Mekong Eyes Cruise - Mekong One Day Tour
Mekong Eyes Cruise - Mekong One Day Tour
4.5
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About
Experience the lush and mystical world of Vietnam's Mekong delta aboard one of our luxurious river cruisers. Once a typical rice barge, the Mekong Eyes now offers beautifully decorated cabins and a stylish lounge area. Newly built in the traditional style of the Mekong delta river boats, the Dragon Eyes I and II offer luxury and more privacy with only two cabins each. Relax and enjoy the impressions on fantastic 2 and 3 day trips...
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Mekong Eyes Cruise - Mekong One Day Tour
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
414 reviews
Excellent
269
Very good
84
Average
42
Poor
17
Terrible
2
mongiali88
Stockholm, Sweden4 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
A unique and fantastic experience if you want to know more about Mekong delta culture and environment. The staff on board is simply lovely, food is amazing and all services and excursions included are really well structured to make you experience the best of Mekong region. Plus the company arrange everything for any additional request like speedboat to Cambodia, border trespassing and other transfers. To be selected if looking for cruises on Mekong delta, definitely the best option.
Written January 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bärbel D
5 contributions
Mar 2024 • Family
We had a lovely tour with our competent and funny guide. "Cutie". The ship , ( the Mekong Eyes 2 )was comfortable, with a large sun deck for enjoying the scenery and happy hour and breakfast. The food was excellent.
Written March 12, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shannon T
Montreal, Canada11 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
We did a 2 night, 3 day Mekong cruise on Dragon Eyes 1. 2 cabins and the second night we had the boat to ourselves. The food was excellent, fresh local ingredients and very creative with nice Vietnamese touches, too. Both lunch and supper were 4 courses. Morning and afternoon excursions on foot, bike or sapan. Relaxed and attentive crew. Our guide, Jonathan was very knowledgeable and spoke English very well.
Written April 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Álvaro S
21 contributions
Nov 2023 • Family
Amazing experience. Having the boat and the crew for you was magical. The boat was great and the cabins very comfortable.
Our tour guide showed us around with great care and attention. Also, probably the best food I had during my trip.
Worth the money!
Our tour guide showed us around with great care and attention. Also, probably the best food I had during my trip.
Worth the money!
Written November 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tharry
Brisbane, Australia35 contributions
We did this trip the day after arriving in saigon and it was an amazing way to kick of our vietnam tour. Relaxing, informative and entertaining. With only 8 people on board it enabled a lovely social atmosphere. So superb in every aspect. Service, food, cabin and itinerary.
Written November 2, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Go Far Grow Close
Vancouver, Canada60 contributions
Mar 2016 • Family
There are lots of positive things to say about our 3 day 2 night trip from Cai Be to Can Ton and back again. The boat was lovely with lots of room. We had the boat to ourselves with two large and nicely appointed cabins. Food was delicious and there was lots of it. The service was very good and the staff were very friendly. We had a fun cooking lesson and the fresh fruit juice with rum were delicious!
The negatives were that the itinerary that we had left a lot of time doing nothing on the boat. One day cruising for 8 hours watching the life along the Mekong Delta is a lot of time and the second day needs to offer a lot more. We did go into a village and visit a floating market. This was interesting. However then there were hours of doing nothing. If you are exhausted perhaps this is ideal but if you are an active family with curious teens, it's a bit dull.
I was also disappointed by the views. I had imagined being surrounded by jungle and small villages and we did see a little bit of this. However, there was a lot of industry along the way and large commercial boats. We seemed to be going under lots of busy bridges teeming with cars and motorcycles. Perhaps there were better locations and itineraries for a Mekong Delta cruise.
We had a private boat for our family and for the day, we had the run of the boat which was lovely. But one morning, I couldn't sleep so left my cabin to go to the top deck, the only place where there was wifi. There, I found our crew sleeping on the lounge chairs. Then I went to the other lounge space on the first level and found another crew member asleep. I had no choice but to go back to my cabin and lie in the dark waiting for the boat to start cruising at 6:30 am. I don't want the crew to be uncomfortable but I expect to be able to leave my cabin and go sit somewhere if I can't sleep and I don't want to disturb my husband.
