Overview
Two days in the heart of the Mekong Delta — rowing through mangrove canals, cycling quiet island paths, cooking with a local family, sleeping beside the river, and waking up to the brick kiln landscape of Vĩnh Long’s Red Kingdom.
This private two-day tour takes you from Ho Chi Minh City into two of the Mekong Delta’s most rewarding provinces — Tiền Giang and Vĩnh Long — at a pace that group tours cannot match. On the first day, the boat cruises past the floating market and ancient French-era church of Cài Bè, then pulls into the smaller waterways of Tân Phong Island. Here the engine stops. A local boatwoman rows the group through narrow canals shaded by mangrove and water hyacinth, passing the quiet back gardens of the island on either side. From the boat, the group transfers to bicycles for a loop through the interior — orchards, a village school, a pagoda, traditional houses, and the workshops where dried water hyacinth is woven by hand into baskets, bags, hats, and wallets. The boat crosses the Mỹ Thuận stretch of the Mekong to reach An Bình Island in Vĩnh Long, where lunch is served and the afternoon continues on foot or by bicycle through more village lanes.
The night is spent at Út Trinh Homestay — a working family property on An Bình Island, where guests cook dinner with members of the host family using ingredients prepared from the garden and the market. The homestay is private-room accommodation, not a dormitory. On the second morning, the boat departs along the Long Hồ – Hoà Tịnh – Mỹ An canals through Vĩnh Long’s famous Red Kingdom: a continuous stretch of family-run brick kilns that line both sides of the waterway for kilometres, their tall chimneys reflected in the river, the kilns still producing the same red clay tiles and bricks they have made for generations. The return to Ho Chi Minh City is by private vehicle from Vĩnh Long city.
Why TNK Travel for this tour
– Private throughout: the vehicle, boat, guide, and homestay room are exclusively for your group from start to finish. No shared departures, no strangers at the dinner table.
– Genuine homestay, not a hotel rebranded: Út Trinh and the affiliated homestays on An Bình Island are working family properties. Guests cook with the family, eat at the family table, and sleep in a private room within the family compound. This is not a resort experience — it is a domestic one, which is the point.
– Cai Be — the quieter floating market: Cài Bè floating market is smaller and less visited than Cài Răng in Cần Thơ, but it is closer to Ho Chi Minh City and retains a more working character. The boats are trading, not performing. Your guide explains what is being sold and how the market economy works.
– The Red Kingdom — a landscape that is genuinely rare: the brick kiln district along the Hoà Tịnh – Mỹ An canals is one of the most visually distinctive landscapes in southern Vietnam. Hundreds of round-topped kilns, many active and producing visible smoke, line both banks of the canal continuously for several kilometres. The scale and concentration are unlike anything else in the delta region.
– Trusted operator since 2000: TNK Travel is ranked #3 on TripAdvisor with over 24,000 verified reviews.
Tour highlights
– Cai Be floating market and ancient church: the day begins on the Tiền River at Cài Bè. The floating market here operates primarily as a wholesale exchange between river traders — boats loaded with seasonal produce (pomelo, dragonfruit, watermelon, coconut) moored side by side while buyers transfer goods by sampan between vessels. At the riverbank, the Cài Bè ancient church — a French Gothic-style Catholic church built in the 19th century — sits directly on the water’s edge, its facade visible from the river. The juxtaposition of the working market and the colonial-era architecture is one of the most photographed views in Tiền Giang Province.
– Rowing sampan through mangrove canals — Tân Phong Island: the boat docks at Tân Phong Island and the group transfers to hand-rowed wooden sampan boats. The canal route here passes through dense mangrove and nipa palm vegetation — low arching canopies, still water, and the sound of birds. The boatwoman navigates without an engine through the interior channels of the island. About 20–30 minutes on the water. The complete absence of motor noise, combined with the density of the vegetation and the proximity to the water surface from the sampan, produces an experience that is genuinely unlike anything on the main river.
