Cai Be

Cai Be sits on the Tien branch of the Mekong with a substantial gothic cathedral standing directly on the bank, built in the 1930s, which is the town's landmark from the water. Its floating market was for decades a major wholesale exchange, with boats hanging samples of their produce on a pole so buyers could see what was for sale from a distance - and it has shrunk to very little, as roads, bridges and supermarkets took the trade, the same process that has reduced floating markets across the delta. What remains is a handful of boats and a tourist circuit of rice paper and coconut candy workshops.

What you actually see

• A gothic cathedral on the riverbank - built in the 1930s.
• A floating market largely gone - roads and bridges took the trade.
• Sample poles on the boats - the old way of advertising a cargo.
• Craft workshops on the circuit - rice paper and coconut candy.

When to go

November to April; the market such as it is runs early. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The floating market is a fraction of what the marketing suggests and can be almost nothing. Workshop stops on the boat tours are sales-driven. Boat prices are negotiated. Early morning is the only time anything is happening.

Nearby

Vinh Long and the Mang Thit kilns are downstream; My Tho is east.