A brief tour of Can Tho

In the Mekong Delta characterized by a labyrinth of waterways, Can Tho emerges as a prosperous and beautiful land as shown by a saying that reads: "For Can Tho with white rice and pure water, those who ever come there find it hard to leave."

A view of the old house in Binh Thuy Ward of Can Tho City. The house was chosen as the background for the film L'Amant in 1990.

Only 170 kilometers from HCMC, Can Tho is recommended as a destination for a two-day tour to explore the land rich in alluvial soil. Farms, fruit gardens and friendly and hospitable locals are among the highlights.

From HCMC, tourists can catch a bus of Mai Linh Express (tel: 9 29 2929) to Can Tho for VND85, 000 per person for a five-hour, one-way trip.

In Can Tho, tourists can spend half a day on a city tour arranged by Can Tho Tourist, 20 Hai Ba Trung Street, tel: (0710) 821 852). The tour starts at 7 a.m. or 2 p.m. by tourists' own cars or buses.

The tour price is VND715, 000 for a group of 10 persons and VND1.2 million for a group of 20 persons.

The first stop of the tour is Can Tho Museum, 1 Hoa Binh Avenue. Established in 1976, the museum has more than 5, 000 objects and historical relics in the Mekong Delta where tourists can explore the historical and cultural highlights of this region.

Next, tourists will visit pagodas of the Khmer and Chinese ethnic groups in Can Tho. The Chinese pagoda on Hai Ba Trung Street is called Ong Temple built at the end of the 19th century using construction materials such as wood pillars, grinstones and rafters from Kuang Tong, China.

The Khmer pagoda on Hoa Binh Boulevard is Samimuray built in 1948 with the contributions by Buddhist faithful in the area.

Then, the tour will take visitors to Vong Cung historical road, an arc-shape road built by the French in the west of the Hau River, the Cao Dai Holy Temple representing a particular religious sect in the south and an orchard for tourists to enjoy fruits.

The last stop of the journey will be the 138-year-old house of the Duong family in Binh Thuy Ward. The house built with French style is also called Binh Thuy Orchid Garden as the fifth owner of the house has passion for orchid and he planted a garden of orchid and cactus inside his house. In his garden, there is also a 10-meter-tall cactus which is more than 40 years old.

The house's interior decoration and architecture is a combination of French and Asian characteristics. The architecture of the house is so unusual and so unique that it has been used as a background for a number of local and international movies, such as L'Amant which was shot in 1990.

The next day, tourists will spend the early morning visiting the floating markets Cai Rang and Phong Dien, the unique feature of the waterway area. The markets are open from twilight till 8 a.m., so tourists should wake up early to go to the port in Ninh Kieu Wharf to start the journey.

Visitors should spend at least three hours exploring these two markets with the first stop being the agricultural produce market Cai Rang, six kilometers from the city center, to buy tropical fruits as well as have breakfast onboard the boats there. Then, head to Phong Dien, 17 kilometers from the city center. There boats gather to sell the household commodities and working tools such as boat, junk, leaves to roof the house, soil pick and fishing net. The tour to the floating markets could also be booked at Can Tho Tourist.

On the way back to HCMC, tourists can try a shuttle boat service at Ninh Kieu Wharf for VND230, 000 per person. There are two trips - one at 7 a.m. and the other at 1 p.m. It will take only three hours and a half to reach Bach Dang Wharf in HCMC.