Les Rives cruise

Every Les Rives vessel is managed and operated by a highly qualified multinational team with a passion for Vietnamese cultures and this amazing environment. Les Rives’ fleet will cruise to hidden destinations in southern Vietnam, taking you on half day and one day tours to discover little known gems and exotic locales, all just a short ride from the bustling streets of Ho Chi Minh City.

Explore the lush UNESCO Biosphere Reserve during Can Gio forest tour

After departing Saigon, the first stop on your luxury speedboat tour will be a bustling riverside market at the gateway to the Mekong Delta. Here you can observe a traditional market scene, take some great photos and sample the local Mekong produce. As you depart the market, the slow-paced agricultural world of the Mekong Delta begins to give way. The tapestry of green paddy fields, tropical fruit trees and coconut palms turn to towering mangrove trees looming over the boat, enveloping you in a dusky twilight world. You have arrived at the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Can Gio, one of Vietnam’s most important ecosystems, providing a habitat for 52 species of flora and 200 species of fauna.

Les Rives have excellent relationships with the locals here and you’ll visit traditional fishing hamlets, where fisherman knot their nets by hand by the river. Then you can take a gentle row on the tranquil waters of Giant Bat Lagoon. You can also enjoy a short, guided trek through the mangroves. At Vam Sat Eco Park, you can visit a crocodile reserve and even feed them (via a fishing rod!). Crocodiles were once common in the region, but sadly were hunted to near extinction. And be sure to wander around and meet cheeky gibbons and monkeys, who swing from the trees – kids always enjoy this part of the tour! You will have plenty of opportunities to see exotic birdlife – both local and migratory – including painted storks and duck-billed pelicans, so bring your binoculars! Can Gio is the perfect tour for wildlife and nature enthusiasts. As part of the tour, your Les Rives chef will cook you up a delicious traditional Vietnamese lunch including fresh spring rolls, lemongrass chicken and Fried Elephant Ear Fish, a famous Mekong Delta specialty.

What to know in advance…

• This tour is always very popular with children and families.
• Bring your camera! You’ll take in everything from Mekong Delta landscapes to lush mangroves to monkeys and rare birdlife.
• The monkeys are harmless but please be careful, they have been known to cheekily snatch belongings – be extra careful if you’re carrying food!
• Gan Gio is a protected area and we try to leave it the same way as we found it. Please be sure to put all your litter in the bin!
• We also recommend wearing comfortable walking shoes, light clothing and a hat.
• In November to February, we suggest you bring a jacket for the early starts.
• Les Rives will provide insect repellent, waterproof ponchos and umbrellas.
• Soft drinks, water and fruit provided during the boat journey are included in the overall price and not subject additional charge.
• Please request vegetarian or Halal food options 24 hours in advance of your tour. Please note a surcharge will be incurred.
• We are happy to say that no tour is exactly the same with Les Rives, and as result scheduled times can vary slightly.
• All guides speak excellent English and will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

Discover one of Vietnam’s most important historical sites – the Cu Chi Tunnels by boat and bicycle

During the Cu Chi Tunnels tour, your guide will lead you through this fascinating region, providing commentary on the historical context and importance of different attractions. You’ll ride through the surrounding area of Cu Chi site, past evocative images of conical hatted workers, buffalo sloughing fields, and miles of lush green paddy fields. You will visit a traditional house where handmade rice paper is made. This offers a window into authentic rural Vietnamese life that few visitors have ever witnessed. You will explore tunnels and bunkers dug with hand tools by the guerrilla fighters, used as communication and command centers, makeshift triage hospitals, weapon arsenals, and kitchens that served up to 10,000 people. You’ll take in a variety of ingenious booby-traps and war-relics including a tank and machine guns. You’ll see how the guerrillas forged traps from unexploded American bombs, how they concealed tunnels entrances from troops and sniffer dogs, and how they cooked food without alerting American soldiers with the smoke. You’ll see the inner workings of this multilevel 250km maze of tunnels, and of course you’ll get to experience what life was like down there for yourself! Don’t worry there are plenty of exits! A firing range at the end of the tour offers you the chance to shoot genuine war-relic weapons including M16s and Browning M1919s. The wartime story has never been as real as in Cu Chi.

