My Tho is the capital city and municipality of the Tiền Giang Province in the Mekong Delta region of southern Vietnam. It has a population of approximately 160,000.

It is a popular starting point for tourists to take a boat trip on the Mekong River.

Taking a boat trip on the Mekong is the undoubted highlight of a stay in My Tho, and most people come straight in and out on organized day-trips from Ho Chi Minh City. If you plan to charter a boat by yourself, it's important to know first what your priorities are. There are four nearby islands: Tan Long Island, Thoi Son Island, Phung Island and Qui Island. All are regularly visited by boats, though you'll get more time on the water if you ask to explore the north coastline of Ben Tre Province, or just idle along the river.

The cheapest way of getting onto the water is to travel by public ferry to one of the islands: those to Tan Long leave from the eastern tour boat jetty; Thoi Son ferries leave from another jetty further west along 30 Thang 4; boats to Phung and Qui Islands use the Ben Tre Ferry Terminal, so you first need to take a public ferry from My Tho across to Ben Tre.


Moving on from My Tho
Bus departures are from Tien Giang station; there are numerous express buses to and from Ho Chi Minh City plying the route. Ferries for Ben Tre depart from the Ben Tre Ferry Terminal. A three-kilometre-long bridge is currently under construction to the west of My Tho, which will render this ferry obsolete when complete. Cargo and passengerboats heading deeper into the delta use the jetty below Vong Nho Market, 200m west of the foot of Tran Hung Dao.

There are daily departures around noon to Vinh Long (3hr) and Chau Doc (17hr), though it's best to enquire at the jetty beforehand as prices and departure times tend to change.