mekong delta tour

[holidayhelen]

We were thinking about the Mekong Delta tour from HCM city in November this year. We had realised that it is a very long (3 hour) journey each way but I have recently read that it is a horrible journey and not worth it when you get there.

 

It is quite an expensive tour and takes up the full day - so I don't want to waste the time and money if there is something better to do in HCM.

 

Any suggestions, views or comments on this

 

Thanks

 

Helen

[Jade13]

We were thinking about the Mekong Delta tour from HCM city in November this year. We had realised that it is a very long (3 hour) journey each way but I have recently read that it is a horrible journey and not worth it when you get there.

 

It is quite an expensive tour and takes up the full day - so I don't want to waste the time and money if there is something better to do in HCM.

 

Any suggestions, views or comments on this

 

Thanks

 

Helen

 

3 hour drive each way? Where are you docking? Do you have a link to the tour.

[holidayhelen]

we are going with Princess - we dock - it just says Ho Chi Minh City, Phu My. We are looking at the princess tour (due to it being a very long tour - should the worst happen you will always be covered with a princess tour). It states on the tour details "Board your air-con van for the approximately three hour journey to My Tho in the Mekong Delta"

 

 

Does this help

 

Thanks

 

Helen

[greatam]

we are going with Princess - we dock - it just says Ho Chi Minh City, Phu My. We are looking at the princess tour (due to it being a very long tour - should the worst happen you will always be covered with a princess tour). It states on the tour details "Board your air-con van for the approximately three hour journey to My Tho in the Mekong Delta"

 

 

Does this help

 

Thanks

 

Helen

 

It will take AT LEAST 3 hours to get from Phu My to My Tho. NOT worth the hassle.You will only get put in this stupid little boat, with fruit spread out to eat and be taken on a VERY short tour. They used to take you to this bird sanctuary (a little island in the Mekong). They were still taking people there during the height of SARS. Too many people complained so no more bird sanctuary.

 

If you want to go up the Mekong, GO UP THE MEKONG, AT LEAST to Can Tho. But you would be hard pressed to do a decent Mekong tour in a port day. Don't be taken in by these IMHO stupid little "Mekong tours". They really are DUMB. There are a lot of things to do in Saigon and surrounding areas if you only have one day in port. IF you have two days, you can take a REAL trip up the Mekong, spend the night at the Victoria lodge in Can Tho or even ChauDoc (close to the border with Cambodia), then return to the ship the following day.

[Jade13]

. There are a lot of things to do in Saigon and surrounding areas if you only have one day in port. IF you have two days, you can take a REAL trip up the Mekong, spend the night at the Victoria lodge in Can Tho or even ChauDoc (close to the border with Cambodia), then return to the ship the following day.

 

Nice hotel pictures on TripAdviser

 

 

Click on thumbnails to see large photos

[greatam]

Here's a few pictures of what the Mekong REALLY looks like-not the touristy version.

 

The picture looking straight north into Cambodia was taken from the pool/patio/outdoor cafe area of the Victoria hotel in Chau Doc.

[CtheW0rld]

We were thinking about the Mekong Delta tour from HCM city in November this year. We had realised that it is a very long (3 hour) journey each way but I have recently read that it is a horrible journey and not worth it when you get there.

 

It is quite an expensive tour and takes up the full day - so I don't want to waste the time and money if there is something better to do in HCM.

 

Any suggestions, views or comments on this

 

Thanks

 

Helen

 

i did this with costa. not worth it at all. nothing much to see once you get there, either, considering the amount of time on the bus.

[janina]

Really enjoyed your pictures Great Am, thanks for sharing. Unfortunately one of the downfalls of cruising is you only get a glimpse of places, never really an in depth look.

[greatam]

Really enjoyed your pictures Great Am, thanks for sharing. Unfortunately one of the downfalls of cruising is you only get a glimpse of places, never really an in depth look.

