Alicia and Nate, a couple from San Diego, USA, have traveled to 47 countries over the past four years in pursuit of a goal to visit 100 countries worldwide. Among their most memorable adventures was a nearly two-week trip across Vietnam, with stops in Hanoi, Hoi An, Da Nang, Can Tho, and Ho Chi Minh City.

They recently revisited their Vietnam journey on their YouTube channel, which has nearly 60,000 subscribers, aiming to spotlight must-try experiences. One such highlight was a morning at Cai Rang Floating Market in Can Tho, including a uniquely served breakfast on water.

After a five-hour ride from Ho Chi Minh City, the pair woke at 4:30 a.m., still tired from the journey, to catch the early action at Cai Rang Market. Aboard a wooden boat with their guide, they marveled at the buzzing market scene filled with boats of all sizes selling fresh produce, food, and coffee.

“It's like a floating canteen,” Nate observed, while Alicia described the place as bustling and authentic, much like a wholesale market on land. She appreciated that the market catered not just to tourists, but to the local trading community as well.

To start their day, they enjoyed breakfast and coffee right on the boat. Their vessel was gently wedged between others as a wooden plank was laid across the boat to serve as a makeshift table. Their guide brought over steaming bowls of noodle soup.

The colorful dish featured red from tomatoes and annatto oil, vibrant greens from herbs and scallions, and was topped with pork, shrimp, blood pudding, liver, heart, and meatballs.

Despite the constant rocking - “bumping to the right, then to the left” - the couple found the experience amusing, calling it “unique and fun.” Alicia even added a squeeze of lime and a dollop of fermented shrimp paste for extra flavor.

This popular local specialty, often referred to as “shaking noodles” or “floating noodles,” owes its name to the wobbling boats on which it's served. As diners sit aboard swaying vessels, the motion intensifies whenever larger boats pass by, sending waves that leave tourists trying to balance their bowls like acrobats. For the uninitiated, finishing a bowl without getting dizzy is a challenge in itself.

Cai Rang’s bún riêu has previously been featured by Skyscanner as a dish one must try at least once in a lifetime. Its hủ tiếu variant has been praised by Korean chef Jun Ho Kyun on EBS television, where he slurped up a whole bowl and jokingly asked to learn the recipe from the vendor.

Even world-renowned chef Gordon Ramsay was impressed during his visit in 2012, marking the dish as a standout in Vietnamese cuisine.

In early 2023, Cai Rang Floating Market was listed among the “Top 50 Unique Tours in Vietnam” by the Vietnam Records Organization (VietKings), thanks to its cultural significance and distinct experiences.

During their stay in Can Tho, Alicia and Nate also visited a 40-year-old traditional noodle-making workshop. There, they learned how the rice noodles in their breakfast were produced. They also explored a local land market to sample coconut and banana-based traditional cakes.

Linh Trang