Checking the Mekong off My Bucket List

In 2025, I ticked a box that had eluded me since I joined Uniworld almost a decade ago. I’d always been told by our guests that our voyage from Ho Chi Minh City through Cambodia to Hanoi was incredibly beautiful and engaging not to mention the ship is stunning!

What stopped me from going? It wasn’t scheduling conflicts. It wasn’t the time investment. I needed those 14 days relaxing on the river. No. It was my husband, Jack. Every time the subject came up, he had a list of arguments for not going: “I’m not paying to fly there. If I’d gone in the ‘60s, the army would have flown me for free;” “I don’t speak the language;” “What am I going to eat?”

He blundered with that last one. “Who’s going to cook for you when I’m in Vietnam?” I asked.

Long story short: we landed in Ho Chi Minh City in mid-January.

The itinerary eased the culture shock for Jack. We stayed at the Park Hyatt Saigon for the first two days. Aside from being a gorgeous luxury hotel with the option of Italian food, the hotel’s name mollified him.

One thing to understand about Jack is that name changes throw him into a tizzy. He still knows JFK International as Idlewild Airport and I don’t think he’ll ever get on board with the “Gulf of America.” While Vietnam’s largest city is now named after Ho, the revolutionary leader from North Vietnam, the name Saigon, which dates back centuries, is still widely used.

That factoid eased his mind enough that he went and found a place to smoke a cigar by the pool while I had a relaxing spa treatment before we hit the streets.

My first impression was how vibrant and industrious the culture is. While the country is nominally socialist, there is a strong market economy that the people take full advantage of by running little businesses of their own. You can shop for anything (I’m now the proud owner of beautiful, red silk pajamas)—especially coffee. You’re sure to notice that every block seems to have a place to stop for a cup of joe, the national drink.

The way to get around Saigon is on tuk-tuks. You can hail one of these three-wheeled modern equivalents of the rickshaw anywhere. They whiz through traffic, darting from lane to lane, and somehow everybody gets to where they’re going without many incidents. Jack decided that he’d sure like to try driving one. Cooler heads prevailed.

Ho Chi Minh City pulses with life at Ben Thanh Market, where the aromas of street food—crispy bánh xèo pancakes, steaming bowls of phở, and sweet chè desserts—tempt you at every corner. At least they tempted me. Jack was more resistant but ultimately agreed to try Banh Mi—a baguette filled with grilled meat and pickled vegetables.

The city’s architecture is an eclectic mix of traditional pagodas and temples with modernistic design (Independence Palace) and French Colonial buildings, such as the Saigon Opera House and Notre Dame Cathedral, where brightly dressed bridal parties line the steps to take pictures.

Along with the beauty of the city, an inevitable early impression of Vietnam is the welcoming friendliness of the people—especially when you consider that it was not so long ago that it was a war-torn country. One reminder of how recent the strife was on our first excursion from the city to the Củ Chi tunnels. The Viet Cong used the intense network of underground pathways to wage their guerilla campaigns. I got a sense of how claustrophobic that was by climbing inside. Jack claimed a sore knee and didn’t go down with me. That was for the best, as he is 6-foot-three and he would not have gotten through unless he crawled on his belly.

It was finally time to step onboard the Mekong Jewel. A moment I had long anticipated was finally happening and I was not disappointed. We were greeted by the gracious crew, who were genuinely excited to welcome us on board the luxurious, all-suite ship. We made our way to our suite and could not wait to settle into the well-appointed space for the week. Throughout the cruise, the onboard team could not do enough for us and truly made the experience memorable through each interaction; no request was too large or detail too small.

Aboard the Mekong Jewel, we traveled upriver to the part of the Mekong Delta known as the “Rice Bowl of Vietnam.” It’s a maze of waterways, swaying palms, floating markets, and tranquil villages. Here, we encountered timeless settlements where artisans practice their traditional crafts, weaving mats, baskets, and hats from coconut fibers. Of course, I always had my eye out for souvenirs along the way and I was able to pick up colorful hand-woven scarves that made perfect gifts.

Jack, on the other hand, was more interested in the small boats (sampans) that ferried us from island to island. I knew he was thinking of some Huck Finn adventure, so before he could see the demonstration of how they are made, I whisked him away. (I can’t have him getting any hare-brained ideas about building a boat on my patio.) Instead, I talked him into a Khmer scarf, which they weave at Hong Ngu on the border of Cambodia. “It’s just like an ascot,” I told him. “Only longer.”

Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh is a splendid blend of history, dynamic culture, and modern life. At the magnificent Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda houses both a gold and an emerald Buddha. Its golden spires and lush gardens showcase the grandeur of Khmer architecture. The National Museum houses a stunning collection of ancient artifacts.

But it turns out that one can’t live by highbrow culture alone. After dinner, Jack snuck out to enjoy the energetic nightlife and ended up pairing whiskeys at a cigar bar with a new bunch of friends.

There’s a sobering side to Cambodia as well. If you’ve seen movie “The Killing Fields,” you know the haunting story of the Khmer Rouge regime and the horrors that accompanied it. The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum is not for the faint of heart, but it is essential to understanding Cambodia’s past—a history which Jack, who thinks about the Roman empire several times a day, was quickly developing an interest in.

Being on board the Mekong Jewel is as much an experience as the many excursions. The scenery is spectacular as the ship wends its way through the colorful islands. Everywhere there is greenery and flowers, which you can enjoy closeup when you take a sampan ride to shore.

Not the least of the Mekong Jewel experience is the food. The many locally inspired dishes blend Cambodian spices and tradition with a flair for French cooking. Happily, the Khmer cuisine is a skill you can learn by taking a cooking course as part of the cruise. Jack tasted my phở noodle soup and said, “Why can’t we have this at home?”

I almost hit him.

One of our most enriching experiences was visiting a village and attending a schoolhouse where students were studying English. I wish I’d been that eager to learn in grade school. Hopeful of improving their lifestyle through education, these kids peppered us with questions to improve their language skills. Jack—a magazine editor—was more than eager to dole out grammar advice. I stopped him before he got to his lecture on dangling participles.

I have little hope of putting into words the next stop. Near Siem Reap is Angkor Wat. Built in the early 12th century as a Hindu temple and later transformed to Buddhism, it is the world’s largest religious site, boasting the longest continuous bas-relief in the world. The complex covers some 400 acres, and the central tower is 65 feet high. I was glad I brought my sturdiest walking shoes when Jack, in an unusual burst of energy, insisted on climbing to the top.

Then we got the bad news. The tragic Palisades fire engulfed parts of Los Angeles. The blazes were close enough to home and office that we left the trip before the final leg to Hanoi. We’d miss Vietnam’s other bustling metropolis and all its wonders. Still on the plane home I opined: “You know, the praise wasn’t high enough for what an amazing trip this was.”

Jack said: “I told you it would be the trip of a lifetime. We must come back…and bring the kids next time.”

This time, I did hit him.

Note: The contents of this article are accurate as of the publication date. Uniworld itineraries and inclusions are subject to change at any time.