The Ngo's Family Reunion - Can Tho, Saigon - March 16th, 2026

Can Tho:...is the largest city in Vietnam's Mekong Delta, a region also known as the "rice basket of Vietnam". The city's bustling river life, fertile fruit orchards and floating markets - such as Cai Rang- are major attractions for visitors. For our trip, Can Tho was our last stop of the Mekong Delta before we returned to Saigon.

 Cai Rang Floating market: The market is located in Cai Rang district, about 5km from Can Tho city center. It is accessible by boat from Ninh Kieu Wharf or nearby canal homestays. Like most tourists, we look forward to experiencing the unique life along the Hau River. 

Waking up at 4:00am was a struggle, but we wanted to arrive by the time the market opened around 5:00 am. 

Ninh Kieu Wharf.

On the boat.

All set - ready to go to the market.

Quang Trung Bridge, first of the three bridges on Can Tho River.

Cai Rang Bridge, last of the three bridges crossing Can Tho River.

Merchant boats along the river.

"Pineapple" merchant.

"Coffee" vendor .

"Fruit" vendor.

Making "sales" .

Houses along the river.

On our way back - Crossing Hung Loi Bridge, the second bridge on Can Tho River.

Back to Ninh Kieu Wharf with our purchases.

We made it back to the hotel just in time for a scrumptious buffet breakfast. Charmant Suites was definitely a perfect choice for our Can Tho stay. Since our final destination for the day was Saigon - a pleasant three hour drive away- we had time to enjoy a few stops along the way.

Can Tho Bridge, a cable-stayed bridge over the Hau River, the largest distributary of the Mekong River.

A lunch stop at Bao's relatives' house before heading out of the delta.

Rice paddies encircle the house. 

Our last stop was our old home in Saigon, where I visited my childhood friend, Cuc, who still lives across the street from our old house.

Picture of our old house - 195 Co Giang Street - taken in June 2023.

195 Co Giang Street - March 2026.

Cuc - my childhood friend.

Saigon sunset.

We stayed overnight at various hotels in and around Saigon. Our reunion trip will resume in the morning for the final two days of our itinerary. We made sure to enjoy a fun evening out on Bui Vien Walking Street. 

Bui Vien Walking Street.

Pham Ngu Lao/Bui Vien Walking Street.

Thai Binh market, just a short walk from our old house.

Nguyen Cu Trinh Street, located a few blocks from our old house.

Although the Cai Rang floating market was a highlight of the day,  we truly cherished taking a stroll down memory lane on Co Giang street to visit a dear friend. Our reunion trip is winding down, but we are still excited for the next few days north of Saigon.

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The Ngo's Family Runion - Ca Mau, Bac Lieu - March 15th, 2026

 We had a long travel day from Chau Doc to Can Tho, our final destination, with about 6 hours of driving via Ca Mau and a lunch stop in Bac Lieu before reaching the city. 

Ca Mau: known as Ca Mau province, located in the Mekong Delta region of Southern Vietnam. It's the absolute Southernmost province in the country, forming a Peninsula that is bordered by the Gulf of Thailand to the West and South China Sea to the East and South.

Ca Mau Monument Roundabout.

Bac Lieu:  Lies on the Ca Mau Peninsula roughly 50km Northeast of Ca Mau and about 100km South of Can Tho. Bac Lieu is best known for having one of the largest offshore wind farms in Southeast Asia.

In Bac Lieu, we visited the Tac Say Church, also known as Father Diep's Church, and the extravagant historic mansion of the famous "Bac Lieu Prince".

Tac Say Church - Father Diep's Church.

Tac Say Church, a huge Pilgrimage site in the Mekong Delta. It's famous as the final resting place of Father Truong Buu Diep, a heroic Catholic priest revered for sacrificing his life to save his parishioners. Father Diep is scheduled to be beatified in July, 2026.

Tac Say Church in Bac Lieu.

Our next stop was the Bac Lieu Prince's House, located about 5 km from the city center.  As one of the city's main attractions, this mansion was built in 1919 and was once the largest residence in Bac Lieu. Designed by a French architect, it features building materials imported from France. Today, the house remains well- maintained, and the surrounding grounds are beautifully manicured. 

One of many cars that Bac Lieu Prince owned.

My favorite,  the Volkswagen Beetle - The house in the background.

And an airplane ...too.

New Year decoration around the property.

Before reaching Can Tho, we made a surprise stop at An Nghiep Industrial Park in Soc Trang province. Situated along National Highway, its strategic locaction supports the efficient transport of goods to major ports of Can Tho and the coastal regions of Bac Lieu and Ca Mau.
 
The main highligh of the park is visiting the "Tan Hue Vien" factory which is renowned for producing Banh Pia, a famous traditional Vietnamese pastry. 

Entrance to "Tan Hue Vien" Tourist stop.

One of beautiful garden and water sculptures in Tan Hue Vien.


 The massive " blooming lotus" sculpture or "Lotus Palace"  is the prominent cultural landmark in the Tan Hue Vien tourist stop.

                                    Fun place to hang out while shopping for Banh Pia.

Long lines of customers pack the shops.

We arrived in Can Tho late in the evening. It had been a long, busy day of covering plenty of ground and enjoying tourist attractions along the way.  

We stay at the Charmant Suites a Boutique Hotel, Can Tho, ideally located just steps from Ninh Kieu Wharf. Knowing we had an early 4:00am departure for our floating market tour in the morning, we grabbed a quick bite at a nearby restaurants before turning in for the night.

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The Ngo's Family Reunion - Phu Quoc , Rach Gia /Kien Giang - March 14th, 2026

 Our final destination today was Rach Gia, Kien Giang. We took the ferry from Phu Quoc to Rach Gia Port, where our two vans were waiting to continue our land journey. Taking advantage of the ferry's late-morning departure, Bao led us to a 'surprise' location in Phu Quoc, promising he had "saved the best for last". Shortly after passing Phu Quoc city center, we turned down a winding road that lead to scenic overlook restaurant.  

View of Phu Quoc from the hilltop restaurant.

Another pretty view.

From the hilltop restaurant.

The ferry from Phu Quoc to Rach Gia /Kien Giang port was smooth until minutes before arrival, when torrential rain suddenly hit.


Waiting for our van at the terminal.



Rach Gia is a vibrant coastal city in Kien Giang Province. It was the first city in Vietnam to successfully reclaim massive land areas directly from the ocean, expanding its western coastline. Today, it serves as an essential transit hub and gateway to the beautiful Nam Du and Phu Quoc Islands.

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Visiting Rach Gia is a personal must-do while in the Delta because it is my father's birthpalce. He left Rach Gia as a young boy, eventually relocating to Saigon permanently.
My earliest memory of Rach Gia is a quick trip with my father to visit his brother (Bac Ba)  there. I recall visiting the family graveyard and the land near my uncle's house. I later heard that this area was eventually annexed to be part of the Rach Gia airport. 

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We will have a short stay in Rach Gia, spending just one night at the Hoa Binh Rach Gia Resort, which features beautifully manicured grounds.


The perfect restaurant for dinner just a few steps from the hotel. 


Many popular dishes and the famous claypot rice (com nieu).

We spent an evening in the city center enjoying the cool ocean breeze and the calming pace of life.  While driving around, we noticed widespread stalled hotel and luxury resort developments. Similar to what we observed in Phu Quoc, this was caused by severe oversupply, corporate cash flows shortage and slower-than expected tourism.. 










 Although our visit to Rach Gia was short, being here in the year of my father's  100th  birthday was very special. The memory of the visit will stay with us for a long time!.

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