Finally, I found check out unpleasant. We had to be out of our cabin by 8:00 am and luggage at the front of the boat. They then jam packed all these activities that were so lacking on the second day - a small boat tour along small canals, a bike ride in a town, learning how to make candy, visiting a floating minibar- all with the purpose so that they could get the boat cleaned and ready for the next group. However, it felt like our adventure was over already and it felt funny doing all these things in the last 2 1/2 hours of our trip. When we got back to the boat, our ride back to Ho Chi Minh was not available so we were told we could go sit upstairs on the lounge chairs to wait. Fifteen minutes later, we were kind of hustled out the door because the next group had already arrived and were sitting in the first level lounge. We had to walk by them on our way out. It felt kind of awkward, like we were unwelcome and needed to be ejected. Then our transport (provided by Mekong Eyes) still had not arrived and we sat outside, with locals who were smoking, on ridiculous small plastic chairs waiting, without any explanation of what was going on.
The trip is expensive relative to what your money buys in Vietnam. If they are going to charge a lot, then the whole experience needs to be a lot better.
The negatives were that the itinerary that we had left a lot of time doing nothing on the boat. One day cruising for 8 hours watching the life along the Mekong Delta is a lot of time and the second day needs to offer a lot more. We did go into a village and visit a floating market. This was interesting. However then there were hours of doing nothing. If you are exhausted perhaps this is ideal but if you are an active family with curious teens, it's a bit dull.
I was also disappointed by the views. I had imagined being surrounded by jungle and small villages and we did see a little bit of this. However, there was a lot of industry along the way and large commercial boats. We seemed to be going under lots of busy bridges teeming with cars and motorcycles. Perhaps there were better locations and itineraries for a Mekong Delta cruise.
We had a private boat for our family and for the day, we had the run of the boat which was lovely. But one morning, I couldn't sleep so left my cabin to go to the top deck, the only place where there was wifi. There, I found our crew sleeping on the lounge chairs. Then I went to the other lounge space on the first level and found another crew member asleep. I had no choice but to go back to my cabin and lie in the dark waiting for the boat to start cruising at 6:30 am. I don't want the crew to be uncomfortable but I expect to be able to leave my cabin and go sit somewhere if I can't sleep and I don't want to disturb my husband.
Finally, I found check out unpleasant. We had to be out of our cabin by 8:00 am and luggage at the front of the boat. They then jam packed all these activities that were so lacking on the second day - a small boat tour along small canals, a bike ride in a town, learning how to make candy, visiting a floating minibar- all with the purpose so that they could get the boat cleaned and ready for the next group. However, it felt like our adventure was over already and it felt funny doing all these things in the last 2 1/2 hours of our trip. When we got back to the boat, our ride back to Ho Chi Minh was not available so we were told we could go sit upstairs on the lounge chairs to wait. Fifteen minutes later, we were kind of hustled out the door because the next group had already arrived and were sitting in the first level lounge. We had to walk by them on our way out. It felt kind of awkward, like we were unwelcome and needed to be ejected. Then our transport (provided by Mekong Eyes) still had not arrived and we sat outside, with locals who were smoking, on ridiculous small plastic chairs waiting, without any explanation of what was going on.
The trip is expensive relative to what your money buys in Vietnam. If they are going to charge a lot, then the whole experience needs to be a lot better.
Written March 28, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robbie4817
Townsville, Australia50 contributions
Mar 2015 • Couples
We did the two night cruise from HCMC to Phnom Penh, was disappointed that it was not explained that we would take a 4 hour bus ride down and then and also that there would be a 5 hour speedboat ride from Cho Doc to Phom Penh. It is a very expensive way to get from HCMC to Phnom Penh. Facilites were ok, rooms were clean. Food was OK but nothing extraordinary. Found the sharing arrangement of food with others to be a bit bizarre. The squalor of the delta itself is disappointing. Glad to have done the cruise but would not do it again even if given the opportunity. All the little side excursions are money making adventures for the village inhabitants. Found safety to be an issue when getting on and off the smaller boats to the bigger boats.