 

Thank you for the compliment. Wish I knew how to make the pictures bigger. You could then REALLY see just how poor and how crowded it is in Vietnam. The confluence of the Mekong and Tonle Sap seems to get smaller and smaller every time I go up country, as the houses are getting built further and further into the river.

 

Quite a few of the cruises are now spending the night in Saigon. So you actually could take a REAL trip up the Mekong.

[holidayhelen]

So if not the tour to the Mekong Delta - what else should we do in HCM city

[MVPinBoynton]

It will take AT LEAST 3 hours to get from Phu My to My Tho. NOT worth the hassle.You will only get put in this stupid little boat, with fruit spread out to eat and be taken on a VERY short tour. They used to take you to this bird sanctuary (a little island in the Mekong). They were still taking people there during the height of SARS. Too many people complained so no more bird sanctuary.

 

 

We are setting up private tours for the two days we are in HCMC. An option for one of the days is to go to My Tho and take a boat ride to Thoi Son island. Is this the type tour you are referring to that is not that great? Another option we could do instead is to go to Vinh Long and Cai Be. Would this be a better choice?

[holidayhelen]

the princess trip up the mekong goes to My Tho - aparently it is a 3 hour trip just to there from the port at Phu My. This is what people are reffering to when they say it is not that good

[greatam]

the princess trip up the mekong goes to My Tho - aparently it is a 3 hour trip just to there from the port at Phu My. This is what people are reffering to when they say it is not that good

 

You are only partly correct. While the trip to My Tho is about 3 hours EACH way from the ports, the little boat trip in the Mekong is truly DUMB. As I posted before, you get in this little boat, there is fresh fruit laid out to eat, you go up and down, MAYBE into a few canals and THAT is IT. That is what makes it so worthless-you get essentially NOTHING. You MAY go to one of the floating markets BUT they are all over Vietnam and Thailand. Fun to look at but NOT worth a lot of money for an excursion.

[MVPinBoynton]

greatam,

Is Thoi Son island the island you were talking about in one of your other posts?

 

Would a tour to Vinh Long and Cai Be be a better option?

[greatam]

dup

[greatam]

greatam,

Is Thoi Son island the island you were talking about in one of your other posts?

 

Would a tour to Vinh Long and Cai Be be a better option?

 

Might be a little better BUT Cai Be is the floating market. Usually opens at sunrise and quite a few of the vendors are leaving by 9-10AM. So how much you would see when you arrive 10-1, I have no idea.

 

Why don't you consider doing a whole trip up the Mekong if you really want to see it. Take a boat from Saigon (NOT My Tho). Spend the entire day cruising up the Mekong, spend the night at the Can Tho Victoria hotel, then EARLY the following morning go to the floating market in Can Tho, get back on the boat and return to Saigon (only about 2 hours if you don't spend a lot of time sightseeing). Would still have a few hours to see the highlights of Saigon.

 

Since quite a few are interested in the Mekong, maybe I should set up a business booking cruise passengers for a REAL trip up the Mekong. There are only a couple of boats that will allow you to board in Saigon. Those are the ones I always use. Anyone interested????

[MVPinBoynton]

greatam,

Thanks for the recommendation. Since the group I am going with wants to spend time in Saigon seeing the sights there, we just don't have the time. You probably could set up a business, but then you might be banned from posting about it on CC. Sorry, I hate to spoil a dream.:D

 

I hate to keep asking but would a tour to Vinh Long and Cai Be be a better option than a short trip out of My Tho?

[greatam]

greatam,

Thanks for the recommendation. Since the group I am going with wants to spend time in Saigon seeing the sights there, we just don't have the time. You probably could set up a business, but then you might be banned from posting about it on CC. Sorry, I hate to spoil a dream.:D

 

I hate to keep asking but would a tour to Vinh Long and Cai Be be a better option than a short trip out of My Tho?

 

As I posted, Cai Be is the floating market. A lot of the vendors will be gone by 10 or so. So what would you really see-I have NO idea. I go to the floating market EARLY, when the best selections are available.

