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    • Mekong Delta photoblog - My Tho, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh
    Gallery

    Mekong Delta photoblog - My Tho, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh

    By Mark Bowyer / Last updated 09 Mar 2012
    • My Tho is the most popular tourist spot in the...
    • Canal trip, My Tho
    • Ben Tre riverfront. I remembered Ben Tre as the place...
    • Ben Tre riverfront. This man offered me a coconut soon...
    • Ben Tre riverfront. More coconuts.
    • Ben Tre riverfront. A new bridge means that Ben Tre...
    • Ben Tre riverfront. An abundance of wonderful fresh fruit is...
    • Ben Tre waterfront. The Chinese have long been big players...
    • Ben Tre food stall. Bun Rieu and Hu Tieu are...
    • Ben Tre riverfront. Hu tieu stall.
    • Ben Tre Museum is one of the last standing major...
    • Ben Tre riverfront
    • Ben Tre riverfront. Chinese Temple.
    • A boat trip from Ben Tre to Thanh Long Island...
    • Long Thanh Island as the sun goes down, Ben Tre
    • Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta. One of the greatest disappointnents of...
    • Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta. Chinese shophouses.
    • Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta. One of the few remaining villas...
    • Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta. A view of the future. This...
    • Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta. The market.
    • Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta. The market.
    • Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta. These flower sellers take their lives...
    • Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta. Chinese family.
    • Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta. Cycling in the countryside around Ben...
    • Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta. Rice dries on the side of...
    • Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta. Cycling around Tra Vinh
    • Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta. Small market outside of Tra Vinh.
    • Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta. Small market outside of Tra Vinh....
    • Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta. Franco Vietnames architecture.
    • Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta. Tra Vinh is famouse for its...
    • Tra Vinh Ao Ba Om, Once the site of Angkor...
    • Tra Vinh, Ang Khmer Pagoda
    • Tra Vinh, Ang Khmer Pagoda
    • Tra Vinh, Ang Khmer Pagoda. This monk writes my name...
    • Tra Vinh, Ang Khmer Pagoda
    • Tra Vinh, Ang Pagoda
    • Tra Vinh, Ang Pagoda

    Introduction

    We visit the Mekong Delta towns of My Tho, Ben Tre and Tra Vinh.
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • ©Photo: Mark Bowyer
    • My Tho is the most popular tourist spot in the Mekong Delta on account of its proximity to Saigon. These days, the whole My Tho experience is highly packaged. If you only have time to do a day trip, My Tho is only just worthwhile. Day trips that include Cai Be Market and the small areas around Vinh Long are a better bet. These boats are assembled to pick up tourists for their 15 minute canal experience.
    • Canal trip, My Tho
    • Ben Tre riverfront. I remembered Ben Tre as the place that a US Commander said had to be destroyed in order to be saved during the Vietnam War. The quote came to symbolise the futility of the US campaign.

      For Vietnamese, Ben Tre is famed for something rather more benign - its coconuts. And they're everywhere.

    • Ben Tre riverfront. This man offered me a coconut soon after arriving in Ben Tre and refused my offers to pay.
    • Ben Tre riverfront. More coconuts.
    • Ben Tre riverfront. A new bridge means that Ben Tre is only 15 minutes beyond My Tho - but it has an authenticity long lost in My Tho. The riverfront is especially pretty and free of tourist coaches - for now.
    • Ben Tre riverfront. An abundance of wonderful fresh fruit is one of the joys of travel in the delta.
    • Ben Tre waterfront. The Chinese have long been big players in Delta life. Chinese temples, shophouses and warehouses are to be found throughout.
    • Ben Tre food stall. Bun Rieu and Hu Tieu are Delta specialties.
    • Ben Tre riverfront. Hu tieu stall.
    • Ben Tre Museum is one of the last standing major French buildings in the town. Its formula is the same as museums throughout the country focusing on the heroics of local communist fighters against American and "puppet" forces.
    • Ben Tre riverfront
    • Ben Tre riverfront. Chinese Temple.
    • A boat trip from Ben Tre to Thanh Long Island is very worthwhile. At this spot along the river, coconuts were being tossed from boat to boat.
    • Long Thanh Island as the sun goes down, Ben Tre
    • Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta. One of the greatest disappointnents of a visit to the delta is the trashing of the old shophouses. There are still small pockets of them but they are being quickly destroyed - and with them, the opportunity for the Delta to create mini heritage areas like Hoi An that would be of immense commercial and historical value.
    • Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta. Chinese shophouses.
    • Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta. One of the few remaining villas of Tra Vinh.
    • Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta. A view of the future. This is the charmless architectural style taking hold across Vietnam.
    • Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta. The market.
    • Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta. The market.
    • Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta. These flower sellers take their lives into their own hands setting up in the middle of Tra Vinh's busiest street.
    • Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta. Chinese family.
    • Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta. Cycling in the countryside around Ben Tre and Tra Vinh is superb. Bicycles are hard to come by in Tra Vinh however.
    • Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta. Rice dries on the side of the road.
    • Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta. Cycling around Tra Vinh
    • Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta. Small market outside of Tra Vinh.
    • Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta. Small market outside of Tra Vinh. The Honda '67 motorcycle continues to be the preferred delta workhorse.
    • Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta. Franco Vietnames architecture.
    • Tra Vinh, Mekong Delta. Tra Vinh is famouse for its large Khmer population. The Khmer culture and pagodas are a great reason for visiting.
    • Tra Vinh Ao Ba Om, Once the site of Angkor era structure, this lotus filled man made lake is very evocative of Angkor itself.
    • Tra Vinh, Ang Khmer Pagoda
    • Tra Vinh, Ang Khmer Pagoda
    • Tra Vinh, Ang Khmer Pagoda. This monk writes my name in Khmer.
    • Tra Vinh, Ang Khmer Pagoda
    • Tra Vinh, Ang Pagoda
    • Tra Vinh, Ang Pagoda
    Quicklink - Introduction - Vietnam

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