If you are looking for an alternative way to travel to Cambodia, I can recommend the ferry trip up the Mekong River.
After an amazing three weeks in Vietnam, during which we travelled the country via bus, train, and plane, we were keen to hop on a ferry to complete this leg of our Southeast Asian adventure on the water. After all, the famous Mighty Mekong River is a major form of transport throughout Southeast Asia, and for these Kiwi travellers, the experience of voyaging from one country to another on a massive river was a novelty.
We spent the night before departure in Chau Doc, a tiny township in southern Vietnam on the shores of the Mekong River. This is where the ferry trip starts. Over five and a half – six hours, it makes its speedy way north to eventually dock at Phnom Penh, our first destination in Cambodia.
The trip is a marvel of space, scale, cultural surprises, charms, and picturesque views. The vastness of the Mekong is eye-popping, and its extensive stretch of water provides unexpected visual space after days of visual overload travelling the more populous parts of Vietnam.
During the first leg, we spotted fishermen and women casually getting on with their day, fishing for their family, village, and local economy. Catching food from the river is a hugely important part of their subsistence lifestyle. We marvelled at how agile and relaxed they looked as they squatted on flat, narrow wooden boats, nets, and rods, working, maybe a small, rolly cigarette being puffed. This peek into people’s lives was a study in perseverance and true resilience, and is so far from our day-to-day lives in NZ, we found it fascinating and a real privilege to witness.
Unexpectedly, not long after departure, the boat chugged into a small docking station in the middle of nowhere, where we were all commanded to exit the boat and then directed toward a surprisingly functional, bland building with snack bars and souvenirs. This is where the Vietnamese officials check that you have an exit visa before allowing you to depart. The experience was rather like being promised a treat but left wondering that, as much as we enjoyed gazing across the river on a purpose-built platform accessible through aluminium sliding doors, milling around with nothing to do for over an hour was a perplexing exercise. Not even the souvenirs enticed many to buy to fill in the time!
But soon, we reboarded the fully loaded ferry, which was now motoring north closer to the Cambodian border. The border was made up of a wooden pontoon platform, this one flying the prettily fluttering red, white, and blue Cambodian flag, and was manned by a very serious-looking official.
Before we disembark, the ferry guide takes all our paperwork, money, and passports (a disconcerting feeling), which are then delivered (as we later discovered) to other officials in a tiny office with a long wooden bench. These fully kitted-out military style men hold the future of our trip in their hands by deciding if we can have an entrance visa into their country.
We were instructed to wait in the courtyard of an ancient little town (now seemingly seconded by the authorities) under a giant almond tree to stay (for two hours). The relief of the shade provided by the almond tree was palpable amongst us all. The pretty lily pad pond, which seemed out of place in such a formal environment, added a pleasant backdrop.
While we all patiently waited and wondered, we didn’t get the sense that asking questions would be okay, so we were left somewhat dumbfounded by the unexpected processes. But we all did as we were told and followed the stern instructions like meek little lambs.
Time ticked on, but a heavily accented voice was eventually heard haphazardly calling out names (no alphabetical order or male/female demarcation). The owner of the voice then politely delivered us one by one, via a short meander through the trees, to the tiny office to be sternly and visually assessed by the fierce-looking official before his stamp came firmly down on our passports and, along with our paperwork, returned them to us. We now had entrance to Cambodia.
Smiling sweetly at the impassive officials, and with some relief, we found our way back to the ferry. The charming guide who had earlier relieved us of our passports, paperwork and money (US$35 for the entrance visa), now gifted us a welcome icy-cold bottle of water.
For the remaining (approx) two hour journey, we were able to relax and enjoy the wonders of the scenic riverbanks dressed with thick low-lying greenery, delicate flowers of the rushes swaying in the warm breeze, delightful peeks of a magnificient shiny golden, reclining buddha statue hidden amongst dense trees, glimpsing terrecotta tiled temple pagodas rising above the foliage seemingly in the middle of nowhere. The multitude of fishing vessels and other ships loaded with goods to deliver, all dwarfed by the immense Mekong, and the various floating villages dotted around the river’s expanse of water that stretches as far as the eye can see.
Approaching the end of our journey, the boat docked in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, leaving us feeling as if we had been transported to the other side of the world. The ferry trip not only safely delivered us to our destination, but along the way, provided a wonderful experience of different lives and cultures and a deep respect for the countries bordering the massive and beautiful waterway we had just had the honour to travel: the Mekong River.
MTR Tips for travelling the ferry from Vietnam to Cambodia.
A night’s stay in Chau Doc is a must. The ferry leaves early in the morning.
Arrive on time for departure. The boarding process is efficient but time-consuming, and the ferry leaves on time.
Booking ferry tickets is essential. MTR booked tickets through Hang Chau Tourism. Click here to book
An entrance Visa into Cambodia is necessary. MTR suggest you don’t book an E Visa online – these are for airport entrance only. We made this mistake and had to pay again for our water entrance with US dollars in cash.
If you would like further information on this or any other story published in Mytravelroom, please get in touch at janeco@mytravelroom.co.nz