– Fruit orchard and traditional music (đờn ca tài tử): after the sampan, the group visits a fruit garden on Tân Phong Island for seasonal fruit tasting accompanied by live đờn ca tài tử — the traditional chamber music of southern Vietnam, inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2013. Musicians play cò (two-stringed fiddle), đàn kìm (moon lute), and other traditional instruments in the garden setting. The performance is small and domestic — not a stage show — and the music matches the pace of the afternoon.
– Water hyacinth weaving workshops: water hyacinth (lục bình) — the fast-growing aquatic plant that covers large sections of Mekong Delta canals — is harvested, dried, and woven into household products in workshops along the cycling route on Tân Phong and An Bình Islands. Baskets, bags, hats, wallets, and decorative items are produced by hand in family workshops. The process is labour-intensive and skilled. Guests can watch the weaving and purchase finished products directly.
– Cycling through An Bình Island: after crossing the Mekong to An Bình Island in Vĩnh Long, the group takes bicycles through the island’s interior lanes. An Bình is a patchwork of orchards, rice paddies, fish ponds, and village paths connected by narrow bridges and tracks that run between family properties. A standard vehicle cannot enter. The cycling is flat, unhurried, and reveals a domestic landscape — village workshops making rice paper (bánh tráng), coconut candy (kẹo dừa), and pop-rice (cơm nổ) — that the river route alone cannot access.
– Cooking dinner and overnight at Út Trinh Homestay: the homestay on An Bình Island is a private room within a working family compound beside the canal. In the late afternoon, guests join members of the host family in the kitchen to prepare dinner: typical dishes include caramelised river fish (cá kho tộ), stir-fried morning glory, and fresh spring rolls (gỏi cuốn) wrapped at the table. Dinner is eaten together. The evening is quiet — the sounds are the canal, the insects, and the occasional boat passing in the dark. Breakfast the following morning is prepared by the family.
– Vinh Long market — the working version: before departing Vĩnh Long on the second day, the boat stops at the riverside market in Vĩnh Long town. This is a working wet market, not a tourist attraction: fish, shrimps, prawns, crabs, snakes, rice-field rats, tropical fruit, and seasonal vegetables are sold from stalls along the riverfront. Your guide explains what is being sold, what is in season, and how the market connects to the farming and fishing communities of the province. Good photography of everyday delta commerce.
– The Red Kingdom — Vinh Long’s brick kiln district: the signature experience of day two. The boat travels the Long Hồ – Hoà Tịnh – Mỹ An canal system through the heart of Vĩnh Long’s brick and tile manufacturing district. The kilns here — beehive-shaped structures of fired brick, many standing six to eight metres tall — line both sides of the canal without interruption for several kilometres. Smoke rises from the active kilns. The clay is dug from the riverbanks, shaped by hand, loaded into the kilns, and fired over several days to produce the red roof tiles and building bricks that are shipped across southern Vietnam. Optional stop: disembark and walk inside one of the working kilns with the guide. The interior temperature, the scale of the brick stacks, and the sight of the kiln mouth are all worth the short walk.
Important information
Meeting point & departure
– Hotel pickup in Ho Chi Minh City (District 1 and District 3). Exact pickup time confirmed at booking — typically between 7:30 and 8:00 AM on Day 1.
– The private vehicle drives from Ho Chi Minh City to Cài Bè port, approximately 100 kilometres (around 2 hours depending on traffic).
– At the end of Day 2, the private vehicle collects the group from Vĩnh Long city and returns to Ho Chi Minh City — approximately 130 kilometres, around 2 hours by road. Drop-off at your hotel confirmed at booking.
Homestay accommodation
– Overnight at Ut Trinh Homestay (or affiliated property Ut Quynh / Ut Bình) on An Bình Island, Vĩnh Long. Private room within a family compound.
– Rooms are simple and clean with air conditioning, fan, and private bathroom. This is a homestay — the standard is that of a well-maintained family home, not a hotel. Guests who require hotel-standard amenities should consider whether a homestay experience is the right fit.
– Linen and towels are provided. Mosquito nets are available. Wi-Fi is limited or unavailable on the island — the evenings are quiet by design.
– Single supplement applies for solo travellers requesting a private room. See pricing table.
What to wear & bring
– Clothing: light, breathable clothes for both days. Long trousers recommended for the evening at the homestay (insects). A light layer for the boat in the early morning.
