Mekong River Cruise: An Indie Traveler's First Time on Tour

Mekong River Cruise: An Indie Traveler's First Time on Tour

Flags and speakers or authentic local experiences? We weren't sure what to expect on G Adventures' Mekong River cruise from Saigon to Siem Reap

I didn't know what to expect from my Mekong River cruise through Vietnam and Cambodia. Firstly, it was the first time in four years that I was traveling without Peter. Secondly, I had read mixed reviews about Vietnam and thirdly, I was about to embark on a tour with a pre-planned itinerary.

I’m not going to pretend that my “indie” journey was all hostels and cockroaches. My assignments outside of Atlas & Boots have taken me to numerous luxury resorts around the world, but I had never participated in a planned group trip before.

The glimpses I had seen on previous trips were not positive: shuffling en masse from artifact to artifact, knowing full well that you would retain exactly 1.7% of the lecture so forcefully delivered by your long-suffering guide.

Nevertheless, I took the Mekong River cruise from Saigon to Siem Reap with an open mind. I had learned from our Pacific cruise 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 humid as the Mekong, a tangle of people weaving through the crowds, motors and scooters whizzing by, and a pulsating energy that's hard to define.

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

Saigon, or Ho Chi Minh City as it is now known, is famous for many reasons, most notably its role in the Vietnam War. The fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975 marked the end of the war and the beginning of the transition to formal reunification under a socialist republic.

Forty years later, Saigon appears to be littered with totems of capitalism: skyscrapers, luxury stores and chain hotels abound. Lonely Planet describes it as "Vietnam at its most dizzying," home to a chaotic swirl of options, "from the best hotels to the cheapest guesthouses, the poshest restaurants to the tastiest street stalls, the choicest boutiques to the throngs of markets."

Of course, if you really want to see a country, you have to leave its cities and we soon did that aboard the Toum Tiou II, a cozy, well-equipped riverboat with just 14 cabins.

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The Toum Tiou II (Image: G Adventures)

The first thing I noticed on board was the demographics. There were more female solo travelers than I expected, ranging from 20 to 50. On board were a couple who had just hiked in Tibet and a girl who had sailed to Antarctica (on a three-month trip with six men aboard a small yacht). They clearly weren't typical cruise passengers. Maybe a group tour would be fun after all.

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Picturesque rowing boats sail past Thoi Son Island

Our first stop was Vĩnh Trang, an intricate Buddhist temple, home to three giant Buddhas and beautifully manicured grounds, followed by a visit to a coconut factory on the island of Thoi Son. The island was more touristy than I had hoped - which fueled my initial fears - but the scenic views made the visit worthwhile.

The next day we explored Sa Dec, a bustling area known for its market. Here we got a glimpse of traditional life on the Mekong, from sociable grandmas haggling with locals to hipster kids on tiny bikes.

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Live fish flipped in their shells while naked birds of indeterminate origin lay lifeless on their altars. Faded colonial villas withered in the heat, decades-old paint peeled off the seams.

We stopped at Kien An Cung Pagoda, an unlikely location, to learn more about The Lover, a 1992 film filmed and filmed in Vietnam that chronicles the illicit love affair between a French naive and a wealthy Chinese in French Indochina. It was an amusing interlude after which we returned to Toum Tiou II for lunch, followed by an evening visit to Sam Mountain.

The next day we crossed into Cambodia, which has been my favorite country since I visited in 2011. I was worried that my first impression would be tarnished since so many things are a second time.

To my surprise, Cambodia was even better to experience from the river. On my previous trip I had stuck to the tourist triad of Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville. The river trip allowed us to stop at previously unknown villages and islands rarely visited by tourists.

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Peter and I have said that we don't travel to meet people, but to see extraordinary landscapes and nature in all its glory. However, Cambodia is at its best in the company of locals.

Our Chief Experience Officer, Kim

In fact, it's the local experiences that sold me on our Mekong River cruise. Had I not taken a tour, I would not have met Oum Son Thom, an 82-year-old Khmer Rouge survivor who volunteers as a teacher in a makeshift classroom on the island of Koh Chen.

Nor would I 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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Receiving a Buddhist blessing in Kampong Tralach

As we sailed to Siem Reap, to the famous temples of Angkor, I knew I would remember not just the bookends of Saigon and Siem Reap, but all the places I had seen in between.

The lesson I learned is that you shouldn't avoid group tours, but you should choose wisely.

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

The latter point should not be underestimated. I really appreciated traveling with people who had a sense of fun and adventure; who could eat a tarantula leg and tell you it “tastes like a noodle”; who might regale you with first-hand stories about crossing the South Seas. Yes, it was a different way to travel, but I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Mekong River Cruise: The Essentials

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

Where: We traveled aboard the Toum Tiou II, a surprisingly spacious riverboat with 14 cozy cabins. The cabins are equipped with two single beds that can be made into a double bed. Each cabin has a private bathroom with hot shower, air conditioning, safe, hairdryer and large window overlooking the Mekong.

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(Images: G Adventures)

There's a shared dining room, free tea and coffee (and cookies!) all day and night, a lounge area, a sun deck and a bar. (If you're lucky enough to have Mitch as your bartender, be sure to order a mojito!)

Meals on board are prepared with tasty local ingredients, followed by plenty of fresh fruit. The chef, waiters and the rest of the crew are lovely and professional. I couldn't have asked for more.

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

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

How: I went with G Adventures Mekong River Cruise Adventure priced at £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 to book, call 0344 272 2040 or visit gadventures.com.

Note that prices do not include flights. Vietnam Airlines offers the UK's only non-stop flights 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 & Northern Thailand offers a comprehensive travel guide to Phnom Penh and the Mekong Delta, ideal for those who want to both explore the top attractions and take the road less traveled.

Disclosure: We traveled to Vietnam and Cambodia with support from G Adventures. All publications say this, but we really don't guarantee positive coverage. We say what we think – good and bad – so you can make informed decisions with honest advice. .