Vietnam

Vietnam: The Mekong Delta and Phu Quoc

A maze of canals and floating markets, then the country's largest island, long spared by tourism

Vietnam

Vietnam: The Mekong Delta and Phu Quoc

A journey to southern Vietnam, far from Hanoi and Ha Long Bay: the Mekong Delta, the country's rice granary where millions of people live by the rhythm of the tides and floating markets, then Phu Quoc, Vietnam's largest island, whose white sand beaches and fishing villages long stayed off the mass-tourism trail despite recent rapid development.

When

Dec to April

Price

From 2 200€ excl. flights

(based on 2 people sharing)

How long

6 nights

Ideal length

The Mekong Delta

Days 1-2

The first chapter unfolds in the Mekong Delta, nicknamed Vietnam's "rice granary," where the river splits into nine branches before reaching the sea, irrigating a mosaic of rice paddies, floating orchards, and canals that structure all of local life. The floating markets of Cai Rang and Cai Be, where hundreds of boats loaded with fruit and vegetables trade from dawn, rank among the liveliest scenes of rural Vietnam.

Day 1

Cai Rang floating market at dawn

A boat outing at dawn to Cai Rang floating market, the delta's largest, where hundreds of boats loaded with fruit and vegetables trade on the water.

Day 2

Orchards and narrow canals by sampan

A ride in a small sampan through narrow canals lined with coconut palms, a visit to a floating orchard and a family workshop making coconut candy.

1 / 3

Phu Quoc, the Preserved Island

Days 1-2

A flight to Phu Quoc, Vietnam's largest island nestled in the Gulf of Thailand, whose mountainous, forested interior remains largely protected by a national park despite rapid development along the coast. The island retains a centuries-old expertise in producing nuoc-mam, the fermented fish sauce emblematic of Vietnamese cuisine, as well as traditional fishing villages along its less-visited south coast.

Day 1

The southern beaches and a fishing village

A day on the white sand beaches of the island's south, less crowded than the west coast, then a visit to a traditional fishing village and an artisanal nuoc-mam factory.

Day 2

A boat trip to the southern islets

A boat excursion to the small islets south of Phu Quoc, snorkelling above preserved coral reefs and a lunch of freshly caught seafood on a secluded beach.