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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 Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays from HCMC |
Accommodation: |
2 nights in basic, yet comfortable hotels in the Mekong Delta accommodation categories 2-3 |
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| Price: |
from $309 per person - based on 2 people sharing |
Includes: |
transportation by bus and boat, accommodation with breakfast, excursions as described in the daily itinerary with English speaking guide, speedboat to Phnom Penh |
| Transport: |
air-conditioned mini van, (speed) boat |
Excludes: |
all meals, drinks |
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, where you'll board a boat. 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 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, shadow-filled canals and you'll visit the An Binh islands (Vinh Long). Along the waterside you'll see different types of fruit growing and you'll also visit a local orchard where you can sample delicious fresh fruit. During a visit to the village in the Mekong Delta you'll be able to walk or bike ride through the area. You'll become acquainted with life in the Mekong Delta and the friendly people who live here. Far away from the hectic outside world, the Vietnamese in the Mekong Delta care for their own products. They make ceramics and they cultivate (naturally) rice and crispy noodles. After a short stop in the town of Vinh Long, you'll travel by bus to Cai Von and then you'll travel by boat to Can Tho. Here you'll spend the night in a comfortable hotel by 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.At 12.00 noon you travel from Can Tho to Chau Doc, a town at the boarder, by coach where you'll arrive at the end of the afternoon. 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 PenhAfter a night in Chau Doc, you'll board a speedboat around 7.30 in the morning which will drop you off at the Phnom Penh harbour around 12.30. From here you can continue on your Cambodia journey with the travel module Passage through Cambodia if you wish. You'll be able to easily arrange a tuk-tuk to your hotel. |
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Cambodia accommodation pictures
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