5 Days Downstream Phnom Penh Saigon on RV Mekong Pandaw Cruise: 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. 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.
Table of Contents
Day 1: Phnom Penh
Get on the ship and have lunch. Since we require your passport to complete the immigration procedures for the border crossing, check-in should take place no later than midday. 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 Mekong 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 Mekong 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 Mekong Pandaw Cruise
Day 4: Ben Tre
Activities: To get to the fruit of Ben Tre, take sampans through mangroves and bamboo groves.
orchardsAfter breakfast, the ship moors off Cho Lach island for pot-making demonstrations and additional glimpses into Delta life, agriculture, and local Vietnamese hospitality, which includes a cooking lesson 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 groves to reach Ben Tre’s orchards. These neighborhood craftspeople welcome guests into their homes for tea, fruit, and products made with their own honey while they are at work. This is a region with abundant birdlife, and
On the way back, we ride a horse-drawn cart through the verdant countryside.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Mekong 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
