Since our friends were in town visiting from the U.S. we were anxious to get out and see parts of Vietnam we hadn't yet experienced. Booking a private tour through The Sinh Tourist we drove a couple hours outside of HCMC to the Mekong Delta region to explore the Cai Be and Vinh Long areas. We took a river boat tour through the Cai Be floating market, visited a coconut candy workshop and learned about the rice paper making production process, walked through fruit orchards and explored a beekeeping farm, and enjoyed a leisurely row boat ride through a peaceful backwater village. Lunch was traditional Vietnamese fare served family style with fried cá tai tượng {elephant ear fish} at its center. The sights were uniquely Vietnam, but the tour was definitely - for lack of a better word - touristy. I'm on the hunt for something more authentic for our next trek into the Mekong!
