Depart your hotel early this morning for the 3.5-hour drive to Sa Dec, deep in the Mekong Delta.

Sa Dec is a charming, authentic Mekong Delta town that seems to have escaped the modernization that has swept much of Vietnam. The town was immortalized by the French writer Marguerite Duras who spent 04 years here from 1928 – 1932.  Her novel “The Lover” went on to win the 1984 Prix Goncourt prize for literature. On arrival in Sa Dec, visit the charming Kien An Cung Pagoda before having lunch in the former home of Huynh Thuy Le who is the main character in Marguerite Duras’ novel.   

After lunch, board your boat for the cruise to Cai Be. Sit back and enjoy the lush landscape and tropical life of the Mekong Delta. En route visit a flower garden as well as floating houses along a branch of the Mekong River where fish are raised in submerged cages. Make a stop at a traditional mat making workshop where river grasses are woven by hand.

Note: There is another option to drive to Vinh Long in your private air-condition vehicle after lunch instead of doing the cruise on the river from Sa Dec. You will then board your boat in Vinh Long and cruise towards Cai Be. Please check with your travel consultant for the best route that suits your need.

Reach the river town of Vinh Long to visit one of the biggest brick factories in the Mekong Delta. In this traditional factory the process of making bricks is done by hand and the imagery seems timeless.

Back on the boat cross the Co Chien River, one of the two branches of the Mekong towards An Binh, Binh Hoa Phuc Islands and finally the Dong Phu canal and your final destination of Cai Be.

Continue down river to The Mekong Riverside resort & spa perfectly situated overlooking a branch of the Mekong River.

Rest of the evening at leisure.

Overnight at the Mekong Riverside resort & Spa.

Ho Chi Minh City to Cai Be (100km): 2 hours

Early this morning take a sunrise boat cruise to the quiet but quaint Cai Be floating market. Produce at the market is hung on a pole in front of boats to attract customers and make it easier for people to see from afar what is on offer. Traders work the river and some have been living on these waters for generations, however like elsewhere in the delta the floating market here has become much smaller in recent years due to development and improvements in infrastructure.. 

Continue 50 minutes by boat to an area of the Mekong untouched by tourism. Here take a leisurely 7km cycling trip which takes you along shady back roads over tiny canals, past fruit gardens and sleepy villages. If you don’t want to cycle, take a ride on a xe loi which is a trailer towed from the back of a bicycle and only used in the Mekong Delta. En-route stop at some traditional workshops which make turmeric spring roll paper and roof thatching made from the water palm tree.

Mid-morning arrive at a family run orchard where diverse tropical fruits are grown. The owner, a former war veteran, will share with you stories from his life as well as taking you into his garden to sample some fresh tropical fruits.

Continue cycling to a stunning 100-year old house which is architecturally a mixture between Vietnamese and European designs. Here a Vietnamese lunch will be served consisting of dishes only found in the Mekong Delta. After your meal, bid farewell to the family before returning to Saigon where you will arrive in the late afternoon.

Cai Lay to Ho Chi Minh City  (90km): 2 hours