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We have a flotilla of 4 very unique, authentic and charming Sampans named Song Xanh Sampan, designed for travelers looking for “private” cruise experiences in the Mekong Delta (Mekong Delta boat trip). Each sampan has 2-3 spacious cabins of 15sqm each are equipped with beautiful bamboo and rattan furniture, creating a very charming atmosphere. A very attentive service is provided by a team of 4 crew members.
Each Song Xanh sampan will carry a charming rowing boat (“Xuong”), nicely designed for deeper cruises along small canals and arroyos during the itinerary. Bicycles can also be taken on board (fixed on a rack the back) for exciting “out of the track” countryside rides. It’s designed for individuals looking for authentic “Private Cruise” experience, with overnight on board.
Note*: the above map is for Cai Be – Sa Dec – Long Xuyen – Rach Gia Itinerary. You would see your travel destinations basing on map for other itineraries.
Arrive in Sa Dec and stroll to the outdoor market. Visit one of the highlights of the charming town, the ancient house of Huynh Thuy Le, a real-life character in the celebrated novel and film “The Lover” by Marguerite Duras.
Lunch is served on board while cruising towards Can Tho along a narrow canal teeming with life. Explore the countryside surroundings by local rowboat.
After returning onboard, Song Xanh Sampan continues its cruise towards the Hau River. Dinner and overnight on board.
Meals: Lunch/Dinner
Accommodation: Song Xanh Sampan
Continue cruising towards Victoria Can Tho. Checkout and and disembark at the hotel’s private jetty at about 9am. Trip ends.
Note*: The floating markets in the Mekong Delta are no tourist markets but wholesale markets where produce of the Mekong Delta like fruits and vegetables are traded. For this reason the number of boats on the market fluctuates depending on harvesting seasons and market demand. Furthermore, modern wholesale markets are becoming more popular in Vietnam. This can result in decreasing numbers of boats being present on the markets.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: n/a
Our crew welcomes you on board with cold towels and a refreshing drink while your private Song Xanh sampan sets off for its leisurely cruise on the river.
Cruise the waterways of the Mekong Delta, observing villagers going about their daily activities against picturesque landscapes while your attentive crew serves tea and seasonal fruit.
Sail past local barges laden with produce from the Delta as you enjoy lunch on board, with the mighty Hau River as a backdrop, one of the two largest arms of the Mekong.
Transfer to a small rowboat to better explore the beautiful waterways and peaceful villages.
Visit the historic house of “The Lover”, a real-life character in the acclaimed novel and film by Marguerite Duras.
Enjoy your dinner on the Song Xanh board, on the Tien River.
Meals: Lunch/Dinner
Accommodation: Song Xanh Sampan
After a leisurely breakfast on board, our first shore excursion visits a colorful Cao Dai temple and a small brick factory.
Arriving at Cai Be, step ashore to visit local cottage industries that utilize products from the Delta like rice and coconuts to make tasty snacks including puffed rice and chewy coconut candy.
Our cruise ends at Le Longanier Restaurant. Lunch is served in this exquisite riverside colonial-style villa set in lush tropical gardens and surrounded by fruit plantations, a throwback to the elegant lifestyle enjoyed by a privileged few in Indochinese times.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: n/a
Head ashore at local cottage industries that utilize products from the Delta like rice and coconuts to make tasty snacks including puffed rice and chewy coconut candy.
Visit a traditional brick factory where everything is made by hand.
Visit the historic house of “The Lover”, a real-life character in the acclaimed novel and film by Marguerite Duras.
Enjoy your night on board your sampan as it moors on the Mekong River.
Meals: Lunch/Dinner
Accommodation: Song Xanh Sampan
Arrive in Long Xuyen to visit Tiger Island, birthplace of Vietnam’s second president.
Back on the sampan, dinner is served as the boat makes its way to Rach Gia, the capital of Kien Giang Province. Settle down for your second night on the river.
Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
Accommodation: Song Xanh Sampan
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: n/a
Lunch is served on board before arriving in Long Xuyen. Shore excursion to Tiger Island (Cu Lao Ong Ho), once the home of Ton Duc Thang, Vietnam’s second president. Explore the museum and the picturesque grounds. Dinner is served onboard. Enjoy your first night on board the Song Xanh Sampan on the Hau River.
Meals: Lunch/Dinner
Accommodation: Song Xanh Sampan
Lunch and dinner are served on board. Enjoy your second night aboard the Song Xanh on the Mekong River.
Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
Accommodation: Song Xanh Sampan
Your cruise ends at Le Longanier Restaurant. Lunch is served in this exquisite colonial-style villa set in a lush tropical garden by the river and surrounded by fruit plantations, a glimpse into the Indochina of yesteryear.
