5 Days Downstream Phnom Penh Saigon on RV Bassac Pandaw Cruise: Explore the complex system of canals near Tan Chau and sail early to the Vietnam border to visit a Taoist shrine. After a brief downstream cruise in the late afternoon, we take a quick bus ride to Gao Giong, a “green paradise” with a bird sanctuary.
Table of Contents
Day 1: Phnom Penh
Activities: By noon, board the cruise and explore the city on your own.
Get on the ship and have lunch. Since we need your passport to complete the immigration procedures for the border crossing, check-in should take place no later than noon. The rest of the day is free. Spend the night in the bustling bars, restaurants, and nightlife of Phnom Penh’s downtown harbor.
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Bassac Pandaw Cruise
Day 2: Vietnam Border – Tan Chau
Activities: Explore the complex system of canals near Tan Chau and sail early to the Vietnam border to visit a Taoist shrine.
Early sailing to the Vietnam border for formalities, with an optional tour of the functioning ship and instruction on fruit carving on deck during this immobile time. Visit a Taoist temple in the afternoon where the monks will interpret your future by navigating the maze-like network of canals around Tan Chau. Continue passing through small towns around Xe Loi, pausing to assist residents in tending their farms before making a pit stop to see a fish farm and get merit by releasing fish back into the Mekong.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Bassac Pandaw Cruise
Day 3: Con Phuoc Island
Activities: Using a tuk-tuk, tour Con Phuoc Island by sailing up a tiny canal to anchor off the island and taking in the basket industry and a century-old Catholic church.
In the morning, sail up a narrow canal to Con Phuoc Island, where you may moor. From there, you can take a tuk-tuk tour of the island to see how baskets are made, a century-old Catholic church, and local woodworkers.
After a brief downstream cruise in the late afternoon, we take a quick bus ride to Gao Giong, a “green paradise” with a bird sanctuary. Thousands of egrets and other water birds congregate here on the Duong Tharp Muoi, often known as the “Plain of Reeds.” To transport us to the main nesting locations, rowing boats travel the canals.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Bassac Pandaw Cruise
Day 4: Ben Tre
Activities: Sampan rides through mangroves and bamboo forests will take you to Ben Tre’s produce plantations.
Following breakfast, the ship moors off the island of Cho Lach for pot-making demonstrations, more looks at Delta life, farming, and native Viet hospitality, including a cooking instruction on how to make traditional Banh Xeo. When we get back to the boat, we sail downstream to Ben Tre. We take sampans through mangroves and bamboo forests to reach Ben Tre’s orchards. These neighborhood craftspeople welcome guests into their houses for tea, fruit, and items produced with their own honey while they are at work. On the way back, we ride a horse-drawn carriage through the verdant countryside that is home to a variety of bird species.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Bassac Pandaw Cruise
Day 5: My Tho – Saigon
Activities: Arrive at the hotel after disembarking a cruise to My Tho.
Sail to My Tho early in the morning, then guests depart to take a bus to Saigon.
At approximately 10.30 in the morning, arrive in Saigon.
Meals: Breakfast
