Highlights:
The ‘rice bowl’ of Vietnam, the Mekong Delta is a landscape carpeted in a dizzying variety of green and slashed with mighty waterways. It's a water world where boats, houses, restaurants and even markets float upon the innumerable rivers, canals and streams that flow through the region like arteries. At times you can quite simply lose sight of land.
The area is both riparian and deeply rural, but it's also one of Vietnam's most densely populated regions, with nearly every hectare intensively farmed. Visitors can dwell on southern charm in little-visited riverside cities, sample fruits traded in the colourful floating markets, or feast on home-cooked delicacies before overnighting as a homestay guest. Mangrove forests, sacred Khmer pagodas and off-the-beaten-track attractions round out the picture.
Those seeking tropical hideaways can come ashore on Con dao, a divine forested island fringed with white-sand beaches and crisscrossed with empty dirt roads that simply beg for motorbike exploration.
There are 16 small islands that make up the Con Dao Group off the Southern coast of Vietnam.
It is worth considering Con Dao which could be a great place to relax during yourVietnam holiday.
This is one of the best places in Vietnam to ride a bike, with little traffic, no pollution and good surfaced roads. There's only one main road, connecting the airport in the north to Ben Dam in the south via Con Son town.
There are good coastal cycling routes, such as from Con Son town to Bai Nhat and on to the tiny settlement of Ben Dam. The ups and downs are pretty gentle. Be very careful of the high winds around Mui Ca Map (south of Con Son town); locals have been blown off their bikes during gales.
14 Days - Cycling trip in Mekong is the best way to explore magnificent scenic beauty and contamplate quaint village life, vibrant floating markets, swimming in emerald water on crystal sand beach. Tasting fresh seafood in oriental architecture restaurant
Cycling through Mekong Delta is great journey for us to explore the culture, Customes and daily life of three main tribes who have been preserving and developing unique national identity of southern Vietnam
Day 1: Saigon Arrival.
Welcome to : “The Fearl of Far East City - Saigon” - (Ho Chi Minh City). Arrive in the late morning and enjoy an orientation tour through Saigon’s bustling streets en route to the hotel. Enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure to recover from jet lag and explore the city on your own. In the evening, enjoy the welcome dinner at one of the finest restaurants in town.
Summary:
Activity: Transferring and meeting group
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: The Northern Hotel****
Day 2: Hochiminh – Cuchi Tunnel – Transfer to Cai Be
Pick up at your hotel and transfer with bikes for an hour to the outskirts of Saigon. Cycle on single track trails through a village where farmers of Cu Chi doing their daily life such as, making bamboo baskets, bamboo furniture, and collecting rubber latex. You will also see big rural family rice-paper workshops. This land was not only the hidden area but also fighting and living area of Viet Cong during the Vietnam War from 1965 to 1975. Have a picnic lunch after visiting the tunnel, then transfer Cai Be Town. Upon arriving we commence cycling to another local ferry where we will cross the Mekong River to ride to local eco guest house on the island. In the evening, We join with the host to cook some local dishes. Enjoy our dinner.overnight on the island.
Summary:
Cycling distance: 40 – 75 km
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Mekong Riverside Resort****
Day 3: Cai Be Cycling - Tra Vinh
Following to breakfast in hotel, we gear up our bike to ferry then cross the Mekong River by ferryboat and then ride to Mo Cay. We spend our time to visit the city, which was considered the homeland of communists during the Vietnam War.Then, we’ll keep cycling through villages on paths and tracks to the Khmer town of Tra Vinh. There, we’ll visit the historical Ba Om Pond and oldest Ang pagoda. cycling through the kingdom of Coconut in Ben Tre. Take a local ferry crossing the Mighty Mekong River,cycle to hotel in Tra Vinh.
Summary:
Cycling distance: 40 – 60 km
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Cuu Long Hotel***
Day 4: Tra Vinh Cycling to Can Tho
Have hearty breakfast in hotel. We start new cycling day by riding through endless rice paddy fields. You have chance to experience why Vietnam is the second export rice after Thailand. Then you will ride past traditional villages of Khmer, most of people here still keep their own traditional way of living style. Thacth houses are still popular used and associated within Khmer communities in Vietnam. Stopping at some colourful Khmer Buddhist temples, right here our bike guides will tell you the big difference between two branches of Buddhism. One is Mahayana and other is called Theravada. Continue your bike adventure in the afternoon with exploring tropical fruit orchards and mingle with crowd on bike on islands of pomelo, longan and orange. The cycling of an afternoon give an opportunity to spend more time on ferry through bendy small river to outskirts of Can Tho city. A 30 minutes transfer will to take to hotel for beers and relax.’
