Mekong river cruise: The first time of an indie traveler on tour

Mekong river cruise: The first time of an indie traveler on tour

flags and loudspeakers or authentic local experiences? We weren't sure what would expect from G Adventures from Siem Reap on the Mekong River Cruise from G Adventures from G Adventures

I didn't know what to expect from my Mekong cruise through Vietnam and Cambodia. First, I was out without Peter for the first time in four years. Second, I had read mixed reviews about Vietnam and thirdly I was about to take a tour with a planned route.

I will not pretend my “indie” trip only consisted of hostels and cockroaches. My orders outside of Atlas & Boots led me to numerous luxury resorts around the world, but I had never taken part in a planned group trip.

The insights I had seen on previous trips were not positive: to shuffle from artifact to artifact, knowing that they would keep exactly 1.7 % of the lecture that their long -term leader kept so energetic.

Nevertheless, I took part in the Mekong River Cross from Saigon to Siem Reap without bias. I had learned from our cruise to the Pacific not to judge a travel style just because it wasn't mine.

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The view of the Mekong (Image: G Adventures)

My first impression of Saigon was as I expected: sultry Asian heat, as moist as the Mekong, a tangle of people who meander through the amount of, passing engines and scooters and a pulsating energy that is difficult to define.

Saigon! I thought. I'm in Saigon! And my doubts about Vietnam melted.

Saigon, or Ho Chi Minh City, as it is called today, is famous for many reasons, especially because of its role in the Vietnam War. The case of Saigon on April 30, 1975 meant the end of the war and the beginning of the transition to formal reunification under a socialist republic.

Forty years later, Saigon seems to be littered with totems of capitalism: skyscrapers, luxury shops and chain hotels are abandoned. Lonely Planet describes it as a "Vietnam in its most dizzying form", home of a chaotic vertebrae of options, "from the best hotels to the cheapest pensions, the noblest restaurants to the most delicious street stands, the exquisite boutiques to the best boutiques of the markets."

If you really want to see a country, of course you have to leave your cities and we soon did that on board the Toum Tiou II, a cozy, well -equipped river ship with only 14 cabins.

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The Toum Tiou II (Image: G Adventures)

The first thing that striker noticed was demography. There were more female travelers than I expected, from 20 to 50. There were a couple on board who had just hiked in Tibet, and a girl who was sailed into the Antarctic (on a three -month trip with six men on board a small yacht). They were clearly not typical cruise passengers. Maybe a group leadership would be fun.

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Pictured rowing boats sail past the island of Thoi Son

Our first stop was Vĩnh Trang, a complicated Buddhist temple, home of three huge Buddhas and a beautifully well -groomed site, followed by a visit to a coconut factory on the island of Thoi Son. The island was more touristy - which fueled my initial fears - but the picturesque view made a visit.

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We stopped at the Kien an Cung Pagoda, an unlikely place to learn more about The Lover, a film from 1992 that was made and made in Vietnam and recorded the illegal love relationship between a French naive and a wealthy Chinese in French Indochina. It was an amusing interlude that we returned to Toum Tiou II for lunch, followed by an evening visit to Sam Mountain.

To my surprise, Cambodia was even better to experience from the river. On my previous trip I followed the tourist triad of Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville. The journey on the river made it possible for us to stop on previously unknown villages and islands that were rarely visited by tourists.

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Peter and I said that we don't travel to meet people, but to see extraordinary landscapes and nature in full splendor. However, Cambodia is most beautiful in the company of locals.

our Chief Experience Officer, Kim

In fact, it is the local experiences that convinced me on our Mekong River Cross. If I hadn't participated in a tour, I would not have met Oum Son Thom, an 82-year-old survivor of the Red Khmer, who voluntarily reported as a teacher in a provisional classroom on the island of Koh Chen.

I would not have received a blessing from a Buddhist monk in Kampong Tralach, a sweet and sobering experience that I will remember forever.

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Receive a Buddhist blessing in Kampong Tralach

When we sailed after Siem Reap, to the famous Temples of Angkor, I knew that I would not only remember the book supports of Saigon and Siem Reap, but to all places I had seen in between.

The lesson I have learned is that you shouldn't avoid group trips, but you should choose with careful ones.

A luxurious river cruise on the Mekong offers a passage with a buffer; They never come too close or dirty. Alternative options such as G Adventures, on the other hand, offer a more local experience alongside like -minded travelers.

the latter point should not be underestimated. I very much appreciated traveling with people who had a sense of fun and adventure; Who could eat a tarantula and tell them that it "tastes like a noodle"; who could delight you with first -hand stories about the crossing of the South Pacific. Yes, it was a different way to travel, but I would do it again immediately.

Mekong flow cruise: The essentials

What: 10-day river cruise on the Mekong from Saigon in Vietnam to Siem Reap in Cambodia.

Where: We traveled on board the Toum Tiou II, a surprisingly spacious river ship with 14 cozy cabins. The cabins are equipped with two single beds, which can be compiled into a double bed. Each cabin has its own bathroom with hot water shower, air conditioning, safe, hairdryer and large window with a view of the Mekong.

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(pictures: G Adventures)

There is a common dining room, free tea and coffee (and cookies!) All day and all night, a lounge area, a sun deck and a bar (if you are lucky enough to have Mitch as a bartender, be sure to order a mojito!)

The meals on board are prepared with tasty ingredients from the region, followed by plenty of fresh fruit. The cook, the waiter and the rest of the crew are lovable and professional. I couldn't have requested anymore.

When: The best travel time for Vietnam is spring (February to April) and autumn (August to October). The temperatures are more moderate and the precipitation is lower. Cambodia is warm all year round. The dry season lasts from November to March, but travel in the rainy season is perfectly fine.

Rain usually falls for a short outbreak in the afternoon and rarely affects the travel plans. In fact, the crowds are smaller, Angkor Wat is the most lavish and the Mekong flows more freely.

like: I was at G Adventures Mekong River Cruise Adventure at a price of £ 1,299 per person for a 10-day trip from Saigon to Siem Reap. The price includes most meals, activities and a chief experience officer (CEO). For more information or bookings, call 0344 272 2040 or visit gadvures.com.

Note that the prices do not contain flights. Vietnam Airlines offers the only non-stop flights of the UK to Vietnam, with daily flights from Heathrow Terminal 4 to Hanoi or Saigon. Book via skyscanner.net.

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Lonely Planet Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos & Nordthailand offers a comprehensive travel guide for Phnom Penh and the Mekong Delta, ideal for those who want to explore both the most important sights and take the less busy road.

disclosure: We traveled to Vietnam and Cambodia with the support of G Adventures. All publications say that, but we really don't guarantee positive reporting. We say what we think - good and bad - so that you can make well -founded decisions with honest advice. .