Depart for a three hour drive to Cai Be with a coffee stop en route at a bonsai garden. Board the Bassac boat at midday with a welcome drink in hand and an experienced crew to look after you. Check into the cabins and enjoy the scrumptious lunch on the upper deck while the boat cruises leisurely towards Cho Lach canal on the Tien Giang River. Rest on the deck, or relax at the bar as the boat manoeuvres through the traffic of barges, with fruit drying facilities tu bep gia re and wooden shipbuilding yards on both sides. A village visit on the bank of Mang Thit is an opportunity to appreciate the local way of life and their hospitality. If you like to explore, stop by at an orchard or a nearby paddy field. Enjoy the sunset with more welcome drinks or a sun downer before partaking in dinner while cruising on the Mang Thit River. The Bassac sets anchor just downstream from the little Tra On floating market.

Overnight on Cruise.

Enjoy early breakfast while the ship is resuming its cruise the Tra On floating market then depart toward Can Tho, the major trading hub and the heart of the delta. Cruise onward to Cai Rang floating market, check out and transfer onto a local boat to visit the nearby sights and gardens as well as the Ninh Kieu boat docking station. Then departure for the 3-hour drive to Chau Doc. En route you’ll have a chance to stop at the bamboo basket-making hamlet of Long Thanh. Dinner and the rest of the evening at leisure.

Overnight in Chau Doc

After breakfast visit Chau Doc’s local market which overlooks the confluence of three rivers, and later take a boat to Chau Giang District where a tiny mosque serves the local Cham community. The Chams also practice silk weaving and you may have the opportunity to see them at work. The architecture here is rather distinctive. You’ll visit a beautiful Khmer temple, and later visit the floating houses that double as catfish farms, now a huge industry for the country.

Late this afternoon visit Sam Mountain, an important cong ty nha xinh pilgrimage site that is frequently visited by pilgrims from all over the Mekong Delta. There are dozens of pagodas and temples around Sam Mountain and reaching the peak is the highlight of the visit. The views from the top are spectacular (weather permitting) and you can easily look out over Cambodia.

Overnight in Chau Doc. 

After your breakfast at the hotel it’s a 6-hour drive back to Ho Chi Minh City where you will arrive mid afternoon.