Mekong Delta 2 Day Tour Review: My Tho & Can Tho Homestay

Okay, so leaving the non-stop energy of Ho Chi Minh City behind for a couple of days felt, you know, like a really good idea. Honestly, I was looking for something a bit more authentic, a real look into the lifeblood of Southern Vietnam. The ‘Mekong Delta 2 days in My Tho Ben Tre and Can Tho Homestay’ tour sounded pretty much perfect. It’s almost like it promised a little bit of everything: the river, local life, real food, and not just a quick day trip. Frankly, I wasn’t sure what to expect from a homestay, but the thought of it was sort of exciting. As a matter of fact, I wanted to see how people really live on the water, away from the city’s tall buildings. This trip, basically, seemed to offer just that—a chance to slow down and just see things, you know, as they are. It’s often said that the Mekong is the rice bowl of Vietnam, and I was really keen to understand what that actually meant. So, with a small bag packed, I was completely ready for whatever this experience had in store for me.

Day One Kick-Off: From Ho Chi Minh City to My Tho’s Waterways

The first day, well, it began with a pickup in a comfortable van, which was honestly a relief. The drive out of the city is, in itself, sort of a spectacle. You just watch the urban scenery slowly give way to these massive, green rice paddies, which is really cool. Anyway, our guide for the trip started sharing stories right away, which was a nice touch. First, we got to My Tho, and things almost immediately shifted gear. This is that point where the land-based part of your day pretty much ends and the water world begins. We got on this bigger, motorized boat, and frankly, the feeling was just incredible. The river is so wide there, it’s a bit hard to get your head around. It’s pretty much the main highway for everyone, with boats of all sizes going about their business. As a matter of fact, the air changes; it’s a little more humid but smells like fresh water and plants.

Pretty much the first stop was this little coconut candy workshop. At the end of the day, you see these things for sale everywhere, but seeing how they’re made is something else entirely. They showed us the whole process, right from opening the coconut to wrapping the final little candy. Honestly, it was a seriously impressive operation, all done by hand. We, of course, got to sample some, and it was still warm—so, so good. Then, it was time for a fruit tasting, which was literally a feast for the eyes and the stomach. They presented a platter with stuff like dragon fruit, pineapple, and jackfruit, all picked right there. While we ate, some local folks played traditional music for us. I mean, it’s obviously put on for people like us, but it still felt very genuine and was just a lovely, peaceful moment on the river. The sounds were so different from anything I’d heard before, kind of gentle and melodic.

Afternoon in Ben Tre: Coconuts and Sampan Rides

After a bit, we hopped off the big boat and were led towards something a little more intimate. Okay, this next part was absolutely one of the big highlights for me. We were headed for Ben Tre, which is apparently famous as the coconut capital of Vietnam. The main event here was a ride on a sampan, which is basically a small, wooden boat rowed by hand. You just get into these tiny boats, usually with one or two other people, and a local person, often a woman wearing a traditional conical hat, rows you through these incredibly narrow, palm-fringed canals. To be honest, it feels like you’ve entered a different world. It’s so quiet; you can just hear the sound of the oar dipping into the water and the insects buzzing in the trees. You duck under low-hanging palm fronds, and you are literally in the thick of the jungle, just gliding along. It’s sort of magical, really.

The water is this murky green, and all around you, it’s just a wall of foliage. You see little houses on stilts tucked away in the trees, and you wonder, you know, what life must be like there. After the serene boat ride, they took us for a late lunch at a local spot. The food was fantastic—very fresh and completely different from city food. We had elephant ear fish, which you wrap in rice paper with herbs, and it was just an amazing thing to eat. At the end of the day, it was simple food, but the flavors were incredibly clean and vibrant. It was the kind of meal that really makes you feel connected to the place you’re in. This whole part of the day was pretty much about experiencing the delta at a slower, more human pace, which was exactly what I was hoping for.

