day one
Depart UK
Depart UK and fly to Ho Chi Minh international airport (Saigon).
day TWO
Arrive and explore Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam, with a population of around 9 million. Officially renamed after reunification in 1975, most people here still prefer to use the city’s old name, so don’t be confused if you hear both. Situated in the Southeast region of Vietnam, the city surrounds the Saigon River.
On arrival into the city, you will be transferred to your hotel to settle in, before spending the rest of your day exploring your surroundings at your own pace.
day three
Escorted tour of Ho Chi Minh City
Today, head out on a guided tour of Ho Chi Minh City (private or group tours can be arranged).
Visit the Reunification Palace (formerly South Vietnam’s Presidential Palace), War Remnants Museum, the French-built Notre Dame Cathedral and the Gustav Eiffel designed Central Post Office.
The rest of the day is free to spend at leisure.
day four
Leave Ho Chi Minh and transfer to My Tho to board cruise
After breakfast, travel 70 kilometres south by land to My Tho to embark on your boutique cruise ship. Upon arrival, enjoy a refreshing welcome drink as the ship steadily glides along the Mekong River while you bathe in the fading sunset on the balcony and attend your briefing in the onboard lounge. Later, a welcome dinner awaits you.
Overnight onboard.
day five
Onboard: Visit the floating market of Cai Be, manmade canals of Sa Dec and cruise to Chau Doc
Start the morning with an invigorating tai-chi lesson on the sun deck, just as the sun begins its gentle rise. Don’t worry, coffee and tea await the early birds!
Today’s tour starts with a visit to Cai Be’s boisterous and colourful floating market on board a traditional sampan. During the languid ride, discover breathtaking landscapes along the river. The cruise will halt intermittently to allow you to observe how rice paste, rice cookies and coconut candies are made, along with the Longan fruit drying process.
After touring the canals, head to an ancient house surrounded by fruit orchards before heading to the ship for lunch.
In the afternoon, continue your cruise to Sa Dec. Upon arrival, join a traditional sampan to tour Binh Thanh Island and its man-made canals. Here, every villager is involved in the process of growing and processing water hyacinths into natural fibre floor mats and rattan baskets. Board the ship for a tranquil evening cruise towards Chau Doc.
Overnight onboard.
day TWO
Onboard: Visit Vietnamese villages and cross the border into Cambodia
Begin your day with a hearty breakfast at the Indochine Dining Hall or in the quiet sanctuary of your balcony.
Next, visit Chau Doc, a pleasant town near the Cambodian border with sizeable Chinese, Kinh and Khmer communities, and explore a colourful local market near an ancient temple. This is followed by a trip to the quay, where you will join a boat excursion to the floating villages and rustic catfish farms, and a shore excursion to the local Cham Muslim community village.
Afterwards, it is back to the ship for lunch. By mid-afternoon, the cruise liner will make its way to the border for Phnom Penh, the buzzing capital city of Cambodia.
Overnight onboard.
day seven
Visit Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s busy capital, sits at the junction of the Mekong and Tonlé Sap rivers. Once the ‘Pearl of Asia’, Phnom Penh’s shine was tarnished by the impact of war and revolution, but the city has since risen from the ashes to take its place among the hip capitals of the region, with an alluring cafe culture, bustling bars and a world-class food scene.
Today will begin with a city tour of Phnom Penh, stopping at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, the National Museum of Cambodia, home to the world’s finest collection of Khmer sculpture, the Royal Palace with its classic Khmer roofs and ornate gilding, the extravagant Silver Pagoda temple, the landmark Psar Thmei or Central Market, and the Kbach Arts Galleries.
After lunch at a local restaurant, return to the ship after the museum visit. A variety of cocktails will be served followed by a traditional Apsara dance performance, with a barbecue on the sundeck.
Overnight onboard.
day eight
Visit Cambodian villages and cruise to Kampong Cham
Depart before the break of dawn from Phnom Penh with a stop at the little known Chong Koh, a silk weaving village.
Return to the ship and cruise past the Mekong’s tranquil villages and exhilarating river life. Tour the rural Angkor Ban village where time stood still. The houses here are truly rustic, made by hand and without any concrete.
Then, re-board the ship to cruise towards Kampong Cham.
Overnight onboard.
day eight
Kampong Cham – Wat Hanchey
Disembark the ship for a land journey to the pre-Angkorian temple of Wat Hanchey, either via a motor-taxi or climb the 291 steps to the top.
Located at the top of a hill overlooking the river, it offers one of the most breath-taking views in Cambodia. Return to the ship to witness a blessing ceremony performed by orange-clad local monks. When the tide allows, enjoy a surprise sojourn in the ship’s zodiacs (inflatable boats) to the nearby beach to swim in the tea-coloured Mekong river, an experience that may well dominate dinner conversations in the weeks to come.
Cruise towards Kampong Cham to visit Wat Nokor. Visit an orphanage on the way back to the ship.
Overnight onboard.
day ten
Cruise to stilt village of Kampong Chhnang and Tonle Sap river
Cruise on towards Kampong Chhnang on the Tonle Sap River – an amazingly narrow river – which glides through leafy swaths of the Southeast Asian jungle. Kampong Chhnang is an awesome sight as everything is on stilts balanced on rich soil.
