Fascinating Vietnam, Cambodia & The Mekong

Depart UK

Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City, still known as Saigon to many. Hotel rooms are available for mid-afternoon check-in.

Motorbikes, monuments and mouthwatering cuisine. CLASSIC Take a walking tour of Ho Chi Minh City’s historic landmarks, including a stop at the Rex Hotel for a refreshing drink at the rooftop bar where the U.S. Military held the infamous “Five O’Clock Follies” during the war.

Then visit the War Remnants Museum and bustling Ben Thanh Market. DISCOVERY For lunch, participate in a hands-on Vietnamese cooking class. Learn to prepare several local dishes and how to recreate them at home.

Last, but not least, sample your delicious creations! Explore the city further during free time this afternoon. This evening join your travelling companions for a special welcome dinner at a local restaurant.

This morning, leave the city and drive through vast expanses of rice paddies to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels, an extraordinary network of tunnels more than 120 miles in length that was used by the Viet Cong as a hideout and secret village during the war.

Learn about how the tunnels were constructed and you will have a chance to walk through a section to experience what life would have been like underground. Return to Ho Chi Minh City and enjoy the rest of the afternoon and evening at your leisure.

This morning, transfer to the port on the Saigon River and board your river cruise vessel to start your cruise up the Mekong River through Vietnam and Cambodia.

Get acquainted with the ship and relax before your welcome reception this evening.

This morning, board a sampan for a scenic cruise to Vinh Long. Upon arrival, visit a local workshop to see how rice paper, rice wine, and traditional candies are made. Other surprises await for those who are brave.

After lunch on the ship, enjoy scenes of daily life along the river near Cu Lao Gieng via sampan. Stop at a local home where a skilled family works together to hand-craft sampans for a living.

Then, ride a specially designed motor cart to one of Vietnam’s oldest churches.

After breakfast walk through the local market and absorb the atmosphere as locals are busy buying and selling fish, meat and local produce.

Later enjoy a sampan cruise down the backwaters of the Mekong to the religious sites at the base of Sam Mountain.. Along the way see traditional floating homes, speedboat merchants, markets selling dried goods and more.

After lunch a sampan brings you to the village of Long Khong A, where cotton weaving is a well preserved tradition. Return to the ship and set sail for the Cambodian border.

The capital city of Phnom Penh retains its French charm to this day. This morning, your sightseeing tour by private cyclo (a three wheeled bicycle taxi) includes visits to the Royal Palace with the spectacular Silver Pagoda and the National Museum, featuring an outstanding display of Khmer artifacts.

The remainder of the day is at your leisure to enjoy the city. Consider a guided optional tour of a local brewery with free-flowing local beer! Just before dinner, children from a local orphanage will perform a show featuring local song and dance.

Sightseeing this morning provides a glimpse of the atrocities inflicted on the Cambodian people by the Khmer Rouge regime. Visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a former high school that housed over 17,000 prisoners. Of this number, it is believed that fewer than 15 survived the torture and avoided being sent to the Killing Fields.

You will also visit one of the Killing Fields, where over 200,000 people were killed by the Khmer Rouge. After lunch, depart Phnom Penh and enjoy some time at leisure .

This morning, visit Wat Hanchey, a temple dating back to the 8th century and the Chenla Empire. Located on a hilltop, enjoy stunning views of the surrounding area and partake in a traditional Water Blessing given by local monks.

After lunch, enjoy a walking tour through the rural village of Angkor Ban. Here you will see traditional Khmer houses and visit a local school.

NOTE: The climb to Wat Hanchey features a steep incline. If you feel you are unable to make the climb, you will be driven to the top by car.

Today, start your sightseeing at the silversmith village of Konpong Louang. See talented craftsmen use age-old techniques to turn pure silver into works of art. Continue on to Kampong Tralach for an ox cart ride past rice paddy fields and the beautiful Cambodian countryside. Along the way, stop to meet a local farmer and learn about his daily life. Return to the ship for lunch.

This afternoon, cruise up the Tonle River to Tonle Sap (Great Lake).

NOTE: During low water conditions, generally mid-December to August, we will not be able to cruise up the Tonle River to Tonle Sap. Low water conditions vary from year to year, depending on rainfall so this will be evaluated on a cruise-by-cruise basis.

A pilgrimage of inspirational beauty fly to Siem Reap, home to the Temples of Angkor, considered by many to be the most spectacular architectural ruins on Earth! This morning, arrive in Siem Reap and start your sightseeing of the Temples of Angkor, considered by many to be the most spectacular architectural ruins on Earth.

Constructed between the 9th and 13th centuries, the temples were built around the Khmer interpretations of Indian religious and political beliefs that ultimately evolved from Hinduism to Buddhism. The complex architectural grandeur of the Angkor temples is arguably unmatched among ancient ruins anywhere in the world.

Today, continue your sightseeing of the Angkor temples by tuk-tuk. Start at Angkor Thom where you will explore Bayon Temple.

