5-star cruise guests travel 70 miles to Cai Be to savor the “Poor Man’s Fish”

A group of high-end international tourists, mainly seniors, aboard the luxury 5-star cruise ship traveled over 70 miles from Ho Chi Minh City to Cai Be to experience the essence of the “poor man’s fish.”

Embarking on their journey from Ho Chi Minh City to Cai Be (Tien Giang) on February 25th, as part of their 7-day, 6-night Vietnam tour, the high-end maritime segment of tourists on the cruise continued their exploration in southern Vietnam. Each tour on the cruise can cost up to AUD 40,050 (approximately 640 million VND), with the luxury cruise ship accommodating no more than 184 guests per trip.

Renowned as a charming gem of Tien Giang province, Cai Be district is famous for its bustling river life. Adjacent to the Tien River, one of the main branches of the mighty Mekong River, Cai Be district benefits from fertile alluvial soil for agriculture and scenic waterways for tourists to explore by boat.

“At this time of year, during the dry season, the scenery may not be as picturesque as during the flood season. However, visitors will still witness the lives of Cai Be locals nurtured by the rich alluvial deposits of the river, however shallow or deep the river is,” said tour guide Tran Dinh Phuong Linh, at the time of departure.

Savoring Cai Be

After over two hours of travel, the tourist group boarded the Cai Be Princess boat to navigate through the intricate canal system. With traditional conical hats on their heads and holding phones and cameras, tourists eagerly boarded small rowing boats to observe local residents bathing in the river, harvesting mud, or young people practicing traditional rowing techniques. And when the tourists returned to the Cai Be Princess boat after a while, a platter of fresh tropical fruits helped them alleviate the heat of the southwestern region.

Cruise guests board the Cai Be Princess to begin their exploration. Source: Vivu Journeys  (5-star cruise)

According to Ms. Linh, European tourists particularly enjoy visiting tropical gardens, such as the one at the ancient Ba Duc house. “People tend to seek out Vietnam’s traditional medicine, the remedies and herbal medicines used by Vietnamese people since ancient times, before modern medicine emerged. Each leaf, each scent, arouses their curiosity,” Ms. Linh added.

Not only were tourists interested in ancient herbal remedies, but the delicate techniques for preserving flavor and texture, such as using translucent, thin glutinous rice paper to prevent coconut candies from sticking, also fascinated them during their visits to coconut candy and popped rice-making facilities. As they felt the glutinous rice paper dissolve instantly in their mouths, the tourists expressed their admiration.

After experiencing Cai Be’s tourism in a few hours, the tourists returned to Le Longanier restaurant, resembling a quaint French villa nestled amidst a garden, to savor the local delicacies. Among them, the crispy whole-fried elephant ear fish, dubbed the “poor man’s fish” for its easy-to-eat nature and non-selective habitat, stood out.

At Le Longanier restaurant, tourists not only indulged in the flavors of Cai Be through taste but also through sight, with the presence of the restaurant itself boasting a design reminiscent of 19th-century French architecture and staff dressed in traditional Vietnamese attire. The ambiance recreated an old Southern Vietnamese lifestyle that many tourists had only seen in movies or vintage postcards.

Cruise guests visit tropical gardens and Le Longanier Restaurant. Source: Vivu Journeys.

“The tourist group has witnessed many traces of French influence in Vietnam during their tour through Phu Quoc and Con Dao. Cai Be is the next Indochina memory, and it’s how tourism professionals like us narrate stories and convey the love for Vietnam to tourists,” shared Mr. Truong Ngoc Hung, HCMC-based operations manager at Vivu Journeys.

Leaving Le Longanier, the tourist group returned to the Nhà Rồng port to reboard the 5-star cruise ship. “Thank you very much,” Mr. and Mrs. Lu and Pedro shared, expressing their memorable experience.

Vivu Journeys Vietnam, a member of the Thien Minh Group (TMG), is one of the leading experiential travel companies headquartered in Asia. Vivu Journeys is committed to providing the most unique and luxurious travel experiences so that tourists worldwide can truly understand the beauty of Vietnam’s land and people.

Established in 1994, TMG has grown from a company with just three employees to an enterprise with more than 2,500 employees worldwide. Thien Minh is now Asia’s leading package travel provider, founded on the mission of always putting our clients front and center. With five business pillars: Destination Management, Hospitality, Online, Aviation, and Transportation – TMG is the ideal host for distinctive journeys featuring truly memorable travel experiences.