Written March 11, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Doyle1788
London, UK28 contributions
Jan 2015
The trip was amazing, would highly recommend it, the food on board was beautiful, and staff was very helpful and friendly. We enjoyed the trips the out also. The only thing that let it down for us was due to flights didn't get to see everything we wanted to and would maybe recommend an extra night on the boat to ensure can see everything. The trip is very expensive also. and perhaps the staff could have let us know where to get our own drinks from After hours, but forgetting all this I loved it and will be recommending to anyone who goes Vietnam! The staff and accommodation really made our stay! Thank you
Written January 18, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GulliversPet
Brussels, Belgium31 contributions
Jul 2013 • Solo
I do not really have much to criticize about Mekong Eyes as a company or the service they provide. The boat is in excellent condition, the cabins are relatively spacious with almost luxurious bathrooms, and the on-board food is excellent. The English of the staff is limited, and I found it a bit cheap that one had to sign a receipt each and every time ordering a Coke or bottle of water, but these are small things.
The reason I give this only 3 stars is that I found the Mekong Delta just not to be that interesting. Perhaps my expectations were too high. I was expecting to see lots of houses on stilts and rice farmers and monkeys in trees. The reality was very different. The banks of the river are very built up, mostly with ugly concrete buildings, and are littered with trash. Even the floating market was little more than a small handful of boats selling some basic produce. Nothing especially interesting or pretty or even photo-worthy.
Again, I cannot really fault Meking Eyes, as they did a fine job and I was very impressed by the quality of the boat and the food served on-board. Everything was very well organized. But I certainly do not think the destination warrants the excursion, especially considering the 6 hours spent in a van to get to the river and back.
The reason I give this only 3 stars is that I found the Mekong Delta just not to be that interesting. Perhaps my expectations were too high. I was expecting to see lots of houses on stilts and rice farmers and monkeys in trees. The reality was very different. The banks of the river are very built up, mostly with ugly concrete buildings, and are littered with trash. Even the floating market was little more than a small handful of boats selling some basic produce. Nothing especially interesting or pretty or even photo-worthy.
Again, I cannot really fault Meking Eyes, as they did a fine job and I was very impressed by the quality of the boat and the food served on-board. Everything was very well organized. But I certainly do not think the destination warrants the excursion, especially considering the 6 hours spent in a van to get to the river and back.
Written July 29, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PickACard
Los Angeles, CA26 contributions
Dec 2011 • Couples
First of all, you need to understand that the departure point for this trip is nearly four hours outside of HCMC, despite the fact that it's touted as being round-trip "from Saigon." This was not a welcome surprise.
The boat itself is fine; nothing extravagant or luxurious like other reviews and the promotional literature claim, but clean and pleasant. The on-board staff are friendly and the food was decent Vitenamese fare; again, nothing amazing, but fresh, tasty and well presented.
The tour itself was a bit of a letdown. We paid extra to have the private attention and service of the Dragon Eyes staff but management really dropped the ball here. The personal attention you are supposed to get from the guides is lost as most times their English is un-decipherable.
At the 'ancient house' tour we were forced to sit around and wait an hour and a half for another couple who were joining us on the Dragon Eyes. While passengers from the Mekong Eyes arrived on bikes and were treated to lunch, we were forced to sit in the heat outside after having walked, not biked, to the attraction (which, to be honest, wasn't much of an attraction in the first place.) When we complained the manager begrudgingly took us on a five minute bike ride ('ride' not 'tour', as nothing we rode past was described to us) around the village. What a joke.
A second major irritation was having to wait for the Mekong Eyes passengers to disembark before the four hour trip back to HCMC. With twenty + passengers on their boat and a slow credit card processing machine gumming up people trying to settle their bills, once again we had to wait in the heat for the second boat. Not the kind of service we paid a 40% up-charge for. To top it off, when asked what the hold up was the manager told us we would be leaving 'in about 10 minutes.' Forty five minutes later no one had disembarked from the Mekong Eyes and people were still actually eating in the dining room. Flat out lies from the manager. When we complained (vociferously) he did get us on a bus immediately, but his promise to have the owner contact us about our grievances that evening has four days later gone unfulfilled.
To sum up: terrible upper-level service from a mediocre, yet quite expensive tour. If you must see use this company, I'd recommend you sweat it out with the masses on the Mekong Eyes and save the extra money; the Dragon Eyes simply isn't worth it.
