"The Mekong Delta Monkey Blues & the Special Room" Top 5 Page for this destination Can Tho by richiecdisc

Can Tho Travel Guide: 122 reviews and 275 photos

The Mekong River is a thing so entrenched in folklore that it is often hard to ascertain just how integral it is to local life that busies itself along its considerable flow. Emanating from the Tibetan Plateau and running through China, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Lao and Vietnam, it finds ample room to expand in the Mekong Delta before releasing itself fully out to the South China Sea.

the lush Mekong Delta

Though there are many opportunities for travelers to explore the vast Mekong River, in each of the emerging Southeast Asian tourist destinations, the Mekong Delta region seems the most ripe for exploration. Once a stronghold of the Khmer kingdom, Vietnam now has control over it, and its considerable economic influence. So rich is the flat, though luxuriant landscape that it manages to teem with wildlife alongside a farming industry that runs the gamut from tropical fruit orchards to one of the world’s most vast producers of rice. Western tourists would flock here if it was in a pristine wilderness state, but this could not be the case in a country that would struggle to feed itself without its development. As it is, the Mekong Delta not only produces enough rice to feed the entire country with a surplus for neighboring countries, but it contains a myriad of other smaller industries that provide jobs for locals and one of the country’s strongest economic bases.

hard-working locals on the Delta

The icing on the cake is it has managed to draw tourists as well. It remains a physically beautiful place with a sizeable wildlife population but what people are coming to see are the people themselves. An industrious lot that know how to make a living from the water-entrenched land in what still seems relative harmony with their lush surroundings. They also understand the fine line of offering goods to a growing customer base in the form of tourists without being overly aggressive. But perhaps its most saleable gift is the locals themselves. They seem a very happy people, living what appears a paradisiacal life amongst the flowing rich waterways and fruit rich land. Beaming smiles come naturally from kids and adults alike and so far, not many seem to have learned the all too common art of exchanging money for such natural offerings. Let’s hope it stays that way.

Last visit to Can Tho: Feb 2004
Intro Updated Feb 16, 2005
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Reviews (21)

have a pineapple or two Things to Do (2)

The biggest attractions in the Mekong Delta are the various floating markets. It is here that you will see what life in... more travel advice

life on the river Things to Do (2)

The Mekong Delta is a lush paradise full of swaying tropical palms, abundant fruit, and more water than even the locals... more travel advice

a more work-like factory Local Customs (3)

Not all the factories were fun but even this rice popping facility was interesting. It was surely a hot place to work... more travel advice

delicious spring rolls in delicate rice paper - Can Tho

yummy spring rolls Local Customs (3)

Another fun stop was a rice paper factory. These transparent rice papers were formed by pouring a thin batter into a... more travel advice

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Written Feb 16, 2005

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Comments (16)

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Mikebb Oct 25, 2007 at 3:54 AM

Hi Enjoyed your pages, especially tour out of HCMC, only concern is how to find a tour with good hotel accommodation when we visit Feb'08
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sim1 Feb 26, 2006 at 6:40 AM

You? A tour group?? I almost fell of my chair reading that! lol ;-) Great page Richie (as usual), wonderful write up, great fun stories and photos that make me dream a bit more about Asia :-))
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acemj Feb 3, 2006 at 5:08 AM

Richie in a tour group!? What's going on here? ;-) Glad they didn't charge you the hourly rate for the mirrored room.
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atobol Dec 8, 2005 at 11:44 AM

Looks quite familiar:-)...
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nicolaitan Oct 10, 2005 at 9:25 AM

great page.
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b1bob Jul 24, 2005 at 9:26 AM

Maybe I'm a grumpy western tourist, but I find it just not right that folks use their kids as pawns to pry money away from tourist. If I were there, I'd say, "Scram, kid." and ignore them.
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luckyzen Jul 10, 2005 at 8:11 AM

Hi Richie, Thank you for the hotel tip. Always nice to know where one can stay for short visits. R: info...... You are most welcome! luckyzen
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tessy Mar 27, 2005 at 11:15 AM

I would have taken thousands of pics, like you did! Wonderful page, Richie and great writing!
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Bwana_Brown Mar 8, 2005 at 4:09 PM

A very illuminating page Richie! For a 'water' guy like me, this sounds like a fantastic area to visit, and those prices are unbelievable! I had a good laugh over your 'special' room and the monkey business!!
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Antji Mar 6, 2005 at 3:01 AM

great page & interesting stories richie! didn´t know so much before about this fantastic place - the mekong delta!