Luxury and mysteries on the Mekong

Saigon - Mekong / cruise to My Tho - Cai Be (L,D)

Meet at your hotel before noon in the reception area in Saigon.
Transfer to the embarkation point where you will enjoy a welcome drink and board the luxury boat.
We bid farewell to the urban hustle and bustle of Saigon and head towards My Tho to board our luxurious floating home.

A buffet lunch is served at the onboard restaurant.

The afternoon will allow us to spend time on our private balcony while the banks of the Mekong glow with a special radiance at dusk.

While we enjoy our dinner, the ship reaches Cai Be, a charming small town, renowned for its French Catholic churches, traditional craft workshops, and food production. The floating market becomes smaller each year due to the development of modern central markets. After dinner, we head to the screening room which offers a selection of classic films each evening.

Overnight on board, near Cai Be.

Cai Be / cruise to Sa Dec and Chau Doc (B,L,D)

We start the day in the same way as many Asians when the sun rises peacefully: with a T'ai Chi session. A sumptuous buffet awaits us for breakfast: what better way to start this first day of exploring the Mekong Delta?

The morning excursion takes us to Cai Be. Here you can see boats side by side where local products such as fruits and vegetables are exchanged. Our guide explains the peculiarities of this very old culture of exchange.

Cai Be is a rustic town at the junction of many canals. We go ashore to visit a workshop where we will learn how to make rice paste, rice paper, rice cakes, and even rice alcohol. Cai Be and its surroundings are covered with palm trees and the region is also known for its production of coconut candies. We continue the exploration through the network of green and lush canals and observe farmers working in the fields.

Back on board, lunch is served and we enjoy our free time to savor an authentic Vietnamese coffee at the bar or simply observe life on the riverbanks as we sail.

We reach the Sa Dec region in the afternoon. We then take a traditional local boat towards Binh Thanh Island, one of the largest islands in the Mekong. Communities have settled there and live from cultivating water hyacinths. We visit one of these preserved places. By walking through the village, we get an idea of what life is like here. We meet an elderly couple from the village who tell us stories of their island and are happy to chat with us.

Back on board, we indulge in the spa, some prefer the deck pool. We sail peacefully towards Chau Doc, a calm and pleasant small town near the Cambodian border and which hosts Cham, Khmer, and Kinh communities.

After dinner, movie night.

Chau Doc – Border crossing and towards Phnom Penh (B,L,D)

We start the day with a hearty breakfast.
However, for early risers, there is the possibility of a boat excursion on the river to the floating market for a lively visit.

We set off for an excursion around Chau Doc.  
We will take a "xelois" to explore Chau Doc, a type of local vehicle still used as a taxi in the region. We travel through the streets to see the workshops and houses of the town. We stop at the very colorful local market, near one of the ancient temples. An opportunity to bargain with the vendors of this friendly town. Back on the local boat, we pass by the floating houses to reach a floating fish farm. This region produces fish sold worldwide. We will see how fish farming takes place.

Back on our "floating home", we sail towards the Cambodian border.

The afternoon will be dedicated to simply enjoying the cruise. Massage or sunbathing bring relaxing well-being.

Dinner is served before arrival in the capital of Cambodia, around 7 p.m. The boat docks at the quays of Phnom Penh. We have free time to stroll along the river and observe locals chatting and selling various objects or go for a beer in a bar. Overnight on board.

Phnom Penh / cruise around the Kingdom of Cambodia (B,L,D)

We are now in Phnom Penh, once called the Paris of the Orient. Despite its rapid development, it has retained its rustic charm and elegance. It is a formidable city marked by centuries of incredible history and a culture that can be experienced on every street corner.

After breakfast, we begin a comprehensive city tour. We take the bus to see the Killing Fields on the outskirts of the city and the "S21" prison. These places recall the sad and cruel chapter of Khmer history when the Khmer Rouge ruled the country through terror and force. These places have not changed since those terrible 1970s, so the emotion felt can be distressing for the most sensitive.

Lunch is served at a pleasant restaurant in town. We then resume our exploration of the city, focusing particularly on its cultural heritage. The golden edifice of the Royal Palace with its Silver Pagoda and the splendid Khmer sculptures of the National Museum mark the highlights of the afternoon. The day ends with a return to the boat by bicycle through the lively streets of Phnom Penh.

We head to the lounge for an interesting talk on the modern history of Cambodia given by a professor from the Royal University of Phnom Penh, a specialist on the subject.

After the lecture, it's time for a BBQ dinner on deck. The meal is enhanced by "Apsara" dance to the sound of traditional music. Overnight on board.

Phnom Penh – Kampong Cham / visits and excursions (B,L,D)

We depart from Phnom Penh before dawn for the small village of Angkor Ban, sailing up the Mekong.
Breakfast is served in the dining room.

