Mekong Cruise suggestions

We are considering a cruise on the Mekong next year for our 50th Anniversary. We would like to include Halong Bay and Siem Reap. Our only previous river cruise was on the Yangtze a couple of years ago. We are in our mid seventies, active with no health or mobility issues.

 

Can anyone recommend a cruise company they have used? We do not need 24 hour hand holding, so we are not looking for ultra luxury, just reasonable food, a comfortable ship and most of all an interesting itinerary. We plan to travel for many more years so although we want something special this time we do want to have some travel money left for future trips.

We've booked Emeralds Waterways' Mekong River cruise on the Mekong Navigator for April 2018. Can hardly wait. We fly into Hanoi for a land tour, a night on Ha Long Bay, before the 7 day Mekong River cruise to Cambodia, before getting off for the balance of the land tour in Cambodia. Albeit subjective, this cruise was reasonably price.

Enjoy.

Since you are in Ontario (like us) and want Cdn $ pricing, you might want to consider Avalon. We are booked for next November.

We are booked on Avalon for next November too!

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Since you are in Ontario (like us) and want Cdn $ pricing, you might want to consider Avalon. We are booked for next November.

I am happy to see someone else on Avalon next November. I like the small ship...18 cabins. I am booked Nov. 16 to Dec, 4 on Northbound Fascinating Vietnam, Cambodia & Mekong Hanoi to Bangkok. How about you? I am exactly a year out. Maybe we can share info on flights since you are flying out of Ontario. I will look at either Toronto or Montreal as I live in Kingston. I would like to arrive in Hanoi a few days early.:)

I believe that the flights I used were vey good. Eva Air Toronto-Taipei-Hanoi with a 4:05 layover. I left very early in the morning (really the night before) and arrived in Hanoi just after 11 AM local time. Your times would be a bit different because I left while we were still on DST but Vietnam doesn't change.

I am currently on the return, Eva Air SGN (Ho Chi Minh City) - Taipei to Toronto. Left HCMC at 12:45 PM and expect to be home at 8:30 PM (with a 2:40 layover). All Star Alliance, and on Aeroplan points with virtually no fees.

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Gnome 12

I would be very interested in details of how well Hanoi went solo as I recall you flew in early. Street crossing and safety? Street food and how your touring went?

I will definitely look at Eva Air as their reviews are great. Did you upgrade your seat? You must be exhausted. Have a good flight and get rested up. Please share details when you get a chance.

Gnome 12

 

I would be very interested in details of how well Hanoi went solo as I recall you flew in early. Street crossing and safety? Street food and how your touring went?

I will definitely look at Eva Air as their reviews are great. Did you upgrade your seat? You must be exhausted. Have a good flight and get rested up. Please share details when you get a chance.

I just got home. I had no problems as a solo in Hanoi. I came in 3 days early, stayed at a nice hotel La Siesta Hotel and Spa at 94 Ma May in the old quarter, and did a number of things on my own. It can be easier to walk in the old quarter, because the scooters have to slow down for the narrow streets. I just learned to watch for a hole and walk determinedly, and the scooters will go around you. (I found HCMC worse, because there are much wider streets and way more cars as well as the scooters.) I walked to the women's museum (about a 15-20 minute easy walk) and I walked around the old quarter. I did a street food tour by motorbike (my first ever time on anything except a bicycle) but had no difficulty riding behind. I think that my cycling experience helps. The street food tour turned out to be a private tour since no one else had registered, but it was fun. I also did a Vespa tour during the day, which took me somewhat further afield. I never felt unsafe. I had a guide from Hanoi Kids with me when I went to the Museum of Ethnology, because that is much farther away. The other good thing about being in the old quarter was that Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights they have a night market. The main street was 2 streets away, but they also closed the street my hotel was on, which made it easier to walk around. I never ate at the hotel, except for my included breakfast; all other meals I found recommended places nearby.

As to Eva, I was flying business class on points, so I can't discuss other classes. I will state that business class was pretty full; I booked by tickets as soon as they became available, about 11 months in advance. Service was great, and I managed to sleep between 6 and 7 hours on the way home which made the flight seem much shorter.

