I’m going to do something I rarely do: I will strongly suggest you visit Can Tho…

Ho chi Minh City, also known as Saigon, is firmly planted as one of the TOP cities to visit in Vietnam. Also on that list, especially for expats, is the fairly close island of Phu Quoc, just a 2.5 hour ferry ride from the mainland. Though many fly direct for about $100, we recently took the slower route and stopped at the amazing mid-way city of Can Tho. It’s a city “under the radar,” but even so, it’s the sixth largest in the country, with a population of 1.2 million people. We also stayed at two different resorts in Can Tho, one on a private island, and the other that was pulled through a 100 year old time warp, and updated to 2023. Here’s what I learned…

Victoria Can Tho Resort: A Mixture of Old and New

It only looks like it was built a century ago, and appears that it may have been the site of subversive, exciting, spy stuff, but the Victoria Hotel is just 25 years old, but feels like it was transported from another time.

The design brings to mind two different styles: the French Colonial which was influenced by the many years of French rule, and the American Colonial, with balconies and hallways that make you wonder if you are really seeking out “Tara,” and Scarlett and Rhett are waiting for you in the dining hall of Gone with the Wind.

The Victoria has a grand entrance from the street, curving drive and all, and walking into the open air lobby is a step back in time. The enormous lobby is comfortable with plenty of sitting areas both inside as well as outside in the more open aired rooms. The constant breeze blowing through made sitting inside surprisingly cozy, and the day I had some work to catch up on was much easier to do in the comfortable seats.

Meanwhile, the grounds are small but expansive, as the rear of the building leads to not just one, but also a second pool, which is more designed for laps and getting further away from the building. But going just another 50 feet behind the rear pool puts you right at the dock of the Mekong river, complete with touring boat and all, plus a walkway leading you directly into town, just 15 minutes away. Also in the rear is a children’s play area and a selection of sitting areas under the trees.

The walk into town is just lovely, picturesque as the boats and barges drive along the Mekong, and hawkers selling their goods in the street. Compared to other places we visited in Vietnam, the small intimate city of Can Tho, was much more comfortable, and a bit less crazy with traffic. We visited just prior to Tet, so the streets were adorned with enough glitz, glamor, and lights to give Las Vegas Boulevard a run for the money!

The staff was amazingly attentive and spoke enough English for us to feel comfortable, and I was totally impressed as they seemed to treat every visitor with the same amount of attention. Impressive! It’s rare for a hotel staff to remember the names of their guests, but almost everyone in the lobby called us by name.

And then there’s the morning buffet, which had probably the best and most complete selection of food I have seen in many years, all delicious, and including an egg station. Whether you like your breakfast western style, or eastern, there is enough variety to satisfy the most picky eater. Fruits, veggies, breads, plus coffee Americana as well as Vietnam style, will appeal to most anyone. Soups are offered along with a great selection of juices and finger foods, so, the bottom line, is that you will not leave the breakfast table hungry!

The rooms are large enough to offer every kind of view, yet intimate enough to feel private. Our bath (with a tub!) was well appointed, with great water pressure and hot water—which are not always available in Asia!

The Victoria is a full service resort, offering a selection of tours and fun activities, and we opted for a 3.5 hour tour of the Mekong River, which included a 12 km bicycle ride, plus visits to a tofu skin factory as well as one where they make rice paper for eating. The ride up the river, which took about 30 minutes to get to our first visit stop, was a bit nostalgic since it was slow and easy, and offered a true view of the way the locals live.

The Mekong is the largest fresh water supplier of fish in the world, and tens of millions of people are fed along the 4000 plus kilometer journey, which starts on the Chinese-Tibet border. Along the bike ride we were able to stop and see how the real people live, and it is always amazing how creative people can be with fruits, vegetables, and housing materials.

Our stay at the Victoria was one of two lodgings we had over the five days we were there. Since my wife and I are full time nomads, we constantly seek out places that we wish to return to.

Can Tho fits that bill.

The people, the scenery, the weather: it all worked, and the Victoria Can Tho was the wrapping on a very beautiful present.