My Tho, the quiet capital city of
Tien Giang province, is the traditional gateway to the delta, owing to its proximity to HCMC. Visitors on a whirlwind Vietnam tour often take a day trip here to catch a glimpse of the famous river. In order to visit
floating markets, however, you'll need to continue on to
Can Tho. The town itself is an important market town, and its quaint but busy waterfront is easily explored on foot.
My Tho was founded in the 1680s by Chinese refugees freeing Taiwan for political reasons. The Chinese have virtually all gone now, having been driven out in the late 1970s when their property was seized by the government. The economy is based on tourism, fishing and the cultivation of rice, coconuts, bananas, mangoes, longans and citrus fruit.
Typhoon Durian
In 2006 several eastern provinces in the delta sustained serious damage by Typhoon Durian. It left nearly 100 dead, damaged or destroyed more than 200,000 homes and sank more than 800 fishing vessels.
Ben Tre province suffered the worst damage, with hundreds left homeless.
Orientation
Sprawling along the bank of the northernmost branch of the
Mekong River,
My Tho is laid out in a regular grid pattern.
The bus station is 3km west of town. Coming from the bus station, you enter
My Tho on D Ap Bac, which turns into D Nguyen Trai (oriented west-east).
Parallel to the
Mekong River is D 30 Thang 4 (also written as D 30/4), named for Saigon Liberation Day.
What to see in My Tho - Tien Giang
Phoenix Island
Until his imprisonment by the communists for his antigovernment activities and the consequent dispersion of his flock, the Coconut Monk (Ong Dao Dua; see the boxed text, opposite) led a small community on Phoenix Island (Con Phung), a few kilometers from My Tho. In its heyday the island was dominated by a wildly imagined open-air sanctuary (admission 5000d; 8-11.30am& 1.30-6pm). The dragon-enwrapped columns and (he multiplatform lower, with its huge metal globe, must have once been brightly painted, but these days the whole place is faded, rickety and silent. Nevertheless, it's good kitsch - there's even a model of the Apollo rocket set among the Buddhist statues! With some imagination you can picture how it all must have appeared as
THE COCONUT MONK
The Coconut Monk was so named because he once ate only coconuts for three years; others claim he only drank coconut juice and ate fresh young corn. Whatever the story, he was born Nguyen Thanh Nam in 1909, in what is now Ben Tre province. He studied chemistry and physics in France at Lyon, Caen and Rouen from 1928 until 1935, when he returned to Vietnam, got married and had a daughter.
In 1945 the Coconut Monk left his family in order to pursue a monastic life For three years he sat on a stone slab under a flagpole and meditated day and night. He was repeatedly impris-oned by successive South Vietnamese governments, which were infuriated by his philosophy of achieving reunification through peaceful means. He died in 1990.
Plaques on the 3.5m-high porcelain jar (created in 1972) on Con Phung tell all about the Coconut Monk. He founded a religion, Tinh Do Cu Si. which was a mixture of Buddhism and Christianity. Representations of Jesus and the Buddha appeared together, as did the Virgin Mary and eminent Buddhist women, and the cross and Buddhist symbols. Today only the symbols remain, as the Tinh Do Cu Si community has dissolved from the island.
the Coconut Monk presided over his congre gation, flanked by enormous elephant tusks and seated on a richly ornamented throne.
If you really wish to experience the fullness of the island, you can spend the night at the simple Con Phung Hotel (Tell; 075 822198; fax 075 894 940; r with/without air-con US$10/7; Rooms are comfortable, clean and simple, and the best quarters have river views. A restaurant serves decent traditional mains (set menu 50,000d to 80,000d).
Private boat operators can take you to and from the island as part of an organised tour (around 50,000d per hour). You might also keep an eye out for the Coconut Monk's complex as you chug by on the My Tho-Ben Tre ferry.
Dragon Island
Famed for its well-known longan orchards, Dragon Island (Con Tan Long) makes for a pleasant stop and stroll. The lush, palm-fringed shores of the island are lined with wooden fishing boats; some of the residents of the island are shipwrights. There is a small restaurant on the island. Dragon Island is a five-minute boat trip (per person 10,000d) from the dock at the southern end of D Le Loi.