 

Be PREPARED. They sell dogs for food and BBQ dogs on the Mekong. I can't take it and when you see it, it may ruin your entire day. One BIG reason I think the Mekong "tours" are pretty bad. MOST tour operators in Vietnam think nothing of it-they just keep on trucking. NOT something most Westerners want to see. Just an FYI.

[MVPinBoynton]

I'm sorry greatam, I was looking for Vinh Long in your post rather than Cai Be. For some reason, so many of the names sound alike to me. It really does make it tough to plan. It is so easy to confuse one place over the other.

 

Are there any other day trips from Saigon that you would recommend over the one from My Tho or Cai Be?

[Jade13]

Why don't you consider doing a whole trip up the Mekong if you really want to see it. Take a boat from Saigon (NOT My Tho). Spend the entire day cruising up the Mekong, spend the night at the Can Tho Victoria hotel, then EARLY the following morning go to the floating market in Can Tho, get back on the boat and return to Saigon (only about 2 hours if you don't spend a lot of time sightseeing). Would still have a few hours to see the highlights of Saigon.

 

Since quite a few are interested in the Mekong, maybe I should set up a business booking cruise passengers for a REAL trip up the Mekong. There are only a couple of boats that will allow you to board in Saigon. Those are the ones I always use. Anyone interested????

 

I would consider it but right now I can't get anyone on my roll call interested in our plans in Saigon...we were interested in the tunnels and maybe even the shooting range but a real trip up the Mekong could be interesting. We aren't scheduled to depart the second day until 4:00pm. Boarding in Saigon would be a lot less hassle.

[greatam]

I'm sorry greatam, I was looking for Vinh Long in your post rather than Cai Be. For some reason, so many of the names sound alike to me. It really does make it tough to plan. It is so easy to confuse one place over the other.

 

Are there any other day trips from Saigon that you would recommend over the one from My Tho or Cai Be?

 

Vinh Long is actually a town on a Mekong tributary, close to Ah Bin and Bin Ho islands. Cai Be is close to Ah Bin island. I would have no idea what a tour to Vinh Long would include, as it is primarily a fishing town (a couple of huge fish processing plants on the banks of the CoChen). There is also a lot of fruit grown in the area (The mangosteen I am responsible to get into the US comes from the area). I would guess the main reason to even head to Vinh Long would be to go to Cai Be for the floating market and through all the canals in the area. I know of no temples, cathedrals, etc. etc., anything "touristy" in the town but there may be. I spend much more time in Can Tho, just kind of "pass through" Vinh Long.

[Jade13]

Might be a little better BUT Cai Be is the floating market. Usually opens at sunrise and quite a few of the vendors are leaving by 9-10AM. So how much you would see when you arrive 10-1, I have no idea.

 

Why don't you consider doing a whole trip up the Mekong if you really want to see it. Take a boat from Saigon (NOT My Tho). Spend the entire day cruising up the Mekong, spend the night at the Can Tho Victoria hotel, then EARLY the following morning go to the floating market in Can Tho, get back on the boat and return to Saigon (only about 2 hours if you don't spend a lot of time sightseeing). Would still have a few hours to see the highlights of Saigon.

 

Since quite a few are interested in the Mekong, maybe I should set up a business booking cruise passengers for a REAL trip up the Mekong. There are only a couple of boats that will allow you to board in Saigon. Those are the ones I always use. Anyone interested????

 

Which boats depart along the Mekong and leave from HCMC? We are scheduled to be there from 9:00am the first day to 4:00pm the second day.

 

Right now we are going to the Cu Chi tunnels on Day 1 and have no plans but to wander around Saigon on Day 2. I'm only really interested in the Reunification Hall and Chi Chi tunnels on Day 1. On Day 2 I was thinking of going to the War Museum. The Mekong could be interesting instead.

 

I suppose if we went up the Mekong overnight there would be no way to go to the Chu Chi tunnels prior to 4:00pm departure the second day?

