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Put the mythical Southeast Asian capitals of Phnom Penh and
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 the nostalgic port of
Saigon, 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, the houses over fishing rearing pens in Chau Doc, before
docking at Phnom Penh.
Day 1 Arrival Ho Chi Minh City
Arrivals to former Saigon late afternoon/evening. Pick up from
airport to hotel and time for relax after a long traveling on
plane. Overnight in hotel in Ho Chi Minh city..
Day 2 Ho Chi Minh City (B/D)
Meet your local guide during the buffet breakfast at your
hotel. Then depart on your morning motor coach tour of this
fabulous and vibrant city! Your first stop will be at the History
Museum, followed by a unique Water Puppet Show. From there
continue past some of the city’s major attractions including the
19th century Post Office and the Notre Dame Cathedral. The tour
will end with sightseeing of the Presidential Palace. In the
afternoon, visit the unique War Remnants Museum followed by a
welcome dinner featuring Vietnamese specialties..Overnight in
hotel in Ho Chi Minh city.
Day 3 HCM- Cu Chi Tunnels (B/L)
The morning is reserved for an excursion to the fascinating Cu
Chi tunnels. To protect themselves from bombing raids, the local
villagers and Viet Cong built a series of tunnels covering an area
of over 212 km where they survived allied attacks for years. The
tunnels, ranging in depth from 3 to 12 meters underground,
included boarding rooms, schools, kitchens, meeting halls and
military production facilities – a whole city underground. Return
to the city for a lunch break (on own). In the afternoon, a
delightful 45 minute cyclo tour through the heart of the city’s
bustling China Town will precede another wonderful dinner at one
of Saigon’s many popular local restaurants. Overnight in hotel in Ho
Chi Minh city.
Day 4 Saigon - My Tho (B/L/D)
- 7:45 a.m. - Re-board the boat at the International Port,
located behind the Ho Chi Minh Museum
- 8:00 a.m. - Formalities and departure for a day's travel
along the Cho Gao and Nha Be canals. Arrival in My Tho at
the end of the day. Leave the boat for a stroll down town and to
the bustling market. Reboard the Toum Tiou and head for Thoi Son
Island. Night on board.
Day 5 My Tho - Vinh Long - Cai Be (B/L/D)
Trip over to Thoi Son Island, before disembarking at My
Tho to visit Vinh Trang pagoda and the Dong Tam snake farm. On the
boat for Cai Be, overnight opposite Cai Be.
Day 6 Vinh Long - Cai Be- Sadec(B/L/D)
Tour by small boats of the floating market and Binh Hoa
Phuoc Islands with their many orchards and gardens, stopping at Mr
Cai Cuing's house, Mr Tam Ho's plantation and a pottery-making
factory... Get back on the Toum Tiou and head towards Sa Dec.
Arrival at Sa Dec in late afternoon, tour the town, the school
where Marguerite Duras's mother once taught, Kien An Cung Pagoda,
then follow the docks up to the Sa Dec market, passing a charming
colonial house mentioned in Marguerite Duras' novel "The Lover".
Night on board.
Day 7 Sadec - Chau Doc (B/L/D)
Head towards Chau Doc, disembarking at the Victoria Chau Doc
Hotel private pier and enjoy lunch at the hotel. Take small boats
to visit a floating house and the nearby Cham village. Go back
downtown and tour the market and Chua Xu pagoda. Climb Sam
Mountain. Back onboard the Toum Tiou for the night.
Day 8 Chau Doc- Koh Dek Chou (B/L/D)
Head towards the border. Cross the borders in the
afternoon. Night on board.
Day 9 Koh Dek Chou - Phnom Penh (B/L/D)
On the way to Phnom Penh, stop at Koh Dek Chou Island for a
two-hour stroll through the sprawling village that stretches the
full length of the island.
1:30 p.m. - Disembark at the Phnom Penh Port after the
final meal on board. |