One of the few Buddhist temples in Angkor, it features some 200 striking faces carved in 54 towers and impressive bas reliefs. Next stop is Ta Prohm, which, unlike the other temples, has been left relatively untouched.

Tree roots grow over and through the ruin walls, allowing you to experience the temple with the same wonder as the early explorers who discovered it.

Transfer to the airport for your flight home.

Depart UK

Welcome to Siem Reap, your base during your visit to Angkor, considered by many to be the most spectacular architectural ruins on Earth.

NOTE: Hotel rooms are available for mid-afternoon check-in.

This morning, start your sightseeing of the Temples of Angkor. Constructed between the 9th and 13th centuries, the temples were built around the Khmer interpretations of Indian religious and political beliefs that ultimately evolved from Hinduism to Buddhism.

The complex architectural grandeur of the Angkor temples is arguably unmatched among ancient ruins anywhere in the world. First, visit the best preserved and most famous of all the temples: Angkor Wat, honouring the Hindu god Vishnu.

Today, continue your sightseeing of the Angkor temples by tuk-tuk. Start at Angoer Thom where you will explore Bayon Temple.

One of the few Buddhist temples in Angkor, it features some 200 striking faces carved in 54 towers and impressive bas reliefs. Next stop is Ta Prohm, which, unlike the other temples, has been left relatively untouched.

Tree roots grow over and through the ruin walls, allowing you to experience the temple with the same wonder as the early explorers who discovered it.

This morning, transfer to the port and board your river cruise vessel for your cruise down the Mekong through Cambodia and Vietnam.

This afternoon, enjoy time on board the ship as you cruise through Tonle Sap (Great Lake). After the rainy season, this massive body of water can cover around 10,000 square miles and provides the perfect breeding ground for fish, which provide food for people living on the lake. This evening, enjoy a welcome reception.

NOTE: During low water conditions, generally mid-December to August, we will not be able to cruise on Tonle Sap. In these cases, we will fly from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh for embarkation. No included sightseeing will be missed. Low water conditions vary from year to year, so this will be evaluated on a cruise-by-cruise basis.

Today, visit Kampong Tralach for an Ox Cart Ride past rice paddy fields and the beautiful Cambodian countryside. Along the way, stop to meet with a local farmer and learn more about his daily life.

Lastly, visit the silversmith village of Konpong Louang. Here you will see talented craftsmen use age-old techniques to turn pure silver into works of art.

Then sail to the capital city of Phnom Penh. After lunch, your sightseeing tour by private cyclo (a three wheeled taxi).

Sightseeing this morning provides a glimpse of the atrocities inflicted on the Cambodian people by the Khmer Rouge regime. Visit the Tuol Slenf Genocide Museum, a former high school that housed over 17,000 prisoners.

Of this number, it is believed that less than 15 survived the torture and avoided being sent to the Killing Fields. You will also visit one of the Killing Fiewlds, where over 200,000 people were killed by the Khmer Rouge. The remainder of the day is at your leisure to explore the city.

Cross the border this morning into Vietnam. A sampan brings you to the village of Long Khong A, where cotton weaving is a well preserved tradition. Spend time at one house for a cotton weaving demonstration and a chance to talk with the family.

After lunch, join a sampan excursion around down the backwaters of the river to the religious sites at the base of Sam Mountain. Along the way, see traditional floating homes, speedboat merchants, a market selling dried goods, and more.

This morning, enjoy time at leisure on board the ship as we sail to Cu Lao Gieng. In the afternoon, board a sampan and enjoy scenes of daily life along the river.

Stop at a local home, where a skilled family works together to hand-craft sampans for a living. Then, ride a specially designed motor cart to one of Vietnam’s oldest churches.

This morning, board a sampan for a scenic cruise to Ben Tre. Visit a local workshop to see how rice wine and traditional coconut candy is made.

Then, continue on to a garden where several types of fruit indigenous to the area are grown. This afternoon, enjoy time on board the ship as we sail to exciting Ho Chi Minh City.

Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City, still known as Saigon to many.

This morning, enjoy a walking tour of the city’s famous and historic landmarks as you stroll through the heart of the city along Dong Khoi Street (formerly Rue Catinat) past Ho Chi Minh Square, the Municipal Theatre, the Central Post Office, and Notre Dame Cathedral.

Stop at the Caravelle Hotel for a refreshing drink at the popular roof top bar where the U.S. Military held the infamous ‘Five O’Clock Follies.

This morning, leave the city and drive through vast expanses of rice paddies to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels, an extraordinary network of tunnels more than 120 miles in length that was used by the Viet Cong as a hideout and secret village during the war.

Here you will learn about how the tunnels were constructed and have a chance to walk through a section to experience what life would have been like underground. Return to Ho Chi Minh City and enjoy the remainder of the afternoon at your leisure.

Transfer to the airport for your return flight home.

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