– Footwear: comfortable shoes or sandals suitable for cycling and walking on compacted earth paths. Shoes that can get wet or muddy are advisable — the island paths can be damp, and sampan boarding requires a step into a low wooden boat.
– Overnight bag: pack light for the homestay night. Luggage can be left in the vehicle or stored at the pickup point if preferred — confirm at booking.
– Sun protection: hat and sunscreen, especially for the river sections and cycling.
– Insect repellent: essential for the evening at the homestay and for the sampan canal sections.
– Cash: Vietnamese dong for optional workshop purchases, personal drinks, and tips. There are no ATMs on An Bình Island.
Physical requirements
– Light to moderate activity. Cycling on Day 1 and Day 2 is on flat, unpaved paths — no hills. Guests who do not wish to cycle can walk the same routes.
– Sampan boarding requires stepping into a low wooden boat from a floating dock or riverbank. Guide and boat crew assist.
– Suitable for most fitness levels including older guests and children. Not recommended for guests with serious mobility restrictions.
– Pregnant guests should consult their doctor before booking.
Weather & seasonality
– The tour operates year-round including in light rain. Both days involve significant time on the water and outdoors — a light poncho or rain jacket is recommended in the wet season (May–October).
– Dry season (November–April): lower humidity, more comfortable for cycling and walking. The orchards are less dense but the river levels are lower and the canals more navigable.
– Wet season (May–October): higher water levels bring the sampan canals closer to the overhanging vegetation, which intensifies the experience. The orchards are in fuller production.
– If TNK Travel cancels due to severe weather or safety conditions, guests receive a full refund or the option to reschedule.
Related tours
– Mekong Delta day tour — My Tho & Ben Tre (MK1): full-day group tour from Ho Chi Minh City — Cồn Qui Island, sampan canals, Ben Tre coconut candy workshops
– Mekong Delta 2 days 1 night — Cần Thơ (GT-MK2): group tour with overnight in Cần Thơ, Cài Răng floating market at dawn
– Mekong Delta adventure 2 days 1 night — Ben Tre & Trà Vinh (PR MK2S): private two-day tour, Ben Tre waterways and Trà Vinh Khmer heritage
– My Tho river cruise — Thoi Son & Ben Tre (PR LX MK1): private half-day river cruise from My Tho
– Mekong Delta nature tour — Dong Thap (PRI-DT): private full-day tour to the Plain of Reeds wetlands and Truc Lam Zen Monastery
Itinerary
HCMC → Cai Be → TanPhong Island → An Bình Island → Út Trinh Homestay
The private vehicle collects the group from your hotel in Ho Chi Minh City. Exact pickup time confirmed at booking based on your hotel location. The drive south-west to Cai Be takes approximately two hours — the route passes through the outer districts of the city and into the flat rice-farming landscape of Tiền Giang Province. Your guide is in the vehicle and uses the transfer time to brief the group on the day’s route, the history of the Cai Be region, and what to expect at each stop.
~10:00 AM Board at Cai Be port — river cruise begins
The group boards the private cruise boat at Cai Be port and heads out onto the Tiền River. Cai Be town sits at the confluence of several Mekong distributaries and has been a commercial river hub since the French colonial period. The first view from the water is the Cai Be ancient church — a French Gothic Catholic church built in the late 19th century, its stone facade and twin spires rising directly from the riverbank. The contrast between the colonial architecture and the surrounding river commerce is immediately striking, and the view from the water is better than any view from the bank.
The floating market beyond the church is a wholesale operation: large boats loaded with pomelo, watermelon, dragonfruit, coconut, and other seasonal produce are moored in clusters while traders transfer goods between vessels by smaller sampans. The market is most active in the early morning but continues through mid-morning. Your guide explains what is being traded, how the river wholesale system works, and the significance of the Cai Be market relative to the more famous Cài Răng market in Cần Thơ.
