Shopping on The Water at Cai Rang Floating Market

While traveling to the Southern part of Vietnam, it would be a huge omission if tourists miss the chance of going to Cai Rang Floating Market (Chợ Nổi Cái Răng), one of the most worth visiting markets in Vietnam.

As it is named, this floating market is located on Cai Rang River, roughly 6 kilometers far from the center of Can Tho City. In the past, it was formed due to the initial needs of local people as traveling by road was such a daunting challenge at that time! However, as time flies, even though nowadays the road traffic system has developed conveniently, this special market is still in operation thanks to its economic, cultural as well as tourism values. Cai Rang Floating Market has become an integral signature of Mekong Delta today.

Plus, Cai Rang Floating Market is absolutely a spectacular place to try Vietnamese traditional food such as Banh Mi, Hu Tieu or so on. It is because there are a number of floating restaurants here, with 30 -40-year-experience Chefs being always ready to serve the most delicious dishes.

For the first time visiting this unique market, tourists will be surprised by its scale. There are thousands of wooden rowboats in various sizes and shapes here. Moreover, what definitely will take the visitors’ breath away is that they seem to purchase every food which can be found in the Mekong Delta, ranging from fresh fruits to processed specialties. Each rowboat specializes in one kind of food. You can see rowboats selling pills of watermelons, pineapples or even durians – such a pungent fruit that rarely can people see them being gathered in large quantities.

To start a journey at Cai Rang Floating Market as well as to be able to fully enjoy the bustling trading scene here, visitors are highly recommended to buy a boat ticket ($2-$4) or hire a boat ($30 – $60). Moreover, because vendors seldom have large bills, travelers should remember to bring small bills so that they can conveniently buy food in this special market.

Travelers are suggested to get there between 6 a.m and 8 a.m in order to see the whole trading scene of the market. Visit there in the dry season if you want to try a variety of tropical fruits and be there in cool season if you are not a good heat-bearing person.