4 Days Upstream Phnom Penh Saigon RV Bassac Pandaw Cruise: Visiting the Gao Giong ‘green oasis’ with its bird sanctuary, going ashore to discover the island by tuk-tuk seeing basket production, and visiting a 100-year-old Catholic Church. Discovering the labyrinthine canal system around Tan Chau to visit a Taoist temple, crossing the border.
Day 1: Saigon – My Tho
Activities: Picking up at Meeting Point in Saigon then transferring to embark on the cruise ship at My Tho
We will transfer from the meeting point in Saigon to My Tho Port. After boarding your Pandaw, we will sail downstream to Ben Tre and anchor midstream.
After having lunch, we will travel by local Sampans through mangroves and bamboo groves to the fruit orchards of Ben Tre. These local artisans will be at work and invite visitors into their homes for tea, fruit, and honey products made from their own honey. This is an area rich in bird life and on our return trip, we will travel through the lush countryside. In the evening, there will be a lecture on Vietnamese life in the Mekong Delta. During cocktail hour we will meet the key crew members.
Meals: Lunch on board, Dinner on board
Overnight: RV Bassac Pandaw Cruise Ship
Day 2: Con Phuoc Island
Activities: Visiting the Gao Giong ‘green oasis’ with its bird sanctuary, going ashore to discover the island by tuk-tuk seeing basket production, and visiting a 100-year-old Catholic Church
After a short cruise upstream, we will take a short coach trip where we will visit Gao Giong ‘green oasis’ with its bird sanctuary. Here, we will get to admire a diverse selection of water birds and egrets that gather in the tens of thousands across the Duong Thap Muoi or ‘Plain of Reeds’. We will take rowing boats to go through the canals to help us to see the principal nesting areas. In the afternoon, we will visit the Island of Con Phuoc Island and go ashore to discover the island by tuk-tuk. We will get to see basket production, and visit a 100-year-old Catholic Church and local woodworking artisans.
Meals: Breakfast on board, Lunch on board, Dinner on board
Overnight: RV Bassac Pandaw Cruise Ship
Day 3: Tan Chau
Activities: Discovering the labyrinthine canal system around Tan Chau to visit a Taoist temple, crossing the border
In the morning, we will go through the labyrinthine canal system around Tan Chau to visit a Taoist temple where the monks will read fortunes. We will continue through local villages by Xe Loi stopping off to help locals tend their fields before stopping off to visit a fish farm and earn merit by releasing fish back into the Mekong.
In the afternoon, we will sail to the Vietnam border for formalities and during this stationary period, there will be an optional tour of the working ship and fruit carving classes on deck.
Meals: Breakfast on board, Lunch on board, Dinner on board
Overnight: RV Bassac Pandaw Cruise Ship
Day 4: Phnom Penh
Activities: Disembarking in Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh
We will disembark in Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, after breakfast. Please note our crew will hand out your passports after the immigration formalities between 09.00 and 10.30.
Meals: Breakfast on board