~10:45 AM Tan Phong Island — rowing sampan through mangrove canals
The boat turns into the smaller waterways of TanPhong Island. The engine is cut and the group transfers to hand-rowed wooden sampan boats — two to three guests per boat, rowed by a local boatwoman. The canal route here is narrow and completely enclosed by mangrove, nipa palm, and overhanging fruit trees. The water is still. The noise of the Tiền River disappears within minutes of entering the canals.
The sampan passes the back gardens of island homes, small vegetable plots maintained on the canal bank, and sections of dense water hyacinth (lục bình) — the fast-growing aquatic plant that covers wide stretches of the inner canals and whose dried fibres are the raw material for the weaving workshops further along the route. About 20–30 minutes on the water.
~11:30 AM Fruit orchard — seasonal tasting + đờn ca tài tử
The sampan docks at a fruit garden on TanPhong Island. The garden grows longan, rambutan, starfruit, jackfruit, banana, and other seasonal varieties — the available fruit depends on the time of year and your guide will identify each one. Fruit is picked and tasted directly from the garden. Fresh coconut water is served in the shade.
While the group rests in the garden, musicians perform đờn ca tài tử — the traditional chamber music of the Mekong Delta, listed by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The ensemble typically includes the đàn cò (two-stringed fiddle), đàn kìm (moon lute), and đàn tranh (sixteen-string zither), accompanied by a singer. The music is meant to be heard in a garden setting at close range — this is the context in which it was developed and the context in which it still makes the most sense.
~12:15 PM Cycling through TanPhong village
The group mounts bicycles for a loop through the interior of TanPhong Island. The paths here are unpaved tracks between family properties, wide enough for a bicycle but not for a vehicle. The route passes an orchard, the village primary school, a Buddhist pagoda, several traditional wood-and-tile houses whose construction style has not changed in a hundred years, and the water hyacinth weaving workshops.
At the weaving workshops, the dried lục bình stems are twisted, braided, and woven on simple frames by women who have been doing this work since childhood. The products — baskets, flat bags, wide-brimmed hats, wallets — are sold for export as well as locally. Guests can watch the process, ask questions through the guide, and purchase directly. Guests who prefer not to cycle can walk the same route at the same pace.
~1:30 PM Cross the Mekong — arrive An Bình Island, Vĩnh Long
The boat crosses the main channel of the Mỹ Thuận stretch of the Mekong River from Tiền Giang Province to An Bình Island in Vĩnh Long Province. The crossing takes approximately 20 minutes. This is one of the widest points of the Mekong in Vietnam — the scale of the river from the middle of the channel, with both banks low and distant, gives a sense of the river’s actual size that is not apparent from the shore.
~2:00 PM Lunch at homestay or riverside restaurant
Lunch is served on An Bình Island — either at the homestay or at a nearby riverside restaurant, depending on the day’s arrangement. The menu is a set of shared Mekong delta dishes prepared from what is fresh that day: typically a river fish dish, a stir-fried vegetable, soup, and steamed rice. Vegetarian alternatives available if requested at booking. After lunch, time to rest before the afternoon programme.
~3:00 PM Cycling and village workshops — An Bình Island
After lunch, the group takes bicycles through the lanes of An Bình Island. An Bình is larger and more densely inhabited than TanPhong, with a wider variety of small-scale food production workshops operating alongside the orchards and paddy fields. The afternoon route passes workshops producing rice paper (bánh tráng) — the thin, dried rounds of rice flour used for fresh spring rolls — coconut candy (kẹo dừa) made by boiling fresh coconut milk to a thick paste, and pop-rice (cơm nổ), a snack made by roasting puffed rice grains with sugar and sesame in a large wok over an open flame. All three are tasted on the spot.
Guests can stop at any workshop for as long as the group wants — the guide adjusts the pace. Hot tea with palm sugar candy (kẹo dừa) is typically served at one of the workshop stops. Guests who prefer not to cycle can walk the route.
~5:00 PM Check in — Ut Trinh Homestay
Check in to Út Trinh Homestay (or the affiliated Út Quỳnh / Út Bình property). The homestay is a private room within a working family compound on the canal-side of An Bình Island. The room has air conditioning, a fan, and a private bathroom. Fresh towels and linen are provided. Take a shower and rest before the evening activity.
