SA DEC

Writer Marguerite Duras grew up in the colonial town of Sa Dec where her mother worked as a teacher. In 1984 she published the apparently autobiographical novel L’Amant, translated into English as The Lover, which describes her adolescent affair with a Chinese man. The text won the Goncourt prize in 1984. In 1991 Jean-Jaques Annaut directed the successful movie The Lover. The film was one of the first Western films shot in Vietnam after the Vietnam war. Many of the scenes were actually filmed in Sa Dec where a number of the original locations of Marguerite Duras’ life still exist: in particular the family house of her Chinese lover, Huynh Thuy Le (until some years ago a police station, today a museum), his grave and a pagoda with pictures of him, the school where her mother was a teacher as well as the house which was represented in the movie to be the family house of Marguerite Duras.

Cruise the Mekong in style and luxury

Did you always dream of exploring the Mekong in an individual way? The new Gecko Eyes houseboats will be perfect for you. The fleet consists of three beautiful vessels and the private houseboats are perfect for two or four people, made for tours on a high level — for couples, small families or a group of friends.

The houseboat

Based on the traditional An-Giang fishing boats we are offering you new luxurious houseboats for private and exclusive tours through the Mekong delta. The vessels, built by local craftsmen, are made of local woods decorated with elegant carvings for a special touch.
To provide your safety and well-being, our staff on board (captain, sailor, chef, tour guide) is at your constant disposition.

The guest area (40 sqm) has a luxurious cabin (double or twin occupancy) with a French balcony, air-con, a private bathroom, a panoramic lounge with French balconies and a sun deck at the bow. On request, the salon can be changed into an additional bedroom with two beds.

The staff area, with a well equipped kitchen, is at the back of the ship. This area is completely separated from the guest area by a lockable door to ensure your privacy.

Visit the famous floating markets with the Gecko Eyes, travel through small canals along orchards and floating villages up to the boarder to Cambodia or down to the port cities of Ha Tien or Rach Gia.

Due to its shallow draft, the Gecko Eyes is able to glide through small tributaries and canals of the Mekong delta. The sailing area is from My Tho and Cai Be, near Saigon, through the lovely colonial town of Sa Dec, along Can Tho with its famous floating markets to Long Xuyen an Chau Doc near the Cambodian border. Basically the Gecko Eyes has the whole Mekong delta region at its disposal, as the ships are self-sufficient for several days.

There are always bikes on board for spontaneous trips on the river islands along the small canals.

For your safety and your well-being.

An electrical generator provides an on-board electricity supply of 220V and a battery pack ensures a quite night. Modern on-board waste-water treatment and solar hot water boilers reduce the environmental impact of our boats.
Modern safety equipment (heat and smoke detectors and fire fighting system) a total of six separate compartments and a regular emergency training of the staff ensures the safety of the guests.