All Things About Can Tho Floating Market

All Things About Can Tho Floating Market

 

 

 

This post of Vietnam Budget Carrental tells you about one of the top 18 things you must do in Can Tho, visiting the Cai Rang and Phong Dien water markets. It tells you how to get there, when to go, and what to eat and see there.

If you want to get a feel for Can Tho Travel, you have to see the floating market. It shows what river culture is, how people can adapt to their environment, and how they've kept this type of very traditional market going for so long.

1. What you should know as a tourist

• Ticket: Free
• Spend-time: An hour (approximately) for Cai Rang floating market, Half an hour for Phong Dien one
• Hours: Dawn –Dusk
• Food: Yes
• Shop: Yes
• Parking lot: Yes for boats and coaches
• Address of Cai Rang floating market: Cai Rang Bridge, Cai Rang District, Can Tho City About 6 km from Can Tho city center
• Address of Phong Dien floating market: Tay Do Bridge, Nhon Ai, Phong Dien District, Can Tho City About 17km from Can Tho city center

It was named a national intangible cultural property site in June 2016 for the Cai Rang floating market. The UK's Rough Guide named Cai Rang Floating Market, with its brightly colored boats selling tropical fruits and vegetables, one of the ten most impressive markets in the world.

People who are interested in the simplicity, uniqueness, and originality of Mekong river life sometimes think it's one of the pearls they should investigate.

Nearby sights and secret gems: Want to find a place to eat and rest on your way to or from Cai Rang Floating Market? Or maybe this place was too crowded for you? We have some thoughts! Check out our list: Organic cocoa farm (30-minute boat ride), fruit fields (30-minute boat ride), and a rice noodle plant in Can Tho (10-minute boat ride).

>>Read more: Car Rental In Mekong Delta Vietnam - Mekong delta Tours

2. Do you know why Can Tho Floating Market occurs?

A few decades ago, there were no cars or trucks in southern Vietnam. Instead, rivers were the main way people got around. The floating markets at Cai Rang and Phong Dien are well known, as are the many beautiful tropical plantations and traditional villages in the area. Can Tho is the biggest city in that area. Even though modern life is getting closer, the floating market is still the heart of the city and has a "countryside atmosphere."

Since many new roads and bridges over rivers have been built, as well as supermarkets on the mainland, floating markets aren't as important as they used to be. However, the waterways are still the only way to get to some rural, remote places in the Mekong Delta. A lot of people still like floating markets, which have been an important part of their daily lives and ways of making a living for decades.

3. Best time to see Can Tho Floating Markets

The Phong Dien floating market

It will be closed after 7:30 a.m., as we know from living here. There are about 45 boats and sampans at this market because it is small and close to home. Let me tell you, we check this market out often, and it's always busy, especially in the morning when people start leaving for the day at 6:45 a.m. Tip: Be there between 5:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. for the best time. I hope you have a beautiful morning on the Mekong Delta.

Cai Rang floating market

The market has helped people from different cultures connect and has also helped the economy grow along the waterways. Every day from dawn until dusk, the market is open. From morning until 9:30 a.m., it's the busiest. In the early morning, hundreds of boats and junks of different sizes are anchored along the river for about a kilometer. They are all carrying different kinds of seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Traders purchase fruits and vegetables at the market, then transport them to other markets or have large trucks transport them all to several mainland wholesale markets, primarily in Ho Chi Minh City. Vendors can't shout to sell their goods like they can in regular markets because the noise of the running boats makes it impossible to hear them. 

Because of this, each boat has to have a tall, straight pole (locals call them "Cay Beo") at the bow where sellers can hang samples of their goods. People who sell bananas and durian will hang them on a pole (called "Cay Beo") so that people who want to buy them can see them from far away. This is a simple way to sell something that has been used for more than one hundred years.

