Pick-up, road time and what to carry

On a join-in day the time on your confirmation is the start of a window. The vehicle may collect at several hotels, and city traffic in the morning decides the order. Be in the lobby, ready, at the start of the window and expect some waiting. If nobody has come by the end of the window, contact us by replying to your confirmation email. On a private day the car is there at the agreed time.

The Ho Chi Minh City–Trung Luong expressway opened in 2010: 62 km, four lanes and two emergency lanes, with a limit of 100 km/h. Beyond it the Trung Luong–My Thuan expressway runs 51.5 km, the My Thuan 2 bridge crosses the Tien River, and the 23 km My Thuan–Can Tho expressway opened in December 2023.

For the Ben Tre side the change came in August 2025. The second Rach Mieu bridge opened to traffic on 19 August, with four motor lanes, and the temporary ferry that had relieved the old two-lane bridge stopped the next day. The old bridge carries about 20,000 vehicles a day. On New Year's Day 2026 the bridge itself was clear, but the Dong Tam junction where the routes meet was jammed, worst on the approach from the expressway. The lesson for a day trip: the bridges are no longer the bottleneck, the junctions are.

A 2022 report described congestion on the Trung Luong expressway as frequent, especially at weekends and holidays, and expansion to eight lanes has been proposed without a date. Travel on a weekday if you can; on a weekend, start early.

• A hat and sunscreen. On the open river there is little shade between landings.
• Water. It is provided, but carry your own bottle for the vehicle.
• Insect repellent. Dengue in Vietnam peaks from June to October, mostly in the centre and the south.
• A light rain layer from May to November. Boats have canopies and ponchos are handed out, but a layer of your own is more comfortable.
• Clothes that cover shoulders and knees if the day includes a pagoda, such as Vinh Trang in My Tho.
• Shoes that grip when wet. Sandals with straps are fine; flip-flops slip on wet jetty planks.
• Small notes in Vietnamese dong for drinks, fruit and tips; small sellers usually want cash.
• Your passport on the two-day trip, for hotel check-in. On a day trip a photo or copy is enough.
• A dry bag or a zip bag for your phone on the small boats.

The delta is hot all year. In Can Tho the mean daily high ranges from about 30 °C in December to about 34 °C in April, the hottest month, and humidity stays around 78% to 87%. The heat is easiest in the morning and on the water; it is hardest from late morning to mid-afternoon on land. That is why the trips put the boats early and lunch in the shade, and why we suggest a 07:00 start on private days from March to May.

Every boat on our trips carries life jackets for every passenger. On cross-river passenger ferries, wearing one is a legal requirement for everyone from the moment the boat leaves the pier until it docks; in Can Tho the transport department also requires passengers at tourist piers to wear them. We apply the same rule to every boat, including the rowing boats.

Stepping in and out is the hardest part. Boats sit low, jetties can be wet, and the river moves. Hand bags to the crew first, step into the middle of the boat, and sit before it moves.