Cau My Thuan Bridge: A Traveler's Guide to Vinh Long's Mekong Crossing

Cau My Thuan isn't a destination most people plan a trip around — but if you're heading through the Mekong Delta (메콩 델타 / 湄公河三角洲 / メコンデルタ) by road, you'll cross it, and it's worth more than a glance out the window.

What It Is and Why It Matters

Cau My Thuan is a cable-stayed bridge spanning the Tien River (the northern branch of the Mekong) between Vinh Long and Tien Giang provinces. When it opened in 2000, it was a genuine landmark — the first bridge to cross the Mekong in Vietnam (베트남 / 越南 / ベトナム). Before that, everyone relied on ferry crossings, which could mean hours of waiting during holidays or bad weather.

The bridge stretches about 1,535 meters with a main span of 350 meters, and the two tall pylons have become a recognizable silhouette for anyone who's driven Highway 1A between Saigon and Can Tho. It was built with Australian development aid, which is why you'll sometimes hear older locals reference it as "the Australian bridge."

A second bridge, Cau My Thuan 2, opened nearby in late 2023 to handle the growing traffic. The original bridge now carries one-way traffic heading toward Vinh Long, while the new one handles the opposite direction.

Why Travelers Go

Most people encounter Cau My Thuan in transit — it sits on the main artery connecting Saigon (사이공 / 西贡 / サイゴン) to the western Mekong Delta. But there are a few reasons to actually stop rather than just drive over:

• The view from the bridge itself is one of the best river panoramas in the delta. Wide brown water, cargo barges, fishing boats, and fruit orchards lining both banks.
• The Vinh Long side puts you at the doorstep of one of the delta's most underrated provinces for river tourism — island homestays, floating markets, and fruit gardens.
• It's a natural breaking point on the Saigon-to-Can Tho (껀터 / 芹苴 / カントー) drive, about 2 hours from each.

Best Time to Visit

The dry season — roughly December through April — is the most comfortable for any Mekong Delta travel. Roads are in better shape, river levels are manageable, and the humidity drops to merely "constant" rather than "suffocating."

That said, the rainy season (May-November) has its own appeal: fruit orchards are at peak production in June and July, and the rivers run high and dramatic. Just expect afternoon downpours.

Avoid the days immediately before and after Tet if you're driving. Highway 1A through here becomes a slow-moving parking lot as millions of people head home to delta provinces.

Photo by Duy Nguyen on Pexels

How to Get There

From Saigon, Cau My Thuan is about 120 km southwest on the Ho Chi Minh City (호치민시 / 胡志明市 / ホーチミン市)–Can Tho Expressway and Highway 1A. The drive takes roughly 2 to 2.5 hours depending on traffic.

• Bus: Coaches from Ben Xe Mien Tay (Western Bus Station) in Saigon run to Vinh Long city constantly throughout the day. Tickets run 80,000–120,000 VND. Most buses cross Cau My Thuan. Travel time is around 2.5–3 hours.
• Motorbike/car: Take the expressway toward Trung Luong, then Highway 1A south. Toll fees for the expressway are around 52,000 VND for a car. The bridge itself has no separate toll.
• From Can Tho: It's about 90 km northeast, roughly 1.5–2 hours by car or bus.

Vinh Long city is just 10 km south of the bridge's Vinh Long end, making it the natural base.

What to Do

Walk the Bridge Approach and Viewpoints

You can't walk across the bridge itself — it's a highway bridge with no pedestrian lane. But on the Vinh Long side, there's a park area near the bridge foot with river views. Locals come here in the late afternoon to sit, drink coffee, and watch barges pass underneath. It's not manicured or touristy, which is exactly the point.

Take a Boat to An Binh Island

From Vinh Long city, small ferries cross to An Binh and Binh Hoa Phuoc islands in the river. This is classic delta life — narrow canals under canopies of longan and rambutan trees, brick-and-tile houses on stilts, women in "non la" rowing sampans loaded with coconuts. You can arrange a homestay through most guesthouses in Vinh Long for 300,000–500,000 VND per night including meals.

Visit Vinh Long Market

The central market in Vinh Long city is a proper working market, not a tourist setup like Ben Thanh Market. Go early morning for the best energy — vendors unloading river fish, stacks of tropical fruit you won't find outside the delta, and breakfast stalls doing brisk business.

Day Trip to Cai Be Floating Market

Cai Be floating market is about 30 km from the bridge, on the Tien Giang side. It's smaller and less touristed than the famous Cai Rang market near Can Tho, which means fewer boats full of camera-wielding visitors and more actual commerce. Boats can be hired from the Cai Be riverfront for around 250,000–400,000 VND for a 2-hour loop.

Cycle the River Roads

The roads along the Tien River on both sides of the bridge are flat and mostly shaded — good for a morning bike ride. Rent a bicycle from a Vinh Long guesthouse (50,000–100,000 VND/day) and ride north toward the bridge, then loop back through the orchards. Total distance of a comfortable loop is about 15–20 km.

Photo by Vietnam Tri Duong Photographer on Pexels

Where to Eat Nearby

Vinh Long's signature dish is "hu tieu" — the clear pork-broth rice noodle soup that's a delta staple. Look for Hu Tieu Chieu on Pham Thai Buong street in Vinh Long city; a bowl runs about 35,000–45,000 VND.

Also worth finding: "banh xeo" here is made delta-style, oversized and stuffed with river shrimp, bean sprouts, and sliced pork. Street-side vendors near the market sell them for 20,000–30,000 VND each. Eat them the local way — tear off a piece, wrap it in mustard leaf and herbs, dip in the sweet-sour fish sauce.

Where to Stay

Vinh Long city has a handful of decent options:

• Budget: Guesthouses and mini-hotels along 1 Thang 5 Street, 200,000–400,000 VND/night. Basic but clean, usually with air conditioning and hot water.
• Mid-range: Phuong Hoang Hotel or Cuu Long Hotel in the center, 500,000–800,000 VND/night. River-view rooms available at the latter.
• Homestays on the islands: An Binh island homestays are the most atmospheric option — sleeping in a wooden house surrounded by fruit trees, meals cooked by the host family. Expect 350,000–600,000 VND per person including dinner and breakfast.

Practical Tips

• If you're riding a motorbike, note that the original Cau My Thuan bridge is now one-way only (toward Vinh Long). You'll cross Cau My Thuan 2 if heading the other direction.
• The bridge area gets windy — genuinely strong crosswinds on a motorbike, especially in the afternoon. Keep your speed reasonable and grip the handlebars.
• Vinh Long is a transit town for most tourists, so it's rarely crowded. You can usually find accommodation without booking ahead, except during Tet (뗏 (베트남 설날) / 越南春节 / テト (ベトナム旧正月)).
• Vietnamese coffee (베트남 커피 / 越南咖啡 / ベトナムコーヒー) here is strong and cheap — 15,000–20,000 VND for a "ca phe sua da" at any riverside cafe. The views are free.