Mekong River - Upstream

Upon arrival, you are welcomed at the lounge in Saigon, where you may enjoy a second morning coffee before transferring to My Tho to board the vessel. After embarkation, the crew guides you to your stateroom and provides a short introduction to the cabin facilities. Once you have settled in, lunch is served in the restaurant, followed by a welcome and safety briefing in the lobby with the cruise director.

In the afternoon, the ship begins sailing along the Mekong River, giving you time to relax on deck and take in the scenery. As the sun sets, the cruise director invites you to a small gathering with canapés and prosecco, offering a chance to meet fellow travelers. Dinner is then served while the ship sails toward the Cai Be area, anchoring near Tan Phong Island for the night. To end the day, you may choose to watch a film in the indoor lounge.

Start your day early to see the morning activity in the Delta. Join the Tai Chi session, then have breakfast from the buffet. Take a local boat to Tan Phong Island, a small island in the Mekong River’s tributaries, and explore the area.

Default Excursion: During a visit to a workshop in the town of Cai Be, you have the opportunity to observe the production of rice paper, rice cookies, rice wine and coconut candies. This is a very interesting manual process involving manual labor and special production technics. After the workshop you are heading to Tan Phong Island, a smaller island in the middle of the vast Mekong. You are visiting a local family and their fruit garden offering you various kind of tropical fruits to taste. A buggy ride through the island let you have a glimpse of the local day to day life as it unfolds. You stop at another family’s house. They are specialized in weaving of water hyacinth plants into artistic crafts by hand.

Optional Morning Excursion (Extra Cost):
Cycling: This cycling tour offers a ride over the scenic Tan Phong Island. Cycle along well-maintained and flat concrete paths winding through orchards of rambutan, longan, and jackfruit. You stop and visit a local family business producing charming handicrafts from water hyacinths. The tour continues for 3 km along a canal to a local temple for a refreshing break under a banyan tree before continuing the ride to a tropical fruit farmer's home for a tasting.
Distance: 12km / Duration: approx. 90 min / Terrain: flat on concrete path

Default Excursion: Relax and enjoy some time on your private balcony or at the bar as you continue your voyage upstream. In the afternoon, you arrive at the Sa Dec region and anchor near one of the larger islands in the Mekong known as Binh Thanh. This island is home to several communities that sustain themselves by cultivating water hyacinths. Strolling through the village, you gain profound insights into local life and witness the complete traditional mat-making process. Additionally, you have the opportunity to meet a local elderly couple who have spent their entire lives on this island. They enjoy engaging in conversations with foreign visitors.

Optional Afternoon Excursion (Extra Cost):
Cycling: Once on the shore, the cycling discovery around the island begins with interesting stops at scenic backstreets, rice paddies, and some island’s distinctive houses offering great photo opportunities. The cycling tour leads to the village of Long Ta, which is famous for its scarf weaving. You return to the pier taking the tender boat back to the mother ship.
Distance: 7 km / Duration: approx. 60 min / Terrain: flat on concrete path

Before dinner, witness a presentation about life on the Mekong Delta as the ship sails toward your mooring spot for the night near Gieng Island.

After the morning Tai Chi session and a delightful breakfast, you embark on an exploration revealing a vibrant kaleidoscope of the diverse activities bringing the Mekong Delta to life.

Default Excursion: Gieng Island, also known locally as Mango Island, is perfect to stroll through under the shades of flourishing mango groves that shape the island’s landscape. A visit to a small incense workshop introduces you to the careful process of crafting these fragrance incense sticks by hand, another local highlight is a traditional boat-building workshop, where generations of families assemble wooden vessels that are essential to life along the river. Before departing, you surely are going to taste some of these delicious and freshly picked mangoes with a local tea in the courtyard of century-old local home. This is the moment when you understand the rhythms and resilience of life on the Mekong - so simple, so joyful.

Optional Morning Excursion (Extra Cost):
Cycling: The island’s flat terrain makes this ride so pleasurable and easy along lush green paths with many mango farms. Enjoy local Mekong Delta life at its best, left and right, with locals waving friendly. You ride along many fruit gardens and there is always something to stop and see on the way, like a traditional incense workshop or a local boat-building workshop.
Distance: 15 km / Duration: approx. 90 min / Terrain: flat on concrete path

Default Excursion: After lunch, board a traditional sampan toward Evergreen Island, a fertile pocket of the delta known for its small-scale farms and seasonal crops. Upon arrival, spend time with a local farming family and gain insight into their daily routine. You’re invited to step into the shoes of your hosts and share in their daily work. Depending on the season, you can help prepare seedlings, plant new crops, or assist with the harvest; a rare opportunity to share the delta daily life from the inside. Much of what’s grown here is later used by your onboard chef, tying your culinary experience onboard directly to the land.
After having discovered Mekong Delta’s bustling rhythm, you head towards the border. Once in Cambodia, an overnight sail takes you to the country’s capital.

Welcome to Phnom Penh - the city once named Paris of the East. Despite its rapid development, it has retained a lot of its rustic charm and elegance. It is an amazing town with centuries of incredible history and culture which can still be felt at many street corners.

Enjoy your last breakfast aboard your floating home before disembarking the ship. You hope you enjoyed this fascinating river cruise, just as the crew does every single time. Moreover, take the enchanting memories and friendships along with you and share the stories of this amazing river - the Mighty Mekong.