Three more: alternative boat trips in Vietnam

MEKONG RIVER

The Mekong snakes for more than 3,500 miles, through some of Asia’s most spectacular scenery before reaching the South China

Sea at the southern tip of Vietnam. To cruise its lower stretch is to witness rice paddies and remote villages, where floating markets are part of daily life. Heritage Line offers a seven-night cruise from Vietnam to

Siem Reap in Cambodia. heritage-line.com

CON DAO ISLANDS

Sprinkled across the South China Sea, this archipelago of 16 islands is home to palmfringed beaches, clear waters and pristine coral reefs. Asia Tours offers three-day trips, or, for a two-week odyssey, Ponant leaves Ho Chi Minh City to cruise South East Asia’s islands, stopping at Con Dao before continuing onwards to Singapore and Indonesia. asiatours.com ponant.com

NINH BINH

Often referred to as Ha

Long Bay on land, Ninh Binh is dominated by limestone mountains. Winding between these are canals flanked by rice paddies and frequented by birdlife. Hop in a wooden paddleboat and keep an eye out for storks picking their way through the shallows and goats wandering the shores. Indochina Junk offers a three-day cruise beginning in Bai Tu Long Bay and continuing on to Ninh Binh. indochina-junk.com