5 Days Upstream Saigon Phnom Penh on RV Tonle Pandaw Cruise: Traveling by 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.
Table of Contents
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. In the afternoon, there will be a lecture on Vietnamese life in the Mekong Delta. During cocktail hour passengers will be entertained by an indigenous dance group and meet your key crew.
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Tonle Pandaw Cruise Ship
Day 2: Ben Tre
Activities: Taking horse cart through the countryside and fruit orchards, observing traditional activities
Traveling by 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 journey we will travel by horse cart through the lush countryside. After lunch, the ship will moors 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 Tonle Pandaw Cruise Ship
Day 3: Con Phuoc Island
Activities: Taking a short coach journey to the Gao Giong ‘green oasis’, visiting Con Phuoc island
After breakfast, there will be a short coach journey to the Gao Giong ‘green oasis’ with its bird sanctuary. 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 traverse 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 explore the island by Xe Loi seeing basket production and visiting a 100-year-old Catholic Church as well as local woodworking artisans.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Tonle Pandaw Cruise Ship
Day 4: Tan Chau – Cambodia Border
Activities: Discovering Tan Chau, taking border crossing formalities, relaxing in the afternoon
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 Tonle Pandaw Cruise Ship
Day 5: Phnom Penh
Activities: Disembarking in Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh
Disembarking in Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh after breakfast.
Please note: Our crew will hand out your passports after the immigration formalities at 10.00.
Meals: Breakfast
