Can Tho
Discover Can Tho
Can Tho (or Cantho; Vietnamese: Cần Thơ) is the biggest city of the Mekong Delta, in Vietnam with an estimated population of 1.6 million in 2019. The name comes from "cầm thi giang", river of poems. It is also referred to as "Tay Do" meaning "western capital". The city is famous for its floating markets, Buddhist pagodas, delicious food, fresh fruit, its large student population, and welcoming atmosphere. Can Tho is on the south bank of the Hậu River, the bigger branch of the Mekong River. It is in the vicinity of Sóc Trăng, 1½ hours from Long Xuyen, 3 hours from Châu Đốc, and Rạch Giá, about 6 hours from Cà Mau, and 169 km (3 hours) from Ho Chi Minh City.
What to Experience in Can Tho
Taste of Can Tho...
The night food market across from the main covered market on Phan Boi Chau offers a selection of mostly local hot food including bánh xèo. Vietnamese typically enjoy a coffee (strong, with lots of condensed milk, and ice), fresh coconut juice, and fruit drinks (lemonade, orange juice, etc.) in one of the many small stalls along the streets or in the markets. Sugarcane with ice is also very popular. There are sugarcane presses along the roads everywhere in the city. If you want to spend a couple of hours like a Vietnamese, some nice cafes are located on Mau Than St or at Ninh Kieu Pier. The nightlife in Can Tho is not as vibrant as Ho Chi Minh City, but it is not as "bottle service"-centric as HCMC either. Can Tho clubs often hire famous Vietnamese singers to perform live in their venues and feature go dancers on regular nights. Prices of drinks are around 80,000 dong for a bottle of beer (May 2012), around 1,500,000 dong for a bottle of locally-produced vodka and more for cognac and imported whisky. There is a wide range of hotels available in Can Tho, from the very local Kach San Tây Hồ, to the state-owned (and state-like) hotels like the International Hotel and Kim Tho Hotel or to the more elaborate Hotel Xoai geared towards international business travellers. The standard design of many buildings in Vietnam is about 4 m wide and 25 m deep. Buildings are very "thin". This means buildings next to each other often have rooms without windows.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsAs a regional hub, it is easy to get to Can Tho from cities in the Mekong Delta. There are buses from all the big cities and minibuses from the smaller ones. If you arrive from Cambodia, you will probably stop in Chau Duc and catch a bus to Can Tho there. There is also one bus line directly from Phnom Penh once a day. It is difficult, not to say impossible, to get in by car from Cambodia as a tourist. That likely also applies to bicycles and motorbikes. Can Tho is 34 km from Vinh Long, 62 km from Long Xuyen, 63 km from Soc Trang, 104 km from Mytho, 116 km from Rach Gia, 117 km from Chau Doc, 169 km from Ho Chi Minh City and 179 km from Camau. Many operators serve Can Tho from cities in the Mekong Delta up to the center and north of Vietnam. You may have a short stop in Ho Chi Minh City. Most travelers arrive in Can Tho from Ho Chi Minh City. From Ho Chi Minh City, buses serving Can Tho leave every 1–2 hours around the clock from the Western Bus Station (Bến Xe Miền Tây)....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
It is easy to get around in Can Tho by motorbike or bicycle. Mai Linh and Happy Taxi are the two main taxi operators of the city. If you want to travel on the river, you can easily rent a boat service at Ninh Kieu Pier. There are also ferries to surrounding areas here. Can Tho is a big city, but the centre can be easily explored on foot (đi bộ). Most hotels will offer you a map. Despite Can Tho's size, rush hour traffic is pretty bad, and the city center can get congested, even for motorcycles. Eat "Banh Xeo" with a local family, take a boat go to some small canals and see how the local people living and trading fruits in the local market on a motorbike. If English is your mother tongue and you have a teaching background, then teaching English is a possibility. German, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese are also possibilities. If you have IT skills, there is always a chance you might get hired by an international company, though the challenge is to find out about vacancies.
Where to Stay
There is a wide range of hotels available in Can Tho, from the very local Kach San Tây Hồ, to the state-owned (and state-like) hotels like the International Hotel and Kim Tho Hotel or to the more elaborate Hotel Xoai geared towards international business travellers. The standard design of many buildings in Vietnam is about 4 m wide and 25 m deep. Buildings are very "thin". This means buildings next to each other often have rooms without windows. When you book a hotel, check that there is a window in your room as some cheaper hotels, ones that often cater to 2-hour "transit guests", offer rooms without windows. Beware the giant, neon, Chinese-style riverside hotels. They come with pounding karaoke and dodgy staff. In particular, avoid the Golf Hotel. The spa staff demand inflated tips then block your exit as you try to leave.
Money & Budget
The night food market across from the main covered market on Phan Boi Chau offers a selection of mostly local hot food including bánh xèo. Vietnamese typically enjoy a coffee (strong, with lots of condensed milk, and ice), fresh coconut juice, and fruit drinks (lemonade, orange juice, etc.) in one of the many small stalls along the streets or in the markets. Sugarcane with ice is also very popular. There are sugarcane presses along the roads everywhere in the city. If you want to spend a couple of hours like a Vietnamese, some nice cafes are located on Mau Than St or at Ninh Kieu Pier. The nightlife in Can Tho is not as vibrant as Ho Chi Minh City, but it is not as "bottle service"-centric as HCMC either.
Safety Information
Nearby Destinations
Glimpses of Can Tho
floating market of cia rang in the mekong delta in south vietnam
a river filled with lots of boats next to a city
a group of people sitting on top of a wooden boat
A girl in the floating market - Vietnam
Floating Market - Can Tho
Fuji xtra 400
a shelf with books and a vase on it
a television antenna on top of a building
a white vase sitting on top of a shelf filled with books
a close up of a bunch of green flowers
floating market of cia rang in the mekong delta in south vietnam
a river filled with lots of boats next to a city
a group of people sitting on top of a wooden boat