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:
Culinary: Conclude your morning excursion with a culinary twist: Prepare with a local family an authentic “Banh In”, a soft, sweet treat made from glutinous rice flour and sugar. Always served with jasmine tea, the ‘Banh In’ is popular during Vietnamese national festivals such as Tet.
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.