Gnome12

:halo:So kind of you to respond when you just got home. You are a wealth of info. I immediately went to Eva Air and I see that will be my choice of air flight. I also appreciate the time lines you offered and 3 days early in Hanoi sounds appropriate for my interests. I will look at your hotel as I expect that staying at Avalon’s choice will be expensive. Did you cab it then to your meeting point to meet your AMA tour...it was AMA, correct? At some point, will you review the actual Mekong River cruise? What is your next adventure..lol!

I don't do reviews, but am willing to answer questions. I enjoyed the Ama tour, but most of us felt that the stops on the Vietnam portion of the cruise were a bit less interesting, although they did give some idea of how the people in the countryside live. For me, the highlights were the temples of Angkor Thom and Angkor Wat (even in the rain).

For me, the temperatures were a bit hard to deal with, particularly as we reached southern Vietnam. By the end of the trip I was really tired.

Yes, I took a cab from my hotel to the Sofitel. I could have easily walked it, but decided not to with luggage. The La Siesta hotel (by the way; make sure it is this one - there are many others with similar names) graciously extended my checkout from 12 to 1, and when I got there they extended it another hour to 2 and provided me with a complimentary drink at the bar. They greeted me by name whenever I came in or out. I also arranged for an airport pickup with them, which cost me a reasonable US$23 including tax and tip. A really nice place.

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I just got home. I had no problems as a solo in Hanoi. I came in 3 days early, stayed at a nice hotel La Siesta Hotel and Spa at 94 Ma May in the old quarter, and did a number of things on my own. It can be easier to walk in the old quarter, because the scooters have to slow down for the narrow streets. I just learned to watch for a hole and walk determinedly, and the scooters will go around you. (I found HCMC worse, because there are much wider streets and way more cars as well as the scooters.) I walked to the women's museum (about a 15-20 minute easy walk) and I walked around the old quarter. I did a street food tour by motorbike (my first ever time on anything except a bicycle) but had no difficulty riding behind. I think that my cycling experience helps. The street food tour turned out to be a private tour since no one else had registered, but it was fun. I also did a Vespa tour during the day, which took me somewhat further afield. I never felt unsafe. I had a guide from Hanoi Kids with me when I went to the Museum of Ethnology, because that is much farther away. The other good thing about being in the old quarter was that Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights they have a night market. The main street was 2 streets away, but they also closed the street my hotel was on, which made it easier to walk around. I never ate at the hotel, except for my included breakfast; all other meals I found recommended places nearby.

As to Eva, I was flying business class on points, so I can't discuss other classes. I will state that business class was pretty full; I booked by tickets as soon as they became available, about 11 months in advance. Service was great, and I managed to sleep between 6 and 7 hours on the way home which made the flight seem much shorter.

Can you tell me more about your Vespa Tour? What is a Vespa tour? Where did it take you?

I don't do reviews, but am willing to answer questions. I enjoyed the Ama tour, but most of us felt that the stops on the Vietnam portion of the cruise were a bit less interesting, although they did give some idea of how the people in the countryside live. For me, the highlights were the temples of Angkor Thom and Angkor Wat (even in the rain).

Really am appreciating ALL of these added posts and detailed sharing. Especially from gnome12, of Canada, these are helpful added items and experiences. Like your mention for Hanoi with "being in the old quarter was that Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights they have a night market."

Keep it coming. As noted earlier, our sailing is getting close. We depart Jan. 21 for four days in Hong Kong, before flying to Bangkok and then Ho Chi Minh City. That is where we will commence our seven-day, Avalon cruise up the Mekong River to Siem Reap. Then on to Hanoi, Ha Long, Hue and Danang. Lots to see and do during our first visit to SE Asia.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean adventure that started in Barbados, here is the link for that live/blog. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.):

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 54,439 views for these postings.

Can you tell me more about your Vespa Tour? What is a Vespa tour? Where did it take you?

A Vespa is a brand of motor scooter. I found it somewhat more comfortable to ride than a motorbike, because there is a platform for your feet, although I really only had enough room for my heels, because the driver used the same platform.

This is the Vespa tour I took in Hanoi.

http://www.motorbiketourshanoi.com/our-tours-detail/21/50/the-insiders-Hanoi-city-tour-45-hours.html

We rode along a fair bit of the ceramic road (this is the best way to see it), we circled West Lake, we stopped at a market and we crossed the Long Bein bridge. We saw the B-52 bomber memorial and lots of other things.

