- The Phong Dien floating market is located about 20 kilometres southwest of Can Tho. It is smaller but has the advantage of being less touristy than the one in Cai Rang and motor boats are rarer than elsewhere. On your way to the floating market of Phong Dien you will be surprised to see the daily hustle and bustle of the boats covered with fruits, vegetables and other food and handicrafts. A local commercial tradition that is still very much alive despite the new infrastructures.
- The floating market of Phung Hiep is located on the eponymous river 30 kilometres south of the city of Can Tho. It is a beautiful market, typical of the delta where one crosses boats loaded with watermelons, melons, carrots, sweet potatoes, fruits, or onions. But the market of Phung Hiep is above all famous for the sale of reptiles of all kinds and especially snakes which will be then resold for the majority to restaurateurs who have made it their speciality.
Visit of the old house of Binh Thuy
The old Binh Thuy house is one of the few French houses in the Mekong Delta that is still intact. This superbly preserved bourgeois house was built in 1870 by the grandfather of the current owner, who wished to devote a cult to his ancestors. This typical Mekong Delta residence, surrounded by a beautiful garden of almost one hectare, was also used as a set for the filming of the film "L'Amant" by Jean-Jacques Annaud, an adaptation of the novel by Marguerite Duras who lived in the Mekong Delta, in Sadec.
Can Tho, an exciting destination
Discovering the floating markets is certainly the main tourist attraction of Can Tho, but its surroundings are well worth exploring as there are many curiosities to discover.
+ Visit the land-based markets such as An Binh market which offers its visitors an animation as well as a great variety of seafood, turtles, snakes or fish which has nothing to envy to the floating markets. It is a possibility to eat there to taste some of the culinary specialties of the region.
+ Boat trip to appreciate the superb scenic heritage of Can Tho. As you weave your way through the zig zag of canals and arroyos drowned by dense vegetation, you have a front row seat to observe local life and appreciate the villages on stilts.
+ Biking in the countryside through the huge expanses of rice fields and feasting on tasty tropical fruits in the numerous orchards.
+ Discover the rich local handicrafts: family workshops of coconut sweets making, handicraft manufacture of rice leaves and noodles, wooden objects, basketry, pottery etc...
+ Discover a religious heritage as surprising as it is varied: Vietnamese, Khmer and Chinese churches, pagodas and other caodaïst temples with bright and unreal colours.
+ Staying overnight in a local's house is possible in Can Tho and is an excellent opportunity to immerse yourself in the local culture.
+ Eating at Can Tho's night market to mingle with the locals and to discover some local culinary specialties such as the Vietnamese banh xeo pancake, elephant-eared fish or the beautiful delta shrimp grilled with pepper.
Best season to visit Can Tho:
It is best to visit Can Tho between November and April during the dry season. Don't worry, during the rainy season, the storms are intense but brief and the sun comes back quickly!
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