Other Islands
Two islands in the vicinity. Tortoise Island (Con Qui) and Unicorn Island (Thoi Son) are worth popular stops for the coconut candy and banana wine workshops. On Tortoise Island is an excellent restaurant, the Du Lich Xanh Con Qui .
(Tell: 610 988; set menu 40,000-80,000d; lunch). It's a peaceful thatched-roof setting, surrounded by water hyacinths. Although you can visit these islands as part of a package tour from HCMC, you'll have much more fredom if you hire a boat yourself in My Tho. Budget around US$10 to US$14 for a three-or four-hour cruise, making stops along the way.
Dong Tarn Snake Farm
Operated by the Vietnamese military for profit and open to the public, the snake farm (admission 20,000d; 7am-5pm) at Dong Tam lies about 10km from My Tho in the direction of Vinh Long. It breeds snakes - mostly pythons and cobras - for eating, for their skins and for producing antivenin. At certain times the keep ers feed live animals, including ducks, to the pythons and other snakes. If this bothers you, you may want to forego a visit. A 15-minute video tells the history of the snake farm.
The restaurant here includes cobra on the menu and there's a shop where you can stock up on snake wine and cobratox - a cream made from venom, that's said to be good for treating rheumatism.
You'll need your own transport to get to Dong Tam Snake Farm. Coming from HCMC, continue for 3km beyond the turn-off to My Tho and turn left at the Dong Tarn Junction (signposted). From the junction, follow the dirt road for 4km, turn right and continue for 1 km until you reach the snake farm.
CAO DAI TEMPLE
If you missed the one in Tay Ninh,
My Tho has its own colourful but smaller Cao Dai Temple (D ly Thuong Kiet) that's worth a look. It's west of the town centre between D Dong Da and D Tran Hung Dao.
MY THO CENTRAL MARKET
This market (D Trung Trac & D Nguyen Hue) is in an area of town that is closed to traffic. The streets are filled with stalls selling everything from fresh food and bulk tobacco to boat propellers. In an attempt to clear these streets, the local government has built a three-storey concrete monstrosity on the riverside, intending to relocate vendors inside. With the high rent and taxes, however, there have been very few takers and the top two floors remain empty.
VINH TRANG PAGODA
The monks at Vinh Trang Pagoda (60A D Nguyen Trung Truc; admission free; "9-11.30am&1.30-5pm"), a beautiful and well-maintained sanctuary, provide a home fur orphans, disabled and other needy children. Donations are always welcome.
The pagoda is about 1 km from the city centre. To get there, take the bridge east across the river on D Nguyen Trai and after 400m turn left. The entrance to the sanctuary is about 200m from the turn-off, on the right-hand side of the building as you approach it from the ornate gate.
Tours
Boat trips are the highlight of a visit to
My Tho. The small wooden vessels can navigate the mighty Mekong (barely), but the target for most trips is cruising past pleasant rural villages through the maze of small canals. Depending on what you book, destinations usually include a coconut-candy workshop, a honeybee farm (try the banana wine!) and an orchid garden.
THE RIVER OF NINE DRAGONS
The
Mekong River is one of the world's great rivers and its delta is one of the world's largest. The Mekong originates high in the Tibetan plateau, flowing 4500km through China, between Myanmar and Laos, through Laos, along the Laos-Thailand border, and through Cambodia and Vietnam on its Way to the South China Sea. At Phnom Penh (Cambodia), the
Mekong River splits into two main branches: the Hau Giang (Lower River, also called the Bassac River), which flows via Chau Doc, Long Xuyen and Can Tho to the sea; and the Tien Giang (Upper River), which splits into several branches at Vinh Long and empties into the sea at five points The numerous branches of the river explain the Vietnamese name for the Mekong: Song Cuu Long (River of Nine Dragons).
The Mekong's flow begins to rise around the end of May and reaches its highest point in September; it ranges from 1900 to 38,000 cubic metres per second depending on the season. A tributary of the river that empties inio the Mekong at Phnom Penh drains Cambodia's Tonle Sap Lake. When the Mekong is at flood stage, this tributary reverses its flow and drains into Tonle Sap, thereby somewhat reducing the danger of serious flooding in the
Mekong Delta. Unfortunately. deforestation in Cambodia is disturbing this delicate balancing act, resulting in more flooding in Vietnam's portion of the Mekong River basin.
