Exclusive 4-Day Cruise from Saigon to Phnom Penh with the luxurious Dragon Eyes or the private Gecko Eyes
Details of the routes and tour activities are for reference only. Final confirmation will be sent upon booking. If you book through an agent, please contact your agent for the final confirmation of tour routes and activities.
This exclusive Mekong river tour on board the Dragon Eyes or the Gecko Eyes goes from Cai Be to Chau Doc and further to Phnom Penh via Can Tho on odd dates (execpt charter) on board the Dragon Eyes boat (e.g. Sept. 3, 5, 7, 9 etc.) or any time on the Gecko Eyes house boat. We are more than happy to organise your trip to Siem Reap and Angkor Wat too.
Day 1: Panorama river cruise
In the morning we pick you up at your hotel (district 1 and parts of district 3) in Saigon and take you to Cai Be. You board your comfortable wooden river cruise vessel around noon. After a refreshing welcome drink we show you our on-board facilities and your cosy cabin. As lunch is served, the boat starts cruising towards Sa Dec. Sit back and watch the fantastic scenery and the daily life of the Mekong people.
In the afternoon you can disembark for a guided leisurely stroll through a village and the surrounding fruit orchards or rice fields. Meet the friendly locals and taste the local produce and fruits.
Get back on board and enjoy a drink at the bar or relax on deck as the sun sets over the magnificent water landscape of the Mekong river. The cruise boat will anchor for the night. The day ends with a delicious on-board dinner. You stay overnight on board your floating hotel in the Mekong Delta.
Meals: L, D
Day 2: Life on the water and visiting the island Cu Lao Gieng
Wake up early in the morning and enjoy seeing the Mekong Delta coming to life. This morning we arrive in charming Sa Dec for a city tour. There you can see the busy and colorful local market, enjoy a coffee on the nice riverside promenade and visit a nearby flower village with orchards. The charming town still has a lot of colonial architecture, in particular the old market, the church and many old villas and trader’s houses. We visit one of them, a beautifully renovated traditional house of a Chinese trader’s family. This sumptuous building belonged to the main character of the novel „The Lover” and indeed to the lover of Marguerite Duras (see below).
Back on bord, we curise towards the Island of Cu Lao Gieng. Located between Chau Doc and Sa Dec on the small island of Cu Lao Gieng, the monastery here was once an important convent. It could accommodate more than 1,000 people and included an orphanage, a school, a hospice and a leprosy centre. Today, Cu Lao Gieng is mainly a retreat for retired nuns. The large building is completely cut off from villages and located in the middle of fields and green jungle. You will be very surprised to see such an architectural impressive monastery in the middle of nowhere. If you have time you should take the opportunity to visit the Catholic monastery which was built on the island in 1875 by French nuns of Saint Paul de Chartres.
In the late afternoon we return to the Gecko Eyes vessel and enjoy a sunset cruise with more fantastic photo opportunities from aboard.
Meals: B, L, D
Day 3: Cruise to Chau Doc
The boat starts cruising towards Chau Doc early in the morning. After breakfast on the top deck, you can take a cyclo tour to visit Chau Doc fermented fish market and a pagoda in a cave in Sam mountain
You will then be transferred to your hotel and you can relax or explore for the rest of the day.
Meals: B, L
Day 4: Across the border into Cambodia
We transfer to the pier where you embark the speed boat for an exciting ride to Phnom Penh, your starting point for discovering Cambodia and the famous temples of Angkor Wat.
The trip ends here. Please contact us if we can help you organise your tour to Angkor or any further trips. Of course we will also be happy to arrange your transfer back to Saigon.
Meals: B
Here are some options from Phnom Penh. We can adjust the tours to make sure they fit your plans:
- options in Phnom Penh
- from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap in a day
- 3-day tour from Phnom Penh to Angkor Wat
- 4-day tour from Phnom Penh to Angkor Wat
Price per person in a double or twin cabin incl. Victoria Hotel in Chau Doc:
| Boat | Tour Code | Low season (April — September) |
Peak season (October — March) |
|
| Dragon Eyes | CD-4-DE-Vic | US$ 719 | US$ 877 | Enquiry |
| Gecko Eyes | CD-4-GE-Vic |
US$ 939 |
US$ 1146 |
Enquiry |
Our tours include
- Road transfer from Saigon
- Accommodation in cosy double or twin bedded cabins on the Dragon Eyes or Gecko Eyes
- 7 savoury meals on board
- English speaking guide on the Dragon Eyes or Gecko Eyes (other languages available on request)
- Free flow of coffee and tea
- Mineral water placed in your cabin
- hotel accommodation incl. breakfast
- speedboat from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh
- All entry fees
- Side trips and excursions as mentioned in the itinerary
Exclusions
- Visa fee for Cambodia (you can get a visa for Cambodia at the border crossing where the speed boat stops for immigration; for this you need to bring 35 USD in cash and 2 passport photographs)
- Drinks (except for breakfast and the mineral water in your cabin/hotel room)
- Private transfers are included for Gecko Eyes passengers; for passengers on Dragon Eyes private transfers are advised upon booking.
Route and excursions may be subjects to changes without prior notice.