We started our day with a nice breakfast at the Long Hostel. The banana pancake was especially good, as was, of course, the Vietnamese iced coffee.
We had booked the Mekong River Day Tour from Ho Chi Minh on klook.com. They contacted us via WhatsApp and picked us up on the main road right outside our hostel. There were a couple of other stops to pick up more people before we started driving out of the city and into the countryside.
There was a quick stop at the Mekong Rest Stop for coffee or souvenirs. Afterward, we were on our way again.
Our first stop of the day was the Vinh Trang Pagoda. There were impressive statues of the Laughing Buddha and the Reclining Buddha.
The temple was beautiful to see from the inside, with many statues and shrines.
We also saw the Standing Buddha statue and a statue of Lady Buddha, which I had never seen before.
After spending some time there, we drove to the Công ty du lịch Việt Nhật ferry terminal.
Wec rossed the Mekong ….
On the other side, we stopped to visit a bee/honey farm and tasted some of the local honey.
We then got to experience the rich fruits growing in the region. There were also local artists performing music.
After this, we got into boats and navigated through the smaller canals around the main river.
We reached the main river again and boarded another boat to reach our next stop: the Thien Ai Coconut Candy factory.
The Thien Ai Coconut Candy factory in the Mekong Delta offered free admission and an authentic look at traditional Vietnamese candy-making.
We then took a motorboat ride to the Nhà hàng sinh thái Việt Nhật restaurant for lunch.
We were seated in groups, and they checked if we wanted the regular fare or vegetarian options. They then brought out a variety of dishes, including the local specialty, Grilled Elephant Ear Fish.
After lunch, we took a boat ride back across the river. They gave us coconut water, which was nice and refreshing.
We were dropped off at our hostel in the evening and relaxed for a while. A couple we had met at breakfast earlier that morning had recommended Bánh Mì Chim Chạy - Chợ Thái Bình. So, we walked there to pick up dinner and brought it back to the hostel.
🚍 Mekong River Day Tour from Ho Chi Minh
🍽️ Nhà hàng sinh thái Việt Nhật
🍽️ Bánh Mì Chim Chạy - Chợ Thái Bình
🛏️ Long Hostel