Phnom Penh Cruising Tour to Ho Chi Minh by Toum Tiou Cruise
Best places to visit: Phnom Penh - Koh Dek Chau - Chau Doc - Sa Dec - Vinh Long - Cai Be - My Tho - Hochiminh City(Saigon)
6 days
Daily Tour
20 people
English, Cezch
Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh by Toum Tiou Cruise Highlights:
Combine the legend Southeast Asian capitals of Phnom Penh and Hochiminh or former name Saigon side by side and you have a meeting of two countries separated by an invisible line at the river. But the line becomes real when you compare their very different cultures, landscapes and pace of life.
After the “Land of the Nine Dragons”, the rice granary of Vietnam, we arrive at the impressive pastoral riverbanks of Cambodia. We are struck by the pace of activity and the cascade of things to see, including peaceful rural villages to learn about local lifes, Cruise boat downstream to The Mekong River in Vietnam to see legend land of people living on water, by visitting the brickworks and trawlers of My Tho, the floating market in Cai Be, the temples and pagodas, the aquatic gardens of Vinh Long, Marguerite Duras’ hometown of Sa Dec, the boat yards of Long Xuyen, then back to see colonial former campital of Cochichine as Saigon or Hochiminh City.
Itinerary :
Day 1 – Phnom Penh Cruising Tour to Koh Dek Chau (lunch,dinner)
07:45 Toum Tiou is open for embarking.
08:00 Formalities clearance.
08:30 Toum Tiou leaves Phnom Penh for Kôh Dek Chau island. Security briefing.
11:30 Arrival at Kôh Dek Chau island, A short break along the way, it allows to get a fascinating, close-up look at daily life in Cambodia.
On the fringes of civilization, the 600 people who live on Kôh Dek Chau will receive your visit with some surprise. School children will escort you along your way. You will go through the village that occupies the full length of the island, walking along a trail shaded by date palms.
12:30 Re-embarking, departure for Kaam Samnaar (Cambodian border). Lunch during the navigation.
16:00 Toum Tiou arrives at Immigration check point in Kaam Samnaar. Clearance of departure formalities.
17:30 The boat drops anchor for night on river between the borders.
19:00 Welcome drink and info meeting about cruise, crew introduction. Welcome dinner. Overnight on Toum Toui Cruise
Day 2 – Koh Dek Chau Cruise Trip to Chau Doc (breakfast,lunch,dinner)
check point offices in Vinh Xuong – Clearance of departure formalities. Breakfast.
09.00 Departure for Chau Doc. Vietnamese Guide boards, introduces himself. Casual talk with him.
12:30 Lunch during navigation.
13:30 Arrival at Victoria Hotel Chau Doc jetty.
Located to the north at the beginning of Mekong’s famous delta, Chau Doc straddles both banks of the Mekong which fans out to the dimensions of a river mouth here. Floating fish farms have sprung up everywhere. Bamboo fish drying racks are set up a meter above the water’s surface. The bourgeoning downtown area features some charmingly rustic colonial buildings, squeezed in by the marketplace – the colorful, vibrant heart of the city. As always, these busy parts of town, despite their sometimes strong odors, offer wonderful photo opportunities…
14:30 Departure for fish raising rafts and Cham minority village by local boat.
Return to the Victoria hotel for a walk to Chau Doc market. Visit of Sam Mountain which peaks at 237 meters. Its well-known Buddhist sanctuaries offer an unobstructed view over the mosaic of glistening rice paddies below. To the left is Cambodia, and the flow of the Mekong on the horizon breaks into an infinity of silver ribbons. Visit on the way of the Lady Chua Xu temple and Tay An Pagoda.
18:30 Return to the boat after sunset.
19:00 Dinner at the Victoria Hotel’s restaurant.
Overnight onboard at the jetty of the hotel; you are free to enjoy the hotel facilities (swimming pool, billiards, bar, Internet) or stroll in Chau Doc.
Day 3 – Chau Doc Cruising Trip to Sa Dec (breakfast,lunch,dinner)
07:00 Early departure for Sa Dec, breakfast during the navigation.