~6:00 PM Cooking dinner with the host family
Guests join members of the host family in the kitchen to prepare dinner. The cooking session is not a demonstration — guests work alongside the family, preparing actual dishes for the table. Typical dishes include cá kho tộ (catfish braised in a clay pot with caramel, fish sauce, and black pepper), rau muống xào tỏi (stir-fried water morning glory with garlic), and gỏi cuốn (fresh spring rolls assembled at the table with herbs, river shrimp, and rice paper). The host family members eat dinner with the guests. The conversation — mediated by the guide — typically covers life on the island, the family’s history, and the changes the delta has experienced over recent generations.
~8:00 PM Evening at the homestay — overnight
After dinner, the evening is free. The homestay sits directly beside a canal — the sounds are water, insects, and the occasional boat. There is no nightlife on An Bình Island and no particular programme. This is the point. Guests who want to sit outside and talk, or walk along the canal path after dark with the guide, are welcome to do so. Lights out is when the group decides.
Homestay → Vĩnh Long Market → Red Kingdom → Vĩnh Long City → HCMC
~7:00 AM Breakfast at the homestay Breakfast is prepared by the host family and served at the homestay. A typical breakfast includes rice porridge (cháo) or bánh mì with eggs, fresh fruit from the garden, and Vietnamese coffee or tea. The morning on the canal is cooler and quieter than the afternoon — a good time to sit outside before the day’s programme begins.
~8:00 AM Depart by boat — floating fish cages on the Long Ho canal
The boat departs the homestay jetty and heads along the Long Hồ canal towards Vĩnh Long. The canal is busy in the early morning with fishing boats and small trading vessels heading to the town market. Both banks of the Long Hồ canal are lined with floating fish cages — large rectangular net enclosures moored in the current, each raising several tonnes of cá tra (pangasius catfish), snakehead, or other delta species. Your guide explains the scale of the aquaculture industry in Vĩnh Long and how the cage-farming model operates alongside the traditional river fishery.
~9:00 AM Vinh Long riverside market
The boat docks at the Vĩnh Long riverside market. This is a working wet market supplying the town and surrounding villages — not a tourist market. The range of produce is characteristic of the delta: fresh river fish of a dozen species, live mud crabs, tiger prawns, field rats (chuột đồng — a genuine delta delicacy), frogs, snakehead, tropical fruits, leafy vegetables, and dried goods. The visual density and variety of a Vietnamese wet market at peak hours is considerable. Your guide explains what everything is, what it costs, and how it connects to the cooking and food culture of the province. Good conditions for photography of everyday commerce.
~10:00 AM Brick kiln workshops — entry into the Red Kingdom
The boat departs Vĩnh Long town and turns into the Long Hồ – Hoa Tinh – My An canal system. Within a few minutes, the first brick kilns appear on the right bank. Within a kilometre, they line both sides of the canal without interruption. The kilns here — called the Red Kingdom (Vương Quốc Đỏ) — are beehive-shaped structures of fired brick, standing six to eight metres tall, each with a tall chimney. Several hundred kilns are active in this district, producing the red clay roof tiles (ngói) and building bricks (gạch) that have been manufactured here for generations and are used in construction across southern Vietnam.
The process is entirely manual: clay is dug from the riverbanks by hand, mixed to the right consistency, packed into wooden moulds, turned out in rows to dry in the sun, then loaded into the kiln and fired for several days at high temperature. The fired products are cooled, sorted by quality, and loaded onto river boats for distribution. The boats carrying finished bricks and tiles are visible throughout the canal — low in the water under their loads, moving slowly towards the main river.
~11:00 AM Walk inside a working kiln — optional
The boat docks beside one of the working kilns and guests have the option to disembark and walk inside with the guide. The interior of an active beehive kiln is a different environment from the outside view — the scale of the brick stack, the heat near the firing mouth, the smell of wood smoke and fired clay, and the sight of workers loading and unloading in the near-darkness are all part of understanding how the place actually functions rather than how it looks from the canal. The stop is optional — guests who prefer to remain on the boat and continue photographing from the water can do so. About 30–45 minutes.
