Cruising the largest river in South-East Asia, which is also one of the most beautiful regions on the entire continent, is a journey that will transform your life completely. Seeing this immersive nature from deep within will show you how people have been living here for the past hundreds and hundreds of years.
Besides floating villages, Mekong Delta is also famous for its floating markets with colourful, exotic fruits and for its various animal and plant species. It’s truly a unique place where everything is built with huge respect to nature. The best way to explore this region is, of course, with a boat cruise that will take you to all these stunning places.
So, what are the activities that you can enjoy when you’re in the Mekong Delta region? We bring you just some of them but keep in mind that the best activity is simply getting lost in all this beauty.
Enjoy the Architecture
Yes, the Mekong Delta has a wonderful architecture which needs to be mentioned. These traditional Vietnamese and colonial French style that perfectly blends with the spires of the Catholic cathedrals can be seen above floating villages. One of the architectural masterpieces you can’t miss is the Cai Be’s canal-side Ba Duc Ancient House which dates back to 1850. When you visit this mansion, don’t forget to take a walk in its stunning garden of ornamental plants.
Explore the Sunken Forest
This calmness you will feel in the Mekong Delta will follow you as you move from one place to another. If you want to explore more of its nature, you should head to Tra Su Bird Sanctuary which is placed next to the border city of Chau Doc. Don’t forget that the Mekong Delta is full of different fruits, vegetables and plants that feed entire Vietnam. After seeing the beautiful sunken forest, you can hop on little boats close by that will take you to see the diversity of birdlife of the Mekong Delta.
Take a Kayak Tour
The Mekong River is the perfect place for kayaking and exploring this region on your own. Make sure you see first if your booked cruise has a kayak activity included in the package as some of them will provide you with additional activities. For instance, besides kayaking, Aqua Mekong River cruises provide with cycling and infinity pools as well. When kayaking, you will enjoy the tranquillity of this raw natural beauty and get close to it even more than when you were on a boat.
Visit the Festivals
There are really a lot of festivals you can enjoy while you are on your Mekong Delta cruise. As all of these floating villages and nearby cities have a strong, vibrant culture, you will find many festivals and celebrations. As a celebration and being thankful for things you have is one of the important principals of the people who live in the Mekong Delta, the more days you spend in the region, the bigger the chance is you will see at least one festival.
One of the most famous festivals is Phnom Penh’s water and moon festival that is favourite by the people of Cambodia. This three-day celebration marks the end of the rainy season and the waterway is the scene for races between numerous traditional Khmer boats.
Dining Under the Stars
While you’re in the Mekong Delta, you shouldn’t miss having at least one dinner under the beautiful sky. There are a lot of companies that even have this experience included in their packages but you can also reserve it while you’re on the cruise. You can simply hop off your boat and head straight to some of the local restaurants or if you feel a bit more adventurous, you can prepare the dinner yourself and have a nocturnal picnic with your family or friends.
Conclusion
If you thought this majestic river doesn’t have a lot to offer you, you should think again. These above-mentioned activities are just a few of those you can try out while you’re cruising on this astonishing river and enjoying all of its beauty.
Start planning your cruise and research online which companies are most recommended by other people. Once booked, all you have to do is start your countdown to one of the best experiences in your life.
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