Cai Rang floating market.

Had Breakfast At A Floating Market

20th May 2023 - New Experience Number 18.

Jump to 'Try it yourself'

Breakfast at a floating market was an amazing way to start a day of adventure in the southern Vietnam city of Can Tho. Breakfast on a boat was nothing new, but breakfast at a floating market was a wonderful assault on all the senses.

The 4.30am alarm gave us just enough time to get ready and dressed to meet our home stay host who walked us down to the waterfront to the boat that would take us to Cai Rang, the biggest floating market in the Mekong Delta

View from the front of a small wooden boat painted blue, as it sails out in the river towards breakfast at a floating market at Cai Rang in Can Tho
An early start on our boat to Cai Rang floating market

River Traders

Due to the geographical landscape and the two deltas, floating markets have long played a significant role in aquaculture in Vietnam. In fact, there has been evidence found by archaeologists which suggests river trading may have happened there over 4,500 years ago. 

Although roads have moved a lot of trading to the land, there are still many vendors on the water each day. With the modern world making it ever easier to procure what we want and need, this pocket of living history near Can Tho maintains a traditional way of life.

a lady in a traditional vietnamese hat sitting on top of a big wooden boat on the river at the Cai Rang floating market
Living and working on the boats
Lots of wooden boats crammed together on the river at Cai Rang floating market
A busy morning on the river

All Aboard

Our transport was a small wooden boat with a motor at the back. Thankfully, it also had a captain who couldn’t speak English but was very friendly. He also laughed a lot – mostly at me trying not to fall in any time I stepped between the boat and land.

Soaking It All Up

Despite the early start, it was already warm. The refreshing breeze was most welcome as we powered along the water. Travelling for about half an hour, we passed under bridges, and admired the buildings along the river bank. 

We saw people living on boats going about their morning routines. Several floating homes looked rickety and scarily un-water tight, yet the owners effortlessly moved about their drifting dens, oblivious to the motion of the river.

A wooden tourist boat carrying life jacket wearing customers along the river by the bank which has palm trees and buildings on it.
Another boat travelling along the river to Cai Rang

Sea Of Tourists

Numerous other tourist trips were nipping along the water at such an early hour too. They were easily identifiable as everyone in them wore a bright orange life jacket. We too were padded up but none of the locals or traders wore them!

focus on a wooden boat with a canopy, carrying life jacket wearing tourists along the river to have breakfast at a floating market
Spot the tourists - the locals didn't wear life jackets

Breakfast At A Floating Market - Cai Rang

A dense amount of boats loomed before us as we neared the main mass of the market. Colourful boats of different sizes clustered together. Steam from the restaurant boats combined with smoke from the engines created a misty haze. Shouts between sellers and buyers, running motors, and lapping waves all collided into a hubbub of sound. We were right in the thick of the bustle.

A row of colourful wooden boats on the river near the Cai Rang Floating Market
Colourful boats at the market

Boat Sellers

Most market boats had a cây bẹo – a bamboo stick rising from the back which displayed what they were selling. Sticks of fresh spiky pineapples, red hairy rambutan, and big green watermelons showed us some of the fruits available. There was also the dreaded durian. If you’ve ever smelt one, you’ll know why it’s dreaded!

A bustling scene at Cai Rang Floating Market. A small wooden boat full of food is next to a tourist boat.
Selling delicious tropical fruits - and the dreaded durian!

Traders skilfully zipped between the tourist boats, making space for themselves in the smallest of gaps, hoping to make a sale.

Sea Legs

The boats all looked very well used and there were some that looked perilously close to being towards the end of their floating days.

Of course the traders do this daily and so are used to swaying along with the rippling water. It was still impressive to see how easily they moved about their rocking vessels whilst most visitors wobbled just attempting to stand up.

A Vietnamese person standing in a small wooden boat as they sail across the river
Balance is no problem for the locals

Breakfast Boat

One small boat precariously bobbing about in the wake of all the river traffic was serving breakfast. It was extraordinary to see the kitchen set up in such a small vessel. 

 Pans were bubbling, ingredients piled hugh, and bowls clattered -it was a busy little boat with plenty of punters all vying for some breakfast.

A pink wooden boat at Cai Rang Floating Market. It has steaming pots as the Vietnamese ladies are serving breakfast
The steaming breakfast boat serving hungry customers

A Bowl Of Hu Tieu

Whilst larger boats invited visitors to board them for breakfast, we stayed in our little wooden craft to slurp up our steaming hot Hu Tieu. Our driver cleverly whipped out the back rest from our seat to make a table for us!

