Nine culinary experiences to try on a Mekong river cruise
A river cruise along the exotic Mekong through Vietnam and Cambodia is a feast for all the senses, not least the palate. As well as serving regional cuisine on board (chopsticks optional), cruise lines offer a tempting array of foodie shore excursions.
Meals on wheels
Hop on the back of a Vespa for a tasty night out on the town in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Available on Scenic’s 14-night Treasures of the Mekong itinerary, passengers zip around the bustling streets and get a real taste of the city’s vibrant culinary scene as they drink and dine with locals. The evening ends with a visit to a Vietnamese coffee house with live music.
From ￡5,940pp, departing September 7 and 21, 2019 (0808 256 8910; scenic.co.uk).
Oodles of noodles
Learn about 26 types of Vietnamese noodles at a demonstration and lunch in Hoi An, hosted by hospitality students being helped through a G Adventures supported project for at-risk young people. The Oodles of Noodles class is part of the 16-night Classic Vietnam & Mekong River Adventure itinerary and provides passengers with an authentic insight into the food staple, while helping the youngsters practice their English language and presentation skills.
From ￡2,039pp, departing August 23, 2019 (0344 272 2060; gadventures.co.uk).
Pancake day
Bánh xèo translates as ‘sizzling pancake’ and takes its name from the sound of the rice flour batter when it’s poured into a hot frying pan. On Cho Lach island in the Mekong Delta, passengers on Pandaw’s seven-night Classic Mekong cruise try their hand at making the savoury crêpes, which are traditionally filled with pork and prawns and served with a spicy dipping sauce. However, there are dozens of regional variations of the popular street food including vegetarian options.
From $2,956pp for departures from July to October, 2019 (0208 396 7320; pandaw.com).
Cheers!
A cool beer is a refreshing choice after a hot day’s sightseeing in Cambodia. The most popular brand is Angkor, named after the temples near Siem Reap, which are a highlight on a Mekong cruise. On Avalon Waterway’s 14-night Fascinating Vietnam, Cambodia and the Mekong itinerary there’s the chance to learn more about local beers with a tour, tasting and dinner at a brewery in the capital Phnom Penh, which also includes a delightful song and dance show by children.
From ￡4,633pp, departing August 18, 2019 (0330 058 8243; avaloncruises.co.uk).
Cruise with a chef
Vietnamese-Australian chef and restaurateur Luke Nguyen, who embarked on a culinary journey in Vietnam for a television documentary, is escorting a special one-off gourmet sailing with APT. During the 15-night Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam and Mekong River Cruise, he will offer passengers a unique look at the region through the eyes of a chef. In Ho Chi Minh City guests dine at a restaurant personally recommended by Luke and in Siem Reap, there’s a Khmer cookery class to learn about Cambodian cuisine.
From ￡5,990pp, departing November 28, 2019 (0800 012 6683; aptouring.co.uk).
Get a buzz
A good climate combined with abundant forest flowers in rural areas has led to Vietnam becoming a major honey producer. A visit to a bee farm near My Tho is included in CroisiEurope’s 16-night itinerary From the Mekong Delta to the Temples of Angkor & the Imperial Cities. Beekeepers provide a fascinating insight into the honey-making tradition while passengers sip sweet honey tea served with fresh and dried fruit, such as mangos, dragon fruit and jackfruit. Afterwards there’s time to buy products including protein-rich royal jelly.
From ￡4,133pp, departing November 13 and 21, 2019 (0208 328 1281; croisieurope.co.uk).
What’s cooking?
Cambodian farmers have grown rice for more than 2,000 years and there are many different varieties served with typical dishes such as fish amok with its creamy sauce flavoured with ginger, lemongrass, turmeric and coconut milk and mild Khmer red curry. The secrets of Cambodian cuisine are revealed in a cookery class in Siem Reap on Emerald Waterways’ 13-night Mekong Discoverer cruise. Also, when the ship crosses the border between Cambodia and Vietnam the on-board culinary team demonstrate how to make dishes from both countries.
From ￡3,275, departing April 25, 2019 (0808 159 4193; emeraldwaterways.co.uk).
Sweet treats
The Vietnamese are sweet-toothed and coconut candy is a popular treat. At Cai Be village visitors can see it being made by hand, along with rice popcorn, and enjoy it afterwards over a cup of fragrant jasmine tea. The trip is on AmaWaterway’s seven-night Riches of the Mekong itinerary and the confectionary is a good souvenir – more so than the bottles of rice wine containing snakes and scorpions sold alongside. The village is reached in small boats that sail past a colourful floating food market.
From ￡2,230pp, departing October 21, November 4 and 18, 2019 (0800 320 2335; amawaterways.co.uk).
Marketplace
Join the locals and take a rickshaw ride to see the bustling market at Tan Chau in Vietnam. The ship’s chef accompanies passengers to talk about the familiar and more unusual produce piled high on stalls, from the omnipresent cabbage to bitter melon, which is a member of the squash family and widely used in soups or stuffed with meat and other fillings. The seven-night Mekong Expedition cruise also takes in a visit Nha Trang’s morning market and Chau Doc floating market.
From $9,450pp (￡7,554pp), departures from August to December, 2019 (0065 6270 4002; aquaexpeditions.com).