Can Tho is an ideal base for your first visit to the Delta. Here you have a real taste of Delta life: days on or near the water, laid-back vibes, and mouthwatering food. Can Tho is actually a big city — the fourth largest in Vietnam — yet it feels relaxed. Take a short tour on a motorcycle for a glimpse of the islets all around. Under the shade of banana and guava trees, you’ll pass fish ponds, fruit orchards, and canals. Can Tho is surrounded by a system of sleepy canals. For a small fee you can hire a rowboat for a few hours to tour these waterways, stopping at small workshops to see how rice paper and noodles are made by hand. Several rustic hotels and homestays in Can Tho offer rooms where you can relax with blissful views of the water.
Of course, many people come to Can Tho to see the Cai Rang Floating Market. The market is a riveting spectacle of colour and activity that gets started around five in the morning. Be sure to be on a boat by 6am so you can watch the mist drift off the water, and catch the market action during peak hours. Weighed down with loads of fruit fresh from the farm, boats of all sizes do business on the caramel-coloured river. Pomelos, pineapples, and durians among others are traded by the sackful from boat to boat. Small rowboats navigate between the bigger boats, selling coffee, snacks, and noodles. Sidle up to a hu tieu vendor for the best breakfast in Can Tho: a steaming bowl of tapioca noodles, sliced pork, and aromatic herbs.