A budget trip is enough to go discover the life of farmers in Thanh Tri, a peaceful commune in Go Cong Tay District in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang.

Go Cong Tay, about 100km from downtown HCMC, is known as a key rice farming area of the province. As rice prices are falling, farmers have switched to other crops to improve their incomes.

From the center of HCMC, tourists can take a 20-minute motorbike ride to the bus station in District 8 on National Highway 50 to travel to Go Cong Tay by bus. On the way, they will pass by Can Giuoc and Can Duoc of Long An Province which is home to vast rice fields.

From Long An, they drive 20 minutes more to get to My Loi Bridge. Traveling on the bridge, they can find their stress of the busy city life is gone thanks to an immense area of green trees and fresh air.

In Thanh Tri, there is an vast area of trees, vegetables, flowers and especially chili, a popular plant in the locality. According to local people, high prices encourage many farmers to plant it to earn extra money.

The area has no hotels, so visitors should ask local farmers for homestay service. If they come in the middle of the chili season, they can join local kids and adults to visit chili farms.

Tourists are recommended to drink sweet and fresh coconut juice and eat plum in the garden and duck porridge, a specialty of the Mekong Delta region.

Kids play in a chili field

A woman removes buds of melon plants

Thanh Tri Commune is also a major duck farming area

SGT