Cruise Saigon - PhnomPenh 6D5N

Fully-paneled in wood, with charm and comfort in mind, we designed it in keeping with the local style. Modestly sized and with the safety of a steel hull, its low draft makes possible an access to the smallest and remotest of villages. With the tasteful decoration of a bygone era, the Toum Tiou has 10 cozy double cabins with private shower, a large lounge area, a panoramic viewing space to the front, a half-covered bar-restaurant to the rear and a roof patio. Air conditioning, hi-fi system and library are provided.

The captain, ship hands, hostesses, cooks and purser are discreet and inconspicuous in the performance of their duties.

This traditional locally built boat started out as a freighter with a metal hull and a capacity of 150 tons, with two large but low-ceiling decks in order to maximize storage space. Like all ships of this type, it went up and down the Tonle Sap and Mekong, stopping at Siem Reap, Kompong Cham, Kratie and Stung Treng.

We stayed as close as we could to the original line of the ship, because we wanted to retain its slightly curved and elegant lines.

The Toum Tiou measures 38 meters long and 7 meters wide in the middle. It has 10 rooms in all (3.3m x 2.5m), 4 on the main deck and 6 on the upper deck, each air-conditioned and with a bathroom (2.5m x 1.4m) including toilet, shower and sink. The water on board is taken from the river, passed through a powerful filtration system and chlorinated in the final step of the treatment.

In order to make the best possible use of the common areas from the standpoint of both size and variety we have installed a library-reading room on the lower deck. There is also a covered space at the front of the middle deck, a restaurant to the rear anda half-covered sundeck on top.

Day 1 - Monday:
Phnom Penh - Vinh Xuong (Vietnamese border)

07:45 Toum Tiou is open for embarking
08:00 Formalities clearance
08:30 Toum Tiou leaves Phnom Penh for Kôh Dek Chau island. Security briefing.
11:30 Arrival at Kôh Dek Chau island,
A short break along the way, it allows to get a fascinating, close-up look at daily life in Cambodia.
On the fringes of civilization, the 600 people who live on Kôh Dek Chau will receive your visit with some
surprise. School children will escort you along your way. You will go through the village that occupies the
full length of the island, walking along a trail shaded by date palms.
12:30 Re-embarking, departure for Kaam Samnaar (Cambodian border).
Lunch during the navigation.
16:00 Toum Tiou arrives at Immigration check point in Kaam Samnaar. Clearance of departure formalities.
17:30
19:00
The boat drops anchor for night on river between the borders.
Welcome drink and info meeting about cruise, crew introduction.
Welcome dinner. Overnight onboard

Day 2 - Tuesday:
Vinh Xuong – Chau Doc

07:00 Opening of the immigration check point offices in Vinh Xuong - Clearance of departure formalities.
Breakfast.
09.00 Departure for Chau Doc. Vietnamese Guide boards, introduces himself. Casual talk with him.
12:30 Lunch during navigation.
13:30 Arrival at Victoria Hotel Chau Doc jetty.
Located to the north at the beginning of Mekong's famous delta, Chau Doc straddles both banks of the
Mekong which fans out to the dimensions of a river mouth here. Floating fish farms have sprung up
everywhere. Bamboo fish drying racks are set up a meter above the water's surface. The bourgeoning
downtown area features some charmingly rustic colonial buildings, squeezed in by the marketplace - the
colorful, vibrant heart of the city. As always, these busy parts of town, despite their sometimes strong
odors, offer wonderful photo opportunities...
14:30 Departure for fish raising rafts and Cham minority village by local boat.
Return to the Victoria hotel for a walk to Chau Doc market. Visit of Sam Mountain which peaks at 237
meters. Its well-known Buddhist sanctuaries offer an unobstructed view over the mosaic of glistening rice
paddies below. To the left is Cambodia, and the flow of the Mekong on the horizon breaks into an infinity
of silver ribbons. Visit on the way of the Lady Chua Xu temple and Tay An Pagoda.
18:30 Return to the boat after sunset.
19:00
Dinner at the Victoria Hotel’s restaurant.
Overnight onboard at the jetty of the hotel; you are free to enjoy the hotel facilities (swimming pool,
billiards, bar, Internet) or stroll in Chau Doc.

