Asia Master Tour

You’ve heard about Halong bay cruise many times but not Mekong delta cruise? This is because Mekong delta cruise isn’t very popular among travelers if you only want to travel throughout Vietnam. A Mekong delta cruise is for those who travel to Cambodia from Vietnam. Therefore, it’s totally different from a Halong bay cruise. You will visit more interesting places where the locals live and purchase. If you are curious about Mekong delta cruise, read this article with me.

1. The best time for Mekong delta cruise

Unlike Halong bay cruise, Mekong delta cruise itinerary is offered for most of the year because there is no winter in the south. However, the plan usually divided into 2 parts. One is for low water season and the other is for high water season. In general, there are only several differences between 2 itineraries.

The high water season itinerary for Mekong delta cruise is applied in May until October. And from November to February is dry season so it’s more convenient for you to cruise this time. Although there are lots of rains on rainy season, they only last 30 minutes. In addition, the landscape at this time is the finest and lushest and you can negotiate the price.

2. Mekong delta cruise itinerary

Most of Mekong delta river cruise share the same itinerary. The only difference is in services of various junks. While Halong bay cruise doesn’t share the program with others destinations, Mekong delta cruise is a part of long tour package (maybe more than 10 days). You stay not only on cruise but also various hotels. Some cruise start and end in Vietnam, some set off in Vietnam and finish in Cambodia or vice versa.

The most common destinations are Phnom Penh and several important temples. If you join an itinerary from Hanoi, you also have a Hanoi city tour then go to the central and the south through Da Nang, Hue, Hoi An, Nha Trang, Ho Chi Minh City,… Otherwise, if you are already in Ho Chi Minh City, you just need to move to the port to embark the cruise (all travel agencies offer transportation from the city to the port). The Mekong delta cruise will bring you to various interesting stops both in Vietnam and Cambodia like: floating markets, rural villages, local orphanage, English-language school. You can enjoy local dishes with authentic taste or do shopping for local handicrafts.

Because of the similarity in itinerary of all cruise lines, the best way to get your cruise is consider how much money you want to spend and what do you expect from its services. For instance, some cruises provided free wine, beer throughout the day while others only give them away in specific time. Or you want to relax your muscles so choose the cruise with spa service.

3. Prestigious Mekong delta cruise lines

There are several cruise lines, which might make you hard to choose the right one. The most popular cruises among tourist are Avalon Waterways, Pandaw, Jayavarman Cruise, Aqua expeditions, Uniworld, Song Xanh sampan.

The price for Mekong delta cruise varies from more than 100$ to approximately 1500$. As I said above, the price depends on services. The more you pay for it the more services you get. However, look into your budget and find the right one.

4. Mekong delta cruise highlights

Hanoi

This destinations is included in most of tour package. This city is the capital of Vietnam where the mixture of traditional and modern culture is dense. You will be offered a Hanoi city tour or in some cases also Hanoi food tour (my favorite). This tour will bring you to various famous landmarks like The museum of Ethnology, Ho Chi Minh Memorial Complex, Hanoi Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem lake,…

Normally, this tour only lasts one day. And the rest is your free time. You can go around on your own, but remember that traffic in Hanoi is unfriendly for walking and crossing the streets is like a nightmare. But if you are lucky enough to get to Hanoi at weekend, you can take a walk around Hoan Kiem lake because this area is rounded and free motorbikes at weekend.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

This city is so-called “The pearl of the Far East” which is bigger and more dynamic than Hanoi. For long time this city was receiving lots of France culture, so now you can observe lots of building, structures with ancient France style. People in the south are more friendly and opener than the North. You also can visit various historic sites before embark on Mekong delta cruise like Independent Palace, Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon,… And if you have enough time you should go to Cu Chi tunnels. This is a system of underground shelter in Vietnam war.

Cai Be

It’s a dynamic town on Mekong delta. In order to get there, you have to go on sampan and go through a floating market. This market is dated back to the 17th century. Vendors load their boat with lots of food, fruits or handicrafts. They will advertise to you and give you sample by a bamboo pole.

In Cai Be, you can visit a factory where coconut candy is made by hand. In addition, you also should try snake wine. The snake after extracted all its poison and dead will be emerge in a huge glassy jar full of rice wine. Don’t be afraid of trying it.

Siem Reap

You might stay at hotel in Siem Reap. This city contains lots of Khmer architecture. You might visit Angkor Wat – the temples used to be dedicated to Hindu God Vishnu which was built in th 12th century.

Another famous destination is Angkor Thom – an ancient city. This area was decorated with more than 200 smiling Buddha heads. Inside the town, you will visit the temple of Ta Prohm – the most sacred place in Cambodia.

Kampong Cham

On the journey of Mekong delta cruise you might visit this riverside city. This city is like a purely holy land with twin mountains Phnom Pros and Phnom Srei, lots of Buddha temples and gardens.

Phnom Penh

You can’t miss this destination. Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia where full of temples and pagodas. You should visit Royal Palace – a complex includes Silver Pagoda, Khemarin Palace and the National Museum of Cambodia.

The history of this city is marked by various notable sites like the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, mass graves, memorial tower full of skull, Toul Sleng Genocide Museum,…

5. Tips for Mekong delta cruise

Dealing with digestive system: many western travelers have troubles with their stomach while on Mekong delta cruise. It might be because of food safety, but maybe because your stomach isn’t familiar with Vietnamese foods. The best way to avoid it is to bring your medication such as loperamide.
Insect problems: Mosquito is the remarkable issue among travelers. Even in the South or in the North, you might meet this tiny annoying insect. Moreover, moving around old temples raises the chance for you to meet ants and other unknown insects. Therefore, bug spray or anti-insect lotion is essential.

Don’t feed animal: dogs, monkeys might be very cute, which is hard to resist. But don’t feed them. They can bite you sometimes, and you don’t want rabies or any infections ruin your vacation.

Get prepared for the heat: when going on Mekong delta cruise, there are only 3 types of temperature you have to deal with: hot, hotter and hottest. You can’t imagine how hot it is until you experience it by yourself. With high humidity, you are always in the mood of sweat anytime. Prepare short and loose clothes, extra tops and put all your skinny jeans and leggings away.

Overall, instead of flights or autobus to Cambodia, you can travel on Mekong delta cruise. In this way, you won’t miss amazing landscape on Mekong delta. And I’m sure that you will have great experiences.