The boat itself is fine; nothing extravagant or luxurious like other reviews and the promotional literature claim, but clean and pleasant. The on-board staff are friendly and the food was decent Vitenamese fare; again, nothing amazing, but fresh, tasty and well presented.
The tour itself was a bit of a letdown. We paid extra to have the private attention and service of the Dragon Eyes staff but management really dropped the ball here. The personal attention you are supposed to get from the guides is lost as most times their English is un-decipherable.
At the 'ancient house' tour we were forced to sit around and wait an hour and a half for another couple who were joining us on the Dragon Eyes. While passengers from the Mekong Eyes arrived on bikes and were treated to lunch, we were forced to sit in the heat outside after having walked, not biked, to the attraction (which, to be honest, wasn't much of an attraction in the first place.) When we complained the manager begrudgingly took us on a five minute bike ride ('ride' not 'tour', as nothing we rode past was described to us) around the village. What a joke.
A second major irritation was having to wait for the Mekong Eyes passengers to disembark before the four hour trip back to HCMC. With twenty + passengers on their boat and a slow credit card processing machine gumming up people trying to settle their bills, once again we had to wait in the heat for the second boat. Not the kind of service we paid a 40% up-charge for. To top it off, when asked what the hold up was the manager told us we would be leaving 'in about 10 minutes.' Forty five minutes later no one had disembarked from the Mekong Eyes and people were still actually eating in the dining room. Flat out lies from the manager. When we complained (vociferously) he did get us on a bus immediately, but his promise to have the owner contact us about our grievances that evening has four days later gone unfulfilled.
To sum up: terrible upper-level service from a mediocre, yet quite expensive tour. If you must see use this company, I'd recommend you sweat it out with the masses on the Mekong Eyes and save the extra money; the Dragon Eyes simply isn't worth it.
Written January 2, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear PickACard,
Thank you for your review on Tripadvisor. We are happy to hear that you found our Dragon Eyes clean and pleasant, our staff friendly and the food fresh, tasty and well presented.
We are sorry that you were not fully happpy with the tour itself! You are mentioning the English levels of our guides. We know that the English pronouncation of most tourism professionals in the Mekong Delta, including our local staff has room for improvement and we are continously doing our best to train them.
Regarding your remark that the tours are „touted as being round trip from Saigon“ I am a bit puzzled I must admit. We are indeed offering three types of tours (Round trips from Saigon, Tours from Saigon to Phnom Penh and from Saigon to Phu Quoc or vice versa). In all our tour descriptions (e.g. on our website www.MekongEyes.com) we make it quite clear that the transfer from Saigon to the pier in Cai Be (2 h by car) or in Can Tho (4h by car) are overland by car and not by boat. I don’t know through whom you have booked your tour and if your travel agent forgot to inform you about the detailed itinerary.
We would like to apologize about the occasions in which you had to wait for your fellow passengers or the slow credit card processing. I understand your point that such organisational mishaps are not appropriate for such a tour and we are inquiring what went wrong when you were on board in order to avoid such nuisances in the future.
C. Bauer, marketing manager Mekong Eyes
Written August 8, 2012
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hi there,
I have an upcoming 2 night cruise (round trip from SGN) and wondering what time the visit to the floating market in Can Tho takes place on the final morning, and return time to the boat after the market and noodle factory visit?
I need to disembark a little earlier on the morning of departure for a private transfer (around 10am) due to a flight reschedule and the information provided from Mekong Eyes regarding the schedule is a little unclear and is still being clarified..
If any previous travellers can help with any details of the Can Tho morning activity timings that would be greatly appreciated. The floating market seems like a highlight not to be missed!
Thankyou :)
Written February 17, 2023
Can you tell me whether you do any western food served at lunches or evening dinners please on your three day tours
Written April 15, 2018
Hi Karin both meals were set & were exceptional, there was an Asian slant but not extreme, however you can state dietary requirements prior to taking the trip, when we went there were a couple of vegitatarians who were well catered for. Breakfasts are standard buffet type with the addition of eggs any way you choose. We took the two days one night cruise & found this plenty, we did the same on Ha Long Bay. Hope you enjoy yourself it’s a great experience
.