Meals: Breakfast/Lunch
Accommodation: n/a
Head ashore at local cottage industries that utilize products from the Delta like rice and coconuts to make tasty snacks including puffed rice and chewy coconut candy.
Visit a traditional brick factory where everything is made by hand.
Visit the historic house of “The Lover”, a real-life character in the acclaimed novel and film by Marguerite Duras.
Enjoy your night on board your Song Xanh sampan as it moors on the Mekong River.
Meals: Lunch/Dinner
Accommodation: Song Xanh Sampan
Visit of a brickyard at the entrance of the Sa Dec city. Then, we continue to the lively Sa Dec market followed by a pleasant stroll in the direction of the old house of Mr. L’Amant, the school of Trưng Vương where the mother of Marguerite Duras was a teacher.
Discover the temple of Caodaism and the gardens of flowers and bonsai where you will find many kinds of flowers and bonsai planted in Sa Dec “garden of Cochinchine in the 19th century”.
Breakfast is served on board as you cruise towards Long Xuyen along narrow canals past several rustic monkey bridges and pristine countryside scenes.
Arrive in Long Xuyen to visit Tiger Island, birthplace of Vietnam’s second president.
Back on the Song Xanh sampan, dinner is served as the boat makes its way to Chau Doc, close to the border with Cambodia. Settle down for your second night on the river.
Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
Accommodation: Song Xanh Sampan
Disembark at Victoria resort’s private pier at approximately 10:00 am.
Note*: From Chau Doc, you can take the Speedy boat to Phnom Penh. All activities/transfers after the cruise are not included.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: n/a
Lunch is served on board before arriving in Long Xuyen. Visit Tiger Island (Cu Lao Ong Ho), a small island that was once the home of Vietnam’s second president – Ton Duc Thang. Take a stroll around the park surrounding the museum and cycle around the island for a better look.
Your last stopover before sunset is at a Vietnamese home to gain insight into how the locals live. The owner will welcome you and a candlelit dinner will be served.
Enjoy your first night on board the Song Xanh on the Hau River.
Meals: Lunch/Dinner
Accommodation: Song Xanh Sampan
Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
Accommodation: Song Xanh Sampan
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: n/a
Head ashore at local cottage industries that utilize products from the Delta like rice and coconuts to make tasty snacks including puffed rice and chewy coconut candy.
Visit a traditional brick factory where everything is made by hand.
Visit the historic house of “The Lover”, a real-life character in the acclaimed novel and film by Marguerite Duras.
Enjoy your night on board your Song Xanh sampan as it moors on the Mekong River.
Meals: Lunch/Dinner
Accommodation: Song Xanh Sampan
Visit of a brickyard at the entrance of the Sa Dec city. Then, we continue to the lively Sa Dec market followed by a pleasant stroll in the direction of the old house of Mr. L’Amant, the school of Trưng Vương where the mother of Marguerite Duras was a teacher.
Discover the temple of Caodaism and the gardens of flowers and bonsai where you will find many kinds of flowers and bonsai planted in Sa Dec “garden of Cochinchine in the 19th century”.
Breakfast is served on board as you cruise towards Long Xuyen along narrow canals past several rustic monkey bridges and pristine countryside scenes.
Arrive in Long Xuyen to visit Tiger Island, birthplace of Vietnam’s second president.
Back on the Song Xanh sampan, dinner is served as the boat makes its way to Chau Doc, close to the border with Cambodia. Settle down for your second night on the river.
Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
Accommodation: Song Xanh Sampan
Disembark at Victoria Chau Doc private pier at approximately 10:00 am. Take a short walk to your Victoria Resort. Free till checkin.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Victoria Resort
Note*: the speedy boat leaves early in the morning. We are not responsible if you are late for any reason.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: n/a
Note*: Speedy boat from Phnom Penh to Chau Doc would departs in early morning or early afternoon. You would depart Phnom Penh in the morning or afternoon depending on the speedy boat’s time schedule.
Meals: n/a
Accommodation: Victoria Resort
Lunch is served on board before arriving in Long Xuyen. Visit Tiger Island (Cu Lao Ong Ho), a small island that was once the home of Vietnam’s second president – Ton Duc Thang. Take a stroll around the park surrounding the museum and cycle around the island for a better look.
Your last stopover before sunset is at a Vietnamese home to gain insight into how the locals live. The owner will welcome you and a candlelit dinner will be served.
Enjoy your first night on board the Song Xanh on the Hau River.
Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
Accommodation: Song Xanh Sampan
Meals: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
Accommodation: Song Xanh Sampan
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: n/a
Important note*
| Cabintype | Rates (US$/person) |
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Contact us for price |
Note*: The price would vary depending on your selected itineraries, date of departures, number of passengers. Please book the tour or contact us for best rate of your itinerary.
