Known to have a “Romanesque” beauty and nicknamed Tay Do meaning the Western Capital, Can Tho City has always been known for its waters, considered to be the “life and soul” of the place. It is made up of a network of streams and canals that feed the best-tasting rice and largest variety of fruit crops in Vietnam. It has many natural sights which attract more and more visitors each time, discovering and falling in love with its traditional yet peaceful life.

Taking a boat tour is the best way to go around the city. These boats dock and wait for tourists at Ninh Kieu, a wharf in the Southern part of the city made popular because of its breathtaking sunrise over Hau River, the biggest river in the Mekong Delta.

Cai Rang Floating Market is one of, if not the most, famous tourist attraction in the city. It has and is the biggest fruit and agricultural wholesale market in the Mekong Delta and even on ground. The delta soil is fed by the waters of Mekong, rich in nutrients and producing the biggest fruits and vegetables in Asia. The best time to visit the famous floating market is in the early morning when trading begins and the products are still fresh. Unlike other markets though, the vendors here do not cry out their wares in order to be sold. It is useless in the vastness of the river wherein their voices only get lost. Instead, they tie their products to a cay beo, a tall pole on the deck, so that potential customers will be able to see them even from a distance.

The floating market sells tropical fruits and other seasonal products like watermelon, mangoes, orange, pineapple, dragon fruit, durian, pumpkin, and cucumber. But aside from the usual goods you find in a market, it also sells a variety of other products which you don't usually find in a market, such as sim cards, petrol, and even motorbike spare parts. Definitely not your typical market. In fact, meals are also served on board, such as hu tieu, or Southern-style noodles. This is best accompanied with tea.

The boats at Cai Rang are not just stores, they are also home to many local residents in the area. Like any other typical house, it has a kitchen, television, bed, and other home essentials. Kids play with their siblings and neighbors, and families engage in any other family activity. They have been living in their home boats on the river for a very long time and haven't even conceived of leaving. They have become a part of the river. This only signifies and emphasizes the importance of Mekong Delta River in the lives of the general people in Can Tho, both geographically and economically.

Other tourist destinations at Can Tho City are its small waterways or canals; a two-hectare orchard belonging to Muoi Be in An Khanh District growing unique fruits such dragon fruit, water coconut, and mangosteen; and My Khanh tourist village featuring garden-style eco-tourist site. Some tourist companies in the city offer packages worth VND300,000 ($14)/ person which include a trip to the floating market and fruit farm. But for more adventurous guests, they can hire and drive a boat and tour around the city all by themselves, discovering and appreciating Can Tho even more than any other commercial tour can provide.

Summer is the best time to visit Can Tho City because this is the fruit season wherein floating markets become even more alive and bustling and the orchard much more in bloom. Can Tho City is known to be a “welcoming place,” wherein everybody greets everyone with sincere warmth and hospitality. There is a popular saying that goes:

Can Tho gao trang nuoc trong,

Ai di den do long khong muon ve.

(Can Tho, the land of white rice and clear waters,

Anyone coming here will not want to leave.)

In fact, tourists who have visited the place always want to come back because of its quiet way of living, a far cry from the hurried and stressful life in the city. Visiting Can Tho City makes one achieve inner peace and appreciate the true value of life, both even and because of its simplicity.