Situated some 70 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang has become a must-visit destination in the southern region of Vietnam.

The province features various kinds of fruit and seafood, poetic water landscapes, and especially friendly and warm people.

In Tien Giang, there are many interesting activities that should be added to tourists’ to-do list, such as sitting on boats to visit the Cai Be floating market, sailing sampans through canals, enjoying fruits at orchards, and cycling around Tan Phong Island to mingle with the simple life of locals.

A boat which is like a mobile store chugs on the river in Tien Giang Province, Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Trung Au / Tuoi Tre News

A well-known destination in Cai Lay District, Tien Giang Province is Tan Phong Island. To reach the island, tourists will need to travel by ferry or boat for 15 minutes.

The island is favored by nature to have beautiful weather, fertile soil, and potential for tourism development.

To experience Tan Phong, visitors should travel on bicycles as the island is not too large and most of the roads there are concrete.

Tourists can enjoy the cool and fresh air in the peaceful rural land where houses are surrounded by fruit gardens.

If visitors come to the island during fruit seasons, they will have a chance to pick and enjoy fruits at these orchards.

Tourists ride bicycles around Tan Phong Island. Most roads are concrete, facilitating the travel. Photo: Nguyen Trung Au / Tuoi Tre News

Bamboo trees cast their shadows on roads, helping tourists to feel close to nature. Photo: Nguyen Trung Au / Tuoi Tre News

Trees laden with fruit like rambutan in this photo make a common image on Tan Phong Island. Photo: Nguyen Trung Au / Tuoi Tre News

Longan is a popular fruit on Tan Phong Island. Photo: Nguyen Trung Au / Tuoi Tre News

Besides cultivating rice and fruit trees, households on the island also maintain traditional craft careers, such as making hammocks using dried trunks and stems of banana trees; bags and boxes using dried water hyacinth; banh cốm gạo (crispy rice cakes); and coconut candies.

Local residents are friendly and willing to share processes to make these products. Tourists can try cakes and candies before buying them.

Dried water hyacinth is used to make baskets. Photo: Nguyen Trung Au / Tuoi Tre News

A woman uses dried trunks and stems of banana trees to make a hammock. Photo: Nguyen Trung Au / Tuoi Tre News

‘Banh cốm gạo’ (crispy rice cake) is a popular dish in the Mekong Delta. Photo: Nguyen Trung Au / Tuoi Tre News

A corner of the yard of a family on Tan Phong Island. Photo: Nguyen Trung Au / Tuoi Tre News

Another interesting activity on the island is sitting on xuồng ba la (sampan) passing through canals to see fruit gardens, houses, and the life of residents along the banks.

Each sampan can carry a maximum of three people. Tourists can sail the sampans under the direction of local residents.

Tourists sit on a sampan to experience Tan Phong Island. Photo: Nguyen Trung Au / Tuoi Tre News

A local man sails a dinghy. Dinghies can be made of wood or composite. Photo: Nguyen Trung Au / Tuoi Tre News

Traveling on waterways to pass through forests is a must-try experience when visiting Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. Photo: Nguyen Trung Au / Tuoi Tre News

Floating markets are typical in the Mekong Delta region and Tien Giang is no exception. The province is home to Cai Be Floating Market, which used to be the main trading hub of local residents.

From the market, tourists can see Cai Be Church, a magnificent Roman architectural work. The church has the highest bell tower and the most beautiful location among those in the Mekong Delta.

A corner of Cai Be Floating Market in Tien Giang Province, Vietnam. At this market, traders advertise their products by hanging them on a bamboo pole on their boats. Photo: Nguyen Trung Au / Tuoi Tre News

The front of Cai Be Church as seen from Cai Be Floating Market. Photo: Nguyen Trung Au / Tuoi Tre News

Boats with different sizes and shapes travel on the Tien River in Tien Giang Province, Vietnam. Photo: Nguyen Trung Au / Tuoi Tre News

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Thanh Ha – Nguyen Trung Au / Tuoi Tre News