^{6 Days / 5 Nights}

Itinerary (Phnom Penh - Koh Dek Chou - Chau Doc - Sa Dec - Vinh Long - Cai Be - My Tho - Saigon)

PHNOM PENH - SAIGON CRUISE 6 Days / 5 Nights

Put the mythical Southeast Asian capitals of Phnom Penh and Saigon side by side and you have a meeting of two countries divided 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 impressive pastoral riverbanks of Cambodia, we arrive in the "Land of the Nine Dragons", the rice granary of Vietnam. We are constantly struck by the hectic pace of life in this country as we pass houses over fish rearing pens in Chau Doc, the boat yards of Long Xuyen, Marguerite Duras' hometown of Sa Dec, the aquatic gardens of Vinh Long, the floating market in Cai Be, the temples, pagodas, brickworks, then the trawlers of My Tho, before dropping anchor at the nostalgic port of Saigon.

DAY 1 : Phnom Penh - Koh Dek Chou (Lunch, Dinner)
7:45 a.m. - Embarking at the Phnom Penh Port.
8:00 a.m. - Formalities and departure on your Mekong cruise On the way to the Vietnam boarder, a stop at Koh Dek Chou Island for a two-hour stroll through the village that stretches the full length of the island. Exit-entry procedures at the border points. Head to the Cambodian border point of Kam Somnaar. Night on board between the two borders.

DAY 2 : Koh Dek Chou - Chau Doc (B, L, D)
Cross the Vietnam border in the morning. Arrive in Chau Doc towards noon, disembark at Victoria Chau Doc Hotel's private pier and have lunch at the hotel. Take a small boat to visit floating houses under which families in Chau Doc raise catfish by the tens of thousands, stroll through the nearby Cham village before returning to the city and a visit to the Chua Xu pagoda. Climb Sam Mountain, then get back on board. En route to Sa Dec, overnight stop

DAY 3 : Chau Doc - Sa Dec (B, L,D)
Boat through small canals up to Sa Dec. Afternoon arrival.
Tour of Sa Dec, the school where Marguerite Duras' mother once taught, and Kien An Cung pagoda, before strolling along the docks as far as the Sa Dec market, on the way passing a colonial house referred to in Marguerite Duras' novel The Lover. Night on board.

DAY 4 : Sa Dec - Vinh Long - Cai Be (B, L,D)
Travel towards Vinh Long. At Vinh Long, take small boats across the river and follow the canals of Binh Hoa Phuoc Island. Stop at the island's rich orchards and innumerable gardens, visiting Mr Cai Cuing's house, Mr Tam Ho's plantation, and a pottery-making factory... Tour the Cai Be floating market before getting back on the Toum Tiou for lunch. Head towards My Tho and stop for the night.

DAY 5 : Vinh Long - Cai Be - My Tho (B, L,D)
Continue to My Tho. Tour the city, Vinh Trang pagoda, the market, and the Dong Tam snake farm. Take the Toum Tiou to Thoi Son Island for a tour. Night on board.

DAY 6 : My Tho - Saigon (B, L)
A day on the boat heading towards Saigon through the Cho Gao and Nha Be canals.
1:30 p.m. - Customs procedures and disembarkment at Saigon International Port, located behind the Ho Chi Minh Museum.


* B : Breakfast, L : Lunch, D : Dinner