Cai Rang floating market experience

Can Tho is located in the South Western region of Vietnam - which has a dense network of canals and rivers. And Cai Rang is one of the most well-known floating markets in Can Tho and the important wholesales agricultural products of Mekong River Delta. The market is far from the centre of Can Tho city about 6 km.

When you come here, you will be extremely impressed by the lively and crowded scene of trading activities as well as brilliant colour of fruits and vegetables fulled up on big boats and canoes.

The market often opens in the early morning at 5 am and closes at 8-9 am. When the sunrise starts to shine from far away, hundreds of boats are moving upward with full of greeting, laughter, waves sounds, chatting and making bargain between sellers and customers. Visitors will feel special atmosphere of floating market that is definitely different from ones on the land. Under the dawn light, it is such a privilege for you to enjoy the cool breeze blowing on the water, hear bustling sounds of the market and soak your eyes in the breathtaking views of the river you will never find in anywhere.

Originally, the market was formed in order to help local people exchange daily products to meet their basic requirements of their life; however, nowadays Cai Rang is not only the traditional market for local people but also becomes an attractive destination for domestic and foreign tourists. On the boats, people sell a wide rage of agricultural products including famous fresh fruits, vegetables of Mekong River Delta such as banana, durians, watermelon, mango, rambutans, dragon fruits or mangosteen, flower pots and other housewares or crafts.

In each boat, people will hang up a tall bamboo stem with a specific fruit or product, which stands for what they sell.

To immerse yourself in the rustic lifestyle of local people, you should give it a try to taste delicious dishes on the boats such as Pho, bread, crab noodle, porridge, hu tieu or drink juices or coffee and chat with friends in the morning.

A small hot bowl of hu tieu is served with bean sprout, some thick pork slices, red pepper, roasted peanuts and gentle sweet broth along with some herbs and coriander will bring to you a sense of happiness in the early morning and make you feel better as well as ready for other activities. Sitting on a floating boat, sightseeing, enjoying a special meal with deep breath of river and interesting sounds will offer you the most precious experience.

So in the end, it could not be denied that experiencing life on Cai Rang floating boat is certainly a precious privilege to visitors to feel the real breath of the local in particularly and spend love for Vietnamese people in general.