Cai Be floating market

> Is it possible to do without a tour guide?
yes, but of course you will still need a boat, unless you bring your own

> Which bus do you take?
We took Futa, not a tour, just a bus to Cần Thơ

> I am assuming to Can Tho but where do you get off?
Yes Cần Thơ ("guhng tuh") but bus station is in center of city, not at waterfront. Futa will shuttle you to a waterfront hotel included in fare.

> I'm doing a day trip there instead of overnight.
Doesn't make sense. Do you arrive at dawn? Do buses leave HCMC at 4am? Ugh! It is a morning market. Spend the night, much more fun.

> How is the market compared to that in Thailand?
The actual market was underwhelming. Maybe 50 old boats in the middle of the river. Good for photos. It is a wholesale market. I didn't see anything touristy about it. Nothing for tourists to buy. Well there was one lady in a small boat selling cups of coffee. Not to say there were not tourists. Dozens of mostly-empty tourist boats also racing down the river to the market and racing back. We went in a tiny long tail boat and the trip (30+ minutes to the market?) was the most fun, plus we went onward to a breakfast place and fruit orchard place for tourists, down narrow canals, maybe 3.5hours overall, great views of people living on the river. Note it was cool early am, hot later in the sun.

my story https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.p … 35#2873695

thanks for the suggestion.