Heat in Vietnam on Mekong land and river trip

[jaw501]

A search of this board (and reviews) shows a fair number of posts on the Mekong. We're considering a land and river trip with Scenic in Vietnam and Cambodia in April, 2018. I would really appreciate info on how these trips (and cruisers) deal with the heat/humidity. The one we are considering goes full tilt and sounds great. But I wonder about how the itineraries deal with the heat, and how you handled it yourself. Many thanks.

[Mark_T]

We went in February, so didn't experience the full force of the heat, but we did make good use of the free local hats provided by Viking in both Vietnam and Cambodia.

 

The design and construction of these is of course intended to deal with exactly the conditions you experience, so don't dismiss them as some sort cheap gesture, they are highly functional and useful.

 

You'll find your guides are good at locating shade and the itineraries will often try to keep you out of the midday sun, so along with your ship and cabin forming an air conditioned oasis, you should do fine.

 

Always take water when offered, the coaches Viking used all had plenty of free, chilled, bottled water onboard so make use of it. I can't speak for other cruise lines but I'd be surprised if they didn't do the same.

[jaw501]

Thank you Mark_T . I didn't know about the hats, and it makes sense the tour guides would be helpful in handling the heat. Sounds good.

[packed already]

We have done a 12 day land and Mekong river cruise, we went in January and found it very hot so April will be even hotter. Our trip to Angor Wat seemed excessively hot.

Make sure your ship has a pool as you will use it every day. Whilst sailing the breeze was lovely on the pool deck while we read or were in and out of the pool. Shore trips were hot but not extensively long, cool bottled water was freely given on buses and at hotel. It was a marvelous holiday. We sailed with Travelmarvel and were very happy with everything.

[Mark_T]

Make sure your ship has a pool as you will use it every day. Whilst sailing the breeze was lovely on the pool deck while we read or were in and out of the pool.

 

That's kind of a personal choice thing really, we didn't have a pool on our Vietnam/Cambodia trip and didn't miss it either.

 

The cruise portion of these trips can be as little as 50% of the time you are there so it is not necessarily the highest priority.

 

We did have one on a recent Egypt trip in similar temperatures and used it perhaps once.

 

But if you are 'pool people' then there are certainly ships that have pools available :)

[twototravel]

Suggest packing extra clothes. We did Cambodia and Vietnam with a long Mekong Cruise several years ago and always returned to the ship after the afternoon outing dirty and sweaty. It was great to take a shower and change clothes before dinner. Our Viking boat had crewmen that would take our shoes and clean them off, so be sure to bring shoes that can get wet and dry quickly.

[whatnot]

That's interesting about having someone clean your shoes! We are doing Vietnam and Cambodia in January on Uniworld. Do your shoes just get dirty or do they get muddy? What kind of shoes would you suggest?

[jaw501]

Great info and tips everyone. Thank you.

[Mark_T]

That's interesting about having someone clean your shoes! We are doing Vietnam and Cambodia in January on Uniworld. Do your shoes just get dirty or do they get muddy? What kind of shoes would you suggest?

 

It is more dust than dirt.

 

The ship Viking uses has large expanses of beautiful dark varnished wood, the crew always said they'd rather clean the shoes than the deck :)

[Mark_T]

Sorry, forgot the 'what kind of shoes' bit ...

 

You will often be walking of dirt tracks and uneven ground so consider if you need something supportive and although it is going to be hot I wouldn't generally suggest open sandals or similar unless you add a generous dose of bug spray as there will naturally be insects around.

 

We used lightweight hiking style ankle boots, they were easy to keep clean and worn only while off the ship.

[whatnot]

Thanks! I am more of a hiking sandal type person, so I can use bug spray. I hate closed shoes in hot weather!

[twototravel]

Whatnot, if you are a Crocs person, they would be perfect...easy on, easy off, and easy clean. I'm buying a pair without the holes for my trip to Burma in Jan. I hear getting on and off the river to the dock can be very muddy.

 

 

Thanks! I am more of a hiking sandal type person, so I can use bug spray. I hate closed shoes in hot weather!

[whatnot]

I have a pair of crocs that I basically use to do yard work because they can be washed easily. So, how much walking is involved in most of the excursions in Vietnam and Cambodia? I have never tried Crocs for major walking. I do have some foot issues and usually wear shoes or sandals with good arch support to prevent foot, knee, and back issues. I love Abeo sandals but not sure they have any that easily wash and dry quickly. I will have to check with my local store.

[gnome12]

I am bringing an old pair of New Balance white leather and mesh walking shoes for excursions. I will either throw them out before I return, or wear them home because I will be arriving in Toronto in mid-November. On board I will probably wear clogs or sandals (with orthotics). I think as long as you keep different shoes for off the ship and on you are OK.

[Mark_T]

So, how much walking is involved in most of the excursions in Vietnam and Cambodia? I have never tried Crocs for major walking

 

From memory the only time you spend significant time on your feet is going to be the visit to the main structures at Siem Reap.

 

There is also an opportunity there to climb a steep set of open stairs to the top of the temple, so make sure you are comfortable doing that in whatever shoes you choose.

 

Depending on time of day there can be a bit of a queue for this part and little shade so don't forget the hat and the suntan cream :)

[laverendrye]

I took a Mekong cruise (Viking) in late March and early April and it was quite hot and humid, particularly as we got into April. This was in fact the last cruise of the season as the summer heat really begins in April. I had had a few days in Bangkok before starting the cruise so I was reasonably acclimatized by the time we started and didn't find it unbearable. The cabins and dining room on the boat were air conditioned, but most people spent much of their leisure time aboard on the top deck under a canopy where it was quite pleasant. The complimentary 222 beer (ba-ba-ba in Vietnamese) helped quite a bit! There was no pool as this was in the days before the really fancy riverboats appeared.

 

I brought and recommend good walking shoes, and certainly not flip-flops. While there were a number of tours on various types of pedi-cabs and even ox-carts, there was still a lot of walking, often on muddy streets and paths, as well in urban streets (HCMC/Saigon, Phnom-Penh, and Hanoi). As on most ships, we left shoes for the crew on returning to the ship for leaning, so you could certainly use sandals when aboard. As well, you must remove shoes on entering temples, and we seemed to visit quite a few.

 

 

If you have not yet booked your cruise, I would recommend starting in HCMC and ending in Hanoi, as the weather in the north was distinctly cooler than in the south and Cambodia and was quite pleasant. The southern weather just kept getting hotter and hotter. I can't recall the exact temperatures but they were certainly in the 40 to 45C range.

[willtup5]

We did the 13 day treasures of the Mekong with scenic. Was it hot? Yes! However scenic guides took great care of you with free flowing water, keeping you in the shade as much as possible. The best part was the oasis awaiting you on the scenic spirit . Those ice cold wash clothes awaiting you as you board are heaven. It is an awesome experience no matter how hot it is. Enjoy!

 

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[xpcdoojk]

We spent a few days near Ho Chi Minh City and Danang in April this year. It was hot as hades the entire time. Temps in the mid 90s with high humidity.

 

JC