Ho Chi Minh - Long boat River Cruise on the Mekong

[Jade13]

Does anyone have any information on a Long Boat River cruise from Ho Chi Minh on the Mekong?

 

How far is this from the port? Perhaps it is too much "water" while on a cruise ship.

 

We will be there for 2 nights. What about a night show?

[greatam]

Does anyone have any information on a Long Boat River cruise from Ho Chi Minh on the Mekong?

 

How far is this from the port? Perhaps it is too much "water" while on a cruise ship.

 

We will be there for 2 nights. What about a night show?

 

Forget it-strictly touristy and not much too it. They generally bus you to My Tho (depending on which port-could be as long as a 3+ hour ride each way). You get in these funky little boats, they have lots of fruit spread out to eat (which is a BAD idea in Asia unless you have peeled it yourself) they take you to some stupid little bird sanctuary on an island in the Mekong. Then depending on the "tour" they drag you up and down the Mekong. Interesting on the Mekong IF you are not on the "forced" tour, IMHO, not so good on the tour. There is soooooo much to see and do in Saigon, why waste another couple of hours fighting traffic just to ride in a long tail boat on the Mekong. NOT something I would spend my money on.

 

And BE PREPARED-they eat dogs in Vietnam. I don't think I have ever seen DH get as upset as in 2006. We had hired a private boat to take us up the Mekong. Just as we got going, we could hear dogs squealing. Looked across the river and there were guys killing and skinning dogs as well as had the BBQ going. DH was throwing up over the side of the boat and told Trang (the boat driver we hire) to get us away FAST FAST FAST. I have never seen him as upset as I did then. It was really a miserable day-got to Can Tho to the market and he got sick again. In fact, for the next two days, every time he saw a dog, he was sick. So be prepared. I know it is the culture, but it is something most Americans cannot tolerate.

[Riverroad]

We are looking at a trip to Vietnam & Cambodia that includes a five night cruise upstream on the Mekong River departing from My Tho and ending at Prek K'dam, then transferring to Siem Reap. Will will be likely to encounter the

horrendous dog killing situation that you described? I understand that it's the culture but I don't think my stomach could take it either.

[greatam]

We are looking at a trip to Vietnam & Cambodia that includes a five night cruise upstream on the Mekong River departing from My Tho and ending at Prek K'dam, then transferring to Siem Reap. Will will be likely to encounter the

horrendous dog killing situation that you described? I understand that it's the culture but I don't think my stomach could take it either.

 

Let me preface my remarks by stating I love Vietnam and I own a hotel in Phnom Penh Cambodia. I am also a big dog lover (raised labs for private sale and for guide dogs for 15 years). They are truly my children and things I have seen in Asia have been truly upsetting. They have an open market for dogs in Beijing-they took it away during the Olympics but it was back in operation two weeks after the Olympics concluded. I stay away from places I KNOW have dog meat on the menu or are selling dogs for food.

 

BUT there is always that possibility of running in to it most places in Asia if you get off the "touristy" path (a trip up the Mekong is not a hard core tourist destination, except for the backpackers). Vietnam and Cambodia realize that Aussies, Kiwis, Europeans and Americans are the prime tourists and try to keep such activities hidden on the main tourist routes.

 

I had been in Vietnam twice before the incident in 2006. Didn't go into the villages where I know they eat dogs and stuck to "Americanized" restaurants and hotels. I had also been up the Mekong once before from Saigon to PP and did not see it. But we both saw and heard it in 2006. I have been up the Mekong probably 5 times since then and while I THINK I saw it again in 2008, I wasn't sure and just didn't look. So the possibility IS there. You will have to decide-you just need to realize you are "not in Kansas anymore, Toto"

 

Tell me about this trip. I thought Prek Kdam was for the ferry (which IMHO unless they got a new ferry is NOT for people over 40 unless you are a native). And how are you getting to Siem Reap??? There is now a cruise ship that cruises the Mekong (pretty expensive), but you can hire a boat to go from Saigon to Can Tho (overnight), Can Tho to Chau Doc (overnight), Chau Doc to Phnom Penh (over night) and then the fast boat on into Siem Reap. There are also various other journeys to be made on the Mekong-some very backpackerish, some suitable for full grown adults.

[Riverroad]

Thanks for your wonderful advice. It's because we're "not in Kansas anymore" that we want to take this trip.

 

The trip we're considering is sponsored by my husband's university and run by Gohagan and Co. The trip starts in Hanoi, then Ho Chi Minh City. We are then transferred to My Tho to embark on the Mekong cruise on a boat called the Jayavarman, which I gather was built to cruise the Mekong. We travel from My Tho to Cai Be (overnight), Cai Be/Vinh Long (not sure exactly where we overnight), next morning in Chau Doc, then Cambodia border crossing, next day in Phnom Penh (overnight), Kampong Chhnang(overnight). We depart Kampong Chnang at 2:30 am and arrive Prek K'dam at 7:30 am. The itin. says disembark and transfer to hotel in Siem Reap which I assumed would be by bus. I would appreciate any comments you have on this trip.

 

Once we know that we're definitely going, I plan to ask your advice about flights on the Cruise Air board. Thanks again for all your help

[Jade13]

Let me preface my remarks by stating I love Vietnam and I own a hotel in Phnom Penh Cambodia.

 

Which hotel?

[greatam]

Which hotel?

 

GT's on the Quay. Hopefully I will sign the final closing papers within 60 days and then who knows what the name will be. Owning a hotel in a foreign country with a Communist government is NOT what it is cracked up to be.