This is EXACTLY the same tour offered here.

http://hanoivintagevespatours.com/vietnam-vespa-tours-detail/14/61/The-Insiders-hanoi-city-tour-45-hs.html because we rode together. The only difference is that they were on vintage Vespas and I was on a newer Vespa.

A Vespa is a brand of motor scooter. I found it somewhat more comfortable to ride than a motorbike, because there is a platform for your feet, although I really only had enough room for my heels, because the driver used the same platform.

 

This is the Vespa tour I took in Hanoi.

http://www.motorbiketourshanoi.com/our-tours-detail/21/50/the-insiders-Hanoi-city-tour-45-hours.html

We rode along a fair bit of the ceramic road (this is the best way to see it), we circled West Lake, we stopped at a market and we crossed the Long Bein bridge. We saw the B-52 bomber memorial and lots of other things.

This is EXACTLY the same tour offered here.

http://hanoivintagevespatours.com/vietnam-vespa-tours-detail/14/61/The-Insiders-hanoi-city-tour-45-hs.html because we rode together. The only difference is that they were on vintage Vespas and I was on a newer Vespa.

Thank you Gnome 12. I felt I must ask as I did not want to be a driver! I recall you flew into Hanoi so you had 3 days. I believe I will only have 2, but I think the Vespa tour sounds great. Did you do morning or afternoon. Did they pick you up at La Siesta? I have booked La Siesta for 2 nights and my agent and I are ready to book Eva Air out of Toronto. The price is really good right now....I am 11 months out. Could you explain your time line for getting your Visa from the embassy in Ottawa. Did you do it in person? Since I live in Kingston I can easily go to Ottawa. Can you only do it 3 months out? Lastly, what currency did you carry.

Thank you.

Thank you Gnome 12. I felt I must ask as I did not want to be a driver! I recall you flew into Hanoi so you had 3 days. I believe I will only have 2, but I think the Vespa tour sounds great. Did you do morning or afternoon. Did they pick you up at La Siesta? I have booked La Siesta for 2 nights and my agent and I are ready to book Eva Air out of Toronto. The price is really good right now....I am 11 months out. Could you explain your time line for getting your Visa from the embassy in Ottawa. Did you do it in person? Since I live in Kingston I can easily go to Ottawa. Can you only do it 3 months out? Lastly, what currency did you carry.

Thank you.

I did the morning tour, and yes, I was picked up at the hotel.

The visa is really simple for Canadians. We can do it entirely by email, without having to send in a passport at all.

https://www.vietnamembassy.ca/visas

You scan your passport (details page), you fill out and scan an application, you scan a photo, you fill out and scan a credit card authorization, and you email all that to the embassy. They send you a paper visa to put into your passport. The only thing that I didn't like was sending in a credit card authorization, but I felt that was better than having to actually let my passport go. It took about 3 days if I remember correctly. From the website "Visa can be applied up to 1 year prior to the date of entry into Vietnam. " I can't see any reason to do it more than about 3 months out, although Ama wanted the visa information as part of your on-line registration, so don't leave it to the last minute.

I used a mixture of US dollars and Vietnamese dong; I didn't bother with any Cambodian reals. Cambodia really uses US dollars for most things. In Vietnam, particularly along the river, everyone would have preferred to get tips in dong; they didn't really want US dollars. In retrospect, I would have done better using dong for most things. Towards the end of the trip, I realized that I had extra dong that I needed to spend, because I had been giving tips mostly in US dollars. (As a single, one thing I noted was that the tips for drivers were suggested to be $1/person/full day trip. This meant that any short trip would be 50 cents, but you can't do that. So I started collecting 10,000 and 20,000 dong bills to use as tips as approximately 50 cents and $1.)

Thank you Gnome 12. I felt I must ask as I did not want to be a driver! I recall you flew into Hanoi so you had 3 days. I believe I will only have 2, but I think the Vespa tour sounds great. Did you do morning or afternoon. Did they pick you up at La Siesta? I have booked La Siesta for 2 nights and my agent and I are ready to book Eva Air out of Toronto. The price is really good right now....I am 11 months out. Could you explain your time line for getting your Visa from the embassy in Ottawa. Did you do it in person? Since I live in Kingston I can easily go to Ottawa. Can you only do it 3 months out? Lastly, what currency did you carry.

Thank you.

