My son (23 y/o) and I will fly into HCMC from Bangkok next week and stay for a few days. From there we plan to go on to Phnom Phen then to Siem Reap before returning to Bangkok via the Poipet/Aran border crossing. My questions: Rather then take the bus from HCMC I understand you can go by boat most of the way up the Mekong river to PP. Has anyone done this recently and if so what was your experience? If it's to much of a hassle then we will take the bus. Any recommendations as to which bus service to use if the boat doesn't work out? We will be staying in the backpacker area and maybe at the Ngoc Minh Hotel on Pham Ngu Lao. My wife and I stayed there years ago and it was ok. Other suggestions are welcome but looks like our budget will be keeping us in that area! Any other travel hints for Saigon area appreciated. Thanks.

My sister took the boat roughly 4 years ago, so that's hardly 'recent', but she enjoyed it. She would have been in her early sixties at the time. her husband a couple of years older - I'm sure a young backpacker would have no problems. My sole concern would be seasonal flooding but I *assume* that the tour operators are across that - if your son has any travel smarts he will do his homework before he gets on a boat.

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/flooding-death-toll-tops-100

A friend of mine did a visa run using the boat instead of a bus run ...... Boat broke down , so as much as an adventurer as you want to be , i would use a little more commonsense in what you do ! I am sure maintenace budgets are NOT the best thes day! Lol life is a daring adventure or not!

At this time of year the river is a tad dangerous.and Vietnamese tourist boats go down often. That said its a great trip if all goes well. Just don't sit inside .

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OP, you may have gone already but I'd take the Mekong Express bus from Pham Ngu Lao to Phnom Penh. $13. An interesting route with several breaks for border, lunch, ferry. 6.5 hours. Last bus at 3 pm.

I've done the "high-speed" boat between Phnom Penh and Chau Doc many times. $25 (Hang Chau) to $35 (Blue Cruiser). It means busing to Chau Doc from HCMC, about 6 hours, staying overnight in Chau Doc because the boats leave early. The river run, frankly, is not that interesting, except on the Viet side. It's a 6+ hour chug up the river (Hau River in VN which turns into Mekong).