VIETNAM

The Mekong Delta

Nine dragons, and a great deal of river

Vietnamese call it Cuu Long — nine dragons — after the mouths the river once emptied through. It is flat, green, densely farmed and lived on from the water: floating markets that trade at dawn, coconut candy workshops, sampans down the narrow channels under nipa palm. Day trips from Ho Chi Minh City reach My Tho and Ben Tre; the better markets are further down at Can Tho and need a night. Go early for the markets or do not bother with them.