VIETNAM TRAVELS

Exploring The Mekong — Vietnam’s Heartland

From floating markets to snake wine this is a part of Vietnam that many tourists miss

Early morning on the Mekong River — all photos are by author Darren Weir

CW — Snake alert

From the bustling city of Can Tho with its 1.5 million people to the rural backwaters of the tributaries, the mighty Mekong River and Delta are the heart and soul of Vietnam.

Bringing melons to market; washing clothes in plastic tubs — Darren Weir

The three-thousand-mile winding river originates in the Himalayas of Tibet traveling through China, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. It empties into the South China Sea through nine tributaries known as the Nine Dragons making the Mekong the 10th largest river in the world, and a source of food and water for tens of millions of people. The fertile land around the Delta is Vietnam’s rice basket, making the country the second-largest producer of rice in the world.

But it’s so much more.

Fishermen on Mekong River; laundry day at stilt house — Darren Weir