Cancellation by Customer
For cancellations of bookings, the following charges will apply:
Note*: Price for children would vary depending if you book package to Phu Quoc Island or Phnom Penh. Please contact us for details.
We recommend wearing loose and comfortable clothing made of cotton or modern material that can readily cool off sweat and body hear. The type of shoes will depend on the excursion types so best to have both light, open toed shoes as well as good walking/hiking shoes with you. A sun hat is always a good idea to bring along.
Southern Vietnam and Cambodia are warm all year-round, but our other cruise destinations can get chilly during the winter months (Laos, Myanmar or northern Vietnam). Therefore, it is always recommended to bring a pullover or a warm jacket with you during this period.
Many of our cruises include visits to local temples or pagodas. When visiting these holy sites, make sure to wear appropriate clothing which covers your shoulders and knees.
Generally speaking, the rivers we are cruising on in Southeast Asia are very calm and there is hardly any motion on any of our ships. A bit of motion can occur during monsoon rains with stormy winds, but the amount of motion is much less than one would feel during bad weather on the open ocean.
Sea cruises as we offer in Halong Bay or Lan Ha Bay can sometimes encounter heavier waters and ship motion, although this happens very rarely and port authorities will most likely not allow sailing under any such circumstances anyway.
If you are new to cruising or prone to motion sickness, it does not hurt to bring along some motion sickness medication. Drinking a nice hot fresh ginger tea is a natural remedy and tasty alternative our staff is always happy to make for you.
All food and beverage on board is completely safe to eat and enjoy, including the ice cubes you enjoy in your chilled drinks. We do not recommend drinking water straight from the tap anywhere, including onboard. We provide you with complimentary clean drinking water throughout your cruise.
You may want to be bit careful with local dishes as they can be spicier than you are used to from home. Approach new dishes slowly and carefully. If you have a sensitive stomach, then you may like to double check with our chef or onboard managers about specific dishes or meals.
On excursions, it may be a good idea to avoid local foods and snacks unless offered by our tour guides. Besides the above, in general we recommend the following motto for your pre- and post-cruise travelling in the Southeast Asian tropics: boil it, peel it, cook it, wash it or forget it!
The most effective protection from personal contamination is ensuring strict attention to personal hygiene and in particular, frequent and thorough hand washing with soap and water and refraining from hand-to-mouth contact. Colds and other viruses can spread quickly in an enclosed area such as a ship. Continue to practice common-sense hygiene and respiratory courtesy. Wash your hands often and cover your coughs and sneeze. It is recommended that passengers carry anti-bacterial hand sanitizer, which does not require rinsing with water. Use sanitizer frequently and throughout the day, particularly after shore excursions and prior to meals. If you have any questions regarding your health or safety, please do not hesitate to ask your cruise director.
Motion sickness can be a problem for some people when cruising, flying or travelling on coaches and trains and it is a good idea to take precautionary measures. Over-the-counter drugs for treating motion sickness can be purchased at pharmacies in most countries, though a side effect can by drowsiness. Alternatives such as ginger tablets and acupressure wristbands are also available and work well for some people.
We recommend at least purchasing travel health insurance which covers both in- & outpatient visits and medical repatriation. Buying additional trip cancellation and interruption coverage may also be beneficial in case you have to cancel your travel plans due to unforeseen circumstances.
We always recommend bringing a travel adapter as a standard item in your travel kit. You can borrow an adapter on board, but these may be limited.
Chau Doc - Cai Be by private Sampan We had amazing experience on the private Sampan. It's a special trip for our honeymoon. Guide was great. Staff were very tentative. It's a small boat but we had our private time on it. Itinerary was great. We visited villages... read more
Authentic We stayed on the sampan on the Can Tho route to Caí Be for only 1 night because there was no other availability. The boat is very simple but suitable. However, certain points still need to be improved because the... read more
A peaceful and original cruise with attentive staff The descent of the Mekong aboard a sampan where we were the only couple of passengers was an original and unforgettable experience. The on-board staff and the French-speaking guide from Victoria Cruises really took great care of us (as discreet... read more
Book he longest duration you can as you will not be disappointed Just completed a 2 night Mekong river cruise and all I can say is that it has been the highlight of our 3 weeks in Vietnam. The boat, it’s crew, our guide called Swing were all excellent. Being off the... read more
Great mini cruise on the backwaters We did a 24 hour cruise on our own boat complete with a/c. The guide was excellent as were the crew and the food was good. Nice to get off the beaten track a bit and enjoyed the evening market... read more
Great Personal Boat Tour We booked the Deep in the Delta private cruise from Can Tho to Chau Doc and were very glad that we did! It was a remarkable journey that really let us observe daily life on the Mekong and all of... read more
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