Bến Tre

Ben Tre sits among the coconut groves of the Mekong Delta, a province and city so associated with the crop that it carries the nickname Kingdom of Coconuts. Small workshops along the canals still turn coconut into candy, husks into rope and charcoal, and shells into carved souvenirs, much of it visible on the boat tours that run through the waterways from town. The delta's canal network is denser here than almost anywhere else in Vietnam, and rowing sampans through the narrower channels remains the main way to see the orchards and rural hamlets up close. Bridges built in recent decades have finally connected the delta islands directly to Ho Chi Minh City. Talent covering Ben Tre lists here on a subscription basis, and the platform handles the booking and the payment.