What to know in advance…

• Bring your camera! There are amazing photo opportunities both travelling to and from Cu Chi, and at the actual site itself.
• We also recommend wearing comfortable walking shoes, light clothing and a hat.
• From November to February, we suggest you bring a jacket for the early starts.
• Les Rives will provide insect repellent, waterproof ponchos and umbrellas on the boat.
• Soft drinks, water and fruit provided during the boat journey are included in the overall price and not subject additional charge.
• Please request vegetarian or Halal food options 24 hours in advance of your tour. Please note a surcharge will be incurred.
• Some of the tunnels at Cu Chi have been enlarged, yet they can still be claustrophobic. However there are always plenty of exits.
• Please note that the abundant water hyacinth on the Saigon River can cause the boat to stall, meaning sometimes we’ll have to go at a gentler pace than usual. Occasionally there are slight delays.
• We are happy to say that no tour is exactly the same with Les Rives, and as result scheduled times can vary slightly.
• All guides speak excellent English and will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have. 

Experience Life in the Mekong Delta…

The Vietnamese have a saying that people who live by the river and live with the river. Not only is the delta a place of shelter for its people, it’s also a provider. Many villages and towns depend on the countless canals, tributaries and markets in the region for produce. As well as fish, produce yielded by the delta’s rich alluvial soil includes rice, sesame, peanuts, cashews, pineapples, dragon fruit and durian. As part of the tour you will visit a bustling riverside market overflowing with Delta produce, which you can sample. There will be lots interesting and colorful photos opportunities! Depending on the route, you will then visit a local pottery workshop, where arts and crafts of the Delta region are produced, and a traditional riverside house with huge Burmese pythons as pets. Then you’ll explore the surrounding village, rolling fields of tapioca and iconic rice paddies. If you’re lucky, you’ll get to see the rice paddies before the harvesting season, which is a marvelous sight. Your next stop will be at traditional farmhouse, where you try the local produce including coconuts and Mekong whiskey. Another variation of the tour begins with trying local Delta produce, as well as Mekong whisky and wine. Then walk along the verdant banks of the river to a traditional rural Vietnamese house, where 3 generations live together. In the village, your tour guide will introduce you to the house owners, who each have their own stories of life in the Mekong to share. The second variation provides more of an insight into living in the Mekong Delta, and its customs and culture. A special feature of this tour is that you will be able to visit both a Buddhist pagoda and a Cao Dai Temple. Near the Cao Dai Temple is an orphanage run by Buddhist monks, where you will hear story of the orphans who live there. Your Les Rives chef serve you a traditional Vietnamese lunch includes fresh spring rolls, caramelized pork, chicken with ginger, and the Mekong Delta delicacy, Elephant Ear fish.

What to know in advance…

• There are two main routes for the tour after you depart the market, depending on the tour guide and water level.
• When visiting pagodas and temples it is respectful, but not mandatory, to cover exposed skin.
• Mekong Whisky is available for purchase as a souvenir from the producer.
• Bring your camera! The Mekong Delta is one of the most beautiful regions of Vietnam, and there many opportunities to capture classic images of rural Vietnamese life as you travel.
• We also recommend wearing comfortable walking shoes, light clothing and a hat.
• In November to February, we suggest you bring a jacket for the early starts.
• Les Rives will provide insect repellent, waterproof ponchos and umbrellas.
• Soft drinks, water and fruit provided during the boat journey are included in the overall price and not subject additional charge.
• Please request vegetarian or Halal food options 24 hours in advance of your tour. Please note a surcharge will be incurred.
• We are happy to say that no tour is exactly the same with Les Rives, and as result scheduled times can vary slightly.
• All guides speak excellent English and will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.
• All guides speak excellent English and will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

Services & Facilities

General

• 24-hour Security
• Rowing boat
• Theme Cruise

Services

• Bar
• Restaurant

Dining Room & Bar

• Your Les Rives chef will serve a traditional Vietnamese lunch.

Onboard Activities

• Explore Giant Bat Lagoon by rowing boat, visit a crocodile reserve, trek through mangrove jungle, meet monkeys and enjoy a spot of bird watching.
• Explore the famous Cu Chi Tunnels by boat and bicycle.
• Enjoy a scenic speedboat trip through the Mekong Delta. Departing by boat from HCMC.
• Enjoy countless photo opportunities of the idyllic scenery and local people as you cruise past buffaloes sloughing fields, fruit orchards and rice paddies.