Confirmed: The $10 Mekong Delta Tour IS a bust!

I have a confession to make.  I don't always read everybody's blogs carefully, and I paid for it this time!

Fellow SHSIDers, some of you may recall Lauren's trip to Vietnam last year, and her not-so-great experience at the Mekong Delta.  Well, for some reason, I thought she and her travel buddies booked the $5 tour at the An An Hotel, so I made sure not to reserve that one.  Thought I was getting an upgrade and booked a $10 tour with the agency next door - after all, things in Vietnam are really cheap, so maybe a $10 tour would be a good one?  Turns out, it was the same exact tour Lauren went on, and yup, it's a bust!

The itinerary was exactly the same.  A bus picked us up on Bui Vien street and drove us out to the Mekong Delta.  I should've known this tour wasn't exactly first class when the bus broke down and my fellow stranded passengers and I stood on the side of the road, waiting for the next bus in sweltering heat.  Haha.  Finally, a bus came and brought us over to the delta, where we boarded a large ferry boat.  The boat took us to "Coconut Island," where we saw a bunch of people making coconut candy, who then tried to sell us some.  Then a man showed up with a boa and tried to place it on our necks for photo opps.  Next up was "Unicorn Island" (I bursted out laughing when the tour guide said this), where we had a really bad lunch and had to pay extra for a can of soda or anything else that was edible.  After lunch, the tour guide made us eat tropical fruits and listen to really bad music (sung by two ten year olds), and drink honey tea and banana wine, which they tried to sell as well.  Finally, at around 2:30 pm, we boarded the little wooden boats and rode down the river.  This was the main reason why I came to the Mekong Delta, so I guess it was worth being bamboozled for $10! But hey, let's look on the bright side.  I befriended a young German couple who's also living in Beijing.  So I guess that was worth it right?

Hehe, anyway, the pictures make the place look a lot nicer.  Word to the wise - I'm glad I saw the Mekong Delta, but...don't get bamboozled.  If Lauren didn't get the message across the first time, DON'T BOOK THE $10 TOUR!!! Hahaha

 

My bus broke down...Hahahah

Video of my Mekong Delta photos