Cần Thơ travel guide

Cần Thơ is the third largest centrally-governed city in Vietnam and is in the Mekong Delta region. It is noted for its floating markets, Bánh tráng-making village, and rural canals.

Can Tho is on the south bank of the Hậu River, the bigger branch of the Mekong River. It is in the vicinity of Sóc Trăng, 1½ hours from Long Xuyen, 3 hours from Châu Đốc, and Rạch Giá, about 6 hours from Cà Mau, and 169 km (3 hours) from Ho Chi Minh City. Can Tho is the biggest city in the Mekong Delta. Although it has been developing fast, it retains its charm as the center of a rural area, as urban development is taking place in a rather orderly manner. Can Tho has a reputation for being a welcoming place, where everybody is smiling and welcoming.

There is a wide range of hotels available in Can Tho, from the very local Kach San Tây Hồ, to the state-owned (and state-like) hotels like the International Hotel and Kim Tho Hotel or to the more elaborate Hotel Xoai geared towards international business travellers. The standard design of many buildings in Vietnam is about 4 m wide and 25 m deep. Buildings are very "thin". This means buildings next to each other often have rooms without windows. When you book a hotel, check that there is a window in your room as some cheaper hotels, ones that often cater to 2-hour "transit guests", offer rooms without windows. Beware the giant, neon, Chinese-style riverside hotels.

Getting in

As a regional hub, it is easy to get to Can Tho from cities in the Mekong Delta. There are buses from all the big cities and minibuses from the smaller ones. If you arrive from Cambodia, you will probably stop in Chau Duc and catch a bus to Can Tho there. There is also one bus line directly from Phnom Penh once a day. It is difficult, not to say impossible, to get in by car from Cambodia as a tourist. That likely also applies to bicycles and motorbikes.

Getting around

It is easy to get around in Can Tho by motorbike or bicycle. Mai Linh and Happy Taxi are the two main taxi operators of the city. If you want to travel on the river, you can easily rent a boat service at Ninh Kieu Pier. There are also ferries to surrounding areas here. Can Tho is a big city, but the centre can be easily explored on foot (đi bộ). Most hotels will offer you a map. Despite Can Tho's size, rush hour traffic is pretty bad, and the city center can get congested, even for motorcycles.

Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.