>>Read more: Private Taxi Ho Chi Minh Airport Transfers To Can Tho, Vietnam

4. How to Get to Can Tho Floating Markets from Can Tho City

The Cai Rang floating market is one of the most exciting and lively places in the world to buy and sell goods. It's noisy and loud because there are so many tourist boats, but it's still interesting. From the Ninh Kieu dock, the market is about 6 km (3.75 mi) away, or 30 minutes by boat.

The Phong Dien floating market is one of the busiest and most lively markets. It's about 18 kilometers (11 miles) away from Ninh Kieu Wharf, or two hours by boat. Also, tourists don't go there as often as they do to the Cai Rang floating market, which is closer to Can Tho.

5. How to Get to Can Tho Floating Markets from HCM City

From Ho Chi Minh City to the Cai Rang Floating Market

Take a sleeping Futa bus to Can Tho for 125,000 VND each way. The trip will take about 5 hours total, including 3.50 hours on the bus plus time spent waiting for it to leave, rest, pick up, and drop off. From the bus stop in Can Tho, it takes a taxi about 15 minutes, or 6 kilometers, to get to Ninh Kieu Wharf. The fare is about 100,000 VND ($5). Call taxi Mai Linh at +842923656565. Call Khanh Cuong taxi (+842923868686) if you have time.

>>Read more: Top 5 Best Taxi Brands in Vietnam

You can wait and then start your trip by taking the free Futa ride to Ninh Kieu Wharf. Rent a sampan for about 3350.000 vndnd ($15) for two or three people or a boat with a roof and life jackets for about 700.000 vndnd ($30) for seven people. There will be no tour guide.

Another choice is to book a plan called Can Tho Tour From Ho Chi Minh to Can Tho. This will pick you up from your Ho Chi Minh City hotel at 4:00 AM and cost 1119 dollars per person. Taking your own Futa bus tickets from HCMC to Can Tho bus station costs only $6 per person. From there, you can take a $5 taxi to Can Tho market on Hai Ba Trung Street, where the local tour guide will pick you up for your trip.

From Ho Chi Minh City to the Phong Dien Floating Market? 

You can also go from Ho Chi Minh to Can Tho by bus. It takes about 35 minutes, or 19.5 kilometers, to get from the Can Tho bus station to the Phong Dien floating market in a taxi. A lot of people start their trip at Ninh Kieu wharf and take a boat to Cai Rang floating market first, then Phong Dien. This choice is both cheaper and safer for the early morning trip.

>>Read more: Top 5 Best Bus Brands in Vietnam

6. What to Do, See and Eat at Can Tho Floating Markets

Cai Rang Floating Market

In Vietnam, especially the Cai Rang floating market, floating markets have changed more slowly over the past 100 years than they have in Thailand. That's why they're not just markets; they also bring parts of traditional society with them. This part of the floating market is what brings in people from both inside and outside of Vietnam. 

People who go to the Cai Rang floating market can not only buy local goods, but they can also see how hard it is for the sellers and learn more about the people who live there. The Cai Rang floating market is a great place to see how people in the area use the river canals for business and movement.

It's a place where farmers sell their goods, mostly veggies. There are hundreds of different kinds of tropical fruits, such as mangoes, mangosteens, rambutans, dragon fruits, longans, and more. You will find surprisingly comfortable times even as you experience the rural way of life of the Vietnamese and breathe in the cool breeze from the beautiful river. A person selling drinks will also come up to you on a boat. You can get fresh coconut, Vietnamese coffee, or the noodle soup called bun rieu from the boats that float in the water.

There is a nearby bridge with great views, but nothing beats taking a boat to see the market. But going to the Cai Rang floating market alone isn't enough to fully understand the floating culture of the people who live there. 

Phong Dien Floating Market

Traditional farmer's boats called sampans are used in small towns and rivers, and there are about 30 to 45 of them every day. The Phong Dien market is appealingly simple because it is only known for selling and trading local goods with other locals.

The floating market doesn't have many local vendors on days when it rains or the tide is low. You can get rice noodle soup, pho, or rice for breakfast on the floating market for about 20,000 to 500,000 vnd, which is about $1 to 2.5 dollars per person. Prices range from 10,000 to 25,000 vnd, which is about 0.5 to 1 dollar.

