After much deliberation we decided to go for the 3 day tour of the delta followed by a fast boat to phnom penh in Cambodia. It was a much cheaper option and rather than spending our time cruising up the river, we spent most of our time on the coach or minivan! The Mekong delta was a fascinating place though and we were able to see a very different way of life. Upon our arrival we were taken through the narrow canals by rowing boat which is used to transport goods from a to b. We had lunch on the remote island of Ben Tre and before heading back to the boat I jumped on a bicycle to explore the island. It was like going back in time with the locals using horse and cart as the main use of transport. We finished the day drinking tea and eating fruit whilst Watching locals perform a traditional song. After a 2 hour coach trip passings over endless canals we arrived at our hotel. The restaurant where we had dinner served crocodile, sparrow turtle and several other strange dishes. Fortunately they did have a veggie option!

The second day we visited Can Tho which is a huge floating market. We had seen floating markets elsewhere but this was for the Vietnamese rather than the tourists which made it a more authentic experience.

Day 3: After a walk around a village settled by Cham muslim refugees from over 100 Years ago (i think) we boarded a boat to the Cambodian border. We waited several hours at the border before being loaded onto a fast boat to phnom penh in Cambodia.