It is impossible for me to hear the words “Mekong Delta” and not think of that famous scene in Apocalypse Now – the one in which Colonel Kilgore (played by a young, buff Robert Duvall) rips off his shirt during battle on a river bank as the sky explodes with shrapnel behind him. Kilgore has decided to take the beach for no other reason than because he intends to surf it. “I love the smell of napalm in the morning,” he says calmly as his soldiers dive for cover. And then, with obvious regret, “Some day this war’s gonna end.”
Kilgore was right, of course – the war did end. Not well for the U.S. side, either. Nearly half a century on, the Mekong Delta is still here and still very much controlled by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – a fact that would surely boil Kilgore’s blood.
But today this place is anything but hellish. In fact, it’s close to heavenly in parts – a vast, churning body of water lined with palm trees and furnished with fast-floating tangles of lotus flowers. No wonder this area of the world is fast becoming a leader in small riverboat cruises. As the popularity of such journeys increases, operators look for ever-more exotic locations to set sail. Europe, where the trend started, can seem tired to retiring baby boomers who demand a more adventurous, yet intimate, culturally connected experience. The Mekong – with its staggering beauty, exotic wildlife and tumultuous history – is ideally suited.
I catch my first glimpse of the 4,350-kilometre-long waterway when I arrive in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). My small group leaves our hotel and takes a speedboat upriver to a restaurant called the Deck. There we sit on a patio overlooking the Mekong, feasting on sparkling wine and shellfish, watching fishing boats glide by. The Mekong is a busy trading route, and cargo ships and water merchants can be seen on the water at all hours of the day and night. Like so many things in this outwardly placid but inwardly strong culture, the Mekong’s calm surface belies a powerful undercurrent.
The river is beautiful and easy to get lost in, but underestimate it at your own peril.
The following morning we say goodbye to the swirling, smoggy delights of Ho Chi Minh and embark on the main leg of our journey, a four-day cruise that will take us up the Mekong, out of Vietnam and into Cambodia, ending in that country’s capital city, Phnom Penh. Our ship? Well, it’s not a ship, really. More of a floating boutique hotel. The new 205-foot Aqua Mekong, built right here in Ho Chi Minh, is the latest addition to a fleet of small, luxury cruise vessels owned by Francesco Galli Zugaro. Zugaro, originally sales and marketing director for a tour company in the Galapagos, got his start in the boat business in 2008 when he launched his first river cruise, Aqua Amazon, out of Peru. Another followed shortly after, and before long Zugaro had cast his eye across the globe to Southeast Asia.
The idea behind these cruises is to give guests what Zugaro calls an “eye-level” view of some of the world’s most storied rivers from a sleek, contemporary environment. For design lovers, the 40-passenger boat is a slice of paradise: a clean, cool oasis compared with the humid, busy river outside. Amenities include a dipping pool on the bow, an air-conditioned indoor gym at the stern and a spa, lounge and games room in between. The rooms, which feature floor-to-ceiling windows, are airy, bright and spacious (320 square feet) – exactly the opposite of what you might expect.
On our first full day on the river we drop anchor after breakfast and take a skiff into the Cai Be floating market – a choppy bay of brightly painted boats loaded down with the biggest dragon fruit and persimmons I’ve ever seen. Using the Aqua’s on-board fleet of bicycles, we pedal around villages, stopping to observe the production of handmade coconut candies and popping rice cakes. If you’re interested in Buddhist temples, take note: You will not go far without seeing one, their ornate carvings and cascading gold paint standing in stark contrast to the simple, rustic village huts. (One wonders what the Buddha would make of such glaring disparity.)
We return to the boat for lunch, then it’s off again to Binh Thanh island to visit with mat-makers in their communal temple. We are back on board in time for a fragrant massage in the spa, followed by cocktails at the bar and dinner. Not exactly a loll-around-the-deck-on-sun-loungers sort of cruise, but this suits my restless travelling nature just fine.
Food on a cruise, I discovered quickly, is a bit of a Thing. This being my first river cruise, I found it strange (although in retrospect, entirely obvious) that every single meal would be taken in the same restaurant and prepared by the same chef. While I recognize this is one of the main reasons many holidaymakers choose a cruise in the first place (i.e. they know exactly where their food is coming from and will not be forced to eat the local food) I was apprehensive. Culinary curiosity and omnivorous greed is, for me, one of the main motivators to see the world: Essentially, I want to eat it.
But thanks to chef David Thompson, a British-born Singaporean transplant, the food was anything but samey or – worse – blandly Western. We dined on gloriously crispy spring rolls, regional curries and spicy noodles (to taste) topped with the Vietnamese mainstays of fresh mint, bean sprouts and lime. Even the single foray into European food – pizza night – was tastily executed.
Day two on the river and it was off on the skiff again to the Tam Nong bird sanctuary, a wetland forest and national park. I opt to sleep in instead because I’m just not much of a birder, and judging by the underwhelmed guests at lunch, I was right to (to be fair, the Aqua Mekong team is still working out the bugs in the excursion itinerary).
That night, as we sleep, the ship glides quietly into Cambodia. We are up at 6:30 a.m. and back on the skiff. And if the birds (or lack thereof) were a letdown, this excursion more than makes up for it. We go ashore and hop on a convoy of tuk-tuks (basically bicycle-powered rickshaws) for a tour of Koh Oknha Tey, a traditional village filled with smiling, waving children, ornate wooden cottages and an extraordinary silk-weaving cottage industry. We watch workers tease bundles of gossamer from industrious live silkworms. Vegetable dye boils in great nearby pots, and a dozen or so women work deftly on open-air hand looms. While the vast majority of cheap silk for sale in this part of Southeast Asia is manufactured in sweatshops, it’s a pleasant window into the past. Naturally, you are encouraged to buy a scarf or 12, which we do.
The evening is a special one. It is our last night on the river (tomorrow we’ll disembark in Phnom Penh) so time for a farewell treat: pink champagne cocktails on a deserted island beach at sundown.
As the heat of the day fades into cool dusk, we sit on beach mats sipping our drinks and gazing out at the perpetual flow of the Mekong. This river has seen horrors in the recent past – war, genocide and bloody revolution – but tonight we will toast its peaceful beauty and calm resilience. If only Col. Kilgore could see us.
IF YOU GO
Cathay Pacific runs direct daily flights to Hong Kong from Toronto and Vancouver. From there, multiple airlines offer flights to Ho Chi Minh City. cathaypacific.com
The 205-foot-long Aqua Mekong features 20 suites, eight with private balconies. Interconnecting cabins are available for family or groups travelling together. The three-night discovery cruise (between Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and either Siem Reap, Cambodia, or Saigon, Vietnam) starts at $3,315 (U.S.) a person, based on double occupancy. Fare includes all meals and beverages (non-alcoholic, house wine and beer) while on board, all excursions, transfers to/from vessel and the meeting points in Siem Reap and Saigon, entrance fees and wireless Internet. aquaexpeditions.com
WHERE TO STAY
In Ho Chi Minh City, a good choice from the major chains is the soon-to-be refurbished Park Hyatt Saigon (from $400). For something smaller, try the French-run Ma Maison (from $100, including breakfast) or the charming and less-expensive Cinnamon Hotel near the Ben Thanh Market (from $80).
The writer travelled as a guest of Aqua Mekong. It did not review or approve this article.