Vietnam/Cambodia Day 4: Vietnam’s Mekong Delta

Sunday, February 8, 2026

Today we are visiting two islands in the Mekong River, Cai Be and Binh Thanh. After breakfast, we boarded sampans for Cai Be, where we observed the construction of baskets and similar articles using dried water hyacinths that grow extensively on the Mekong. We then toured a fruit farm and had an opportunity to sample several native fruits, ranging from the familiar (pineapple) to the exotic (durian).

From there, we went to a facility making a variety of items from rice: rice paper, distilled rice wine, and puffed rice.

After lunch, we had a short talk on iPhone photography by Chris “Cookie” Cook, the photo instructor on the ship. We then departed for Binh Thanh Island, a community that focuses on weaving mats for a variety of uses, primarily flooring. Along the way, our sampan took a route through many fish farms on a canal paralleling the Mekong, where our guide explained the fish farming industry and its economics. This was followed by a meeting with several village elders who described the town’s history and issues.

Upon returning to the ship, we had the usual cocktail hour and dinner. Since Kenna and I were both tired, we opted not to attend the evening movie, “The Quiet American”. We will likely watch it when we return home.

This article is part of a series about our recent trip to Vietnam and Cambodia. To see the introductory article in the series, click here.