In recent years seasonal flooding has claimed The lives of hundreds and forced tens of thousands of the region's residents to evacuate from their homes. In some areas inhabitants are not able to return to their homes until the waters fully recede several months later. Floods cause millions of dollars worth of damage and have a catastrophic effect on regional rice and coffee crops.
Living on o flood plain presents some technical challenges. Lacking any high ground to escape flooding, many delta residents build their houses on bamboo stilts to avoid the rising waters Many roads are submerged or turn to muck during floods; all-weather roads have to be built on raised embankments, but this is expensive. The traditional solution has been to build canals and travel by boat. There are thousands of canals in the Mekong Delta - keeping them properly dredged and navigable is a constant but essential chore.
A further challenge is keeping the canals clean. The normal practice of dumping all garbage and sewage directly into the waterways behind the houses that line them is taking its toll. Many of the more populated areas in the Mekong Delta are showing signs of unpleasant waste build-up. The World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) is one organisation that's working with local and provincial governments to improve conservation techniques and sponsoring environmental education and awareness programs.
The My Tho People's Committee almost has a monopoly on boat travel, charging around US$25 for a two- to three-hour tour (book at the tourist office). However, private touts operate customised tours cheaper than the 'official' rates (per hour around 50,000d), but they are illegal and there's a small chance your boatman may be fined by the river cops. The best place to look for these freelancers is along the riverfront, but they'll probably find you first.
Inexpensive boat tours can also be booked at the out-of-the-way but friendly Viet Phong Travel 94 D Le Thi Hong Gam; "8am-5pm"); it's best to contact its staff at Trung Luong Restaurant, as its pier office is difficult to find.
Where to sleep in My Tho - Tien Giang
BUDGET
Rang Dong Hotel (Tell: 874 400; 25 D 30 Thang 4; r130,000-150,000d) Privately run, this decent, friendly spot remains popular with budget travellers. Third-floor rooms open onto a terrace with river views.
My Tho Minihotel (Tell: 872 543; 67 D 30 Thang 4; r 100,000-200,000d) This basic waterfront hotel has simply furnished rooms. Pricier rooms are bigger and have better ventilation. Room No 1 has a river view.
Hung Vuong Hotel (Tell: 876 777; 19 D Hung Vuong; r 120,000-220.000d) This popular place has very clean rooms with tall ceilings and simple wood furniture. Some rooms lack natural light.
Song Tien Hotel (Tell: 872 009; fax 884 745; 101 D Trung Trac; r/ste 160,000/260,000d) The Song Tien has comfortable rooms with red and white tile floors, TV and fridge. Suites are spacious with polished lacquer furniture. There's also a lift.
Trade Union Hotel (Khach San Cong Doan; 61 D 30 Thang 4; r 90.000-210.000d) This ageing government-run hotel has a mix of rooms from dingy and stifling to clean and roomy - the best are on the upper floor with a shared balcony facing the river.
Chuong Duong annex (Tell: 882 264; 1 D Truong Cong Dinh; r US$15-30) This new annexe is up the street from the Chuong Duong Hotel, with a polished feel, but no views.
Chuong Duong Hotel ( 10 D 30 Thang 4; r US$25-35) My Tho's most luxurious accommodation, this place boasts a prime riverside location and respect-able in-house restaurant. All rooms overlook the Mekong River.
Other options: overnighting in a bunga-low on Unicorn Island (Thoi Son) or in the rarely visited hotel on Phoenix Island; inquire at Tien Giang Tourist. There are also home stay options around Vinh Long .
RICE PRODUCTION IN My Tho
The ancient Indian word for rice, dhanya ('sustainer of the human race'), is apt when describing the importance of rice to the Vietnamese.
A Vietnamese fable tells of a time when rice did not need to be harvested. Instead, it would be summoned through prayer and arrive in each home from the heavens in the form of a large ball. One day a man ordered his wife to sweep the floor in preparation for the coming of the rice. but she was still sweeping when the huge ball arrived and struck it by accident, causing it to shatter into many pieces. Since then, the Vietnamese have had to toil to produce rice by hand.
Rural Vietnam today is in many ways similar to what it would have been centuries ago: women in conical hats (non bai tho) irrigating fields by hand, farmers stooping to plant the flooded paddies and water buffalo ploughing seedbeds with harrows.
