Ben Tre - the capital of the same-named province, is made up of three main islands wedged between the Tien Giang River to the north and to Co Chien River to the south with the Ham Luong River running straight down the centre. Arrive at Ben Tre, where the boat will cruise along the Ham Luong River (a branch of the Mekong) and stop off at various local workplaces to give you a picture of how the local economy works. Highlights of the work place stop-offs include viewing a Traditional Brick kiln where bricks are still painstakingly made by hand and fuelled by rice husk - an agricultural waste; a coconut processing workshop where you can sample fresh coconut and see how every single part of this versatile nut is turned into food and other products and a mat-weaving house where straw mats are woven using a hand loom.
The boat will then stop at a quiet village where you can have a short walk to experience real Delta village life, before boarding your “xe loi” (a kind of motorised rickshaw) or cycling around the village amongst ravishing rice fields, fruit orchards and vegetable plots. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.
The last trip of the tour will be by aboard a traditional sampan boat for a relaxing trip along narrow canals. Then the boat will return you to the pier and you’ll travel back to Ho Chi Minh city.