Saigon to Ben Tre and Can Tho via Mekong Villages
8 am: Get picked up from your hotel in Saigon and drive to Ben Tre for about 2 hours. On arrival at Hung Vuong Pier, board a boat and cruise along the Ham Luong River, a branch of the Mekong. Stop at various local workplaces to get a picture of how the local economy works, including a brick kiln where bricks are still painstakingly made by hand, and a coconut processing workshop, where you can see how skillfully and quickly coconut shells are peeled. Learn about the different uses of each part of the coconut.
Then, walk around the village and stop briefly at a local house, where you can see people weaving mats on a handloom - and even have a go at weaving yourself.
Next, hop onto a motorized rickshaw for a fun ride along the quiet and beautiful country roads to Hai Ho restaurant for a delicious lunch with local specialties such as elephant-ear fish, river shrimp, and an iced soft drink or beer.
After lunch, ride a bike to a local family house, Mr Khanh's family, where you can contemplate the antique pottery collection, enjoy coconut water, and feel the enthusiasm and hospitality of the people here.
Then, ride your bike back to the restaurant and finish your cycling trip there.
Get on a rowing boat and move along the natural canals. Return to the big boat and cruise back to Hung Vuong Pier. Then make your way via Ham Luong and Co Chien ferry to Can Tho, where you will check in to a 3-star hotel.