The Mekong Delta is the southern rice bowl of Vietnam. The Mekong River — known to the Vietnamese as Song Cuu Long, the River of the Nine Dragons — originates high on the Tibetan plateau and flows through China, between Myanmar and Laos, along the Lao-Thai border, and through Cambodia before reaching Vietnam.
The river splits into two main branches at Phnom Penh. The lower branch crosses Chau Doc, Long Xuyen, and Can Tho before reaching the sea; the upper branch fans out into several channels near Vinh Long and empties into the sea at six separate points.
Half the delta is rice fields. The landscape is a mosaic of paddies, mangrove swamps, quiet villages, and a handful of larger towns: Can Tho, My Tho, Rach Gia, Chau Doc, and Ca Mau. Along the coast, beaches sit largely empty.
Scattered throughout are Khmer temples and ruins from earlier centuries — reminders that this region was once part of the Khmer empire. Highlights include Vinh Long's river setting, Chau Doc and its nearby temple hill, Ha Tien with what many consider the best beach in Vietnam, and Soc Trang and Tra Vinh for their Khmer architecture.