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Journey along the Mekong

19th December 2014 Print
Vietnam woman Mekong

Embark on a journey up the Mekong River for a life-changing travel experience, featuring culturally immersive tours of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.

With a passion for supporting local economies and a focus on sustainability and travelling responsibly, Rickshaw Travel is a tour operator with a twist, taking travellers off the beaten path like no one else can. Through homestay experiences, each trip encourages travellers to not only meet the locals, but get to know them personally and understand each destination through local cultures and traditions. Whether drifting through the floating markets of Vietnam or waking up for a sunrise fishing trip with the villagers of Kompong Khleang, each and every journey is guaranteed to be the experience of a lifetime.

Guests are invited to combine three or more of the below bite-sized tours to create their version of the perfect voyage along the mighty Mekong River—be it full of adventure or at a relaxed, leisurely pace.

Lend a Hand in Hue

Rickshaw Travel recommend travellers begin their Mekong adventure in Hue, the ancient royal capital of Vietnam. Here the past still echoes through the stately Royal Citadels and monuments, the legacy of the Nguyen dynasty. During this Vietnam trip travellers will experience the real Hue as they venture by bike into the countryside with an English speaking guide and become immersed in the lives of the local farming community. Guests can try their hand at traditional fishing on the Perfume River (a tributary of the Mekong), help cook a local lunch and learn all about the rice harvest.

Along the Mekong to Cambodia

Travel by boat from Vietnam to Cambodia, sailing through small canals and past villages, islands and floating markets, before ending your trip in Phnom Penh. Travellers will get a glimpse of behind-the-scenes Vietnam on this tour where they’ll see locals doing laundry, plucking chickens and working the land. The trip includes a boat visit to Cai Rang floating market in the Mekong Delta and the opportunity to soak up the bustling vibe. Next travellers will continue overland to Chau Doc where many of the locals make a living from catching fish and cultivate personal fish farms under their floating houses.

Easy Going Phnom Penh

Explore remnants of the affects of many years of warfare at the Tuol Sleng Museum and the Killing Fields, and enjoy free time to explore this lively city, visiting the Silver Pagoda, walking along the boulevard, or having a look in the National Museum. An optional cookery course add-on is available in the capital where travellers can learn the art of Khmer cuisine. The cookery tour includes a trip to the fragrant local market where aspiring cooks, guided by their expert teacher, will select colourful, exotic fruit, vegetables, aromatic herbs and spices to use in their cooking.

Mekong, Dolphins and Laos

Travel along the mighty Mekong River from Cambodia towards Southern Laos through some of the most untainted and undeveloped areas in Cambodia, and get a real feel for life on one of the most famous rivers in the world. The first day is spent in Kratie, the village known for being the home of the endangered Irrawaddy fresh water dolphin. Travellers can take a boat trip or ask a local scooter driver to take them to the best dolphin-spotting areas.

Cambodian Hill Tribes and Totem Poles

Visit the real Cambodia - a remote area in the north eastern region, where friendly hill tribes live in virtual isolation. Each friendly Cambodian hill tribe has its own language, culture and traditions. During this trip from Stung Treng in Northern Cambodia to Banlung, travellers get to see the areas hidden from most tourists and experience a true glimpse of authentic hill tribe life.

Islands in the Mekong

Travel through Southern Laos along the mighty Mekong River and pass the island-filled Sipandone, where approximately 4000 islands emerge during the dry season. The pace of life here is wonderfully slow and most communities are self-sufficient, growing almost all of their own produce.

Experience Luang Prabang | Get to know this charming city at a calm, relaxed pace, and fall in love with the Laotian hospitality, lush greenery and extraordinary temples.

Morning Mists by the River

Those looking for a truly authentic slice of Laos will find it in the rural town of Nong Khiaw in the north of the country. Expect to find mighty rivers, mountains covered in lush vegetation and warm Laos hospitality on this bite-size trip.

Life on the Tonle Sap | This homestay module is a very special way to experience life on Cambodia's Tonle Sap Lake. On this short trip travellers will visit the virtually untouched village of Kompong Khleang and spend the night with a Khmer family in a traditional, simple stilt house. During the rainy season, the houses and the floodplains of the Tonle Sap Lake are surrounded by water.

Rickshaw Travel is committed to the countries they explore and care about the people within them. They support a chosen charity project in each of the destinations that they offer in order to give something back.

In Vietnam Rickshaw Travel support the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation, a grassroots charity that reaches out to street kids in crisis throughout Vietnam. These are children from very poor families or victims of human trafficking and slavery. Blue Dragon aim to break the poverty cycle by offering education and support to those most in need. From providing food and shelter to children on the street to rescuing a girl from a brothel and supporting her education, the foundation gives children a new chance in life.

Rickshaw Travel also supports the non-profit Cambodia-Dutch Foundation which is dedicated to improving the wellbeing of Cambodian people through various aid projects. The organisation raises funds and collects and distributes much needed items such as clothing, tools and toys to those in need.

Travellers can help Rickshaw Travel support the Blue Dragon Children’s Fountain and Cambodia-Dutch Foundation by making a small donation during the booking process. It is also possible for guests to visit the charity projects on some of the trips offered by Rickshaw.

For more information, visit rickshawtravel.co.uk.

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Vietnam woman Mekong