Just make sure you get the right hotel. There are a number of La Siestas; make sure you get the La Siesta Hotel & Spa at 94 Ma May, in the old quarter.

Just make sure you get the right hotel. There are a number of La Siestas; make sure you get the La Siesta Hotel & Spa at 94 Ma May, in the old quarter.

Just finished up with my agent. Eva Air booked for Nov. 13 which leaves YYZ at 00:45 .......12:45 in the middle of the night...to me it will seem like Nov. 12, middle of night. I got a good price on La Siesta 94 Ma May including breakfast for 2 nights. Cancel by Nov. 11.

Did you have a Travel Health appt? Any meds you took or carried just in case?

Thanks again.

Just finished up with my agent. Eva Air booked for Nov. 13 which leaves YYZ at 00:45 .......12:45 in the middle of the night...to me it will seem like Nov. 12, middle of night. I got a good price on La Siesta 94 Ma May including breakfast for 2 nights. Cancel by Nov. 11.

 

Did you have a Travel Health appt? Any meds you took or carried just in case?

 

Thanks again.

Glad you got the hotel. I think you will like it.

I went to a travel health clinic. I already had Hepatitis A and B shots (still good fron 2013) but needed a new typhoid shot. She tried to talk me into Japanese Encephalitis, but it was really expensive and I didn't think it was necessary for this trip. I took Malarone (anti-malarial) but I probably didn't need it. We saw almost no mosquitoes although I did come home with a bite in the middle of my back, but it was the only one. I also took with me a prescription drug for diarrhea which I didn't use. There are no required vaccines.

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I used a mixture of US dollars and Vietnamese dong; I didn't bother with any Cambodian reals. Cambodia really uses US dollars for most things. In Vietnam, particularly along the river, everyone would have preferred to get tips in dong; they didn't really want US dollars. In retrospect, I would have done better using dong for most things. Towards the end of the trip, I realized that I had extra dong that I needed to spend, because I had been giving tips mostly in US dollars. (As a single, one thing I noted was that the tips for drivers were suggested to be $1/person/full day trip. This meant that any short trip would be 50 cents, but you can't do that. So I started collecting 10,000 and 20,000 dong bills to use as tips as approximately 50 cents and $1.)

Appreciate these great, added info items for Southeast Asia from Nomi. Yes, very helpful!! Am copying these tips and insights for my trip file on my laptop. Now, just a little over a month till we depart for Hong Kong, Bangkok, Vietnam, etc. Keep it coming with the great sharing.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

AFRICA?!!?: Lots of interesting and dramatic pictures can be seen from this live/blog at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Now at 36,224 views for this visual sharing including Cape Town, along South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta area.

Appreciate these great, added info items for Southeast Asia from Nomi. Yes, very helpful!! Am copying these tips and insights for my trip file on my laptop. Now, just a little over a month till we depart for Hong Kong, Bangkok, Vietnam, etc. Keep it coming with the great sharing.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

AFRICA?!!?: Lots of interesting and dramatic pictures can be seen from this live/blog at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Now at 36,224 views for this visual sharing including Cape Town, along South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta area.

In the context of sharing.....I see travellers on this thread using A variety of choices for Vietnam and Cambodia, including Uniworld, Ama, Avalon, and Viking among others.

Personally, I chose Avalon for two reasons: my travel agent alerted me last winter that the solo supplement was being waived for the first 3 solos booked and secondly, being only 18 cabins meant 36 people tops and this smaller size group appealed to me rather than a larger boat. As an added feature the window of the cabin is huge and there is no walk around promenade which I was warned about by some Viking comments.

I will do the extension to Bangkok which many companies offer.

In the context of sharing.....I see travellers on this thread using A variety of choices for Vietnam and Cambodia, including Uniworld, Ama, Avalon, and Viking among others. Personally, I chose Avalon for two reasons: my travel agent alerted me last winter that the solo supplement was being waived for the first 3 solos booked and secondly, being only 18 cabins meant 36 people tops and this smaller size group appealed to me rather than a larger boat. As an added feature the window of the cabin is huge and there is no walk around promenade which I was warned about by some Viking comments. I will do the extension to Bangkok which many companies offer.

From our Canada neighbor to the north, appreciate this great and interesting follow-up. Yes, many good factors and options to consider!! It is excellent to have a variety of options. My strong suggestion is to check out all of the potentials and see what best fits your personal interests. Don't just go with one company because their TV ads or name are more familiar.

