8 Days Upstream Saigon Siem Reap on RV Bassac Pandaw Cruise: To get to the fruit orchards of Ben Tre, you can take sampans through mangroves and bamboo groves. Gao Giong is a “green oasis” with a bird sanctuary that you can visit. You can also explore the island by Xi Loi to see how baskets are made and go to a Catholic church that is 100 years old.
Table of Contents
Day 1: Saigon – My Tho
Activities: Pick up at Saigon Meeting Point and start cruise.
From the meeting place in Saigon, get a ride to My Tho Port. After getting on your Pandaw, we sail downriver to Ben Tre and drop an anchor in the middle of the river. In the afternoon, there is a talk about life in the Mekong Delta for Vietnamese people. During cocktail hour, a group of native dancers entertains passengers, and they also get to know the key crew.
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Bassac Pandaw Cruise
Day 2: Ben Tre
Activities: To get to the fruit orchards of Ben Tre, you can take sampans through mangroves and bamboo groves.
You can get to the fruit orchards of Ben Tre by sampans that take you through mangroves and bamboo groves. Local artists are making things in these shops, and they invite people into their homes for tea, fruit, and honey products made from their own honey. This area has a lot of birds, and on the way back, we take a horse-drawn cart through the green countryside. After lunch, the ship docks near Cho Lach island for a lesson in making traditional Banh Xeo and more views of Delta life, agriculture, and local Vietnamese hospitality.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Bassac Pandaw Cruise
Day 3: Con Phuoc Island
Activities: Gao Giong is a “green oasis” with a bird sanctuary that you can visit. You can also explore the island by Xi Loi to see how baskets are made and go to a Catholic church that is 100 years old.
After breakfast, you can take a short bus ride to the “green oasis” of Gao Giong, which has a bird sanctuary. Here, there are many kinds of water and tens of thousands of egrets gather in the Duong Tharp Muoi, also called the “Plain of Reeds.” We can get to the main nesting areas by rowing boats through the canals. When we get back to the boat, we head upstream toward Con Phuoc Island. We stop in a small canal near Con Phuoc Island and go ashore to explore the island by Xi Loi. We see how baskets are made and go to a Catholic church that’s been around for 100 years. We also visit local woodworkers.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Bassac Pandaw Cruise
Day 4: Tan Chau – Cambodia Border
Activities: Explore the maze-like network of canals around Tan Chau to visit a Taoist temple.
In the afternoon, you can explore the confusing network of canals around Tan Chau and go to a Taoist temple where the monks will tell you your future. Continue through Xi Loi’s local villages, stopping to help people take care of their fields. Then, stop at a fish farm and earn merit by releasing fish into the Mekong. Formalities for crossing borders take up most of the afternoon, and while the ship is still, you can take a tour of how it works or take a class on how to carve fruit.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Bassac Pandaw Cruise
Day 5: Phnom Penh
Activities: Seeing the best of Cambodia’s capital city
In the morning, we got to know Phnom Penh by riding a cyclo to the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. After that, we went to the National Museum, which has a great collection of Angkorian statues. In the afternoon, you can go to the Killing Fields and Genocide Museum or take a tuk-tuk to see the riverfront. After that, you can have High Tea at the Raffles Hotel. Spend the night in Phnom Penh City Port, which has lots of bars, restaurants, and things to do at night.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Bassac Pandaw Cruise
Day 6: Koh Oknha Tey
Activities: Sail up the Tonle River to our expedition ship, and then go to Koh Okhna Tey, also known as “silk island,” to learn about the whole process of making silk from worms to weavers.
Sail up the Tonle River to our expedition ship, the Pandaw Explorer, and then go to Koh Okhna Tey, also known as “silk island,” to learn about the whole process of making silk, from silkworms to weavers. Bokator, an ancient Khmer martial art, will be shown off in a show. Return to the ship and go back down the Tonle River to where it meets the Mekong. Evening talk about Angkor and the culture of the Khmer.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Bassac Pandaw Cruise
Day 7: Wat Hanchey – OBT Chiro Village – Wat Nokor Bachey
Activities: Visit Koh Trong Island, a small village on the Mekong River. Stay at Kratie and take a local boat to the dolphin grounds.
Sunrise cruise to Wat Hanchey, which was an important place of worship during the Chenla period and is on a hill above the mighty Mekong River with some of the best views of the river in Cambodia.
You can see buildings from the 8th century, some of which were destroyed by American bombs during the Vietnam War. It is known for its strange statues of animals and fruits.
We sail back downriver to Kampong Cham, where we have lunch. After lunch, we take a bus to the nearby OBT Chiro Village, where educating the local children is a top priority. To help local kids learn new skills, there are projects to teach them how to recycle plastic, keep bees, farm, and make crafts. Then, we go to the Wat Nokor Bachey, which dates back to the time of Jayarvaman VII. It is made entirely of Black Sandstone, which makes it different from other temples built at the same time. Greek legend says that this complex was built by a king who killed his father by accident and then married his mother. As punishment for his crime, he built this temple.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Bassac Pandaw Cruise
Day 8: Kampong Cham – Siem Reap
Activities: Take a bus to Siem Reap
Sail downriver until you reach Kampong Cham, where you can get off the boat and take a road to Siem Reap.
Meals: Breakfast