Take a short bus trip to see the Khmer-styled pottery at the Aundaung Russey village. Then, join an adventurous motorboat excursion to the wetlands, floating houses and fish farms in the region. After lunch, cruise along the narrow and meandering Tonle Sap. In the evening, a farewell dinner will be served.
Overnight onboard.
day eleven
Disembark ship and transfer to Siem Reap
Your cruise aboard the ship comes to an end today as you dock a few hours drive from the Angkor temple complex. Bid farewell to the cruise and take a transfer (via coach or private car) to Siem Reap.
Surrounded by a patchwork of paddy fields and providing a gateway to the temples of Angkor. Siem Reap is one of Cambodia’s most chic and charming towns. Despite receiving thousands of visitors each year, it’s managed to retain a somewhat small town charm, with colourful markets, small boutiques, wonderful restaurants and some of the country’s best hotels.
day twelve
Sightseeing in Siem Reap
Another exciting day of sightseeing with the Roluos group of temples. Continue to Lolei and later discover Preah Ko. Afterwards visit the Banteay Srei temple, considered to be the jewel of classical Khmer art because of its small size. You will also see Pre Rup temple.
Today, head out to the main temple complex with your expert guide, and learn more about this incredible site. The key to exploring this area is flexibility. Although all itineraries are based on our own experiences of Angkor, it is also a good idea to discuss your plans with your guide allowing yourselves to remain adaptable according to the number of other visitors in each temple, the time of day and weather conditions.
Start your tour at the immense walled city of Angkor Thom which was the masterpiece of King Jayavarman VII. Following the occupation of Angkor by the Chams from 1177 to 1181, the new king decided to build an impregnable fortress at the heart of his empire. The scale is simply staggering and we are immediately overwhelmed by the audacity of Jayavarman on arrival at the city’s gates. The causeway is lined by an intricate bridge depicting the Churning of the Ocean of Milk from Hindu mythology in which the devas (gods) and asuras (devils) play tug of war with a naga (seven-headed serpent) to obtain the elixir of immortality. We begin our visit at the Terrace of the Leper King. This intricately carved platform was the royal crematorium and the statue that was originally thought to be the leper king is now believed to be Yama, the god of death. We continue along the Terrace of Elephants, originally used as a viewing gallery for the king to preside over parades, performances and traditional sports.
The Royal Palace complex, which was once home to the God-kings of Angkor; Preah Palilay, a Buddhist temple overshadowed by huge capok trees; Phimean Akas, a petite pyramid temple; At the southern end lies the Baphuon, once of the most beautiful temples at Angkor, dating from the reign of Uditayavarman in the 11th century. It has undergone a massive renovation by the French and is now once again open for viewing. Our climax is the enigmatic and enchanting temple of the Bayon. At the exact centre of Angkor Thom, this is an eccentric expression of the creative genius and inflated ego of Cambodia’s most celebrated king. Its 54 towers are each topped off with the four faces of Avalokiteshvara (Buddha of Compassion), which bear more than a passing resemblance to the king himself. These colossal heads stare down from every side, exuding power and control with a hint of compassion, just the mix required to keep a hold on such a vast empire. Before clambering upwards, we unravel the mysteries of the bas-reliefs, with their intricate scenes of ancient battles against the Chams and their snapshot of daily life during the Angkor period.
Finish the tour with the jungle temple Ta Prohm where Tomb Raider was filmed. Ta Prohm has been abandoned to the elements, a reminder that while empires rise and fall, the riotous power of nature marches on, oblivious to the dramas of human history. Left as it was ‘discovered’ by French explorer Henri Mouhot in 1860, the tentacle-like tree roots here are slowly strangling the surviving stones, man first conquering nature to create, nature later conquering man to destroy. Return to the hotel later this afternoon
Arguably saving the best until last, watching the sunset, and sitting on one of the temple’s ancient walls, is a magical experience. Believed to be the world’s largest religious building, this temple is the perfect fusion of symbolism and symmetry and a source of pride and strength to all Khmers. Built-in the 12th century by King Suryavarman II, this is the most famous temple at Angkor. We begin by unravelling the mysteries of the bas-reliefs that tell tales from Hindu mythology and of the glories of the Khmer empire. Stretching for almost one kilometre, these intricate carvings are a candidate for the world’s longest unbroken piece of art. Following in the footsteps of the devout and the destructive before us, we then continue to the upper levels of the inner sanctuary. The final steps to the upper terrace of Angkor are the steepest of all, as pilgrims of old were to stoop on their pilgrimage to encounter the Gods. Finally, the pinnacle, the sacred heart of Angkor Wat, is a blend of spirituality and symmetry so perfect that few moments will measure up.
day thirteen
Transfer to Siem Reap airport and fly home to UK
Following breakfast at your hotel, your time is at leisure until you transfer to the airport for your onward flight home to the UK.
Tour Itinerary
Cruise through vietnam with us...
Vietnam is, in our eyes, one of the most diverse country in Southeast Asia. The juxtaposition between North and South is clear and makes for endless fascinating experiences in every corner of this wondrous country. Our advice is go with an open mind, and you will not be disappointed.
Vietnam is one of those few gems of a country which really offers everything; bustling cities, tropical beaches, excellent food and of course a fantastic offering of charming hotels and resorts.