Can Tho
Travel guide
The
provincial capital, Can Tho city, plays the role of a
transportation, educational and bureaucratic hub for the
Mekong Delta. If you're arriving from the bus station,
the city seems larger than you may expect, but while it
does sprawl, the area of interest to independent
travellers is all within easy walking distance of the
riverfront.
The main reason visitors come to Can Tho is to tour the
nearby floating markets. While these are highly
recommended, the riverfront promenade itself is also
pleasant with some good places to eat and relax in. The
city has a good range of accommodation from cheap
backpacker haunts right through to comfortable mid-range
digs and its urbane atmosphere contrasts to the more
rural feel of the towns further out in the Delta.
Attractions
Cai Rang
market
Cai Rang
floating market is situated about 8 km from Can Tho by
road or a 20 km loop by boat. This market is quite nice
and sells a variety of fruit and vegetables and operates
from 5 am to 11 am, though the markets are better the
earlier you can get there. A cyclo from Can Tho will
take about 15 minutes to get to Cai Rang Market. Another
market, Phung Hiep market, is 31 km from Can Tho. This
is the snake market, selling a plethora of living,
wriggling and often poisonous snakes. Pythons and Cobras
are sold here by people from the countryside who have
caught them by hand, whilst others have come to purchase
snakes for restaurants, medicinal reasons or personal
consumption. This market is open from 5 am to 5 pm. If
travelling by boat, you can add a dimension to your day
by stopping and visiting some of the fruit gardens,
which sell pineapple, rambutan and papaya amongst many
other fruits.
Can Tho
City Museum
A comprehensive and colorful
museum of local history, industry, custom, Chinese
population, and the region's role during colonial
repression as well as during the war years with the
United States. Maps are detailed but indecipherable. You
won't find any signs in English, but that doesn't
matter, as most exhibits, like the scenes and images of
the delta's history, are interesting and
self-explanatory. Go with a guide if you want to get
background information. The second floor is a patriotic
display of war remnants. There's also a model Chinese
apothecary and temple in homage to the region's large
Chinese population, local musical instruments, and a
large diorama of a wedding procession. You'll see a bust
of Ho Chi Minh and other Vietnamese patriots in the
lobby. A visit here combined with a tour of the Army
Museum is a good little city walk.
Hours :
Daily 7-11am and 2-5pm
Address:
06 Phan Dinh Phung St
Prices:
Free admission
Army Museum
The city's
Ho Chi Minh Museum was under major renovations at the
time of research, but the Army Museum next door is an
interesting visit and just across Hoa Binh Street (away
from the river) from the Can Tho Museum . An interesting
display of weaponry, maps, photos, stained glass, and
memorabilia from Vietnam's long struggles are on
display. At the center is a small "hooch" or thatched
building housing a mannequin meeting of high level Viet
Cong guerrillas on the delta. Outside is a rusty
missile, a crashed "Huey" helicopter, a U.S. recon
plane, and a few Peugeot cars up on blocks (not sure if
they are an exhibit or a repair project).
Note that
the upper floors are closed and locked. Wonder what goes
on up there?
Hours:
Daily 7-11am and 2-5pm
Location :
On Hoa Binh just across from
the City Museum
Prices:
Free Admission
Restaurants
in Can Tho
Mekong
Restaurant
Cuisine:
Vietnamese
Hours:
Daily 7am-9pm
Address:
38 Hai Ba Trung
Location:
at riverside right next to
Nam Bo, Around Town
Phone:
071.821-646
Prices:
Main courses 25,000
VND-60,000 VND ($1.65-$4)
Credit Cards:
No credit cards
Nam Bo
Restaurant
Cuisine:
Vietnamese, International
Hours
: Daily 9am-1pm and 5-10pm
Address:
50 Hai Ba Trung
Location:
Around Town
Phone:
071.812-024
Prices:
Main courses 21,000
VND-45,000 VND ($1.35-$3); set menus from 69,000 VND
($4.35) per person
Credit Cards
: MC, V
Hotels in
Can Tho
Transportation
Getting there
Buses from the Mien Tay bus
station in Ho Chi Minh City and take around 5 to 6 hours
to reach Can Tho. The quickest way to Can Tho from Ho
Chi Minh City is by hydrofoil which takes around 3½
hours. |
