AIDA Southeast Asia 2014 · Page 8

Days 10 / 11

The sea had become rougher, and 4-metre waves meant that many guests stayed in their cabins. At 28 degrees and under cloudy skies, AIDAaura sailed through the South China Sea towards Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.

Day 12 / 29 degrees / 659 nautical miles / 1,220 km

At around 4 a.m. AIDAaura reached the mouth of the Saigon River. As we were on one of the smaller ships in the AIDA fleet, we could sail a long way up the river. So we were only 15 km from Ho Chi Minh City itself, whereas the bigger ships moor further downstream, about 70 km from the city.

At 8 a.m. the ship was secured, and our berth for the next two days was reached. Lots of warnings had been given in advance about Vietnam, and we were repeatedly warned against going on independent excursions. Before the trip we had already booked the excursion HCM06 "Fascinating Mekong Delta" through AIDA – and we obviously weren't the only ones.

We met in the theatre with about 400 other guests. The buses were already lined up waiting for us.

Even the first impressions on the bus ride were striking: corrugated iron shacks stood right next to villas – the contrasts couldn't have been greater. Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) is now considered the most modern city in Vietnam. But the old traditions have been preserved, so you can still admire old colonial buildings and the opera house in neoclassical style.

Our excursion took us briefly through the city and on along the motorway past all the rice fields. After 2 hours we reached our destination in the Mekong Delta. Here we changed onto a traditional boat that took us across the river to a small island. The Mekong Delta is a lifeline here, and a lot happens on the river: fish farms, cargo boats and much more. But the river itself doesn't invite you to swim at all.

20 minutes later we reached the island, got off and went on to a coconut factory. Well, "factory" may be a bit of an exaggeration – see for yourself in the pictures. Typical of Vietnam are the many hammocks you see everywhere, even in restaurants and cafés, where a guest can lie down and rest for an hour or two. After an impressive demonstration of how coconut sweets are made (which you could also buy), we went on to our next boat trip: a canoe ride on a side arm of the Mekong. Two local women rowed us through a side channel.

The view was great, but the smells less so. We had the impression the whole time that the side channel was filled mainly with waste water from the surrounding houses. Well, it's an experience.

On the island, in the middle of the jungle, lunch with live music was waiting for us, with fresh fruit and tea on the menu.

Then back onto the boat and back to the bus. After a 20-minute bus ride we reached a pagoda with the "fat happy Buddha".

We could admire impressive buildings and statues, and the flowering garden was in full bloom. Our scout "Anita" was always up for a laugh.

On the way back we could enjoy all the advantages of a modern coach, including free Wi-Fi, which was used extensively. The 6-hour excursion was nice, but we don't need to visit the country again. So we handed in our shore passes straight after the excursion. During the excursion the locals expected a small tip for everything, so you should always have a few US dollars with you. You could also pay in euros at the stalls.

In the evening the 60s/70s party took place on the pool deck – after the traditional evening cocktail in the AIDA Bar, of course. With a great laser show.