CAN THO TRAVEL GUIDE
Can Tho is the biggest city of the Mekong Delta, in Vietnam with an estimated population of 1,5 million as of 2012. The name comes from "cầm thi giang" - river of poems. It is also referred to as "Tay Do" meaning "Western capital". The city is famous for its floating markets, Buddhist pagodas, delicious food and fresh fruits and the beauty of the Mekong delta.
Although developing fast (about 10% growth per year since 2004), it retains its charm as the center of a rural area, as urban development is taking place in a rather orderly manner.
Can Tho is located on the south bank of the Hau River, the bigger branch of the Mekong River. It is in vicinity to Soc Trang, 1.5 hours from Long Xuyen , 3 hours from Chau Doc and Rach Gia , about 6 hours from Ca Mau, and 169 km (3 hours) from Ho Chi Minh City.
The climate is tropical and monsoonal with two seasons: rainy, from May to November; and dry, from December to April. Average annual humidity is 83%, rainfall 1,635 mm and temperature 27 °C.
Understand
Can Tho is a large city. Even though it's quite big, there is a very compact central area where numerous hotels, markets and restaurants can be found. Similar to other Vietnamese cities in the Delta, the central area (along Hai Ba Trung street) really comes alive after the sun goes down. During the day don't expect to see much interesting, after dark the area becomes a gathering point for locals and tourists and a great place to just hang out and shop the numerous authentic Vietnamese stores or eat at the restaurants, some of them offering really excellent value for the money. Overall it's a very friendly city and a much less crowded with traffic then HCMC. A great place to get a feel for the "real" Vietnam.
Can Tho is a place to experience the local life in a relaxed way. It is like a real life cultural experience and there are many things to do. While there are a couple of museums, they only open on special days and even expats living in the city may have never visited them or even heard of them. Traveling in the Mekong Delta is about experiencing the here and now and feeling the fast pacing change that is going on in Asia, where "the old" is constantly merging with "the new". The most famous activity in Can Tho in the morning is certainly the visit of the floating market, but there is much more to the city.
Floating Markets
The floating markets are a very lively scene, accommodating much of the goods exchange throughout the area. And, the canal system around Can Tho is a fascinating travel network, much more relaxing than the bustling roads. Longer tours on a private boat to the floating markets usually include traveling through the canals as well. Make sure the boat you book is a small boat that can take you through the small canals that the larger tour boats cannot navigate. You can rent a boat from the "boat ladies" at the Ninh Kieu pier or from local tour agents. Often they can pick you up at your hotel and the tour included some snacks. Prices depend on your negotiation skills and the longer the tour, the cheaper. On August 2013, starting prices of private boats to the floating markets are about 19$ for a 3 hour tour to Cai Rang floating market and about 39$ for a 7 hour tour to both markets - Cai Rang and Phong Dien - and canals. It could be bargained down and the price also depends on the quality and state of the boat. Make sure that the boat has a shade, so you do not sit in the sun for too long.
Eat
Local fruits
Can Tho is famous for its delicate cuisine and extra-fresh fruit and vegetables, and a good place to try and eat unknown fruits. Among the local produce, you may like to try the different varieties of mangoes, oranges, jackfruit, pomeloes, grapefruit, but also custard apple, corossol, longans or even durian. A place where the locals buy fruits are the markets like Xuan Khanh Market.