Exploring the Mekong Delta on a Scooter
Vietnam is deservedly one of the most popular travel destinations in South East Asia, and has been for a number of years. However this popularity does mean that it can be full of tourists. One of the easiest ways to escape the crowds is by using a scooter or motorbike to explore. We hired a scooter and embarked on a two day trip down to the mekong delta from Ho Chi Minh City.
Hiring a scooter:
For longer trips its obviously much better to buy however we hired a bike for 2 days for $25. We found the company through a google search and then checked reviews on trip advisor. It’s usually better to choose an expat run company for hiring bikes as there a large number of scams that operate from local bike hire companies, especially those located in the backpacker area of Phang Ngu Lau. Scams include not returning passports or deposits or even following you and “stealing” the bike meaning you have a huge bill to pay.
The roads:
The roads in Vietnam are chaotic due to the sheer number of bikes on the road. In essence its a sort of organised chaos that works most of the time. However you still need to have you wits about when driving here it’s best to keep to the right, out of the way of the fast traffic. Also do be aware that the horn is frequently used here to let other motorists know that they are there. When you have this many bikes on the road this is vital. People are usually not beeping you to get you to move out of the way. Often it’s to let you know that they are there. You should also be extending the same courtesy. Especially if there are cars, buses or lorries around.
Where to go and what to see:
There are a number of towns that are fantastic to explore. The largest being the city of Can Tho, however Vinh Long, Can Tho and Ben Tre also have a few interesting places and are worth checking out if you have the time.
When we visited we stayed in Vinh Long province on one of the many islets in the area. From here we had an amazing base to explore the narrow roads, bridges and islets that give this region of Vietnam so much character. Just be aware that most of the roads on these islets do not come up on google maps and as such you just need to make sure you’re going in the right general direction. The highlight of this region of Vietnam is simply exploring the islands and islets through the network or roads, bridges and ferries.
