Ben Tre, the coconut side of the river

Ben Tre is a set of large islands between branches of the Mekong, criss-crossed by canals and planted with coconut palms. Coconuts shape both the economy and the landscape, from the candy workshops to the shade along every canal. For a visitor the appeal is simple and real. A small rowing boat on a narrow canal under palms, with houses and gardens on both banks, is the picture most people have of the delta, and Ben Tre has it in quantity.

Most visitors see Ben Tre only from the My Tho side, as the last hour of a day trip: a boat across, a candy workshop, a boat back. That is the most crowded corner of it. Driving over the bridges into the island itself puts you on canals and lanes that see far fewer groups, which is why our private Ben Tre day goes that way.

Before the Rach Mieu bridge, which records date to January 2009, the crossing to Ben Tre was by ferry. The bridge is a two-lane crossing from the My Tho side via Thoi Son. On 19 August 2025 the Rach Mieu 2 bridge opened with four motor lanes, and the temporary ferry that had eased the load stopped the following day.

The old bridge carries about 20,000 vehicles a day, and the pinch point is now the junctions on the My Tho side rather than the bridges. On holidays, as on New Year's Day 2026, expect queues where the expressway traffic meets the roads to the bridges.

Keo dua, Ben Tre coconut candy, is made from coconut milk, malt, coconut flesh and sugar, boiled, cooled into a slab, cut and wrapped by hand. Plain, cocoa and durian versions are common. Every day trip stops at a workshop that makes it; buying is optional.

For the adventurous, Ben Tre is also known for duong dua, the larvae of the coconut palm weevil, eaten fried in batter, grilled with salt or dipped in fish sauce. It is a local speciality, not a stunt, and nobody will mind if you decline.

In the dry season seawater pushes up the river mouths. The national forecast centre's bulletin of 10 March 2026 put the reach of four-parts-per-thousand salinity at 30 to 35 km up the Ham Luong, one of the rivers through the former Ben Tre province, with the season's peak expected in March and April. It does not affect a day trip on the canals.

Ben Tre publishes few prices of the kind travellers look for. What we can tell you from published sources:

• Boat crossings from the My Tho side to the islets: shared boats about VND 20,000–30,000 per person, private boats about VND 300,000–350,000 per boat (2021–2023 figures)
• Coconut candy and fruit are priced by each family at the workshop; there is no fixed tariff
• Grab is available, which gives you a price before you ride

For a day trip the cost that matters is the vehicle and the guide, which is why the pricing page deals with those in detail.

• If you only want a quick taste and have already booked a My Tho day — it includes the Ben Tre bank
• If you want a market on the water: there is none here; go to Can Tho
• If you dislike small boats; Ben Tre's quieter canals are only reachable in them
• On a holiday weekend, unless you can leave the city very early