Visitors can join activities such as field bathing, checking fishing nets, setting traps for linh fish (a small kind of fish at local rivers and cannals), or rowing sampans to pick yellow dien dien (sesbania sesban) flowers, experiences unique to the region.
Ecotourism sites report rising weekend crowds. Nguyen Ngoc Hon, a representative of Dong Sen Go Thap Ecotourism Area, said the site has welcomed thousands of visitors since early September, with 500-600 arrivals each weekend.
Higher water levels this year have submerged pathways to thatched huts, creating an unexpected attraction that allows guests to travel and dine by boat.
The season also offers rustic dishes featuring freshwater fish such as linh fish, loach, snakehead fish, mud carp and prawns.
Dien dien flowers, which bloom from August to November, are mildly bitter but turn sweet when cooked. They are commonly used in sour soup and salads.
“My family had only seen field bathing in the Mekong Delta on social media, and now we finally got to try it,” said My Anh from HCM City.
Many visitors wear traditional ao ba ba (southern Vietnamese blouse and trousers) outfits to take photos and capture the spirit of the season.
The best time for field bathing is from the ninth to tenth lunar month, when water levels stabilise and begin to recede, leaving clear, calm water about two metres deep.
Beyond Thap Muoi, other popular locations include Hong Ngu in Dong Thap, as well as Tinh Bien, An Phu and Tan Chau in An Giang, and Moc Hoa and Tan Hung in Long An.