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Along the Mekong to CambodiaBetween Cambodia and Vietnam lies the vast Mekong River delta with many picturesque waterways, exotic natural scenery and especially with southern Vietnam farmers' country life. Everywhere you look you'll see people doing laundry, keeping chickens or working on the land. Sometimes you'll even see someone swimming across the river with a large group of ducks. The people in this area are very friendly and they're sure to wave to you as you pass and then continue on with their business. During this module you'll travel straight through the delta to Cambodia, partially through waterways where you won't find any other tourists. You'll sail through small and broad canals and past villages and islands. You'll also travel by rowboat through peddlers and their wares at a floating market and you'll visit a traditional village. You'll spend one night in a comfortable hotel in Can Tho and one night in a floating hotel at the Cambodian border in Chau Doc. Finally you'll travel by speedboat to Phnom Penh. |
| Duration: |
3 days - 2 nights Offered Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from Ho Chi Minh City |
Accommodation: |
Cosy, small-scale authentic accommodation Comfort Level 2-3 (see accommodation) |
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Price: |
From $295 per person - based on 2 people sharing |
Included: |
2 x nights accommodation with breakfast, bus to Mekong, tour guide, boat trips, entrance fees, speed boat Chau Doc to Phnom Penh |
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Transport: |
Air-conditioned bus, sampan boat, speed boat |
Excluded: |
All other meals and excursions not mentioned in itinerary, transfer from boat pier to hotel in Phnom Penh |
Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City - Cai Be - Vinh LongToday marks the beginning of your tour through the Mekong Delta and on to Phnom Penh. All around you you'll see water and that's why a boat is the best possible means of transportation in this exotic area. An air conditioned bus will take you from Ho Chi Minh City to the town of Cai Be. Here you'll board a boat and you'll sail through the Mekong Delta in a small group. When you arrive you'll visit the very popular floating market. Traders trade their fresh products from their boats for other types of fruit and vegetables. The boats are all lined up next to one another and the multitude of different kinds of products makes this market one colourful place to remember. You'll continue on in smaller boats through a maze of small and broad shadow-filled canals. Along the way childeren will enthusiastically greet you and you'll get a glimpse of the daily life on the Mekong. You'll sail through villages and past hardworking farmers in the many rice paddies. After some time you'll visit one of the many An Binh islands (Vinh Long) in the Mekong Delta. After lunch you'll be able to go sight-seeing across the island on foot or by bike. In order to catch a glimpse of daily life in the area, you'll visit several family businesses which cultivate one of Vietnam's most important export products; rice. In the afternoon you'll sail for approximately 3 hours until you reach Can Tho just as the sun will begin to set. In the event of unforeseen circumstances, such as low water levels, this part of the trip will be conducted by mini van. You'll spend the night in a comfortable, modern hotel in the centre of Can Tho. In the evening you'll be able to enjoy a nice cold drink on the banks of the river. |
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Day 2: Cantho - Chau DocEarly in the morning you'll travel by boat to Cai Rang floating market in the Mekong Delta; Cai Rang. Hundreds of boats and peddlers come together here and many different types of fruit are sold. Larger boats have a pole on their boats with their selection of fruit speared on it. This makes it easier for everyone to find the fruit they are looking for. In order to get close to all of the activities of the market, you'll hop on over onto a bamboo rowing boat. You'll sail on between all of the boats offering goods and you'll be able to try out your negotiation skills while purchasing various types of tropical fruit.Rice farmers in the Mekong Delta have transformed Vietnam into the second largest rice exporter in the world (Thailand is number one). Naturally you don't want to miss a visit to a rice factory while in the area, and you'll visit a rice husking mill and a rice noodle factory. After this you'll visit (with a small group) the floating village on the river in Chau Doc. Many people make a living from their catching fish here and have a fish farm under their floating house. You'll step into a floating house and you'll be able to see how these people live on water. Near the border with Cambodia you'll find a Cham village. In this village, you'll find decedents of the inhabitants of the ancient Champa kingdom, which was once located in Central Vietnam. Inhabitants of the village are Muslim and you'll find a mosque and an Arabic school here, after this stop you'll leave and head to Chau Doc arriving around sunset. The hotel here is simple, but you'll have a room with air conditioning and be staying in the middle of town close to Chau Doc market. |
Day 3: Chau Doc - Phnom PenhToday it's time to leave Chau Doc and travel into Cambodia by speedboat. Once you reach the Cambodian border, the boat will stop to arrange your visa, which is approximately 25 USD per person. You'll arrive at the Phnom Penh harbour in the early afternoon around Midday where this module ends. It's easy to arrange a transfer to your hotel with one of the many tuk-tuks waiting at the harbour.From here you can continue on your Cambodia journey with the travel module Passage through Cambodia if you wish. The highlights of this unique country, such as the Killing Fields and the mystical Angkor Wat, are included in this module. |
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Cambodia accommodation pictures
