5 Days Upstream Saigon Phnom Penh on RV Mekong Pandaw Cruise: Traveling by sampans through mangroves and bamboo groves to the orchards of Ben Tre. Mooring in a small canal off Con Phuoc Island and go ashore to discover the island by Xi Loi seeing basket production and visiting a 100-year-old Catholic Church as well as local woodworking artisans.
Table of Contents
Day 1: Saigon – My Tho
Activities: Picking up at the meeting point in Saigon and then transferring to the embarkation of the cruise at My Tho.
We will transfer from the meeting point in Saigon to My Tho Port. After boarding the Pandaw, we will sail downstream to Ben Tre and anchor midstream. In the afternoon, there will be a lecture on Vietnamese life in the Mekong Delta. During cocktail hour, passengers will get entertained by an indigenous dance group and meet your key crew.
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Mekong Pandaw Cruise
Day 2: Ben Tre
Activities: Traveling by sampans through mangroves and bamboo groves to the orchards of Ben Tre.
We will travel by sampans through mangroves and bamboo groves to the fruit orchards of Ben Tre. Here, 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 journey, we will travel by horse cart through the lush countryside. After lunch, the ship will be off Cho Lach island for pot making and further glimpses of Delta life, agriculture, and local Viet hospitality including a culinary lesson in making traditional Banh Xeo (Vietnamese pancake).
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Mekong Pandaw Cruise
Day 3: Con Phuoc Island
Activities: Visiting the Gao Giong ‘green oasis’ with its bird sanctuary, going ashore to explore the island by Xi Loi seeing basket production, and visiting a 100-year-old Catholic Church
After breakfast, there will be a short coach journey to the Gao Giong ‘green oasis’ with its bird sanctuary. Here, there will be a diverse selection of water and egrets that gather in the tens of thousands across the Duong Tharp Muoi or ‘Plain of Reeds’. Rowing boats will move the canals to take us to see the principal nesting areas. After returning to the boat, we will cruise upstream to Con Phuoc Island. We will moor in a small canal off Con Phuoc Island and go ashore to discover the island by Xi Loi seeing basket production and visiting a 100-year-old Catholic Church as well as local woodworking artisans.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Mekong Pandaw Cruise
Day 4: Border Crossing – Tan Chau
Activities: discovering the labyrinthine canal system around Tan Chau to visit a Taoist temple, crossing the border
In the afternoon, we will discover 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 Xi 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. Border crossing formalities will take up much of the afternoon and during this stationary period, there will be an optional tour of the working ship and fruit carving classes on deck.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Mekong Pandaw Cruise
Day 5: Phnom Penh
Activities: Disembark in Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh
After breakfast, we will disembark in Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh.
Please note: Our crew will hand out your passports after the immigration formalities at 10.00
Meals: Breakfast