[Jade13]

Which boats depart along the Mekong and leave from HCMC? We are scheduled to be there from 9:00am the first day to 4:00pm the second day.

 

Right now we are going to the Cu Chi tunnels on Day 1 and have no plans but to wander around Saigon on Day 2. I'm only really interested in the Reunification Hall and Chi Chi tunnels on Day 1. On Day 2 I was thinking of going to the War Museum. The Mekong could be interesting instead.

 

I suppose if we went up the Mekong overnight there would be no way to go to the Chu Chi tunnels prior to 4:00pm departure the second day?

 

http://www.mekongdeltatours.net/Vietnam-Mekong-Cruises/Le-Bassac-Boat-Mekong/Mekong-Delta-Bassac-Cruise/32/Mekong-Delta-Bassac-Cruise-2-Days.htm

 

We would basically need something going along the Mekong that ideally left and returned to HCMC which is where we will be docked (same as those doing a one night in Halong Bay, but from HCMC).

 

This might be direct link. Has anyone heard of them?

 

http://transmekong.com/en_1_TransM%C3%A9kong

 

Cty TNHH Xuyên Mékong

2 Ngô Quyền,

Q. Ninh Kiều

TP. CẦN THƠ, VIỆT NAM

 

Phone: +84 (710) 382 9540

Fax: +84 (710) 382 9541

e-mail: bassac@transmekong.com

 

http://transmekong.com/Bassac/en_4_programs

 

How far is Cai Be from HCMC?

[Jade13]

http://www.mekongdeltatours.net/Vietnam-Mekong-Cruises/Le-Bassac-Boat-Mekong/Mekong-Delta-Bassac-Cruise/32/Mekong-Delta-Bassac-Cruise-2-Days.htm

 

We would basically need something going along the Mekong that ideally left and returned to HCMC which is where we will be docked (same as those doing a one night in Halong Bay, but from HCMC).

 

This might be direct link. Has anyone heard of them?

 

http://transmekong.com/en_1_TransM%C3%A9kong

 

Cty TNHH Xuyên Mékong

2 Ngô Quyền,

Q. Ninh Kiều

TP. CẦN THƠ, VIỆT NAM

 

Phone: +84 (710) 382 9540

Fax: +84 (710) 382 9541

e-mail: bassac@transmekong.com

 

http://transmekong.com/Bassac/en_4_programs

 

How far is Cai Be from HCMC?

 

Note: Board Bassac

- Mon, Wed and Sat: Leaving on Can Tho - Cai Be

- Tue, Thu and Sun: Leaving on Cai Be - Can Tho

- Friday: Leaving on Can Tho - Man Thit (Can Tho).

 

Note: Our cruise is scheduled to arrive in HCMC on a Thursday so for this overnight cruise would be Cai Be to Can Tho.

[greatam]

Note: Board Bassac

- Mon, Wed and Sat: Leaving on Can Tho - Cai Be

- Tue, Thu and Sun: Leaving on Cai Be - Can Tho

- Friday: Leaving on Can Tho - Man Thit (Can Tho).

 

Note: Our cruise is scheduled to arrive in HCMC on a Thursday so for this overnight cruise would be Cai Be to Can Tho.

 

That isn't very far-MAYBE 30KM. AND you would have a 4+ hour drive EACH way from Saigon/Can Tho/Saigon. Not much of a tour.

 

IF you contacted them and dispensed with all the BS little boat tours, you MAY be able to arrange for them to pick you up in Saigon, go to Can Tho, see the floating market either in Can Tho or Cai Be. Their website (second one) states you can pick a tour from Saigon to Can Tho, but states it cannot be done in one day because of all the BS transferring boats, going on land to see this and that, etc. It will take a GOOD 6 hours from Saigon to Can Tho just watching and enjoying the River. It will take you the better part of two days to do this, so you won't see Cu-Chi or anything else in Saigon. Stick with one or the other-you don't have time for both.