~12:00 PM Lunch in Vinh Long
The boat continues along the My An – Hoa Tinh canal and returns to Vĩnh Long city for lunch at a local restaurant. The menu reflects the province’s river and agricultural produce — a shared table of delta dishes prepared from the morning market. Vegetarian alternatives available if requested at booking.
~1:30 PM Transfer to Ho Chi Minh City
After lunch, the private vehicle departs Vĩnh Long city for Ho Chi Minh City. The drive is approximately 130 kilometres — around two hours by road depending on traffic. Drop-off at your hotel or a central point in the city, confirmed at booking. End of tour.
Price & Bookings
All rates are per person in USD. Private tour — vehicle, boat, guide, and homestay room exclusively for your group. Per-person price decreases with group size. Single supplement applies for solo travellers in a private room.
| Tour type | 2–3 pax | Holiday 2–3 pax |
| Private tour | 340$ | 355$ |
| Single supplement | 20$ | 20$ |
Public holidays — holiday pricing applies
If any night of your tour falls on or within the periods below, the holiday price applies for the full tour.
| Holiday | Dates |
| New Year’s Day | 1 January 2027 |
| Lunar New Year (Tết Nguyên Đán) | 15 February – 3 March 2026 |
| Hung Kings’ Festival | 26 April 2026 |
| Reunification Day & International Labour Day | 30 April – 1 May 2026 |
| Vietnam National Day | 1 – 2 September 2026 |
Children’s pricing
| Age | Rate | Notes |
| Under 4 years | Free | Shares bed with parents. No separate bed provided. |
| 4–10 years | 75% of adult rate | Shares room with minimum 2 paying adults (triple occupancy). See note below. |
| 11 years and above | Adult rate | Full adult rate applies. Own bed required. |
Children aged 4–10 pay 75% of the applicable adult rate and must share a room with a minimum of two paying adults (triple occupancy). If the booking is one adult + one child (aged 4–10), the child pays the full adult rate OR the adult pays the single supplement — whichever the guest prefers. Please confirm at booking.
What’s included
- Private vehicle for hotel pickup and drop-off in Ho Chi Minh City (both days)
- Private river cruise boat for all water sections across both days
- Hand-rowed sampan boats for mangrove canal section (Tân Phong Island)
- Bicycles for village cycling on Tân Phong and An Bình Islands (walking alternative available)
- Professional English-speaking guide for the full two days
- 1 night accommodation at Út Trinh / Út Quỳnh / Út Bình Homestay, An Bình Island (private room, air conditioning, private bathroom)
- Meals: Day 1 lunch + dinner | Day 2 breakfast + lunch (4 meals total)
- Coconut drink, seasonal fruit tasting at orchard, hot tea at workshops
- đờn ca tài tử traditional music performance at Tân Phong Island
- Cooking session with host family at the homestay
- Bottled water throughout both days
- All guide, boat crew, and site fees
- All taxes and service charges
What’s not included
- Travel insurance (strongly recommended for overnight tours)
- Personal drinks and snacks beyond included meals
- Optional purchases at weaving, candy, and rice paper workshops
- Tips for guide, boat crew, boatwomen, and homestay family (optional, appreciated)
- Any activities not listed in the itinerary above
Why TNK Travel
TNK Travel is a Vietnam-based inbound tour operator licensed since 2000. We run daily departures from Ho Chi Minh City and have taken over 1,000,000 travellers on tours across Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.
- Ranked #3 on TripAdvisor among Ho Chi Minh City tour operators
- 24,000+ verified reviews across TripAdvisor, Viator, and Klook
- Viator Top-Rated Operator badge
- 94% of travellers recommend our tours
- Licensed operator: International Tour Operator Licence No. 79-102/2010/TCDL-GP LHQT
Frequently asked questions
What is the Red Kingdom?
The Red Kingdom (Vương Quốc Đỏ) is the informal name for the brick and ceramic tile manufacturing district along the Long Hồ – Hoà Tịnh – Mỹ An canal system in Vĩnh Long Province. Several hundred active beehive kilns line both banks of the canals, producing the red clay roof tiles (ngói) and building bricks used in construction across southern Vietnam. The kilns operate using a manual process — clay dug from the riverbanks, shaped in wooden moulds, sun-dried, and fired over several days. The visual impact of hundreds of round-topped kilns with their tall chimneys, many simultaneously producing smoke and heat, reflected in the canal water, is unlike any other landscape in the Mekong Delta.
