TWO NEW MEKONG DELTA OPTIONS

The Mien Tay

Two new options for visiting Vietnam’s Mekong Delta by river will soon be available with the launch of the Mien Tay river barge and the Blue Cruiser speedboats. The Mien Tay is a brand new river barge built in traditional style from the water resistant oak known as ‘sao’ in Vietnam. Nineteen metres long and four metres wide the Mien Tay can accommodate up to 18 passengers in the main cabin. Used as a dining room during the day the cabin can be converted into a dormitory with bunks for overnight trips. There is also a kitchen, three bathrooms equipped with showers and a terrace deck. The five-man crew includes a cook, an engineer and a guide. Being built in traditional style and travelling at a leisurely pace the Mien Tay blends in perfectly with the life on the river and allows those on board a close view of the daily life of the delta and its friendly people. The Mien Tay will offer two and three day cruises to My Tho, Cai Be, Vinh Long, Sa Dec, Long Xuyen and Cao Lanh and will also be available for private charter. 

One of Blue Cruiser's speed boats

A different kind of river transportation is soon to be available from the Blue Cruiser company. Blue Cruiser will open for business in April with a fleet of four outboard speed boats offering 6-12 seats to transport passengers directly from Ho Chi Minh City’s Bach Dang Quay to the Mekong Data or the mangroves of Can Gio. There are also plans to set up a service from Vietnam to Cambodia in the near future operated by 20-seater speedboats. For more information on the Mien Tay or Blue Cruiser contact marketing@exotissimo.com

Vietnam Airlines will launch its first flight between Vietnam's former imperial capital Hue and Siem Reap operated by a Fokker aircraft from Hue’s Phu Bai Airport on 16th March. The Siem Reap service will be followed by a Hue-Luang Prabang air link in the future. The new routes were originally discussed at a seminar on tourism development and aviation cooperation in the four Greater Mekong Sub Region (GMS) countries of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam held in Hue in January. There are also plans for Hue to be linked with Myanmar’s newly-opened Mandalay International Airport. After a four year upgrade, Phu Bai Airport is now able to accommodate medium-haul aircraft such as Boeing 737 and Airbus and has the capacity to operate around the clock and in rough weather.