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Home > "Mix & Match Tours > Mekong Homestay

The best way to appreciate the subtleties and diversity of the Delta is to live there, and our Mekong Homestay in Tra On makes it possible to do just that.This comfortable one-floor household is typical of many Vietnamese homes in small towns in the Delta, including indoor plumbing and television--but with a few extra amenities, such as Wi-Fi access.

The small courtyard behind the house has been outfitted for badminton, and also has a small stage for performances of local music.

As for the menu, you'll have your choice of all that the Mekong has to offer, from soup to fish, as well as European favorites such as a baguette and eggs for breakfast.

Around the Town

You can see most of Tra On on foot, and without worrying about dodging motorbikes as you're crossing the street! The town of Tra On has a rich heritage that reflects its intermingling of Khmer, Chinese, and Vietnamese elements. The Dinh Than is typical of the village "dinh" in the south--a Vietnamese temple to honor the protective spirit of the lands around the village.

Temples to Chinese deities such as Ong Bon represent the town's heritage as an inland trading port facilitated by its "Hoa" community. Just a few doors down from the Mekong Homestay villa, you'll even find a Cao Dai temple, easily identified by its four-story tower with blue shutters and trim. The Cao Dai sect is a uniquely Vietnamese blend of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, with iconography that includes Jesus and Mohammed. (The center of the Cao Dai religion is in Tay Ninh province--see our day tour of Cu Chi & Tay Ninh.)

Khmer Heritage

A few kilometers outside Tra On you'll find the temple to a local hero who is commonly known by his Vietnamese name of Nguyen Van Ton. By origin, he was a Khmer leader named Thach Dul, who recruited a small army to fight under the banner of the first Nguyen emperor. He also assisted in the construction of the Vinh Te canal at Chau Doc (see our Mekong Delta page).

Tra On borders on the province of Tra Vinh, which has many Khmer temples and a large Khmer population. If you would like, you can take a morning or afternoon to ride on a motorbike or bicycle around the Khmer villages to the southeast of Tra On, stopping at the temples along the way. The Khmer minority is largely Buddhist, but follows the Theravada tradition, with temples that are quite different those seen in the Vietnamese communities.

Floating Market

The river junction at Tra On is also home to one of the largest floating markets in the Delta. You can take a launch from the Tra On waterfront to visit the market, where samples of each boat's products are hung from poles to assist the shopper. From the Tra On market on the main branch of the Mekong, you can also navigate to island temples and inland waterways that are representative of the complex ecological and commercial system of the Delta.

• Taking a boat from Tra On, you can follow the Mekong north to Can Tho, and Chau Doc on the Cambodian border. You can even use the river to reach the capital of Cambodia, Phomh Penh, and Siem Riep, home of the majestic Ankgor monuments.
• If you're intrigued by the Khmer temples of Tra On, you may want to take an extra day to visit Soc Trang, which is the center of Khmer culture in the Delta. (See our page for the Mekong & the South.)