Today was a wonderful day because we got to explore the Mekong Delta region which we had learned so much about previously. I am especially interested in this river because of how many locals rely on its resources and its current state with increasing pollution in the country. After the two-hour bus ride, we arrived at the boats where we traveled to two different islands. We were given coconuts on the boat ride which was a pleasant touch to the beautiful trip down the river. When we arrived at our first island we rode a horse and buggy to a market/restaurant area. We then tried this honey drink and coconut snack. They offered fresh honey made on the island for purchase along with other local sourced goods. It seemed that on both of these islands, the locals rely on tourism to fuel their income and success. Many of the areas we visited were curated towards tourists and their wants and needs. After this we went shopping and saw some traditional Vietnamese singing performances while eating fresh fruit. This was a super cool experience because I love to sing and it was very interesting to see the traditional songs of the Vietnamese people.

After this, we journeyed to a second island along the Mekong Delta. We had lunch at this location and this island seemed even more tourist-focused than the first one. They had many activities for tourists to do including feeding crocodiles, playing in the water, and even getting a “fish massage.” My favorite activity, however, was rowing down the river in a rowboat. It was an extremely beautiful experience and the scenery was to die for.

Afterwards, we left the Mekong and headed to another Buddhist pagoda. This was extremely surreal because there were humongous Buddha statues surrounding the pagoda. It was very beautiful to see the different statues and to even witness people praying and worshipping Buddha.

We then drove back to the hotel while it started down-pouring, creating a relaxing and calming end to the busy, but wonderful day 🙂