The Mekong, the longest river in Indochina is divided into nine tributaries within Vietnamese territory and has given birth to the vast Mekong Delta. The Mekong Delta is often referred as the ‘rice bowl’ and the ‘garden of heaven’, because of its rich soil which is the breeding ground for dozens of vegetables, fruit and flowers. A visit to this region allows you to explore the ‘life on the water’ of the local people. Because of periodical floods the local people adapted their lives to the water. Experience their floating houses, floating schools, floating mini-supermarkets and even their complete floating markets! You will be overwhelmed by the wet rice civilization.

In our opinion The Mekong Delta is without a doubt one of Vietnam’s highlights. A deep discovery of this place will bring you an unforgettable and valuable experience of our country.

Therefore,  Asiatica Travel has built a special boat which is unique in its being. It allows you to get deep into The Mekong Delta and experience local life in all its facets. Our tour guide will provide you with all the information you need to know as we sail downstream the canals of the Mekong River. We join the busy floating market, visit  luxuriant orchards, try delicious tropical fruits and  spend the night on board in this fascinating setting. Our programs are flexible and can be changed upon your request. The suggested tours you will find on this page are just a common example of what your trip could be like. Please do no hesitate to contact us about your special request!

Some information about our boat:

• Wooden boat, 19 m in length and 4 m in width

• 20 soft sleepers (for maximum of 20 persons) 

• 3 toilets

• 1 kitchen and 1 dining-room

• Crew: 1 captain, 1 chef cooker, 1 sailor and 1 engineer  

PROGRAM 01: CAN DUOC - CHO GAO - MY THO

Day 01: Can Duoc - Cho Gao - My Tho - Cai Be (L, D)       

In the early morning we travel by our comfortable bus towards Can Duoc, where we come aboard of our boat to cruise to the Cho Gao floating market. This sightseeing is extremely interesting as we participate in the life of the local people. The market is a melting pot of colors, shapes, sounds and smells. Rice, fresh fruit, fish, handicrafts, bonsais, almost everything is for sale, a great opportunity to find some nice souvenirs for the loved-ones at home! We continue our trip over the Mekong Delta towards My Tho. On the way we make a stop to enter Thoi Son Island, which is covered by tropical fruit orchards. We make a magnificent walk through this big green garden where we enjoy fresh fruit gathered on the spot. We leave Thoi Son to continue our way up to Cai Be. We moor our little ship on the crossing point of 4 canals as we enjoy an excellent local dinner. The beauty of the countryside will overwhelm you as we watch the sun go down...The night is spend on board.

Day 02: Cai Be - Ho Chi Minh City (B, L)                     

Noises of the surrounding boats will wake you up in the early morning. After enjoying a Vietnamese breakfast we exchange our boat into a little sampan to get closer to the Cai Be floating market. Immediately you will recognize the differences with the market we saw before. After our visit to the morning-market we continue our cruise with a visit to the impressing Khmer pagoda. We also participate in some home-run workshop in which we learn how to produce rice crape and how to dry longan (fruit). During our drive to HCMC in the late afternoon you will have the time to evaluate all your experiences. We transfer you to your hotel.

End of our service.

PROGRAM 02: MY THO – CAI BE – SA DEC – LONG XUYEN
 

Day 01:Can Duoc - Cho Gao - My Tho - Cai Be (L, D)        

In the early morning we travel by our comfortable bus towards Can Duoc, where we come aboard of our boat to cruise to the Cho Gao floating market. This sightseeing is extremely interesting as we participate in the life of the local people. The market is a melting pot of colors, shapes, sounds and smells. Rice, fresh fruit, fish, handicrafts, bonsais, almost everything is for sale, a great opportunity to find some nice souvenirs for the loved-ones at home! We continue our trip over the Mekong Delta towards My Tho. On the way we make a stop to enter Thoi Son Island, which is covered by tropical fruit orchards. We make a magnificent walk through this big green garden where we enjoy fresh fruit gathered on the spot. We leave Thoi Son to continue our way up to Cai Be. We moor our little ship on the crossing point of 4 canals as we enjoy an excellent local dinner. The beauty of the countryside will overwhelm you as we watch the sun go down...The night is spend on board.

Day 02: Cai Be - Ho Chi Minh City (B, L, D)                    

Noises of the surrounding boats will wake you up in the early morning. After enjoying a Vietnamese breakfast we exchange our boat into a little sampan to get closer to the Cai Be floating market. Immediately you will recognize the differences with the market we saw before. After our visit to the morning-market we continue our cruise with a visit to the impressing Khmer pagoda. We also participate in some home-run workshop in which we learn how to produce rice crape and how to dry longan (fruit). We return to our boat to cruise towards Long Xuyen via Sadec. Here we will spend the night and enjoy dinner.

Day 03: Long Xuyen - Ho Chi Minh City (B, L)            

Today we visit our last floating market, called Long Xuyen Market. After breakfast we bring a visit to Lu Lao Ong Ho Island to make an interesting promenade through authentic villages and magnificent green gardens. Afterwards we explore local waterways by little sampan, which offers you an interesting in-depth exploration of local life. Lunch is served on board. You will have the time to evaluate your experiences as we return to HCMC by bus. On the way we make a stop to visit the Cao Dai Temple in Tay Ninh, the center of Caodaism in Vietnam. Caodaism is a bizarre and unique sect in Vietnam, which represents a mix of Taoism, Christianity and Confucianism. Saints who are praised here are Jesus, Buddha and legendary people like Victor Hugor, Churchill and Nguyen Binh Khiem! Their religious ceremony is celebrated everyday and we will have the chance to get to know more about this mysterious sect. Afterwards we transfer you to HCMC and bring you to your hotel.

End of our service.

Price in Euro per person

Tarif valid until 31 December 2006
The tariff is set up in Euro. Payment in USD is based on the exchange rate applied by the Vietnamese Bank at the time of settlement. Click here for the current Exchange Rate

• Price for a group of at least 2 person

• Price for 1 person: Please contact us

•  

The price include:

• Full use of our boat with accommodation

• Meals as stated in the program (B = Breakfast ; L = Lunch ; D = Diner)

• Air-conditioned vehicles for all transportations

• English speaking guide

• Sampan trips as mentioned in the program

• Entrance fees

The price exclude:

• International air-tickets and airport departure tax.

• Meals not mentioned in the program (between 5 - 7 Euros/meal/person)

• Drinks, phone calls and all personal expenses