My Mekong Delta cruise was one of those perfect trips in which I wouldn’t change much, if anything at all. I knew I needed to get from Ho Chi Mihn to Phnom Pehn and a 6-hour bus ride didn’t sound appealing, so I opted for the pricier, more enjoyable boat ride. The trip took 2 days with multiple stops along the way at various villages, farms and markets.

The Mekong Delta is the lifeblood of Vietnam. The delta is used for everything from transportation, to fishing, to real estate for floating markets and houseboats. Rundown houses line the shore, with plumbing dropping directly into the river. It’s eye opening to see ladies washing their clothes, and children swimming, with sewage being pumped into the river not 100 feet away. Needless to say, the Mekong is very contaminated.

Along the river we stopped at markets and workshops where workers “made” their product in front of us, though I wonder how much of this was staged for tourists.

Boat for a Sunset Cruise

That evening we were bussed to a very remote village to board a boat for a sunset cruise. Upon arriving at the village, children came running out of every house, chasing the bus all the way down to the shore. It was cute to see so many Vietnamese kids so excited to see Westerners – and they loved having their pictures taken.

The sunset was blood red and gorgeous, and while pictures don’t do the moment justice, I tried to capture it.

The next day was all about crossing the border, a process I found extremely sketchy and disorganized. The weird thing is, while all of the tour books tell you how to not be scammed during boarder crossing sometimes it is impossible when your tour guide is the one scamming you.

Our tour guide charged us a few dollars extra for the Cambodian visa, but when we challenged him he wouldn’t budge. I also had to pay for an extra form and picture – both of which shouldn’t of coast anything. I have no words of advice on this process other than to maybe get a visa in advance and not at the border.