For us, what we liked most with Avalon involved several factors. Their large cabins with the open glass type of balcony seem nice. Liked the newness of their ship, plus its smaller, more personal size. BUT, the biggest factor for us was their connections with Globus for tours in the other cities/locations, their reputation for having excellent local guides and the flexibility to mix and match ALL that we could do prior to and after the seven-day Mekong River sailing. Looking forward to exploring SE Asia next month. Am planning to do a live/blog with lots of visuals to help others with their future planning and/or to bring back nice memories for those who have previously visited these scenic and historic areas. Keep up the great sharing!

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 190,787 views for this posting.

When I booked my 2017 trip early in 2016, only Ama was willing to waive single supplement, so I went with them. For Myanmar in 2018 Avalon waived single supplement so I am going with them.

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When I booked my 2017 trip early in 2016, only Ama was willing to waive single supplement, so I went with them. For Myanmar in 2018 Avalon waived single supplement so I am going with them.

Great that Avalon has given you the single supplement for your 2018 river cruise in Myanmar. Looking forward to finding out the passenger mix we will have in a month+ while doing the Mekong River. Myanmar is on our future "to-do" list. Hopefully you will post more details after your "adventure" there later next year.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Lisbon, NWSpain, Bordeaux/Brittany: Just finished June 2017 sailing from Portugal to France along the scenic Atlantic Coast, plus great pre- and post-cruise experiences. Many interesting pictures and details on history, food, culture, etc., from my live/blog at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358

Thanks to all for your great suggestions! Am doing Uniworld Mekong River Cruise in March, Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi, with trip to Halong Bay. I have already booked a hotel in Hanoi for one night, and now wish I would have stayed a few days longer with the suggestion of the Old Quarter and the recommended hotel. Really looking forward to the trip!:)

I would highly recommend choosing a "five star" company such as Scenic or Uniworld for this part of the world.

Food and personal safety is a real concern ,and being taken to properly vetted restaurants as well as premium on board food and preparation is vital.

We just returned from a Scenic Mekong cruise and never had nor heard of any "health" issues.

I also feel that we were treated to exceptional excursions that we will never forget.

Passengers were not herded around,but had plenty of choices and treated as respected adults not schoolchildren.

We really appreciated the open dining time and choice of venues. This resulted in an uncrowded and relaxed dining experience. We dined when and with whom we wished and often just each other.

We are considering a cruise on the Mekong next year for our 50th Anniversary. We would like to include Halong Bay and Siem Reap. Our only previous river cruise was on the Yangtze a couple of years ago. We are in our mid seventies, active with no health or mobility issues.

 

Can anyone recommend a cruise company they have used? We do not need 24 hour hand holding, so we are not looking for ultra luxury, just reasonable food, a comfortable ship and most of all an interesting itinerary. We plan to travel for many more years so although we want something special this time we do want to have some travel money left for future trips.

We just came back from the best trip EVER- used AMAwaterways- the trip included ALL the points you mentioned, on line stays were in great Sofitel hotels, Ha long bay- on an overnight luxury junque, Amadara- superb accomodations, staff, western and eastern food- best ever...

We are considering a cruise on the Mekong next year for our 50th Anniversary. We would like to include Halong Bay and Siem Reap. Our only previous river cruise was on the Yangtze a couple of years ago. We are in our mid seventies, active with no health or mobility issues.

 

Can anyone recommend a cruise company they have used? We do not need 24 hour hand holding, so we are not looking for ultra luxury, just reasonable food, a comfortable ship and most of all an interesting itinerary. We plan to travel for many more years so although we want something special this time we do want to have some travel money left for future trips.

Hi, there! I just did a Uniworld Mekong River Cruise in March 2018 and it was wonderful! I believe they are changing the itinerary next year, with the cruise ending in Siam Reap and so Halong Bay and Hanoi would be the post-tour. With that said, Uniworld was great in every way. The ship was excellent, very comfortable, well taken care of, clean, and the crew was fantastic. We began in Saigon and ended in Hanoi. The hotels were all excellent--Sofitel, and especially the Park Hotel in Saigon. The food on the cruise was excellent, service superb, excursions fascinating, and the guides were terrific. I would highly recommend Uniworld!