The meeting point of various waterways, Can Tho is the capital of the Mekong Delta and the region's gateway. This bustling hub of activity is connected to other centers in the Mekong Delta by a system of waterways as well as by road. For those seeking a comfortable base from which to explore the delta, Can Tho has a number of elegant accommodations options, as well as several river cruise companies with trips ranging from half-day explorations of the nearby floating markets to multiday cruises through the region.
Can Tho retains a hint of its colonial past as one of the largest French trading ports in Indochina. During the Vietnam War, Can Tho was almost constantly surrounded by hostile Vietcong forces, but the city itself stayed loyal to the Saigon regime and many American and South Vietnamese troops were based here. It was the last city to fall to the North Vietnamese army, on May 1, 1975, a day after the fall of Saigon, as North Vietnamese forces moved south.
