My Tho, is the capital of Tien Giang Province in southern Vietnam. It is the first city in the Mekong Delta travellers from Ho Chi Minh City arrive at and hence a popular spot for dropping tourists off for one of the many Mekong boat tours. For its proximity to Ho Chi Minh City everything is more expensive here than at towns further inside the delta such as Vinh Long and Can Tho.

Get in

There are lots of buses daily from Bến xe Miền Tây bus station in Ho Chi Minh City to My Tho's bus station My Tho Ben Xe. Fares are around 60,000 dong for the express bus (2 hours) or 33,000 dong for the local bus (3 hours). From the station to the center of the town should cost 10,000 dong on a motorbike or even less with a local bus.

Get around

• Everything is within walking distance except the bus station you'll be dropped at.

Do

• River Islands boat tour: official rate is USD25 per person. Touts on the waterfront will offer tours for less. An old man on a bicycle has best deal, USD10 for two people.
• Take the ferry to Ben Tre leaving from the west of town and buy some banana candy once you have crossed the river. In Ben Tre province, you can see cacao plantations (off the beaten track). Cacao plantations are run by families.
• Cai Be floating market: this is a main market in the Mekong Delta. This market is on the Tien River. open all day and into the night. Tourists can find any kind of fruits at this market, and all of them are cheap. Along the river there are many gardens. At night, junks with lighted lanterns which make the river vivid.
• Take a trip along Tien River: tourists can visit villages along the river.
• Dong Tam Snake-Breeding Farm: Dong Tam is the centre of snake breeding for taking venom for export, as well as medicinal plant cultivation and the study and treatment of snake bites. There are also crocodiles and other species of birds and animals on hand.
• Vinh Trang Pagoda: Vinh Trang Pagoda is in a large garden in My Phong Commune. The architecture of the pagoda is a harmonious combination of Asian and European types of architecture, creating the splendid, but simple features of this Buddhist pagoda. Vinh Trang Pagoda is the greatest pagoda of Tien Giang Province.

Eat

• Sour soup and dried fish Nam Bo
• Special My Tho noodle
• Field crabs
• Tan Thanh sea foods
• Dong Thap eels
• Southern field mouse
• Shellfish
• Baked chicken with clay
• Tan Phong shellfish

Restaurants

• Chuong Duong Restaurant. 10, 30/4 St, 1st ward
• Cuu Long Restaurant. 28, 30/4 St, 1st ward
• Que Huong Restaurant. 03, Lanh Binh Can St, 1st ward
• Trung Luong Restaurant. Trung Luong St

Sleep

• Cong Doan Hotel. 61, 30/4 St, 1st ward
• Chuong Duong Hotel. 10, 30/4 St, 1st ward
• Hong Phuc Hotel. 246/8, Ap Bac St, 5th ward
• Huong Duong Hotel. 33, Trung Trac St, 1st ward
• Minh Quan. Mid-range hotel, clean, air-con, Wi-Fi, quiet, cable TV. 550,000 dong.
• Minh Tai. Clean, freshly renovated, fan/air-con 150,000-210,000 dong. Top floor is very breezy so air-con is not required.
• My Tho 1 Hotel. 67, 30/4 St, 1st ward
• Phuc Thinh Hotel. 60 national highway
• Rang Dong. 25, 30/4 St, 1st ward. Two locations. Old dingy rooms. 150,000 dong. Normal rate is 200,000-400,000 dong.
• Song Tien. 101, Trung Trac St, 1st ward. Friendly staff and decent rooms. Air-con room including Wi-Fi. 300,000 dong.