Perhaps the most scenic river in Asia, the Mekong is also the most vibrant, especially in Vietnam where it fans out into the nine rivers that form its huge and fertile delta. It is one of the most agriculturally productive areas in Southeast Asia, growing enough rice to feed the whole of Vietnam as well as being a focus of fruit growing and fishing. At the centre of this region is Can Tho, a lively town just upriver from one of the region’s best floating markets where the people of the delta congregate on a daily basis to sell all manner of produce and goods. On the way to the delta, instead of travelling entirely along the busy Highway One, we recommend exploring the island of Binh Hoa Phuoc. Lychees, pineapples, jackfruits, bananas and coconuts grow in abundance here and you will lunch in one of the serene bonsai gardens. Further upriver is the egret sanctuary of Thot Not and the beguiling town of Chau Doc on the Cambodian border. Here the floating villages and fish farms make the most of the river and the countless temples of Sam Mountain offer wonderful views of the canals and flooded delta fields. From here, it is possible to travel upriver by boat to Phnom Penh in Cambodia.