What is đờn ca tài tử?
đờn ca tài tử (literally ‘talented playing and singing’) is the traditional chamber music of the Mekong Delta region of southern Vietnam. It developed among the communities of the delta in the 19th and early 20th centuries as an amateur art form — performed in private homes and gardens among friends rather than on a stage. The instruments include the đàn cò (two-stringed fiddle), đàn kìm (moon lute), đàn tranh (sixteen-string zither), and đàn bầu (monochord), accompanied by vocals. UNESCO added it to the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2013. The performance on Tân Phong Island is given in a garden setting at close range — the original and appropriate context for the music.
What kind of food will we eat?
All four meals included in the tour are Mekong delta cooking: shared dishes of river fish, fresh vegetables, soups, and steamed rice prepared from local ingredients. The specific dishes change with the season and the market — the kitchen cooks what is fresh. Dinner at the homestay is partially cooked by the guests themselves with the host family. Breakfast at the homestay is a simple local meal. Vegetarian, vegan, and halal alternatives are available for all meals if requested at booking.
What is the homestay experience like?
The homestay is a private room in a working family compound on An Bình Island beside the canal. It is not a boutique hotel or a glamping property — it is a well-maintained family home that takes in guests. The room has air conditioning, a private bathroom, and clean linen. The value of the homestay is the family interaction: cooking dinner together, eating at the same table, and the quiet of the island at night. Guests who need hotel amenities (room service, a lobby, a pool, consistent Wi-Fi) should consider whether a homestay overnight is the right choice for their trip.
Can I skip the cycling and walk instead?
Yes. All cycling sections on this tour have a walking alternative. The paths are flat and the pace is unhurried. Guests who do not ride bikes can cover the same ground on foot alongside the guide. There is no fixed speed — the guide adjusts to the group.
Is the tour suitable for children?
Yes. The sampan ride, fruit tasting, music performance, cycling, cooking session, and the visual spectacle of the Red Kingdom kilns are all engaging for children of different ages. Children under 4 travel free. Children aged 4–10 pay 75% of the adult rate with conditions — see the children’s pricing table above. Let TNK know the ages of all children in your group at booking so the guide can prepare appropriate activities and the vehicle can be confirmed for group size.
What is water hyacinth weaving and why is it significant?
Water hyacinth (lục bình, Eichhornia crassipes) is a fast-growing floating aquatic plant that covers large areas of Mekong Delta waterways. Left unmanaged, it blocks canals and affects navigation and fishing. In the delta, communities have turned the plant into a raw material: the stems are harvested, dried in the sun until they become pale yellow, and then woven into baskets, bags, hats, wallets, and decorative items on simple looms and by hand. The finished products are sold locally and exported. The weaving workshops on Tân Phong and An Bình Islands are family operations that have been running for decades.
What is the difference between this tour and the GT-MK2 group tour?
The GT-MK2 is a group tour — guests join a shared departure with other travellers. The PR MK1.3 is a private tour: the vehicle, boat, guide, and homestay room are exclusively for your group from start to finish. The private format allows the group to set its own pace at each stop, spend more time at locations that interest them, and have the homestay evening as a genuinely private family experience rather than a shared group activity. The itinerary covers different territory — GT-MK2 goes to Cần Thơ and Cài Răng floating market, while PR MK1.3 covers Cài Bè and Vĩnh Long’s Red Kingdom.
Book your Mekong Delta 2 days 1 night private tour
Private tour from Ho Chi Minh City. Hotel pickup and drop-off included. All meals included. Overnight at An Bình Island homestay. Your group only — no shared departures.
- Online: tnktravel.com — booking form on this page
- WhatsApp: +84 938 195 445
- Email: booking@tnktravel.com
- Walk in: 90 Bui Vien Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
International Tour Operator Licence No: 79-102/2010/TCDL-GP LHQT
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