Written April 16, 2018
Was this a 3 day tour staying on a junk, any idea of approx. cost. Thanks.
Written January 16, 2018
yes basically and well worth it - cost depends on time of year so worth speaking with them. See my review but we loved it and highly recommend
Written January 16, 2018
Hi do you remember which boat of theirs you went on?
Written March 27, 2017
Can you please tell me which boat you went on. Was it one you shared or private boat.
Written March 27, 2017
Sorry, can't find the paperwork on the name of the boat. We had a great time, would do it again. The boat had a terrific crew mostly young, but enthusiastic and just a joy to be around. The bartender was Quyen (Queen) and she collects Hot Wheel car, and hard to believe but I had one in my bag and was able to give her one. Beer was $2. The crew Hau, Thong, Then, Lam. I thought the boat was called the Mekong Eyes. We also did the Halong Bay boat trip, two different kinds of trips. We liked them both.If you go remember to take a Hot Wheel car for Quyen. Tell her and the crew we said hello.
Written April 27, 2017
How much would be Mekong Eyes Cruise Day tour? Duration? Dress code: Shorts and sleeveless is it ok for lady? Does it include pick up and drop off to hotel? We are small of group 3pax only.... Any advance booking require??
Written January 15, 2017
Dear Natal L.
We can offer you the following options:
As your inquiry, I would like to suggest your guests about Ben Tre option. It’s one of nice countryside that belongs to might Mekong Delta. It’s also the closest area that is still good enough for guests on authentic Mekong exploration. When they do this, they will join a plenty of interesting activities, like: seeing how to produce brick, coconut processes (coconut husking, coconut candy making), mat weaving, cycling under shady coconut forest or lush orchards, sampan rowing… Hereunder is details of itinerary & good pricing for group of 03 persons:
[Option] Saigon – Ben Tre – Saigon
Meals: lunch | Accommodation: N/A
We depart from your hotel at 8am and make our way through Saigon traffic. We arrive in Ben Tre about 10am and board a boat straight away for a nice cruise along the Ham Luong River. We go at easy pace and enjoy several stops en route to discover some traditional know-how of the region. They have been passed from generations to generations for centuries and practices were kept intact.
To end a busy morning and prepare for a slightly late lunch, we hop on bikes and start a leisure ride through forest and orchards. We reach a nice riverside restaurant and get ready to finally taste some typical cuisine of the Mekong delta.
The afternoon is dedicated to waterways exploration. On a sampan along narrow canals first, and then back on the boat to cruise back to the pier. We loop-the-loop in Ben Tre, and we start our drive back to Saigon. Arrival at your hotel is expected around 5pm.
Tour price:
85usd/person
*Above price is valid for private tour for this group of 03 participants only
Included
· Boat cruise on Mekong River
· Visits, sampan rides, bicycle rides as mentioned in the program
· Meals as specified in the program
· Travel in an appropriate air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced driver
· The services of an experienced English-speaking guide
· All entrance fees
· VAT and other taxes
Not included
· Hotel in Saigon
· Beverages, guide gratuities and personal expenses.
· Insurance
· Surcharge in peak season (Christmas & New Year)
The suggested dress code is totally ok.
Kind regards,
Axel
Written January 16, 2017
Hi I was wondering on the prices of drinks and is there other cost that I need to factor in.
Thanks we are thinks of the 3 day Mekong eye trip.
Written September 18, 2016
The prices for cocktails and wine are consistent with Western prices. Beer is more reasonable. They give u a complimentary cocktail each day.
There r no other extra expenses except gratuities.
Written September 19, 2016
Is there a bar and sunbeds on all boats?
Written August 27, 2016
On the boat we were on (2 cabin), they had 1 or 2 types of beer. The mixed drink I had was not very good. I believe that they also had wine. As far as sun beds, they had 4 (1 for each potential person onboard)
Written September 3, 2016
I_would_like_to_know_if_there_are_cabins_for_3 family members please?
Written February 12, 2016
There is only a queen size bed on the Gecko Eyes boat but they have a boat for two couples and a larger one with 15 cabins - this may suit you
Written February 13, 2016
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