🖐 In this travel guide we’ll share all our experience travelling to Can Tho, located in the central South of Vietnam. If this is your first time on Dronemade, we're a community of drone pilots around the world and thus like to share our travel experiences and how we see things from up there. Give a 👍 at the end of this post & feel free to share your experience or any updates you might have in Vietnam Drone Forum. Keep in mind that the content below is updated to the best of our knowledge & does not replace official sources & your research.
Can Tho is a busy city located at the Mekong's delta. This region is very rich in nutrients and you can see it on the markets with hundreds of fruit and vegetable kinds in the halls. Located just 5 h drive from Ho Chi Minh, many travellers come to the city for its now famous water markets, set to be one of the biggest in the world to have remained authentic. The city itself is ok, but we will recommend you to stay a couple of nights tops as there is plenty to do around such as Con Dao Islands and Phu Quoc for example.
Where is it exactly & how to get to Can Tho?
Can Tho is right on the Mekong at the centre of the economical activity of the South of Vietnam. Most of the Vietnamese coffee is produced in and around Can Tho, it is a foodies' dream with hundreds of different plant kinds and an abundance of animal based products that can all be found in the city's numerous markets. One strong negative point is the pollution, thanks to overpopulation and the fact that the Mekong ends here after crossing many other South East Asian countries. Depending on how much time you have, we recommend to include the city as a stop over of a larger loop trip (see itineraries green and red).
🚌 From Ho Chi Minh, the cheapest and fastest way is to go by Bus. You will need to catch the bus from Ho Chi Minh City’s Mien Tay station (or West Bus station). Buses go basically every half an hour during daylight times, it will take you about 5 h to reach Can Tho and cost approx 120,000 dong (US$5).
💡 The leading company is called Phuong Trang (Futa) and their service includes a free shuttle from Can Tho bus station. Once there, head inside to the desk and ask for the free shuttle, it will drop you off at any hotel in the city centre.
🛵 Riding your bike is also a good option, it will take you half a day but you can add pitt stops along your way. The best thing to do is to leave quite early from Ho Chi Minh and drive straight to Cai Be floating market, which operates from sunrise for a few hours.
🛫 Can Tho airport is modern and deserves all Vietnamese major airports but also two international destinations which are Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. This is enough for the city to grow at a rapid pace and we expect more routes to open soon.
What to do in Can Tho?
Can Tho is a bust regional town which managed to keep its authenticity while adapting to the growing number of visitors. You will find the city centre full on with a lot of noise and pollution whilst the immediate outskirts are peaceful, almost if you were gone to explore the Mekong by yourself.
Shopping
This is the real reason why you want to get there, the floating markets. There are several small ones along the Mekong and one bigger one near the centre of Can Tho, this is the one almost all tour operators will bring you to. If you can, its a brilliant idea to get your own boat as you will have more flexibility in going where you prefer.
There are a lot of shops on the sides of the river and in the city too, you will find all you need. Try to avoid buying animal furs or skins as these are often not made in respect of international animal being rules.
Cycling
The entire region being a delta, it is extremely flat! It is a real paradise for bike lovers with a lot of things to see along the road and little shops to reset anytime during your day. Only try to avoid the main roads as these are full on and not necessarily safe for pushbike riders. It will cost about 25,000 dong for a day (US$1)
Temple sightseeing
There are several temples in and around Can Tho, to visit them make sure you are dressed appropriately with pants covering your needs and tops covering your shoulders. By its size and features, Chua Gia Lam temple stands out from all others but you will most likely need a bike or rent a taxi to reach it as its quite far off Can Tho centre.
Where to stay & eat in Can Tho?
🚪 We've only got one place to recommend for sleep but we bet you will love it; Nguyen Shack. The owners have 4 shacks all across Vietnam and this is the original one, nested on a river split, you will have to cross a swinging bridge to reach the rooms. Homefood is delicious, a little more expensive than what you will find by yourself but remains reasonable with most meals around 50,000 dong (US$2).
If not available, don't be too sad, there are a myriad of other homestays available just next to it and they seem to all have great ratings. We found them using HotelsCombined which compares all accommodation prices from Booking, Expedia, Agoda, etc.
🍴 Street food was excellent everywhere in Can Tho so it will be hard to recommend one place over the other. But just be aware about embryo duck eggs (balut) are one big speciality over there. If you're in to this, you can choose the maturity of your embryo for more or less crunchiness, if not, maybe just leave the eggs for now.
Can I fly my drone in Can Tho?
🚨 Be aware of the airline you purchase to travel as some main ones will only accept your drone on-board if its batteries are detached & placed in a firecase during travel time. Most airlines will have a battery voltage limit based on the recommendation of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). You can find more info about a specific airline here.
✅ Currently, there doesn't seem to be any restrictions on bringing drones within Vietnam as long as your import is considered as legitimate (generally one drone per person). Can Tho south is probably the best place for you to fly as further away from the airport located int he North and away from the city centre.
✅ In every case you should follow the Vietnamese drone rules and laws at all times. Note that these can evolve within months and its always a good thing to double check upon departure.
What to think of Can Tho?
Well we don't like to write this part of the story so we've put together some of our coolest pics. If you don't feel like seeing them before heading there, we get it and won't be sad.
✅ Please leave a comment or update Vietnam Drone Forum when you receive news and/or gain experience in Can Tho! Have fun over there and make a lot of good memories!
Disclaimer: Although great care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information researched, we take no responsibility for any loss, harm or damage caused as a direct or indirect consequence of relying on this information.