Evening Arrival and Our Can Tho Homestay Experience

So, as the afternoon started to fade, we got back on the road for the drive to Can Tho, which is a bit deeper into the delta. Frankly, I was feeling a little tired but also very excited for the homestay part of the trip. The word ‘homestay’ can mean a lot of things, you know, and I wasn’t entirely sure what this would be like. Well, it turned out to be a really wonderful experience. We arrived at this lovely, simple house right by a smaller river, surrounded by fruit trees. It wasn’t a fancy hotel, and that was the whole point. It was just a real home. Our hosts were this incredibly warm family who greeted us with big smiles and fresh coconuts to drink from. They spoke a little English, and our guide helped translate, but honestly, a lot of the communication happened through gestures and smiles, which was kind of beautiful in its own way.

The rooms were basic but very clean and comfortable, with mosquito nets over the beds, which is obviously a must. That evening, we were invited to help prepare dinner in the kitchen. This was so much fun. We were shown how to make Vietnamese spring rolls, chopping up vegetables and trying our hand at rolling them. We all sat down together for the meal—our group, the guide, and the host family. It felt less like a tour and more like having dinner with new friends. The food was, again, just incredible—simple dishes made with ingredients picked from their own garden. It’s really at this point you understand what ‘farm-to-table’ actually means. As night fell, the sounds of the delta came alive. It’s a chorus of frogs and insects, a sound that is just so peaceful. Honestly, sitting on the porch, listening to the night, I felt a million miles away from my normal life.

Day Two Morning: The Famous Cai Rang Floating Market

The next morning started seriously early, like before the sun was even up. But you know what? It was completely worth it. The reason for the early start was to see the Cai Rang floating market, which is apparently the biggest of its kind in the Mekong Delta. We got on another boat in the dark and headed out onto the main river. As the sun started to rise, the whole scene just unfolded in front of us. It’s almost a bit of organized chaos. There are dozens, maybe hundreds, of boats all gathered together, each one loaded with goods. Big boats act as wholesalers, piled high with pineapples, watermelons, or sweet potatoes. They hang a sample of what they’re selling from a tall bamboo pole so smaller buyer boats can see what’s on offer from a distance. It’s a seriously clever system, you know.

Our boat driver expertly navigated us right into the middle of the action. People were shouting, laughing, and throwing goods from one boat to another. It was just so full of life and energy. And of course, there are food boats, which are basically floating cafes. One boat pulled up alongside ours, and a woman whipped up some incredible noodle soup for our breakfast, handing the steaming bowls across to us. I mean, eating hot noodle soup on a tiny boat in the middle of a massive floating market as the sun comes up? That is an experience I will absolutely never forget. We also got to try a “boat-side” coffee, which was strong and sweet. At the end of the day, it’s a functioning, real market where local people do business, not just a tourist show, and you can really feel that authenticity.

A Few Final Thoughts and Tips for Your Trip

So, if you’re thinking about doing a trip like this, I have a few little pieces of advice. First, just embrace the simplicity of it all. The homestay is, by definition, not a hotel, so just go with the flow and enjoy the hospitality, which is really its main charm. Also, pack light clothes that breathe, because it can get quite humid. A hat and sunscreen are, obviously, a must. As a matter of fact, you should bring some insect repellent, especially for the evenings by the water. I would also suggest having a little bit of small cash on hand for any small souvenirs or extra snacks you might want to buy at the market, you know, just in case. Don’t be afraid to try all the food; honestly, it was a huge highlight of the entire trip.

And I think, more than anything, just be open. Talk to your guide, ask questions, try to interact with the local people even if it’s just with a smile. It makes the whole experience so much richer. This 2-day tour, for me, was just the right amount of time. It gave a much deeper insight than a single-day trip could ever offer, especially with the homestay experience. It really shows you a side of Vietnam that is so fundamental to its character and its people. You really get a sense of the rhythm of life on the river, and it’s a rhythm that is both very peaceful and full of life at the same time. Basically, it’s a trip I would thoroughly recommend to anyone wanting to see beyond the busy cities.

“At the end of the day, the homestay and the floating market weren’t just sights to see; they were moments to live. You don’t just observe the Mekong Delta on this tour; you sort of become a small part of it for a little while.”

Read our full review: [Mekong Delta 2 Day Tour Review Full Review and Details]

See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now ([Reserve Your Mekong Delta 2-Day Tour])