The new Gecko Eyes Cruises house boats will be perfect for you, the first of the houseboats is under construction and ready for first guests. The Gecko Eyes are private houseboats for two or four people, made for tours on a high level for couples, small families or a group of friends.
OPTION 1: TWO DAY TRIP
Day 1: River Cruise to Sa Dec and visit of the flower gardens ( Meals included: Lunch – Dinner )
We pick you up at your hotel in Saigon (district 1 and parts of district 3) and bring you to the pier in Cai Be (approx. 2 hours drive) where you board the Gecko Eyes. After a refreshing welcome drink we show you our on-board facilities and your cosy cabin. As lunch is served on the top deck, the boat starts cruising. Sit back on the sun deck or in our air-conditioned lounge and watch the fantastic scenery and the daily life of the Mekong people.
After lunch 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).
In the late afternoon we return to the Gecko Eyes vessel and enjoy a sunset cruise with more fantastic photo opportunities from aboard. If time allows there is a chance for a brief stop at a brick kiln or short bicycle ride before dinner is served on board and we moor for the night. You stay overnight on board your floating hotel in the Mekong Delta.
Day 2. Cruise to Cai Be and visit of the floating market ( Meals included: Breakfast – Lunch )
Wake up well rested to the sound of the Mekong river and get ready for another exciting day of sightseeing in the Mekong Delta. At 6.30h the boat sets off for a sunrise cruise. Watch the locals go about their daily work drying exotic fruits and building ships on the wooden yards while enjoying an early breakfast.
After the tasty breakfast, we board a sampan boat to Cai Be floating market. Marvel at the sheer abundance of exotic fruits, vegetables and skillfully handcrafted regional products. We will pull up to the boats for talking and bargaining with the merchants. Please note that time does not stand still in Vietnam — modern forms of trading are pushing back the more traditional forms of trading; this also affects Cai Be floating market which is currently getting smaller and smaller.
After the floating market you have the opportunity to go for a guided walk around Cai Be, a beautiful Mekong Delta town with fruit orchards a French church and many local handicrafts. You can also opt for a bicycle ride on backroads to a small village along the Mekong canals. Or you can explore some small canals with the sampan before lunch.
After lunch at Mekong Rest Stop we take you back to your hotel in Saigon.
OPTION 2: THREE DAY TRIP
In the morning we pick you up at your hotel in Saigon and take you to Can Tho or Cai Be. You board your 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. 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.
If you book this tour on our Gecko Eyes house boat, you will visit the forest of Xeo Quyt on the first day. During the Vietnam war this jungle was the headquarters of the local partisans. During rainy season when the water levels are high enough you can explore the labyrinth by rowing sampan. In the afternoon you will visit the small and charming town of Sa Dec.
Day 2. Life on the water and floating markets ( Meals included: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner )
Wake up well rested to the sound of the river and get ready for another exciting day of sightseeing in the Mekong Delta. At 6.30h the cruise vessel sets off for a sunrise cruise. Watch the locals go about their daily work drying exotic fruits and building ships on the wooden yards while enjoying an early breakfast.
After breakfast, we will board a sampan boat to Cai Be or Cai Rang floating market, the region’s busiest and most lively markets. Marvel at the sheer abundance of exotic fruits and vegetables. We will pull up to the boats for talking and bargaining with the merchants. We will also visit some of the local candy and cake making factories or boat through the green water landscape to see local houses, verdant orchards and ship-building yards.
Later in the morning your can boat through the green water landscape on a little rowing sampan to see local houses, verdant orchards and ship-building yards. Alternatively you can discover the nearby town by foot or explore the small side canals of the Mekong river on a bicycle.
The cruise boat then resumes its journey as lunch is served. In the afternoon there will be another side trip to one of the exotic villages along the way.
Gecko Eyes: visit of the morning market in Sa Dec. If you like you can go shopping with the chef and take part in a cooking lesson on board. Once the boat resumes its journey, you travel through small channels towards Can Tho (or Cai Be). In the afternoon there is the option of a land excursion either by bicycle or on foot and visit of a small village, a stroll through orchards, or a cooking class.
Day 3. An exotic world of its own ( Meals included: Breakfast – Lunch )
After breakfast and an early start through the glorious morning atmosphere on the Mekong river we will visit another floating market. Be sure not to miss the great photo opportunities for authentic snapshots of the Mekong people and their life.
Take another sampan side trip right into the lush rural landscape, the fertile fields, the exuberant green. Then it’s time to pack up and return to the pier from which we started.
The Mekong Delta cruise boat tour ends at around 11.00 — 11.30h on the pier. On even dates, you will have lunch at the Mekong Rest Stop. On odd dates, lunch is served in Vinh Long City.
Price: Please Contatc us for the best price
Tours include:
- Trip itinerary and routing as described in the itinerary
- Accommodation in cosy double or twin bedded cabins
- Mineral water placed in your cabin
- Side trips on sampans as mentioned in the itineraries.
- Mineral water placed in your cabin on board
- Entrance fees
- Meals as indicated in the itinerary (B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner)
Tour exclude:
- Tips and personal expenses
- Travel insurance
- Private car pick up and transfer from / to Saigon or Sa Dec
- Drinks are not included in the price (except the mineral water in your cabin)
- Beauty services and massage
- All other services not mentioned above