14:00 After lunch, arrival at Sa Dec – Short panoramic tour of Sa Dec and transfer by bus to Trung Vuong primary school. Continuing to Kien An Cung Pagoda. Stroll around Sa Dec Market along Sa Dec River bank.
This small city of 30,000 inhabitants is fascinating in its unspoiled authenticity and undisturbed by tourists. It provides a glimpse of the delta where a few colonial houses still remain, including the “Chinaman’s house” (from Duras’ novel “The Lover”, also made into a movie).
16:00 Return to the boat with stopover at a nursery of flower and bonsai trees. Famous for its horticulture (it has many varieties of fabulously exotic flowers) Sa Dec was known as the “Garden of Cochin Chine” during colonial times.
17:15 Toum Tiou leaves Sa Dec for Vinh Long.
18:00 Dropping anchor few miles away on the way to Vinh Long. Dinner and overnight on Toum Toui Cruise.
Day 4 – Mekong Cruising to Sa Dec – Vinh Long – Cai Be (breakfast,lunch,dinner)
06:30 Toum Tiou continues for Vinh Long.
07:00 Breakfast during navigation.
08:00 Arrival at Vinh Long, local boats pick up passengers for visiting a brick and pottery factory, the Binh Hoa Phuoc Islet Nursery of Fruit Trees as well a typical house and a show room of traditional farming tools.
Vinh Long, which translates as “Majestic Dragon”, is right in the middle of the delta, between two arms of the Mekong. The soil of Vinh Long is enriched by silt deposits, making it ideal for growing mandarins and other citrus fruits. Life is organized around the water. Houses on stilts, hawkers in boats, hundreds of small craft crisscross in all directions. The hospitality of the locals makes it a tourist destination par excellence.
10:50 Departure for Cai Be Floating Market – going across the Mekong River en route.
13:00 Toum Tiou leaves Cai Be for My Tho, lunch on board during navigation.
17:30 Arrival at My Tho – Toum Tiou drops anchor on river in the proximity of Thoi Son Island. Local musician band embark to play traditional music for 45 minutes.
19:30 Dinner and overnight on Toum Toui Cruise.
Day 5 – Cai Be Cruising Tour to My Tho (breakfast,lunch,dinner)
07:00 Breakfast
08:00 Local boats come alongside Toum Tiou to pick up passengers and transfer to the mainland.
Departure for Vinh Trang Pagoda by car – Short panoramic tour of My Tho town on the way.
Continuing for Dong Tam Snake Farm and My Tho Market. On the banks of a northern arm of the Mekong, My Tho, which translates as “fragrant herb”, where tourists come to discover the beauty of the delta. It’s a quiet, prosperous city of about 100,000 inhabitants, famous for its many fruit orchards, gardens and the huge rice fields that surround it.
The climate is warm and pleasant year round. The surrounding countryside is home to one of the most luxuriant gardens of Vietnam, with its coconut palms, banana and mango trees.
10:45 Return at the pier- you will cruise on the river to Thoi Son Island by local boat to visit the island, explore local people’s daily life and enjoy locally seasonal fruits.
13:00 Re-embarking the Toum Tiou that leaves My Tho for Saigon. Lunch and leisure on board. Time to pack and prepare for the arrival.
18:00 Toum Tiou drops anchor on river en route.
19:00 Farewell cocktail (1 glass of local liquor or juice) with Master of Ship & Cruise Manager. Captain’s farewell dinner (Enriched menu + 1 glass of wine). Overnight on Toum Toui Cruise.
Day 6 – Toum Tiou Cruise: My Tho – Hochiminh City or Saigon (breakfast,lunch)
07:00 Departure for Saigon.
13:00 Toum Tiou arrives at Saigon port – customs formalities clearance.
13:30 Disembarking, local tour agent picks up passengers and transfers to hotel after a last lunch on board.
Inclusions:
- Full board accommodation, including meals, coffee, tea & drinking water.
- French or English speaking guide.
- Visits mentioned in the program.
- Entrance fees.
- Transportation from departure port to arrival port
Exclusions:
- Personal Travel Insurance.
- Tours & meals other than those mentioned in the program.
- Transfers from/to airport and hotels.
- Personal expenses.
- Gratuities for the crew. Indochine Cruise
- Transfer from hotel to port and vice-versa.