The village of Angkor Ban is famous for its untouched community and beautiful traditional houses. One feels transported a hundred years back in time, to an era unaffected by modernity. The friendliness of the villagers is legendary.

Back on board, the staff is keen to show us the variety of traditional Khmer fashion. Lunch is served after this demonstration.

We sail further up the Mekong to visit a local school to better understand the education of the young Cambodian generation (the project is funded by an NGO).

We continue the journey by road to the enchanting pre-Angkorian temple of Wat Hanchey (7th century). This small complex is located atop a hill on the bank with breathtaking views of the Mekong. Another temple along the way is the tiny colorful monastery of Wat Nokor.

Relax on board until dinner is served as the boat glides in the middle of the river near Kampong Cham. Overnight on board

Kampong Cham (Mekong) – Kampong Chhnang / visits and excursions (Tonle) (B,L,D)

We sail downstream on the Mekong during breakfast and stop at the island of Koh Oknha Tey, renowned for the production of high-quality silk products. By tuk-tuk, we explore the island with its workshops and learn how silk is made.

Before lunch, our expert guides offer a presentation on the "Geography of the Mekong and Tonle Sap". After lunch, a monk blessing ceremony on board will offer spirits and wishes for health and prosperity to all.

We continue our journey, passing the confluence of the Mekong and the Tonle River towards Kampong Tralach. Gliding through the lush green banks of this jungle landscape, we reach Kampong Tralach.

The boat anchors later in the Tonle River near Kampong Chhnang, allowing us to observe the interesting and close-up life on the bank until dinner is served at the onboard restaurant. Overnight on board.

Kampong Chnang – Tonle Sap Lake / floating village (B,L,D)

Ideally, wake up early to enjoy the spectacular aquatic world at dawn. Before continuing with the morning Tai Chi class.

The buffet breakfast is served in the restaurant.

We are now in Kampong Chhnang, Cambodia's "water world", where everything rests on sticks balanced on water-rich ground. This is the most fascinating part of the cruise in Cambodia.

By mini-bus, we head to a nearby rural village for a walking tour. Our guides present the village's specialties: Khmer-style pottery and palm sugar production. Before returning to the boat, we explore the local floating villages and wetlands of the region.

Back on board, lunch is served as we smoothly sail along the narrow and winding Tonle, heading towards the Great Tonle Lake. The river opens into a vast "sea" - considered the largest freshwater lake in Asia. This lake can only be crossed during the high season (from late July to mid-November).

At sunset, our team invites us to a farewell drink.

We enjoy dinner and music and dance afterwards with the crew. The boat moves halfway near Siem Reap. Overnight on board.

Siem Reap arrival - disembarkation and visits to Angkor temples (B,L)

The Tonle Sap (The Great Lake) is the flowing heart of Cambodia, giving love and life to millions of people. It has more fish than any other lake in the world and is home to an incredible variety of birds, including rare and endangered species.

Our cruise comes to an end. We prepare to disembark from the ship and take a local boat to the shore, passing a vast floating community.

Around 9 am, we arrive at the pier of Siem Reap and arrive by a short transfer to the drop-off point in the city center.

Transfer and check-in at the hotel. Dinner at leisure and overnight at the hotel

Siemreap / visits and discovery of Angkor Thom & Wat temples (B,L,D)

Breakfast at the hotel
Meet at 08:30 for departure from the hotel by Tuk Tuk to explore Angkor Thom (Great City). Upon arrival at the south gate of Angkor Thom, you will enjoy taking photos at the city entrance with the scene of the churning of the sea of milk. Visit the famous Bayon, the 54 gigantic enigmatic 4-faced towers (universal love, unlimited compassion, sympathy, and equanimity).

Baphuon, the three-tiered pyramid, was a major EFEO construction site, the Royal Palace, the Terrace of the Leper King, a platform featuring several admirable sculpted figures of apsaras. Your visit continues along the Terrace of the Elephants which hosted the splendor of royal audiences and public ceremonies, then you will also visit Ta Prohm, a temple overgrown by the jungle and discovered in 1860 by the French explorer Henri Mouhot.  

Afternoon, visit of Angkor Wat temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site. With its slender towers and unique bas-reliefs, it is one of the most extraordinary monuments ever conceived by the human mind, erected in the 12th century in honor of Vishnu. Compared to all other temples, Angkor Wat is the best known and most majestic.  
Dinner at a local restaurant with Apsara dance and overnight at the hotel in Siemreap.

Siemreap / free time and Departure (B) Departure flight 

Breakfast 
Free time for packing. Check out and meet the driver only (without guide) for the transfer without guide to Siemreap airport for the return flight.