Things to do in Cần Thơ between dental appointments

The best things to do in Cần Thơ are on and beside the river. Take a boat to the Cái Răng floating market at dawn, walk Ninh Kiều wharf in the evening, visit the Bình Thủy ancient house, and spend a morning in the orchards on the islets. On a dental trip, keep the riverside, the old house and the museum for treatment days, and save the early boat trip and the orchards for a day without surgery. Cần Thơ is about three hours by road from Ho Chi Minh City, according to Vietnam's tourism board, so it suits patients treated in either city.

Who this guide is for

Cần Thơ is the largest city in the Mekong Delta, on the Hậu River. Two kinds of patients spend time here:

• People having treatment at a clinic in Cần Thơ, often overseas Vietnamese visiting family in the delta. See the Cần Thơ city guide and the clinics in Cần Thơ that have passed our checks.
• People having treatment in Ho Chi Minh City who want to see the delta before treatment starts or after their final check. Our guide to things to do in Ho Chi Minh City covers shorter Mekong trips from there.

Things to do in Cần Thơ at a glance

Thing to do	What it is	Good around treatment?
Ninh Kiều wharf	A riverside park and the symbol of the city	Yes, an easy walk, best in the evening
The pedestrian bridge	A footbridge over the Hậu River, lit at night	Yes
An evening river bus	A short boat ride with views of the city and bridges	Yes, if you feel well
Bình Thủy ancient house	A merchant family's house built in 1870	Yes
Cần Thơ Museum	The city's museum, founded in 1976	Yes
Cái Răng floating market	Boats selling fruit and breakfast from about 4.30 am	On a day without surgery
Islets and orchards	Fruit gardens, rice paper villages and fish rafts by boat or bicycle	On a free day, once you feel well

Easy outings for treatment days

On days with an appointment, or the day after a filling or crown fitting, stay close to the centre. Vietnam's tourism board suggests staying in the centre so the main sights are easy to reach.

Ninh Kiều wharf and the river

Vietnam's tourism board calls Ninh Kiều wharf a symbol of Cần Thơ. It's a riverside park with trimmed trees, and the pedestrian bridge across the Hậu River lights up at night beside it. An evening walk here is one of the gentlest outings in the city. Evening river buses leave from the wharf for views of the city and its bridges.

Bình Thủy ancient house

The Dương family built this house in 1870, according to Vietnam's tourism board. It mixes Eastern and Western styles, shows how wealthy merchant families lived, and was named a national monument in 2009. It's a short, quiet visit that suits a treatment day.

Cần Thơ Museum

The city museum, founded in 1976, is another indoor stop for a hot or rainy afternoon.

Free days: the floating market and the islets

Cái Răng floating market

Cái Răng is the largest floating market in the Mekong Delta, according to Vietnam's tourism board. Boats loaded with fruit gather on the river, and each hangs a sample of what it sells from a tall pole so buyers can see from a distance. Trading usually runs from about 4.30 to 8 in the morning and winds down by mid-morning, so you need to leave at first light. The tourism board suggests also visiting a smaller floating market nearby.

The trip means an early start and a few hours on a boat. Choose a day without surgery, and don't go the morning after an extraction or implant. MedlinePlus advises avoiding heavy activity for the first couple of days after an extraction. Bring water and something soft to eat.

Islets and orchards

Islets on the river are a few minutes from downtown by ferry. Vietnam's tourism board describes touring them by bicycle or sampan, visiting rice paper and noodle-making villages, and eating fruit in family orchards. Cồn Sơn islet, reached by boat from the Cô Bắc ferry, has orchards and fish rafts. The tourism board says fruit is at its best from about May to August.

Cycling is better once you feel fully well. A sampan tour is gentler if you're still recovering.

Getting to Cần Thơ

Cần Thơ is about 165 km from Ho Chi Minh City, or around three hours by road, according to Vietnam's tourism board. You can drive on the expressway or take an express bus. Can Tho International Airport has flights from Hanoi and Da Nang.

If you're treated in Ho Chi Minh City, six hours on the road in one day is a lot after treatment, and you would miss the floating market at dawn. Stay at least one night, and plan the trip before your first appointment or after your final check. The trip planner shows where free days usually fall for your treatment.

Eating in Cần Thơ after treatment

Vietnam's tourism board recommends hủ tiếu, a noodle soup with pork and a savoury broth that small boats sell for breakfast at the floating market. It's soft and easy to eat once it cools. Fresh river fish, often steamed or cooked in a claypot, is another good choice, along with soft tropical fruit.

Leave Cần Thơ crispy pancakes and hard fruit until you can chew comfortably. If you've had an extraction, drink from the glass instead of a straw. Our guide to soft food after dental surgery explains what to eat and for how long.

Weather

Cần Thơ is warm and humid all year. Vietnam's tourism board gives the dry season as December to April and the wet season as May to November, and recommends the dry season for boat trips and floating markets. The UK government says flooding is common in the Mekong Delta in the rainy season and can disrupt travel by road. If you travel then, keep a spare day before your flight home. See the best time to visit Vietnam for each region's seasons.

Cần Thơ checklist

• Keep the floating market for a day without surgery, and go at first light
• Stay near the centre, close to Ninh Kiều wharf
• Choose gentle outings on treatment days: the wharf, Bình Thủy house, the museum
• Take a sampan to the islets if you're still recovering, and cycle once you're well
• Ask for soft food, and let soups cool
• Stay overnight if you're coming from Ho Chi Minh City
• Carry water, your medicines and your clinic's phone number

For the wider region, see our guide to Southern Vietnam.