Last Updated on March 19, 2023 by PowersToTravel
Welcome to my Vietnam Travel Blog. We visited southern Vietnam as part of our quasi-independent 65-day Southeast Asia Odyssey. We flew into Ho Chi Minh City from Yangon, Myanmar on December 7 on Vietnam Airways. We stayed several days in Ho Chi Minh City, then took a private small-boat trip up the Mekong River all the way to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. During the planning period we simply ran out of days, and sadly did not coordinate time in northern Vietnam which I have since learned is very beautiful. Southern Vietnam I would consider more interesting than beautiful.
Preparation
Our desire to cruise the Mekong River drove our visit to Vietnam. I searched for and investigated so many Mekong River cruise possibilities – larger more luxurious cruises that covered many countries, to tiny couple-sized boats that traveled only in Vietnam. It is the latter we decided upon, and chose the cruise company Mekong Eyes and their little boat, the Gecko Eyes. Here’s the tour we chose.
We had to send our passports away ahead of time to the Vietnamese embassy in Washington DC for visas. eVisas are possible if you are flying in and out of Vietnam, however we would be arriving by plane, but departing by boat, and the “land” crossing required a real visa. We got it using the Vietnamese Visa website.
I investigated and performed the city tour-guiding role while we were in Ho Chi Minh City. However, I did find a great single day trip out of the city on the canals and waterways. It was a great ‘behind-the-scenes’ view of the area west of Ho Chi Minh City. I found and booked it on Viator, however I always prefer to book with the tour operator itself if I can. Here’s the link to Les Rives’ Mekong Delta Tour by luxury speedboat. We found this tour to be one of the most memorable of our trip, and granted it was only a single day, actually saw things and met people more intimately than with the Gecko Eyes. (Note – you want to be on the right-hand side of the boat as you head out – you can get the best pictures of the city.)
We went to our local travel clinic. Due to the particular itinerary I created, we ended up being on malaria pills the entire trip. They don’t bother me and give me confidence.
Vietnam Itinerary
- Day 1 – Arrival in Ho Chi Minh City from Yangon, Myanmar on Vietnam Airlines, transfer into the city via taxi
- Day 2 – Mekong Delta day tour with Les Rives
- Day 3 – Sightseeing in District 1: War Remnants Museum, Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Basilica, Central Post Office, the neighborhood of Dong Khoi, Ben Thanh Market
- Day 4 – Pickup by Gecko Eyes van, several hour drive to Cai Be to board boat, cruise upriver
- Day 5 – Cruise
- Day 6 – Cruise and arrival in Chau Doc
- Day 7 – Speedboat from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Impressions
I’ve done a slide show video to music. Here it is.
However, I haven’t written any articles in my Vietnam Travel Blog yet. Of all the countries we visited in Southeast Asia, Vietnam was our least favorite. I think it was because of our choice of the Mekong Delta cruise. While it was enjoyable and relaxing, and was a great break after getting a little templed-out in Myanmar, it was actually a little boring. I had imagined colorful and authentic Mekong River markets on sampans, but those are pretty much a thing of the past. We could see superhighways crossing the Mekong at times, and when we alighted in some of the towns, it seemed the road net well-connected the area.
We may have done better to have taken only the awesome day trip out of Ho Chi Minh City to see the Delta and its lifestyle, and then taken a driving tour. We would probably have had a better opportunity to interact with the locals and understand the farm life on the Mekong. That said, the cruise on the boat, which was small but perfectly sized for a couple, was a memorable experience we will not soon forget.
Diabetic Travel Tips
I think the best tip is to travel in the dry season to reduce the possibility of mosquito-born illnesses.
As always, don’t drink the water! Protect yourself against dengue fever with DEET. And take your malaria pills!
Summary
I’ve written an entire article about Vietnam Diabetic Travel Tips. Check it out!
I’ve posted a video slide-show of our trip to Vietnam here.
I’ve also posted video slide shows of the entire Southeast Asia Odyssey. Click here to see them all.