Summary:
Cycling distance: 45 – 82 km
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Ninh Kieu 2 Hotel****
Day 5: Can Tho – Long Xuyen
An early start as you take a boat trip along the Hau River to the Cai Rang floating market, one of the biggest in Vietnam, here you will witness a mass of wooden boats of all sizes converging to sell their wares. Your small boat allows you to weave in-between these waterborne traders getting up close and personal, great for photo opportunities and buying some produce yourself! Afterwards it is back on the bicycles as you pedal amongst vivid greens and friendly faces. You are now heading deeper into the delta and the roads narrow and the traffic becomes lighter. Absorb the sights as you cycle past endless cottage industries, timber merchants, coconut shredders, small docks loading/unloading rice, and tiny vibrant markets. In the afternoon you enjoy a gentle coast through one of the most scenic parts of the delta as you follow the Mekong through traditional villages and past fish farms, over small bridges, a more rural feel… arrival Long xuyen. Over night in Long Xuyen
Summary:
Cycling distance: 45 – 65 km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Hoa Binh 1 Hotel****
Day 6: Long Xuyen – Floating Market – Cycling to Chau Doc
Today the scenery is completely contrast with last day. After taking short transfer to Tri Ton, we commene riding on . gently undulate and mountains begin to loom as you ride closer and closer to Chau Doc. The presence of Thot not trees indicates the growing proximity to Cambodia and the local people speak Vietnamese as their second language. This afternoon you will cycle to the killing fields of Vietnam at Ba Chuc, where Polpot’s regime massacred over 3,000 Vietnamese in 1978. The route loops round to Chau Doc from Ba Chuc along the border, or re-track back to Tri Ton (depending on road conditions) and ride the rest of the way to Chau Doc along incredible country roads. Those with energy to spare can climb Sam Mountain for sunset (if the time and the weather is available)! Have dinner and stay overnight in Chau Doc
Summary:
Cycling distance: 45 – 80 km
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Victoria Chau Doc hotel***
Day 7: Chau Doc– Cycling to Ha Tien
Another early start as you board a boat and explore the amazing riverside market with all its bustling activity and smorgasbord of sounds, colours, and smells. The boat continues through fish farm villages where tons and tons of fish are bred in cages beneath floating homes, to an ethnic Cham village with its famous Mubarak Mosque. Here you will also witness women weaving using traditional methods. You then cycle along a pleasant road, passing vibrant green rice fields, crossing many bridges, seeing towering limestone formations in the distance. There is plenty along the way to see, from the contrasting architectural styles of ethnic Khmer homes, to the numerous colourful Khmer pagodas now you are getting closer to Cambodia. By the late afternoon you arrive in Ha Tien which has a forgotten feel but still retains a certain charm with its shuttered terraces, crumbling colonial buildings and mats of seafood drying in the sun…
Summary:
Cycling distance: 40 – 70 km
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Green Island Hotel****
Day 8: Ha Tien – Rach Gia
Having hearty breakfast in hotel, our shuttle bus take us out of city to avoid the busy traffic. Upon arriving of cycling point, we commence our cycling trip from crossing over the To Chau bridge where the sea meets the river on our way into town.
Rach Gia is at the south coast and there are many limestone mountains to see along the way.We’ll be cycling to Hon Chong, a Buddhist pilgrimage site with a sacred pagoda.There, we’ll enjoy lunch at the top of a hill overlooking the sea. Cycling on scenic route, passing many limestone mountains to Rach Gia Town
Summary:
Cycling distance: 40 – 70 km
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation:Hoa Binh Rach Gia Resort****
Day 9: Rach Gia - U Minh – Ca Mau
Today is another fascinating cycling day in our trip as we cycle on back road, passing many stunning scenery and quaint villages.
Following to hearty breakfast, we hook up our bike from hotel, cycle on single track and back road through cajuput forest for 15 km. Then we turn off the scenic route along the coast before crossing some ferry to Tac Cau.
We ride past tiny villages that Vietnamese and Chinese and Khmer living along river bank. You can see locals living use boat as main mean transport; cargo boats, water taxi, family high-speed boats with long tailed engine moving from different directions. Have lunch in local Restaurant.
Following to lunch meals, we gear up our bike on smooth path through untouched villages, small jungle. Especially, we cycle the real back roads a long remote rivers; see many stilt houses, timber factories, and mangrove forest.Turn off the paved road lead to Ca Mau city.
Summary:
Cycling distance: 40 – 80 km
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Muong Thanh Luxury****
Day 10: Ca Mau –Bac Lieu
Today is actually great and a long day for us to witness most from real life of local in untouched countryside, especially the way of earning a living.
Countryside of rural Dists in Ca Mau is beautiful. You can see farmers working on farmland with buffaloes and cows. Many shelters along the country back roads are small for ducks, cows buffaloes and we could stop for photo taken. It is because they go fast and also could go on shallow water rivers and canals. We pedal cross salt fields and shrimp farms and mangrove forest before we stop at Ganh Hao for lunch. This afternoon gives a you a chance to experience daily activities in the areas that water way is a regular transport; small and long composit boats with long tailed engines are almost seen here
Summary:
Cycling distance: 40 – 85 km
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: New Palace Hotel****
Day 11: Bac Lieu – Soc Trang
Today is really contrastly sight against yesterday whilst we cylce through tranquil villages and bustling riverside markets before we reach and cycle on quiet back roads closed to ocean
You will enjoy and experience a leisurely way of local life, friendly people in countryside villages until you reach the Vinh Chau town. Having lunch in town.
We continue our trip through gently undulating farmland filled with large shrimp and fish farms and untouched remote villages to Bat Pogada where you can observe hundred bats hanging in Pagoda and on Trees. After visiting Bat pagoda, we hold on our bike to Soc Trang City.
Summary:
Cycling distance: 50 – 80 km
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: New Palace Hotel****
Day 12: Soc Trang – Con Dao
Following to breakfast, our shuttle bus take us to Ferry to catch morning Hydrofoil to Con Dao Island.
After 90 munites relax on high speed boat, we arrive in Cao Dao Island.Meet our support vehicle to transfer hotel for relax.
Summary:
Cycling distance: No
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Con Dao Resort****