would be a shame to visit Son Island without stopping by Bay Bon's fish farm – known as the "midwife" of rare fish species. This place breeds and preserves many valuable Mekong River fish species such as: giant catfish, oil catfish, spotted catfish, spotted snakehead, and loach… Besides the experience of feeding the fish, those who enjoy unusual sensations can also try a foot massage service from the unique "employees" – thousands of Koi fish.

Tourists explore fish farms in the middle of the Hau River, near Son islet.

Another highlight of tourism on Son Island is the performances by "fish circus king" Thanh Tam, who shows snakehead fish flying, snakehead fish drinking from bottles, and catfish swimming in shallow water. "It's amazing how when the owner rings the bell, the fish respond by splashing around, and when food is thrown in, they all jump up to snatch it. It's truly unique; I've only seen this in the waterways of the Mekong Delta," said Nguyen Ngoc Bao (29 years old, from Da Lat) excitedly.

Grilled snakehead fish is always available to treat visitors to Son Island.

Grilled fish wrapped in lotus leaves is also a famous specialty of Son Island.

Fish hotpot with vinegar dipping sauce is also a favorite dish among tourists visiting Son Island.

Con Son Island is isolated from the mainland, but you shouldn't worry because you can have lunch here with many local dishes such as fish sauce hotpot, sour fish soup, and water hyacinth salad with shrimp and meat. Especially, stop to enjoy traditional cakes and experience the feeling of grinding flour yourself and making jackfruit leaf cakes, rolled cakes, and sponge cakes in the style of the people of the Mekong Delta.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/cuoi-tuan-trai-nghiem-can-tho-nen-di-dau-185231028182632101.htm