Surprises and delights along the mighty Mekong

Sunday, 28 September 2025

Surprises and delights along the mighty Mekong

Veteran travel writer and world traveller, Peter Needham, explores the ancient Mekong River aboard CF Mekong's quaint and delightful Toun Tiou II

A hearty, foaming stein of fine pilsner in a German-Vietnamese brewery bar; an ascent to the top of a mountain by Austrian cable car; a bird-watching trip on a jungle waterway and a placid cruise with a friendly crew down one of the world’s great rivers.

Those are just some of the ingredients that make for a highly enjoyable visit to Vietnam, sailing down the Mekong from Cambodia on the good ship Toum Tiou II, operated by CroisiEurope’s CFMekong River Cruises.

There are plenty of other little touches to the trip: a speedboat excursion; a perfectly presentable impromptu haircut for just $4; roadside snacks of every description; salty smoked cheese like thick string (apparently Armenian/Georgian and introduced by the Russians); carrot and winter melon soup (which is delicious); biking and kayaking, pagodas and temples, fine meals aboard and camaraderie all the way.

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I’ve visited Vietnam before, several times over the years – the first time just a few years after the end of the Vietnam War (which the Vietnamese, with justification, call “the American War”). Vietnam’s infrastructure continues to improve while the sights and flavour of the country – the essence that makes you want to visit and re-visit – remains undiminished.

The legions of bicycles that used to swish around Saigon’s city streets have long since given way to mopeds, cars and (increasingly) to stylish Vinfast electric taxis, GrabBikes and GrabTaxis – but Vietnam’s pulse and soul are intact.

Tourist sampans prepare for departure on the Mekong Delta (Roderick Eime)

In many cases, roads are better. The highway between Saigon (officially Ho Chi Minh City) and Phnom Penh is so smooth these days, and the coaches such excellent value (US$35 one-way), you would hardly bother to fly the route, unless you’re in a hurry. You can fly into Ho Chi Minh City (plenty of flights there from Australia) and the excellent state of the road to Cambodia lets take a coach to Phnom Penh to start your Mekong cruise.

The road between Ho Chi Minh and Phnom Penh is flat and straight, and the Giant Ibis coach is so plush (complete with WiFi and air conditioning) you can even read a book if you wish. Most people prefer to gaze at the passing view, but being able to read gives an idea of the smoothness of the journey. (Compare that to trying to read on a Sydney bus!)

Sun deck on Toum Tiou II (supplied)

But enough about road travel. The Mekong is the star, aboard the river cruise vessel Toum Tiou II, operated by CroisiEurope’s CFMekong River Cruises. This boutique 38-metre ship suits the river, being in scale with local infrastructure and culture – which can’t be said for the ostentatious, Danube-cruise-style vessels plying the waterway, some with their own swimming pools. These seem highly incongruous on this working river, fringed with little villages and fish farms.

By contrast, Toum Tiou II is at home in its surroundings. It sleeps just 28 passengers, maximum, in 14 berths, plus the crew. A six-day/five-night cruise gives plenty of time to meet your shipmates. The food, prepared by trained chefs, is superb, with cooked breakfasts; a la carte lunches and four-course dinners. Cooking for a limited number of guests lets the chefs excel. The result is evident every day.

Nights are lively; one of the crew on my cruise was an astoundingly good dancer – comparisons with Michael Jackson were made, over a few drinks.

Sa Dec in the Mekong Delta (PN)

Sights and experiences roll along with the wide brown river. A motorboat and rowing boat tour winds through verdant Tra Su Forest, full of floating lotus blossoms and visiting birds. Then there’s the cable car ride to the summit of Sam Mountain, a spectacular experience gliding to the heights on a 900-metre-long cable car system installed by Austria's Doppelmayr. Take in sweeping vistas of Chau Doc City, the distant border of Vietnam and Cambodia, rice paddies and Hang Pagoda, perched on a cliff.

My cruise ended at Saigon docks, Ho Chi Minh City. Delicious, cheap eateries abound in this city, with much variety. Enjoying breakfast streetside one morning I ordered chicken pho, a Vietnamese speciality. My dining companion chose a pepperoni pizza and a banana milkshake. Why not!

Hoavien Craft Brewery (PN)

For an evening change of style from Vietnamese fare, don’t miss Hoavien Craft Brewery, purveyor of fine beers, steak and wine. You can sink German-style steins and devour great grills here – hearty beefsteak, lamb ribs, Russian salad. There’s even an Argentine steakhouse in this city, under the name El Gaucho. Be advised: it isn’t cheap and, when I visited, waiters outnumbered diners. Maybe I chose the wrong day.

As for hotels, I stayed at the Liberty Hotel Saigon Parkview in Ho Chi Minh City and the Anik Palace Hotel in Phnom Penh. Both are fine, comfortable establishments, well situated and very moderately priced by Australian standards.

Liberty Hotel Saigon Parkview faces a pleasant park and is a short stroll (just a couple of minutes) down some fascinating alleys to Bui Vien Street, which comprises three main streets: Bui Vien, De Tham, and Pham Ngu Lao. By night, this becomes a fascinating walking precinct, a perfect place to catch the passing parade; backpacker heaven, crammed with restaurants, coffee shops, hostels, pubs, and bars. This was where I obtained my haircut for the equivalent of four Australian dollars. A snip!