The southern tip of Vietnam is known as the Mekong Delta, as the mighty Mekong River flows from the Tibetan Highlands, through China, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and eventually into Vietnam, where it spills out into the South China Sea. The flat lowlands are home to the highest-producing rice paddies in all of Vietnam, so it’s a network of canals, streams, and floodplains being tended to by locals in their iconic grass hats. The Mekong River supports millions of lives and its water is the lifeblood of the entire Indochinese Peninsula.

The Mekong has the second most biological diversity in the world, next only to the Amazon River, and features some of the world's largest species of freshwater fish. The popular thing to do is to book a boat tour through the labyrinth of canals and tributaries and a homestay with a local family. Can Tho is the largest city in the Delta, and on the Vietnamese Mekong, and is a great place to be based out of for your delta tours. Soc Trang is definitely worth a visit when the local Khmer people hold their annual boat races in November and December. Enjoy the many floating markets, and casually meander your way through the villages and towns that have resisted change for hundreds of years.

Best Seasons:Dec - Mar
Popular Locations:Can Tho Mekong river tours, Soc Trang boat races, Sam Mountain