Cai Rang Floating Market is the invaluable “Specialty” of Can Tho people and Mekong Delta region. Once visiting Southwest Vietnam, it should not miss Cai Rang Floating Market. This is the unique culture of southwest Vietnam which you cannot see other parts of the country. Travel here, tourists will understand more the local life on rivers as well as long time trading on boats and crowded on river of Mekong Delta people.
It has been honored by the foreign press as one of the five most interesting markets in Asia. Join ORIGINVIETNAM.COM to find the attraction that Cai Rang floating market brings!
When is the best time of the day to visit Cai Rang Floating Market?
Different from cities’ markets, Cai Rang floating market as well as other markets of Mekong Delta region crowded since very early from 4.00 am – 5.00 am. Therefore, once wish to visit Cai Rang market; you should start from very early. The most crowded time of the market is from 5.00 am to 8.00 am. Because this is the time when the hundreds of boats are busy for trading as well as people go to market. Book a tour to Mkeong Delta You can harmony yourself in the busy atmosphere of the market and trading activities. Besides, this is the perfect chance for you to enjoy the picture of the market at dawn.
How to reach Cai Rang market?
There are many boat companies at Ninh Kieu Pier where you can rent a boat to reach Cai Rang Floating market and some other places along the river. You can come and book boat all day.
There are two ways to book boat to visit the market. They are share boat with some other people and private boat.
However, you should choose a private boat so that you can active in your time as well as travel as much as possible you wish. The maximum for a boat is around 10 to 12 Vietnamese people. If westerner, it is around 5 – 6 people. The price for boat is around 25 USD to 40 USD.
It takes you around 30 minutes for boat from Ninh Kieu Pier to Cai Rang Floating market. En route you can stop to visit and view Can Tho Bridge.
What are the Special in Cai Rang Floating Market?
+ The special “Four Hang” unique in the floating market.
The uniqueness of the floating market in Mekong Delta is the hanging products on the bamboo column. The boat sells any products will hang these on the column called “ treo beo”. The word “beo” is the local word of south Vietnam people. It means to show the shape. Because the atmosphere of the floating market is very crowded and noisy from the voice of many people, the wave of river and the machine of boats, that is why they don’t use the shout as on the mainland. Therefore, hanging the products on the column of the boat is easy for buyers to see and buy what they want.
+ Whatever you hang, sell it
Usually, when the sellers would like to sell any things, they hang sample of them on the column. For example, the boat sells watermelon, pineapple, the hold will hang watermelon and pineapple on the column.
+ Hang without sell
The boat is as the second house of these people. The life in Mekong Delta region is mainly on river as previous time. Therefore, they hang their clothes because it is daily activities. That is why they hang clothes but they not sell.
+ Not hang however still sell
“Không treo mà bán” mean not hang however still sell. The small boats sail through corners to serve products for market customers such as coffee, vermicelli, noodles, bread, etc. These are not hang on column.
+ Hang this but sell other:
When local people hang this on their boat, they will sell other. Mean when you see they hang a roof sheet, this means they are wishing to sell their boat. The boat is as their house.
What to enjoy in Cai Rang floating market?
Cai Rang floating market is one of the destinations for self life. Cai Rang floating market is one of the beautiful sights in Can Tho which you should call on and visit. The scenery is always attractive for the busy activities of hundreds of boats, local life, local culture of rivers.
Furthermore, Cai Rang is the largest wholesale floating market in the southwest Vietnam. Visitors here are extremely excited to enjoy the products of the southwest Vietnam. Usually, the big boats are the wholesale boats and the small boats are the buyers. However, today because many tourists come here, many people have fruits on boats to sell to tourists. The agricultural products are sweet potato, pumpkin, tapioca, taro, etc. Also there are different fruits such as pineapple, watermelon, jack fruit, durian, mangosteen, rambutan, mango, longan, etc.
Also, you can enjoy some drinks at the market to experience the enjoyment on boat such as tea, coffee, coconut juice, pineapple juice, etc.
Additional, when you leave hotel to Cai Rang Floating market since very early so you cannot have breakfast at hotel, you can enjoy breakfast right on the market. There are small boats which serve foods for local people as well as tourists such as noodle soup, vermicelli, porridge, rib rice, fried vermicelli, etc.
Moreover, if you travel to Can Tho on “Lễ Thượng Điền and Lễ Hạ Điền” Festival on April or December yearly, you will have chance to visit the biggest festival in Mekong Delta Region. This is yearly festival and brings deeply the traditional culture of the Mekong Delta.
Although the floating markets are not as original because the development of bridges and road through province of Mekong Delta Region, the market is now less busy. Surely that, Cai Rang Floating market will still bring you the enjoyable experience of river life and activities of Mekong Delta.
How many tourists come here have been fascinated with the culture of this river region. Therefore, everyone who comes here wishes to visit and experience the culture of Cai Rang floating market. Hope you enjoy trip to Can Tho Cai Be market. Beside that don’t forget to check all things need to know before travel to Can Tho from Origin Vietnam.
