Minh Viet Homestay

The food was very nice and plentiful, though drinks at dinner had to be paid for separately. I'm not sure whether that was because of the tour we booked or the homestay's policy. The facilities were comfortable, clean, and very nice, and the property sits right by the river. It feels more like a resort than a homestay, with a large staff. Because of that, I don't think staying here gives much insight into Mekong Delta life and culture.

We stayed one night and got there by boat. The place is right on the river and has a nice view. The host was really great and cooked good vegetarian food specially for me. The room was decent, though mosquitoes could be an issue.

Hammocks by the river made for a perfect way to relax during our Mekong Delta trip. The food was delicious, and she served more than we could finish. She also made a vegetarian meal for my fiancé, which has been hard to find in Vietnam. We could borrow bikes for free to explore the village or go to the market, and a boat picked us up and dropped us right at the guesthouse for a floating market tour. The room was rustic, with bug nets and two fans, but the open-air ventilation meant mosquitoes could get in. That wasn't much of a problem for me since I wasn't awake in the room for long, and the fans and net helped.

The homestay itself was nice. The women running it were pleasant, and the food was excellent. But the Mekong Delta tours we booked through the owners' son in Ben Tre, or at least the person who said he was, were appalling and a waste of time and money. He approached us on the street. For the first day, we expected a river and canal trip around three quiet islands in the Ben Tre area with him, since he spoke English, followed by a motorbike ride on quiet country roads to the homestay. He stayed with us only until we paid, then left without saying anything. We were handed from one 'friend' to another. They were nice but spoke no English, and took us to two very touristy concrete islands that weren't in Ben Tre. We were led through shops where different people tried to sell us things. The motorbike drivers went very fast, spent half the trip on busy highways, and pressured us for a tip at the end. For the Can Tho market trip the next day, they said we had to leave at 6:30 am to see the market at its best. Instead, we were dropped at a 'noodle factory', a tourist shop selling candy and noodles, while they took the others on our boat elsewhere. We didn't reach the market until after 8, when it was winding down. We paid a lot for these tours, hoping for a relaxing couple of days, but the experience was the opposite. I'm sure you can have a pleasant stay here, but don't book a tour with the owners' son if you want to see the best of the Delta.