Despite the labour-intensive production process, rice is the single most important crop in Vietnam and involves more than 50% of the working population. While always playing an important role in the Vietnamese economy, its production intensified considerably as a result of economic reforms, known as doi moi ('renovation'), in 1986. The reforms helped transform Vietnam from a rice importer to exporter in 1989. Today rice is a substantial part of the country's earnings. In 2006 Vietnam exported around 4.5 million tonnes of rice, earning around US$1.4 billion.
The importance of rice in the diet of the Vietnamese is evident in the many rice dishes available, including rice omelette (banh xeo), rice porridge (chao) and extremely potent rice wine (ruou gao), to name a few. Vietnam's ubiquitous com pho (rice-noodle soup) restaurants serve white rice (com) with a variety of cooked meat and vegetables, as well as rice-noodle soup (pho).
Despite advances in rice production, much of the work is carried out without modern machinery. Fields are ploughed and harrowed with the assistance of water buffaloes, seeds are planted by hand, and when the seedlings reach a certain age they have to be individually uprooted and transplanted to another field to avoid root rot. This painstaking process is mostly undertaken by women. Irrigation is typically carried out by two workers using woven baskets on rope to transfer water from canals to the fields. When the water level is high enough fish can be raised in the paddies.
Rice plants take three to six months to grow, depending on the type and environment. In Vietnam the three major cropping seasons are winter-spring, summer-autumn and the wet season. When ready to harvest, the plants are thigh-high and in about 30cm of water. The grains grow in drooping fronds and are cut by hand, then transported by wheelbarrows to thrashing machines that separate the husk from the plant. Other machines are used to 'dehusk' the rice (for brown rice) or 'polish' it (for white rice). A familiar sight at this stage is brown carpets of rice spread along roads to dry before milling.
In recent rice news (2006), Vietnam, along with Thailand, announced a ban on growing genetically engineered varieties of rice. Citing health concerns. The announcement came in the wake of scandals caused by the US and China contaminating the global rice supply with unapproved and illegal genetically engineered rice varieties.
Where to eat in My Tho
RESTAURANTS
Chi Thanh (Tell: 873 756; 279 D Tet Mau Than, mains 20,000-40,000d; breakfast, lunch & dinner) A tidy spot for delicious Chinese and Vietnamese fare, Chi Thanh has two locations, both with menus in English.
Ngoc Gia Trang (Tell: 872 741:196 D Ap Bac; mains 25,000-45,000d;lunch & dinner) This charming, restaurant sits among greenery on the road into My Tho from HCMC. Its pleasant court yard is a good spot to enjoy traditional dishes. There's an equally attractive cafe attached.
Mekong Rest Stop (Tell: 858 676; Hwy 60; mains around 30,000 40,000d; breakfast, lunch & dinner) About 5km west of town, this airy, thatched-roof restaurant serves an excellent assortment of fresh seafood and traditional dishes amid pleasant water-garden environs.
Trung Luong (Tell: 855 441; Hwy 60; set menu 50,000-60,000d;brea'cfast, lunch & dinner) A few kilometers west of town, Trung Luong is near the gate marking the entry point to My Tho. Here too is a nice garden and nicely prepared dishes (elephant fish is a favorites).
Other good spots:
Cay Me (60 D Nam Ky Khoi Nghia; mains 10,000-15,000d; breakfast, lunch & dinner)
Thuan Kieu (Tell: 876 636; 47 D Nam Ky Khoi Nghia; mains 10,000-20,000d; breakfast, lunch & dinner)
HU TIEU RESTAURANTS
My Tho is known for a special vermicelli soup, hu tieu my tho, which is richly garnished with fresh and dried seafood, pork, chicken and fresh herbs. It is served either with broth or dry (with broth on the side) and can also be made vegetarian.
Although hu lieu can be found at almost any eatery in town, there's a handful of speciality restaurants. Carnivores will enjoy Hu Tieu 44 (44 D Nam Ky Khoi Nghia; soups 7000d; breakfast, lunch & dinner), while vegetarians should look for Hu Tieu Chay 24 (24 D Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, soups 4000d; breakfast, lunch & dinner).
How to get to My Tho - Tien Giang 
