Cai Be Travel Guide

General Information

Cai Be is a small charming town, 150 KM from Saigon – Ho Chi Minh City – one of the best choices for 1 day Mekong river tours

The destination is decorated  with colorful fruit and vegetable gardens, traditional crafts, a French church from 1935 and an impressive traditional house. The famous Cai Be floating market is getting smaller as smart shops and super markets take the places. The Catholic cathedral near the floating market is one of the impressions of the area.

There are numerous small canals in the area of Cai Be, which invite to a discovery tour by sampan. You can explore the area very well by bicycle riding on narrow roads along small side canals. Many of the small shady canals, which branch off from the larger river arms, are hard to spot because they are overgrown by lush greenery. On an exploration tour you will often think that you landed in a dead end, but after an overgrown bend it still goes on.

Best time to visit Cai Be

Cai Be welcomes you in any season all year round, each of that will certainly offer you specifically different types of pleasure and satisfaction. However, the best time is the floating season from September to December.

• Floating season (September – December): It is the best time to visit Cai Be and Mekong Delta region in general. You can go fishing in our traditional wooden boats, discover pristine nature and spend time in some orchards.
• Rainy season (May – October): It is not a bad choice when traveling to Cai Be during rainy seasons since the rains are short and will not affect your trip.
• Dry season (January – April): It is hot and dry during this time, however, it is harvesting time here and you can enjoy fruit picking activities with the locals.

Weather in Cai Be

Getting to Cai Be

There are many available means of transportation to get get to Cai Be according to your time budget and interest. For those who fancy at having more experiences of watching picturesque scenery on road, motorbikes would be obviously the best choice. But for the family and a big group, the coach is ranked as the perfect safe method of movement.

Also, you should not bring along much luggage. These followings are highly recommended:

• Casual clothes
• Sun-stop coat
• Simple shoes or sandals to get on and off the boat easily (high-heel is not preferable)
• Mosquito and insect repellent
• Sunglasses, hat, necessary medicines, and travel sickness medicine and other personal stuffs.

What to See in Cai Be

Picking Cai Be to be your travel destination, you are having yourself ready for an amazing trip to many stunning places:

Cai Be Floating Market

Cai Be Floating Market is a small and little-visited floating market in Mekong Delta. It is held along the Tan Phong Island at the junction of Tien River in a territory of three provinces Tien Giang, Vinh Long and Ben Tre. The only means of transportation here are boats of various sizes, carrying hundreds of different commodities.

Dong Hoa Hiep Old House

There is quite some old houses in Dong Hoa Hiep Commune, Cai Be, prominently Ba Duc Old House, Cai Huy Old House and Anh Kiet Old House. They were built in old architecture typical in the region. Some of them were restored under a government programme.

My Thuan Bridge

The bridge should be on your bucket list when you travel to Vinh Long or other Western provinces. Having a stop and taking some photographs with the special architectural bridge will not be missed as the special mark in the tour.

Boat traveling on Cai Be Floating Market

Floating market here usually begins very early. Thus, to catch the liveliest and busiest scenery, visitors should plan to stay one night in Vinh Long and bring along a camera, hat, sunscreen and insect repellent. At 3-4am, the market is crowded with many different-size traders and sellers. The busiest time in a day falls at 5-6 am, which should be the best time choice for you to visit Cai Be and mix yourselves in the business life of local habitats here. You will have unique opportunities to see and take photograph the river trading activities of all types: from boat ride along the busy river to cruise through the mysterious canals, to learn about the life of merchants in the Southwest and sample delicious fresh locally grown fruits. Additionally, the picture-postcard natural scenery of poetic blue and purely fresh water will surely astound you strongly right at your first sight, then coming up with the interestingly relaxing moments when you have yourself float on the boat along the river. The floating market usually ends at 8 pm when the activities then begin to sparse more and more.

If you are not a fan of bustling and noisy atmosphere, the time after 4 p.m will be suitable for you. With little sunlight and cooler temperature, in comparison with the morning time, you can take the peaceful moments, watching the charming sunset from your boat, the numerous lights from “floating street” and fluttering with the sweet beautiful Aulacese opera, which are all wonderful experiences.

Where to Stay in Cai Be

There are many home stays and hotels in Cai Be. Depending on your budget and expectations, you can choose the appropriate types of accommodations.

• Mekong Lodge

Address: Dong Hoa Hiep – US $52

• The Durian Lodge

Address: No 100, Group 4, An Hoa Hamlet, Dong Hoa Hiep – US $40

• Ba Duc Ancient House

Adress: 155 An Loi, Dong Hoa Hiep – US $46

• Mekong Riverside Boutique Resort & Spa

Adress: Hoa Qui Ward, Hoa Khanh Subdistrict, Cai Be – US $79

• Mekong – Real Homestay

Address: Hiep Non, Hiep Duc, Cai Lay, Cai Be – US $8

What to Eat in Cai Be

Cai Be is a well-known land for many delicious colorful fruits such as small pip durian from Cai Mon (Ben Tre), Nam Roi pomelos, which is brought from Binh Minh (Vinh Long), longan, orange and many types of unique-taste mango. In addition, there are many other fruit trees such as sapote, guava, apple, tangerine, jackfruit, plum, peach, etc. Compared to other gardens of Mekong Delta region, Cai Be gardens are recognized as “the 1^st rich and abundant garden”. There are fruits in four seasons, which provides visitors with a variety of fruit choices.

Hoa Loc mango is one of the most popular mango varieties in the Mekong Delta – Vietnam and is one of the fruit is favored by attractive color, delicious taste, and high nutritional value. Hoa Loc mangoes are grown mostly in Cai Be district with more than a thousand hectares and annual production of about 15,000 tons. Hoa Loc mango’s average weight is 350-450 grams, it has oblong shape, golden skin when ripe, bright yellow flesh, and tastes delicious and aromatic.