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The dry season from December to April is the most comfortable time. Days are sunny, and roads and canals are easy to use. The rainy season runs from May to November. Rain comes in heavy afternoon showers, and the orchards are green. September to November can bring high water and local flooding.

Floating markets are busiest from about 5:30 to 8:30 in the morning. Fruit is at its best from May to August.

• Cai Rang Floating Market is the biggest floating market in the delta. Wholesale boats hang their goods on tall poles. Visit early in the morning by boat.
• Phong Điền Floating Market is a smaller floating market about 17 km from the city. It is quieter and has fewer visitors.
• Fruits garden is one of the fruit gardens near Phong Điền where you can walk, taste fruit and shop.
• Cocoa plantation is a small cocoa plantation near the city.

The Ninh Kiều waterfront and the Bình Thủy old house are also popular. The waterfront is a good place for an evening walk.

• Visit a floating market at dawn: Hire a boat for the early morning trade.
• Taste fruit in an orchard: Walk the gardens near Phong Điền and try seasonal fruit.
• Take a canal boat: Small boats go along narrow canals under coconut palms.
• Eat on the waterfront: Riverside restaurants serve delta fish and rice.
• Watch the river at sunset: The waterfront fills with locals in the evening.

• Mekong Delta: the wider delta, with boat trips, canals and orchards.
• Vĩnh Long: about 1 hour by road, with river islands and homestays.
• An Giang: about 2 to 3 hours by road, with Chau Doc and its mountains.
• Ho Chi Minh City: about 3 to 4 hours by road.

• The delta: Mekong Delta covers the whole region.
• Upriver: An Giang lies towards the Cambodian border.
• Nearby: Vĩnh Long is close for island and homestay visits.
• Gateway: Ho Chi Minh City is the main city to the north-east.

• By air: Sân bay Quốc tế Cần Thơ (VCA) has domestic flights. It lies a short drive from the centre.
• By bus: Buses and minivans run from Ho Chi Minh City in about 3 to 4 hours. Buses also run from Ca Mau, Chau Doc and Rach Gia.
• By car: A private car or driver from Ho Chi Minh City is an easy option.
• By train: The delta has no passenger railway. Vietnam Railways serves other parts of the country.

• Walking: The Ninh Kiều waterfront and the old centre are walkable.
• Taxi and Grab: The easiest way to reach sights outside the centre.
• Boat: Hire a boat with a driver for the floating markets. Agree the price and the route before you start.
• Bicycle and motorbike: Good for the orchard roads around Phong Điền.

• Is a car worth it? A car with a driver is useful for the trip from Ho Chi Minh City. In the city, taxis and Grab are enough.
• Roads: Delta roads are flat but busy with trucks and scooters. Watch for narrow bridges.
• Parking: Hotels offer parking. Floating market piers have small lots.

Cần Thơ food is based on river fish, rice and fruit. Look for hotpot with fish, grilled snakehead fish, rice noodle soups and sweet rice cakes. Fresh tropical fruit is sold everywhere.

Floating market boats serve noodles and coffee at dawn. Many locals eat breakfast on the water.

Cần Thơ is a safe city for visitors, but a few things need care.

• Wear a life jacket on small boats.
• Agree the boat price and length before you start.
• Mosquitoes are common near canals. Use repellent.
• Drink bottled water and eat at busy stalls.
• Keep your bag close in crowded markets.

Cần Thơ grew as a river trading town on the Hau River. Its markets and canals have served farmers and traders for centuries. The delta was once part of the Khmer lands, and Vietnamese settlers came later.

Today the city is the economic centre of the western Mekong Delta.

Quick practical facts for Vietnam at a glance: