This section is dedicated to take away all your "I wish someone had told me that before I went!" experiences. This way, you can spend less time settling in, and more time making new friends in your chosen hostel. We share our insider knowledge of tips, tricks and important things to look out for in Can Tho.
If you prefer to explore at your own pace and venture outside of tourist groups, a few nights in Can Tho is the perfect alternative to an all-inclusive Mekong Delta tour. Can Tho is an easy bus ride from Ho Chi Minh City and you will find plenty of budget accommodation like Can Tho hostels, local restaurants, and places of interest once you arrive. There are a few Can Tho hostels and some very good value accommodation options, all within easy walking distance of the river. Since most tourists only visit this area on day trips or pre-arranged package tours, you will have the unique opportunity to explore the town with very few other tourists present but all the amenities you could ask for.
The highlight of visiting this area is to experience life on the Mekong Delta and to visit the nearby floating market. Your Can Tho hostel can arrange a local boat driver for a more personal guide of the market without crowding into a boat full of tourists. This way you can also decide when you prefer to leave, so you can arrive at sunrise for the most action or a little later if preferred. It is also easy to walk to the riverfront and arrange a boat driver at almost anytime of the day. Morning life on the floating market is an incredible experience, as the sun rises over houseboats and long boats of watermelons and jackfruit, an experience not to be missed. Your boat driver will usually provide coffee and you can pick up noodles or fruit from any of the boats passing by.
Can Tho itself has plenty of restaurants to choose from including an amazing vegetarian restaurant and plenty of fruit juice stands. There is not much to do in town, but there is a nice local market to walk around and a small night market where locals line up on motorbikes to take away chicken skewers and steaming bags of noodles. Can Tho provides a great opportunity to experience local life on the Mekong Delta at a relaxed pace.
Written by local enthusiast for Can Tho hostels
Amanda Haehl
