Most tours throughout Tien Giang province run in boats that seat 20-plus people and while such numbers bring costs down to a more reasonable level, the downside is you`ll visit attractions en masse and be herded around. If you`re interested in exploring riverine life, we`d suggest heading across the river to Ben Tre or further south to Can Tho or west to Chau Doc, where prices far more reasonable and well-tailored to independent travellers.
My Tho town, a medium-sized Mekong Delta provincial capital, has a bit of an abandoned feel to it, except during the morning when busloads of tourists from Saigon descend to do a boat trip to the nearby islands.
Aside from the morning, you can often have the riverbank entirely to yourself -- local tourist authorities are yet to commence charging foreigners to enjoy the view, so you can at least plan for doing that.
Aside from doing an overpriced boat-trip, one reason to visit My Tho is to catch a cargo boat west to Chau Doc. This 17-hour trip is a priceless way to see river life, as long as you do not mind roughing it a little. The boats do not leave every day, but you can ask either at the cargo pier (western edge of town), or keep an eye out for Mr Nip (he`ll most likely find you), a cyclo driver who speaks excellent English and is a fountain of knowledge about My Tho.