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Price Guide
1 Night - £395pp

Package from Saigon

Tour Info
  • 2 day / 1 night cruise
  • All meals
  • Return transfers from Saigon
  • Shore excursions
  • Travel Trust Protection
  • Based on 2023-24 Prices

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Mekong Delta - Bassac Cruise

Bassac Cruise

Bassac Cruise

Floating Market

Floating Market

The Bassac

The Bassac

Mekong Delta scene

Mekong Delta scene

Floating market

Floating market

On Board

On Board

Cabin

Cabin

Dinner setting

Dinner setting

Monkey Bridge

Monkey Bridge

Rice Paddies

Rice Paddies

River scene

River scene

 

Bassac I Mekong Delta Cruise

This overnight Mekong Delta Cruise is a great way to experience the Mekong Delta at a relaxed pace.

You will be collected from your hotel in Saigon and transferred to Cai Be to board the Bassac I, a converted working rice barge.

See Cai Rang floating market, visit local villages and cruise through the Mekong Delta at a relaxed pace.

As with all of our holidays, this one can be tailored to fit your interests, time and budget, so just let us know your preferences and we can adjust things as you wish.

Inclusions

  • 1 night cruise with all meals
  • Return transfers by private car from Saigon
  • Shore excursions

Accommodation

  • 1 night Bassac I Mekong Delta Cruise

Excursions

  • Shore excursions as per itinerary

 

Day 1: Saigon - Can Tho

You will be collected from your hotel in Saigon and transferred to Cai Be to board your Bassac Cruise.

At noon, after boarding at Cai Be, welcome drinks are offered at which time there is a brief introduction of the ship and crew followed by checking into the cabins.

The Bassac Cruise departs towards Cho Lach on the Tien Giang River (Upper River). Enjoy lunch on board.

After lunch, there is time to rest on the deck or enjoy a drink at the bar.

The Bassac slips into the Cho Lach canal for 30 minutes through the middle of the hustle and bustle of the sand and rice barges, markets, churches, scenery of fruit drying and wooden ship yards.

After this splendid mosaic, visit a village on the banks of Mang Thit River to enjoy the local daily life and watch the locals as they work in the orchard or rice fields nearby.

Board the cruise again and enjoy a complimentary drink. From the bar or resting on the deck, sit back and enjoy the sunset.

The crew will serve dinner while the Bassac is cruising on the Mang Thit River.

The Bassac sets anchor just downstream from the little Tra On floating market, for the night.

Overnight on board. Breakfast, lunch & dinner included.

Day 2: Can Tho – Cai Be

Breakfast is available as early as 06:30 while the ship is resuming its cruise past the Tra On floating market.

The ship then departs towards Can Tho past Cai Rang floating market; in which there is a brief check out and transfer to a local boat to visit the Cai Rang floating market and the nearby canals and gardens.

The boat then returns to Ninh Kieu pier in the late morning.

Return to shore and meet your vehicle for transfer back to your hotel in Saigon.

Bassac Mekong Delta Cruise

There are 3 Bassac Cruise vessels.

All three Bassac are designed as traditional wooden Mekong Delta rice barges, adapted to cruise the Mekong Delta.

Bassac I is an original converted rice barge, overhauled into the cozy cabin cruiser it is today.

Bassac II and III are entirely new hull designs, more adapted to their present purpose, they were built with the same craftsmanship and according to the same tradition.

Cabins on the Bassac vessels have soundproofed partitions and double glazing. All are air conditioned and are available on a twin and double basis.

Bear in mind that cabins are small (only 8 sq. m) and basic.

Classic Vietnamese cuisine is served at noon, delta specialties in the evening and a well-appointed western meal for breakfast.

Bassac II was featured on Rick Stein's Far Eastern Odyssey along with some great Delta cuisine.

Is this a Private Tour or a Group Tour?

All of our tours are private tailor made itineraries, customised for you - we can amend things to entirely suit you.

You will have your own private car, driver and guide on excursions.

What are the departure dates?

Let us know your preferred dates of travel and we will find the best and most suitable flights to fit your itinerary.

As this is a private tour, there are no set departure dates.

Which Airlines do you use?

We work with all the major airlines flying to this part of the world.

Typically for Vietnam, Vietnam Airlines, Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines or Cathay Pacific would be airlines we most often use.

However, just let us know your preferred airline if you have one. We can organise flights from any regional destination in the UK.

Vietnam Airlines fly directly to both Hanoi and Saigon from the UK.

Which Hotels do you use?

We're careful with our choice of hotels, but we're guided by our customers also. If you have some preferred hotels, just let us know.

We specialise in boutique hotels and so we will often suggest some of our favourite smaller hotels where we think these will be suitable.

We keep on top of hotel developments in Indochina from our office in Vietnam and regularly inspect the hotels we use.

Do you cater for Solo Travellers?

Yes, we have many solo travellers, and Vietnam is a very safe, friendly and welcoming destinations for those travelling alone.

River cruises on the Mekong are a popular option for solo travellers, especially with Pandaw Cruises who offer no Single Supplements on many departures.

How long have you been organising holidays to Indochina?

We've been organising tailor made holidays to Vietnam for over 10 years.

Our team has a wealth of combined experience in the industry and our Director has been involved in organising holidays to Vietnam since the early 1990's.

Our partners on the ground in Indochina have over 20 years experience in operating there.

They understand the region extremely well and have a strong infrastructure of staff, guides and vehicles.

We've had the same partnership in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos for over 10 years.

How does your office in Vietnam help?

We have our own staff in Saigon which helps in many ways with our customers in Vietnam and South East Asia.

It helps us to keep on top of any new hotel and travel developments in the region and forge stronger relationships with hotels and other partners.

We regularly do our own inspections of hotels and destinations in the region.

Should our clients need any assistance during a trip, we always have at least one of our own staff on the same time zone, and we're open 7 days a week in Saigon.

Cruise Accommodation Mekong Delta:

Bassac I

Images of the Bassac courtesy of:

Copyright © Morgan Ommer / Digital Mekong

Copyright © 2006 Michael S. Lewis

Copyright © John Lander

1 night Bassac I Mekong Delta Cruise:

  • Price from £395 pp

This is a guide price only, based on travel in low season.

Prices will vary according to choice of hotel and seasonal airfare and hotel surcharges. Please ask us for any current special offers.

Contact Us:

All of our Vietnam Tours are completely tailor made and we can put together any kind of itinerary to suit your interests and budget.

Call us now to speak to a Vietnam holiday expert about your Vietnam holiday or honeymoon to Vietnam.

Call us now on 0333 7000 747

Click to enquire by email

We're open from 9 until 9 daily and our 0333 number is a local rate number included in most call packages.

Touring Vietnam

A cruise on the Bassac can be incorporated into one of our tailor made tours of Vietnam or Indochina.

We have a selection of suggested Vietnam tours which include The Mekong Delta.

A visit to the Mekong Delta is important to get a true feel for Vietnam as it is the 'rice bowl' of the country - the most fertile region of Vietnam and culturally very rich.

An overnight cruise on the Mekong Delta is a great way to experience the vibrancy of this region of Vietnam.

It's an easy add-on from Saigon and can be incorporated into a journey between Saigon and Cambodia, or vice versa.

An overnight Mekong delta cruise can also be easily added on to a Saigon and Beach holiday.

It's possible to combine Saigon and Phu Quoc via a Mekong Delta cruise and getting the ferry from Rach Gia to Phu Quoc.


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