There are two boat markets on the Can Tho River, so we call this tour the Can Tho River Tour. A part of the Mekong River is followed on this one-of-a-kind trip. There are also many interesting things in these places that will surprise you, like why every boat has a bamboo stick, why boats have eyes, and how people in the area spend their whole day in a boat.

>>Read more: Top 10 Special Dishes Only In Mekong Delta VietNam

7. How to Find a Floating Markets Tour by yourself?

How do you choose unique, worthwhile trips that won't waste your time or money and won't make you angry, confused, or annoyed while traveling to Can Tho? Two options are the same for us. For starters, you could have a big income. Just walk to Ninh Kieu Wharf, and some freelance locals will catch you and show you their boats. The price is the same as a normal non-guided tour, but it's still fun and a little difficult.

The second option is by far the best. As you may know, most hotels in Can Tho offer basic trip packages that include a guide and pick-up and drop-off at the hotel. The price is fair and won't change. 

You can see a lot in one day if you have a boat, or rent a car if you want a solo travel. But Can Tho isn't just a place for tourists to visit. Make sure you have enough time to experience and learn about the culture, food, music, animals, and forest. Helpful hint: Stay in a hostel close by so you can see more of the area around it.

>>Read more: Ho Chi Minh Tour 3 Days - Mekong Delta - Cu Chi Tunnels - Cambodia

8. Responsible Travel and Advice to Can Tho Floating Markets

"Responsible travel" is something you should probably tell yourself over and over again. The river itself faces many problems, such as pollution from human and chemical waste and the high-tech lifestyle of today. We appreciate anyone who comes to the river and treats it and the town around it with respect. It's important to remember to "help solve problems, not add to them."

9. Can floating markets open during the Lunar New Year?

There are boats and events at the Can Tho floating market every day of the year, except for the usual Tet Lunar New Year. The market is closed during that time. Tip: The best days of the year will be here if you go to this market a week before the Tet Holiday in Vietnam. As the market floats like a flower at this time, many news sites pick this time to take photos for marketing campaigns or music videos, among other things.

10. Useful tips for you to check out

For the best experience, you should stay at a hostel close to the Can Tho floating market. Your next step is to rent a scooter, car, or bike and go exploring on your own. To get to the floating markets, you'll still need to rent a boat.

If you want to stay at the Can Tho homestay, you should bring cream that keeps bugs away.

Choose well-known companies that offer boat trips with lifebuoys and jackets, as well as motorbike and riding tours with helmets, if you go to Can Tho or have a custom tour made just for you. Safety is the most important thing! Pick sensible trips in Can Tho that let you give back while you're away. It's an overused phrase, but it's true.

The food and drink guide for Can Tho covers all kinds of food, from Vietnamese street food to high-end, traditional, and fusion food. Can Tho is in a tropical area with lots of fresh vegetables and fields. The food there is always fresh, close to nature, and very traditional. Don't be afraid to put Cong cake in Can Tho and Ut Dzach Fine Rice Vermicelli on your list if you like food.

You should bring a hat, sunglasses, sunblock, and a scarf with you when you visit temples, pagodas, and the church.

>>Read more: Vietnam Travel Guide: Things To Buy - Eat - Drink As A Local

If you're going to Can Tho during the rainy season, don't forget to bring a jacket. The city is beautiful, rain or shine.

Even though Can Tho's tourist spots are beautiful on their own, if you have time, don't miss adding Can Tho Forest and Wildlife, Can Tho Rice Noodle Factory, Can Tho's small canals and sampan ride, Can Tho's fruit garden, Can Tho's paddy rice fields, and Can Tho's giant ficus tree, which are some of the places you should visit.

Vietnam Car Rental hopes you can use All Things About Can Tho Floating Market above for your unforgettable trip to Can Tho, Mekong Delta. You can contact us for more questions or just simply get offered the best services from us.