Can Tho’s Cai Rang Floating Market in Vietnam

• Welcome to Vietnam, The Truly Face of Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, primarily located in the eastern and northern hemispheres, where legends and myths of eastern culture which alternative in beautiful natural landscapes from mountain regions to coastline lie hidden. Given its size and diversity, Asia – a toponym dating back to classical antiquity – is more a "cultural concept" incorporating diverse regions and peoples than a homogeneous physical. In fact, Asia varies much widely among and within its regions with regard to a range of ethnic groups, cultures, environments, economies and historical ties that all make Asian countries marvellous for exploration.

Vietnam, who doesn't know this beautiful country. Vietnam has become one of the most tourists destinations. Vietnam is a country of breathtaking natural beauty with an incredible heritage that quickly becomes addictive. In 2008, Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam has received a great attention in the worldwide because becoming the grand final host of Miss Universe 2008. It successfully brought Vietnamese culture to the world and promoted the tourism through that event.

One of the popular icons in Vietnam which comes to people’s mind if they hear about Vietnam is Floating Market. The one and only we can find in Asia and not in other continents.  This is Cai Rang Floating Market.

• ·         More About Floating Market

The floating markets of Can Tho, Cai Rang and Phong Dien floating market, are famous for its everyday trading. Many local products are sold here and in particular a large variety of fruits, some of which you might have never seen before. There are small boats offering all kinds of snacks and local soups from which you can get your early breakfast.

It is 16 km to Cai Rang floating market and around 32 kilometres to get to Phong Dien floating market from Can Tho pier. During the tours you will have the chance to see the nature of the Mekong delta and if you are lucky some wild animals.

• ·         The Everyday Time of  Floating Market

The Cai Rang Floating Market, the largest wholesale floating market in the Mekong Delta, starts around 05:00 and runs until around midday, meaning that you’ll have to get an early start to the day if you want to visit. Most tour boats along the riverfront leave between 05:00 and 07:00, so if don’t make it to the water by then you’ll have a hard time finding a tour.

• ·         The Experience of Taking A Boat Tour to Cai Rang Floating Market

The market is about six kilometres from Can Tho, or about a 30-minute boat ride. While floating down the river, you will glimpse life along its shores. You’ll pass vibrantly painted boats anchored along the shore, merchant vessels carrying loads down the river and houses built on stilts over the water.  

Once you finally reach the market, it’s an impressive site. A stretch of boats selling all variety of goods lines the river. Not really a place for souvenirs, people come here instead to buy large quantities of goods, mostly foodstuffs, and you will get an idea of what water commerce in the Delta looks like. Your guide on the boat will usually give you tidbits of information about Cai Rang as you weave through the hordes. You’ll learn that boats identify what they are selling by hanging a sample off the top of a long pole; if you want pineapple, simply scan the horizon for a hanging pineapple. You’ll also get the opportunity to interact with some of these floating merchants; most commonly this happens when a small boat selling drinks latches onto the tour boat’s side.

After the market you’ll be ferried off to your breakfast break at a local orchard. You’ll be led around a fairly large garden growing a big variety of local fruits, which you’ll get to sample after your walk. Once your breakfast of fruit is eaten, you’ll go back to the boat and it’s time to explore some of the Mekong’s canals. Your tour boat will slowly coast down a few of these quiet canals, choked on both sides by greenery. As the sun starts to heat things up, your tour will draw to a close, returning you to downtown Can Tho sometime around 14:00, making for around a seven-hour tour.

Since the market starts early in the morning, and because Can Tho is a healthy bus ride from Saigon — about four hours — you won’t have the option of seeing this floating market as a day tour from HCMC. Instead, you’ll have to spend the night in Can Tho. Several tour operations in Saigon will sell two-day, one-night tours starting somewhere around the 1,000,000 VND mark and up.

I’d recommend heading down to Can Tho on your own and booking things yourself, as you’ll be able to pick your bus, room and boat while saving some money. Certainly, any hotel in Can Tho will have tour options at its desk or, if you want to book a boat ride yourself, simply go to the Can Tho downtown waterfront on Hai Ba Trung and negotiate directly with one of the many boats you’ll find along the shore. Expect a tour booked this way to cost about 200,000 VND a person; just remember to get there early or the boats will leave without you.

• ·         Shopping at The Cai Rang Floating Market

Oddly, in a place so full of boats, noise of engines and water, there is a certain order. All boats that sell similar products tend to be grouped, in such a way that if we see a boat full of fruits, in this area we find these fruits and many others (we recommend you try the dragon fruit).

Usually sellers, placed a long stick on a very visible part of the boat with samples of the kind of product they sell, to thus be able to see from a distance. We could say that this stick is the showcase of the Cai Rang floating market stores.

• ·         How to Get to The Cai Rang Floating Market

Offset to the Cai Rang floating market options passed to first reach the City of Can Tho (the fastest road). It takes 4 hours to reach Can Tho from Ho Chi Minh City, about 3 hours from Chau Doc. Buses to Can Tho usually cost between 3€ and 6€. If we take the bus in Ho Chi Minh City, will have the opportunity to cross the Can Tho Bridge.

The second alternative of transport is the ship, i.e., take a cruise or tour visiting all the Mekong delta for 2 or 3 days. These tours can be booked easily in Ho Chi Minh City.

Floating Market Boat Tours
Hai Ba Trung, Can Tho
T: (09) 3987 1001

Floating Market Tours (moderate prices, friendly guides and reliable private boats operated by Mekong Official Tours Information Bureau), Hai Bà Trưng, Ninh Kieu, Opposite Ho Chi Minh Statue, ☎ +84 907 85 29 27 (contact@mekongtours.info), [3]. start early in the morning at 5.30am. The bureau will send someone to your hotel for the payment and provide you with the ticket and details. Morning pick up by taxi and free snacks on the river are included. English speaking guides are available upon request. 18USD Cai Rang floating market (3hour tour)/36USD Cai Rang and Phong Dien Market (7 hour tour, 1.71 USD per person/hour).