The Hu Tieu boat amongst the colours of the floating market

The Other Half and I partook in a bowl of pork noodle soup. Hu Tieu. The lady dished it out into china bowls. Yes, real china! Our skipper passed them over to us, sensing that our unsteady land legs in our small boat would probably have meant we would end up feeding the fish rather than ourselves. Not a drop was spilt as our breakfast was passed to us!

A pink wooden boat at the Cai Rang Floating Market. A lady is passing a bowl of breakfast noodles to a man in another wooden boat
Not a drop of broth was spilt

The soup was more of a light broth with delicate flavourings; the pork was thinly cut and nicely cooked, there was a small handfull of greens, and there wasn’t an overwhelming amount of noodles. It was a delicious first meal of the day! Apparently I’m not the only one who thinks so, Gordon Ramsey is supposed to be rather partial to Hu Tieu too!

A china bowl full of Hu Tieu. A thin broth with fresh vegetables, sliced pork and noodles. Typical breakfast at a floating market
A bowl of Hu Tieu - in a China bowl!

Thirst Quencher

A morning iced coffee was much appreciated from the drinks boat. We wedged the cups into the ropes along the side of our boat whilst we finished our noodles. It was a genius space saving idea, however I made sure to finish my drink before we set off as I didn’t want any rogue splashes of river water landing in it!

Small wooden boats floating on the river next to land where people are buying goods from the river boats. There are lots of people, oars, and produce
Selling all sorts of things at Cai Rang

Some Things Didn’t Float The Boat

I really enjoyed being amidst the hustle and bustle of it all and absorbing the buoyant atmosphere.

I didn’t really enjoy watching one of the breakfast boats washing glasses straight in the river water! My guts somersaulted at that. Hopefully our breakfast pots had been washed in clean soapy water. I like to tell myself that, but at least it had been piping hot so it should have killed off anything dodgy.

Cai Rang Floating Market. A boat is being driven into the midst of it all
The hustle and bustle of the floating market

An Oar-some Morning

Being right in the thick of the market was a fabulous experience. It was amazing for people watching and seeing the different market stalls and sellers. 

To see this heritage way of life still living and breathing today, and immerse all of my senses in it for a morning, was such a great way to feel like part of a place.

A Vietnamese person sitting in a loaded boat on the river preparing ingredients for breakfast at a floating market
An authentic morning on the river
A small wooden boat with a person at either end and fruit piled in the middle. They are in Vietnam at the floating market
Fruit sellers on the river

Want To Try It Yourself?

  • We visited the Cai Rang floating market near Can Tho, Vietnam.

  • Other floating markets in the area are;

    • Phong Điện.

    • Long Xuyen Market,

    • Cai Be Market

  • There are many floating markets in the world including Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand and India so why not add them to your itinerary if you are visiting any of those countries?

  • We took a boat tour so that we could be amongst the throng of activity, however, you can see the market from land if you would rather.

  • There are lots of tours available to take you to the floating markets. Your accommodation hosts may be able to help you book something directly, or you could take a look on Klook, Get Your Guide, or Viator.

Cost Of Experience

  • We paid for our trip through our accommodation which was Chill Guest House Home Stay. 
  • It cost us around £25 each

  • Our tour was for a full morning. In addition to the floating market, it included a trip along a quieter canal and a visit to the noodle factory. There we saw the process of making the local staple and had a go at a few stages of making ourselves. We also visited the fruit garden which was beautiful to see the tropical fruits growing and fun crossing the monkey bridges!

  • Our breakfast noodles and visit to the fruit garden were additional costs.

Recommendations

  • If you’ve got a waterproof bag, it’s worth using it. We didn’t see anything go overboard, but you just never know!
  • Take some water to drink with you.
  • Sunscreen – even though it may only just be getting light as you set off you’ll be in the sun for most of the trip.
  • You might want to take some anti-bac with you.
  • Take some cash with you. The cost of our tour covered the boat journey and entrance to a noodle factory. We had to pay for breakfast and our trip to the fruit garden.
  • Get up early to see it at its best. Although the Cai Rang market is technically in operation all day, the hustling tends to quieten off after 9am.
  • Don’t forget to take some pictures and share your experience!

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