Uniworld Timeless Wonders of Vietnam & Cambodia Cruise: Chau Doc

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Sam Mountain and Tay An Pagoda in Chau Doc, Vietnam

Uniworld Timeless Wonders of Vietnam & Cambodia Cruise: Chau Doc

DAY 5: CHAU DOC, VIETNAM

Speedboat to Chau Doc

This morning’s included excursion on our Uniworld Mekong River cruise took us to Chau Doc, Vietnam. Our groups were picked up from River Orchid by speedboat and at 8 AM we were cruising along the small canals and river en-route to our destination at Sam Mountain. The 75-minute boat ride was fascinating as we cruised past homes on stilts, locals fishing in the river and lots of agricultural lands.

House on Stilts near Chau Doc

Boat on the Hau River in Vietnam

Boatman near Chau Doc

INTERESTING FACTS – CHAU DOC:

• Chau Doc is a city in Vietnam
• Is in the An Giang Province bordering Cambodia
• Is in the Mekong Delta region
• Has a population of approximately 157,000
• Is located by the Hau River and Vinh Te Canal

Old Meets New in Chau Doc, Vietnam

Boats near Chau Doc

Once we arrived at the boat dock it was then about a 10-minute easy stroll along the road through the town to Tay An Pagoda. All the while, our group guide, Phoung, accompanied us and explained the sights along the way.

Visiting Tay An Pagoda in Chau Doc, Vietnam

Inside Tay An Pagoda in Chau Doc, Vietnam

Local Kids in Chau Doc

INTERESTING FACTS – SAM MOUNTAIN:

• Is 4 miles southwest of Chau Doc
• Has been a sacred site for hundreds of years
• Is the site of many shrines, pagodas and ancient tombs
• Tay An Pagoda (temple) lies at the base of Sam Mountain
• Tay An Pagoda was originally constructed in 1847, but the current structure was built in 1958
• Tay An Pagoda has Hindu, Islamic and Asian influences in its architecture
• Tay An Pagoda is guarded by statues of a black elephant and a white elephant

FLOATING FISH FARM VISIT

By 10:20 AM we were back on the speedboat and making our way to visit a floating fish farm where we were able to see the family house, meet the fish farmers and watch the fish being fed.

Chau Doc Floating Fish Farm Visit

Floating Fish Farms in Chau Doc

At noon we were back aboard River Orchid and ready for lunch in the Dining Room. It was also time for our local Vietnamese guides (that had been with us since Ho Chi Minh City) to leave. As we were entering Cambodia on the Mekong River, we would have new guides that would be with us for the duration of our stay in their country.

Fishing in Chau Doc

Fish Farms along the Mekong River

CRUISING THE MEKONG RIVER INTO CAMBODIA

The remainder of our afternoon was spent cruising the Mekong River into Cambodia (Cambodian immigration boarded River Orchid and cleared crew and passengers to continue on) and towards Phnom Penh.

Tropical Fruit

Executive Chef and Assistant Give Tropical Fruit Demo

During the cruise, Cruise Manager Ha gave a very interesting presentation about Indochina. Later in the afternoon we enjoyed a tropical fruit demonstration – of course there were samples after the demo.

After watching another brilliant sunset from the sundeck on River Orchid it was time to make our way to the Dining Room for another scrumptious dinner – this time inspired by Cambodian flavors and ingredients.

Sunset on The Mekong River in Cambodia

A Pol Pot documentary was played in the TV/Movie room – a rather sobering and intense account of what we would hear more about during The Killing Fields excursion.

Next… Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City | Day 2: Cu Chi Tunnels | Day 3: Saigon City Tour | Day 3: Embarkation | Day 4: Cai Be | Day 4: Sa Dec |

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