Mekong River Cruise

[visaview]

Mekong River Cruise

The Mekong River is brown, its banks are littered with trash and hovels, the towns are dirty, and dusty and offer little. In the dry season they burn the rice fields, trash and most anything else, people who can afford them wear surgical masks because of the pollution and constant haze from smoke. The destinations along the river were a disappointment. Phnon Penh a worn down city trying to recover from its murderous past. The market places, while colorful enough, are dirty, smelly, and the last thing I would do is eat the food. We were on the river for 8 days and never saw a patch of blue sky. By the end of the cruise most guests had coughs and sore throats, almost all, including us encountered gastro disorders, vomiting, chills and diarrhea. Everyone or most everyone was happy to get off the river. There are the occasional guests who just can’t get enough of third world squalor. The ship was fine, the crews excellent, but the river and destinations were a huge disappointment.

That all said the land package was first rate, the Sofitel Metropole in Hanoi is a classic gem and deserves all of its 5 stars. Angor Wat is a truly monumental and mysterious destination and Saigon is a crazy electric city screaming into the future. The tour directors, Lee and Tom are consummate professionals, diligent and patient with all including some of the more challenging guests. So there it is, I’ve been back two days and am very happy to be back home!

[NanciEA]

May I ask which cruise line you traveled with?