Shopping in Can Tho

One of the most popular tourist destinations in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam is Can Tho. It has floating markets and beautiful scenery, but also offers a range of shopping facilities to visitors. Shopping experience in Can Tho is special as it allows tourists immerse themselves in the local culture and get unique souvenirs that they will never forget.

The crowded Xuan Khanh Market is one of the favorite places to shop for many people who visit Can Tho city. The market deals with vegetables, fruits, and clothes among other things needed by individuals. This gives you a chance to talk with friendly traders and be exposed to locality essence too. They serve till late in evening having being opened early morning.

In addition to those traditional venues, Tay Do Night Market is another place where tourists can go for shopping when in Can Tho city. At nightfall only does this particular market open which attracts people due to its lively mood created by food vendors, street performers and stalls selling various goods such as clothes or handicrafts. Thus, it’s a great place for an evening walk around while finding unusual souvenirs.

Modern shoppers should head on to Vincom Plaza Xuan Khanh, which is one of the latest modern malls in Can Tho. It consists of international brands as well as local ones, cinema halls and a food court for fast foods among others; hence there are all sorts of items available here than can be bought or eaten even right now. If you’re looking for air conditioned comfort and modern amenities then this mall could be your best bet.

Can Tho is an ideal place with various options ranging from old-fashioned markets up to contemporary commercial centers if somebody wants to do some shopping during his holiday tour here. This will make them have a feel of Vietnamese culture that cannot be found anywhere else apart from Vietnam itself; besides one returns back home with mementos reminding about his/her trip here.

Floating Markets

The floating markets are quite active, serving as a hub for most of the region’s merchandise trading. And, the canal system surrounding Can Tho is a fantastic transport network that is far more tranquil than the roadways. Longer private boat visits to the floating markets typically involve transit through the canals. Ensure that the boat you reserve is small enough to handle the narrow canals that larger tour boats cannot reach. You may rent a boat at the Ninh Kiu dock from the “boat women” or from local travel operators. Frequently, they would pick you up from your hotel, and the trip included refreshments. Prices are negotiable, and the longer the trip, the lower the price. In May 2018, the starting prices for private boats with up to four passengers to the floating markets are approximately 20 dollars for a three-hour tour of the Cai Rang floating market (short tour) and approximately forty dollars for a seven-hour tour of both markets – Cai Rang and Phong Dien – and canals. The price is negotiable and also depends on the quality and condition of the boat. Ensure that the price you negotiate is for the entire boat and not per seat. Be wary that certain “boat women” may have a companion follow you around and bully other boat owners into not talking to you if you are comparing pricing. Ensure that the boat has a shade so that you do not spend too much time in the sun.

The Cái Răng floating market is the most important wholesale floating market in the vicinity of Can Tho, and it occurs daily around daybreak. It is floating in the middle of a wide river, far from the riverbanks, which are dotted with private residences and stores. Therefore, you must board a boat in order to fully enjoy this floating market. You can rent a cab if you do not wish to pay international tourist rates for a tour of Ninh Kieu. However, if you merely request Cai Rang Floating Market, you will likely find up on a random, lonely riverside where the driver’s friend will attempt to sell you a costly floating market tour. Instead, request transportation to Ch An Bnh, a small riverfront market located adjacent to the floating market. A speedboat tour of the floating market is available from the public dock for 50,000 VND per person. Additionally, the (riverside) market provides fresh food, shopping (of the blanket-on-the-ground sort), and some of Can Tho’s best banh mi stands.

Phong Dien (Phong Điền) is a retail market located upstream of Can Tho and is worth seeing. It is quite lively at dawn, but also begins to slow down early, so you may wish to get there on land. The arroyos leading back to Can Tho are also well worth a modest boat journey.

Phung Hiep (Phụng Hiệp) is much further away, in the adjacent province of Hu Giang, but if you are going to be in the area for more than a few days, it is worth the trek. There are cruises available to this location.

Tra On (Trà Ôn), in Vinh Long province, lies slightly over an hour downstream the Bassac (the lower Mekong branch, sometimes called Hậu Giang or Sông Hậu). A little floating village market is anchored close to the island of clouds (Cù Lao May).

Boat and Cycle Half Day Tour, +84 962 62 1119 (info@opentourct.com), provides a variety of tours to the most spectacular places in Mekong Delta at low pricing. If you are seeking for a private or small group trip that is not too touristic and provides an up-close view of the Mekong Delta as well as a cycling experience, this tour is ideal for you. This excursion will begin with a boat ride to the Cai Rang market, a local noodle factory workshop, a stop at a local fruit garden where many tropical fruits can be found, and then a bike ride to the Gian Gua relic site, which is approximately 6 meters tall with its roots and branches forming a matrix that makes it difficult to distinguish which are which. It is considered to be 150 years old and encompasses three thousand square meters of the Ba temple area. In 2013, the tree was designated a National Heritage Tree. This is a genuinely exciting experience on both a boat and a bicycle.

Floating Market Tours (affordable pricing, pleasant guides, and dependable private boats run by Mekong Official Tours Information Bureau), Hai Bà Trng, Ninh Kieu, Across from the Ho Chi Minh Statue, +84 907 85 29 27 (contact@mekongtours.info). 5.30 am is an early morning start time. The bureau will send a representative to your hotel to collect money and give you with ticket information. Taxi pickup in the morning and complimentary refreshments on the river are included. Guides who speak English are available upon request. $18 USD for a 3-hour tour of the Cai Rang Floating Market; $36 USD for a 7-hour tour of the Cai Rang and Phong Dien Markets; $1.71 USD per person/hour.

Mystic sampans, at the old Market hall, Hai Bà Trng, Q. Ninh Kiu (on the river side of the old market hall, directly on the Ninh Kiu pier; ask the Sao Hôm restaurant for directions), 0710 381 5616 (mystic@transmekong.com). The Mystic sampans provide breakfast excursions on the floating markets, as well as dinner and sunset cruises on the river, and they pair exceptionally well with bike trips.

Local markets

Cái Khế Market or the longer form Trung Tâm Thương Mại Cái Khế The (Cái Khế Commercial Center) is a large market on Trần Văn Khéo Street that caters to businesses, such as restaurants and hotels, as well as end customers. The market occupies both sides of the street, with the side facing the river providing daily necessities, fish, and other fresh food items that come on the river. On the other side of the market are several wholesalers of textiles and household goods.

Xuan Khanh Market is mostly a fresh food, seafood, vegetable, and fruit market. On the higher floors, additional items for all everyday requirements are also accessible. It is situated at the start of Mau Than Street. According to the former name of the neighborhood, many people still refer to the market as Tham Tuong Market, but its official name is now Xuan Khanh Market. If there is any uncertainty, the Iris Hotel, which is located right across the street, is a useful marker.

Ninh Kieu Pier Tourist Market – Historically, the primary market of Can Tho was an open-air market located on Ninh Kiu pier. The sole remaining original structure is the lovely old market hall, which is now enclosed by a garden along the river. Now, the Cái Kh markets upstream of the Can Tho river and the Xuan Khanh Market are bustling with activity.