8 Days Upstream Saigon Siem Reap on RV Bassac Pandaw Cruise: We will travel 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.
Table of Contents
Day 1: Saigon – My Tho
Activities: Picking up at Saigon Meeting Point, embarking on a cruise ship.
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 Bassac Pandaw Cruise Ship
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. 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 moor 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.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Bassac Pandaw Cruise Ship
Day 3: Con Phuoc Island
Activities: Visiting Gao Giong ‘green oasis’ with its bird sanctuary, discovering 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. 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 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 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 Bassac Pandaw Cruise Ship
Day 4: Tan Chau – Cambodia Border
Activities: Discovering the labyrinthine canal system around Tan Chau to visit a Taoist temple, border crossing
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 Bassac Pandaw Cruise Ship
Day 5: Phnom Penh
Activities: Visiting highlights of Cambodia’s capital
In the morning, we will travel to Phnom Penh by cyclo to visit the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda followed by the National Museum with its marvelous collection of Angkorian statuary. In the afternoon, we will visit to the Killing Fields and Genocide museum or take a tuk-tuk to discover the riverfront and finish with High Tea at Raffles Hotel. We will stay overnight in Phnom Penh City port with its lively bars, restaurants, and night life.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Bassac Pandaw Cruise
Day 6: Koh Oknha Tey
Activities: Sailing up the Tonle River to board our expedition vessel, visiting Koh Okhna Tey, or ‘silk island’ to study the entire silk-making process from worms to weavers
We will sail up the Tonle River to board our expedition vessel, the Pandaw Explorer, to visit Koh Okhna Tey, or ‘silk island’ to study the entire silk-making process from worms to weavers. There will be a demonstration of the ancient Khmer martial art of Bokator. return to the ship and return down the Tonle River to turn up the Mekong at the confluence.
In the evening, there will be a lecture on Angkor and Khmer culture.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Bassac Pandaw Cruise Ship
Day 7: Wat Hanchey – OBT Chiro Village – Wat Nokor Bachey
Activities: Visiting Koh Trong Island a small Mekong River hamlet, mooring off Kratie and continuing to the dolphin grounds by local boat
On top of a hill overlooking the massive Mekong River, Wat Hanchey was a significant place of devotion during the Chenla era. We’ll go see buildings from the eighth century, some of which were obliterated by American bombs during the Vietnam War.
The education of the local children is a top priority at the OBT Chiro Village, therefore we will cruise back downstream to Kampong Cham after lunch. Then, we’ll go to Wat Nokor Bachey, which dates back to the reign of Jayavarman VII. The temple stands out from other temples constructed at this time because it was entirely constructed of Black Sandstone. This structure is the subject of several stories, one of which claims that a monarch who mistakenly murdered his father and subsequently wed his mother erected it. In retaliation for his wrongdoing, this shrine was constructed.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Bassac Pandaw Cruise Ship
Day 8: Kampong Cham – Siem Reap
Activities: transferring to Siem Reap by coach
Sailing downstream to moor at Kampong Cham for disembarkation and transferring to Siem Reap by roadway.
Meals: Breakfast