Day 3 - Wednesday :
Chau Doc – Sa Dec

07:00 Early departure for Sa Dec, breakfast during the navigation
14:00 After lunch, arrival at Sa Dec – Short panoramic tour of Sa Dec and transfer by bus to Trung Vuong
primary school. Continuing to Kien An Cung Pagoda. Stroll around Sa Dec Market along Sa Dec River
bank. This small city of 30,000 inhabitants is fascinating in its unspoiled authenticity and undisturbed by
tourists. It provides a glimpse of the delta where a few colonial houses still remain, including the
"Chinaman's house" (from Duras' novel "The Lover", also made into a movie).
16:00 Return to the boat with stopover at a nursery of flower and bonsai trees. Famous for its horticulture (it
has many varieties of fabulously exotic flowers) Sa Dec was known as the "Garden of Cochin Chine"
during colonial times.
17:15 Toum Tiou leaves Sa Dec for Vinh Long
18:00 Dropping anchor few miles away on the way to Vinh Long.
Dinner and overnight on board.

Day 4 - Thursday
Sa Dec – Vinh Long

06:30 Toum Tiou continues for Vinh Long
07:00 Breakfast during navigation.
08:00 Arrival at Vinh Long, local boats pick up passengers for visiting a brick and pottery factory, the Binh Hoa
Phuoc Islet Nursery of Fruit Trees as well a typical house and a show room of traditional farming tools.
Vinh Long, which translates as "Majestic Dragon", is right in the middle of the delta, between two arms of
the Mekong. The soil of Vinh Long is enriched by silt deposits, making it ideal for growing mandarins and
other citrus fruits. Life is organized around the water. Houses on stilts, hawkers in boats, hundreds of
small craft crisscross in all directions. The hospitality of the locals makes it a tourist destination par
excellence.
10:50 Departure for Cai Be Floating Market – going across the Mekong River en route.
13:00 Toum Tiou leaves Cai Be for My Tho, lunch on board during navigation.
17:30
19:30
Arrival at My Tho – Toum Tiou drops anchor on river in the proximity of Thoi Son Island
Local musician band embark to play traditional music for 45 minutes
Dinner and overnight on board.

Day 5 - Friday
Cai Be - My Tho

07:00 Breakfast
08:00 Local boats come alongside Toum Tiou to pick up passengers and transfer to the mainland.
Departure for Vinh Trang Pagoda by car - Short panoramic tour of My Tho town on the way.
Continuing for Dong Tam Snake Farm and My Tho Market. On the banks of a northern arm of the Mekong,
My Tho, which translates as "fragrant herb", where tourists come to discover the beauty of the delta. It's
a quiet, prosperous city of about 100,000 inhabitants, famous for its many fruit orchards, gardens and
the huge rice fields that surround it. The climate is warm and pleasant year round. The surrounding
countryside is home to one of the most luxuriant gardens of Vietnam, with its coconut palms, banana and
mango trees.
10:45 Return at the pier- you will cruise on the river to Thoi Son Island by local boat to visit the island, explore
local people’s daily life and enjoy locally seasonal fruits
13:00 Re-embarking the Toum Tiou that leaves My Tho for Saigon
Lunch and leisure on board. Time to pack and prepare for the arrival.
18:00 Toum Tiou drops anchor on river en route.
19:00 Farewell cocktail (1 glass of local liquor or juice) with Master of Ship & Cruise Manager.
Captain’s farewell dinner (Enriched menu + 1 glass of wine). Overnight on board

Day 6 - Saturday
My Tho – Saigon

07:00 Departure for Saigon
13:00 Toum Tiou arrives at Saigon port – customs formalities clearance
13:30 Disembarking, local tour agent picks up passengers and transfers to hotel after a last lunch on board.