Amanda PhillipsExplore the Mekong River
Fancy a change from your usual holiday, where you can explore life off the beaten track? A trip discovering the delights along the Mekong River in South East Asia could be just the cure.
A team of our travel specialists recently travelled to Vietnam to experience the Mekong for themselves – after all, it helps us plan your perfect getaway if they’ve done it themselves. Here, they’ve written about their visit – what to expect and what they loved most – in a handy itinerary.
Day 1 – Saigon/Ho Chi Minh
We flew from Glasgow to Dubai on a comfy Emirates flight, connecting at Dubai Airport for our flight to Tan Son Naht Airport in Saigon (also known as Ho Chi Minh). We were surprised at how stress-free the journey and airport was – we were through customs in minutes, as it was so well organised.
We then checked into our hotel in Saigon which benefits from a great location on the Saigon river within easy walking distance to many local attractions, including shopping on Dong Khoi Street. We all wanted to experience the local culture immediately, and what better way to do this than sample some Vietnamese cuisine at a local restaurant. This is where your Western tour leader is invaluable, as he recommended this place and joined us for a quick meal. We all had a great 2 course meal here with a local beer and it only cost around £2 each!
Day 2 – Ben Tre – the gateway to the Mekong Delta
Our first full day in Vietnam was definitely a full on one!
We drove from Saigon to Ben Tre, the gateway to the Mekong Delta, which is around 2 hours south of Saigon. The Mekong River Delta covers an area of around 15,000 square miles and is an integral part of the way of life in Southern Vietnam. We were lucky enough to get a glimpse of this as on this tour we visited a brick factory, a coconut processing factory and a bamboo mat weaving factory.
We then had lunch with the infamous ‘elephant ear fish’ and some other local delicacies, cooked by a real local family and it was fantastic to try some authentic cuisine. After a delicious dinner, we were then treated to drinks at the legendary Saigon Saigon Bar at the Hotel Caravelle, which is a piece of history in itself as this is where foreign journalists used to meet during the Vietnam War for press conferences etc.
Days 3&4 – Da Nang and Hoi An
Today we headed back to Saigon airport for our flight to Da Nang in Central Vietnam (1 hour flight). Da Nang airport is a small airport handling mainly only domestic flights, so within 20 mins, we were on our way to Hoi An.
Hoi An is a picturesque town in the heart of Vietnam, one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. The old town of Hoi An is designated as a World Heritage Site with many points of interest, which we were lucky enough to see on a walking tour of the town, as Hoi An is a very walkable city, and all of the sights can be seen on foot, including the Japanese Covered Bridge and the Chinese Assembly Hall.
In the evening we had a delicious dinner in Hoi An and it was lovely to see the town at night, there are no street lights, just paper lanterns which line the streets of this sleepy town, which feels like a world away from bustling Saigon the night before.
Day 5 – Hanoi
We made our way back to Da Nang airport for our flight to Hanoi in the north of Vietnam (1 hour flight), not before we made a stop at China Beach in Da Nang, this is where the American troops landed during the Vietnam War, we then also got to see the Cham Museum in Da Nang and learn about the country’s Cham heritage.
Hanoi is an eye-opening experience, there is nowhere on Earth like it, in the old quarter you really feel like you are stepping back in time with narrow streets, street vendors hawking their wares and the sounds and smells of the street food captivating your senses. Couple this with the hundreds upon hundreds of motorbikes whizzing past you at every turn and you really get a sense of the real Vietnam.
Days 6&7 – Halong Bay
Today we got on our bus for the 4 hour bus journey east to one of the Natural Wonders of the World, the majestic Halong Bay.
We boarded our tender which took us to our boat, which only had around 10 cabins. We had a phenomenal seafood lunch onboard and as we cruised into the bay, I don’t think any of us were prepared for the beauty of what we were about to see. Towering green limestone karsts around every turn, shrouded in mist. There is nothing that will ever compare to seeing the beauty of Halong Bay for the first time.
Day 8 – Hanoi
We returned to Hanoi for our final day, seeing the famous Hoa Lo Prison and Ho Chi Minh Museum before boarding our flights home. This was definitely one of the best holidays I have ever experienced and I can’t wait to tell my clients all about it!
If this itinerary sounds like something you’d love to experience for yourself, contact our travel specialists today for first hand advice on your perfect South Asian getaway.