A Mekong Experience

You will be met in Saigon in the arrivals hall by your Local Guide or National Escort from Wendy Wu Tours. Together with all other group members who may be arriving at a similar time travel to your hotel for check in.

Confront the reality of guerrilla warfare at the Cu Chi Tunnels. The cramped tunnels were central to a few of the war’s strategic operations, including the famous 1968 Tet Offensive, and they did not escape damage. American B52 bombers dropped hundreds of missiles leaving huge tell-tale craters behind. The Cu Chi experience can be emotional for some visitors, but it offers a fascinating window into the hardship and traumas of war. Sightseeing here involves two hours on foot on uneven mud paths through the bush and, if you choose, crawling through some of the tunnels. This afternoon, explore modern day Saigon with its heady mix of local culture and colonial influences. See the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Central Post Office, and the chilling War Remnants Museum, stopping for a coffee break at one of the best coffee workshops on the way. Later on, enjoy a dinner in the dark at NOIR. Please note: The Notre Dame Cathedral will be under renovation for 2 years, starting in July 2017. During this time we are unable to enter the Cathedral; however we can view it from the outside.

After breakfast, transfer to the meeting hotel in Saigon where you will say goodbye to your National Escort and be picked up for your cruise by your local guide from Victoria Mekong. Drive to Can Tho, stopping en route for a delicious local lunch. Board the Victoria Mekong which, after a welcome briefing, will cast off into the waters of the Mekong Delta. Relax with a sundowner on deck and sit down to a sumptuous gala dinner whilst enjoying a performance of Đờn ca tài tử – traditional music of the Mekong. Drop anchor at Tiger Island

Enjoy an excursion on Tiger Island. Choose to explore by sampan or electric bike, visiting local industries such as net weaving, incense making and banh in (rice cakes) making. Continue upstream to Long Xuyen and disembark once more to visit the bustling floating market and a local museum. Sit down to dinner and evening entertainment before retiring to your cabin. Drop anchor at Vam Nao.

Cast off early to arrive in Tan Chau. On arrival, head to shore to visit a colourful Cao Dai temple and a silk village, where you’ll learn all about the traditional silk making process, by xe loi (local rickshaw) or you can explore the town by electric bike. Eat lunch back on the ship before more shore excursions around Tan Chau, with the option to take an exhilarating speedboat ride to Tra Su Forest. This evening features a thrilling lion dance performance!

Today, the Victoria Mekong will pass over the border into Cambodia and sail towards Phnom Penh. Spend a relaxed day enjoying the passing scenery and a wealth of onboard activities, such as lectures and cocktail making. In the late afternoon, dock at Phnom Penh’s Sisowath Quay where, this evening, you will be entertained with a traditional Cambodian apsara performance by local children. Sip a farewell cocktail before a final gala dinner.

Enjoy breakfast in the restaurant before disembarking and bidding farewell to the Victoria Mekong. Board a cyclo and head from the pier into the heart of the city to visit the magnificent Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda before perusing the treasures of the National Museum. After a final stop at Wat Phnom, enjoy a cold glass of local beer with beautiful views over the riverfront.

Reflect on the history of the city with a visit to the Tuol Sleng Museum and Killing Fields. The visit to the Tuol Sleng Museum involves 1 hour on foot. This museum commemorates the atrocities that occurred during the regime of Pol Pot. The transfer south-west to the Killing Fields will take 30 minutes. You will spend about 1 hour here on foot for a harrowing insight into Cambodia’s tumultuous past. Most people find it quite confronting and emotional so you will be given time to explore on your own. Later on, transfer to the airport for your 45-minute flight to Siem Reap.

Spanning from the 9th to 15th century, the Angkor complex with over 1,000 temples was the seat of the thriving Khmer Empire. UNESCO manages the complex and, to enter, your group will drive approximately 6km out of town to the main entrance gate to get your entrance passes, which you must carry with you. If you choose to climb at any site, you must be able to climb and descend without assistance. Begin at the city of Angkor Thom and the enigmatic Bayon, the Elephant Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King before continuing to the temple of Ta Prohm, enveloped in a labyrinth of jungle. This afternoon is devoted to the fascinating and awe-inspiring Angkor Wat. In the evening, relax on-board a boat and view the sunset on Angkor’s moat.

In the high-water season, drive to Kampong Phluk is a cluster of three villages of stilts houses built within the floodplain of the Tonle Sap lake. In the lower water season, you will visit Chong Kneas floating village. Get a glimpse into local life at the home of a Khmer family. Return to Siem Reap to enjoy a performance by the PHARE Cambodian Circus, an NGO which teaches street children to become internationally renowned circus artists.

Today, travel by tuk tuk to a shared cooking lesson, where you will learn to prepare traditional Khmer dishes. The chef will teach you all about what goes into the local cuisine, as you create a delicious meal! Spend your afternoon at leisure before a farewell dinner.

Fly home to the UK, arriving the following day.