Together with Cai Be and Phung Hiep, Cai Rang Floating Market in Can Tho City, Vietnam is one of the three biggest floating markets in the Mekong Delta. The shops and stalls at the market are boats of different sizes.
I. Highlights of Cai Rang Floating Market
Once visiting Cai Rang floating market located in Can Tho province, you will be amazed by how crowded and lively this market is. During the early morning market hours, larger sized boats anchor and create lanes that smaller boats weave in and out of. The waterway becomes a maze of hundreds of boats packed with mango, bananas, papaya, pineapple, and even smuggled goods like cigarettes.
Sellers do not have to cry out about their goods because their goods can be seen in a distance and their cries would not be heard in the vastness of the river and the noise of boat engines. Small boats that sell beer, wine and soft drinks go among the other boats to serve market-goers and visitors. Sellers tie their goods to a tall pole so that buyers can see from a distance what they are selling.
Each boat is loaded with plenty of seasonal goods. Activities at the market are also an occasion for tourists to study the cultural aspects of southerners. You can see the market in the distance, it does not look like much, just a mass of boats. The boats all display their wares on a mast so you can see what they have available.
II. Local Products
Cai Rang Floating Market is open all day but it is busiest from sunrise to about 9am. The main items sold there are farm products and specialties of Cai Rang Town, Chau Thanh District and neighboring areas such as dried fish, coconut candy, fish sauce, milk and so on. Every boat has a long upright pole at its bow on which samples of the goods for sale are hung.
III. Food in Cai Rang Floating Market
Besides seeing how people sell and buy products on Cai Rang floating market, you will also have a chance to experience the rustic lifestyle of Vietnamese people by tasting countless street foods like pho, bun rieu, com tam and hu tieu. The price of them is very cheap, just around 1 USD, surely you can fill up your stomach with a hearty meal.
IV. Best Time to Visit Cai Rang Floating Market
Unlike the Northern part of Vietnam where there are 4 distinct seasons, the Southern one has only 2 major seasons: the rainy season (from May to November) and the dry season (from December to April). The weather in Vietnam is quite mild, so you can visit Cai Rang whenever you want.
Each season will bring you different experience. If the rainy season gives you a relaxing trip because of the cool atmosphere, the dry one gives you a chance to taste many native fruits like rambutan, durian and mangosteen.
V. How to Get to Cai Rang Floating Market?
There are two main ways available for you to get to Cai Rang floating market.
1. Go by Yourself
If you are a type of people who want to challenge yourself in such a new place, traveling to Cai Rang market yourself is an appropriate option for you. First, if you are outside Ho Chi Minh city, you have to book a domestic flight from Danang or Hanoi to here. Then, catch a taxi to Ninh Kieu Wharf to buy the boat ticket to Cai Rang, which is about 2 USD to 4 USD per person. In case you go in group, the price will be cheaper.
2. Book a Tour
It is not hard to buy a tour to Cai Rang market nowadays. There are a huge number of travel agencies offering Mekong Delta tours with the price ranging from 30 USD to 200 USD. Nevertheless, you need to check the tour’s schedule carefully before booking in order to pick the one that is suitable with your timetable the most.
>> Check Out Our Tour on Mekong Unique Culture in two day!
VI. Tips on Visiting Cai Rang Floating Market
- Don’t forget to arrive in Cai Rang early to contemplate the sunrise and eat the freshest food
- It’s better to take a local fishing boat to avoid the crowd and get the best experience on Cai Rang market
- Bring an umbrella, a hat and sunscreen to prevent yourself from the heat of the sun during the day
Have you been to the Cai Rang Floating Market? If not, let’s take a 30 minute boat ride to the market. You will be actually awake and enjoying it! You wind find it very peaceful floating down the river in the early morning. Then, tell us why you think this market is a great place!
