Duration: 8D7N
Destinations: Siem Reap–Tonle Lake–Kampong Chhnang–Phnom Penh–Tan Chau border–Sa Dec–Cai Be–Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Featured Highlights:
During your RV Amalotus cruise from Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City, you'll experience a range of fantastic fine dining options, intriguing shore excursions, enriching on board entertainment and exceptional service from start to finish. Join us on an 8 day adventure down the mighty Mekong River.
Day 1: Siem Reap- Prek K'dam
Day 2: Kampong Chhnang- Kampong Tralach-Oudong
Day 3: Chong Koh- Phnom Penh
Day 4: Phnom Penh Highlights
Day 5: Phnom Penh- Border Crossing-Tan Chau
Day 6: Tan Chau- Sa Dec
Day 7: Sa Dec- Xeo Quyt- Cai Be
Day 8: My Tho- Ho Chi Minh City
Day 1: Siem Reap- Prek K'dam
Welcome to Siem Reap, home of the mysterious Angkor temples! Your journey will begin in the late afternoon, where you will be transferred to the Tonle Sap Lake for your cruise. Settle into your cabin and prepare for a breathtaking 8 day adventure to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in Vietnam.Enjoy a welcome drink in the lounge while our cruise departs. Lunch will be served in the restaurant as we make our way towards Kampong Chhnang. Admire the wonderful views of wildlife and floating villages surrounding you. This afternoon is free for you to relax on board.After a safety briefing, cocktails will be served in the evening. Enjoy a lovely gourmet welcome dinner on board with your fellow travelers.
Day 2: Kampong Chhnang- Kampong Tralach- Oudong
Kampong Chhnang is a busy rural port town with bustling markets. Take a truly wonderful motorboat excursion into the lakeside wetlands that form the mouth of the river. Enjoy a stunning variety of birdlife and see numerous great fish traps, some over a half-mile long.Return to the boat and attend a lecture about the past and present of Cambodia in the Saigon Lounge as the ship navigates towards Kampong Tralach. Your afternoon tour will include an ox-cart ride from the riverbank through the countryside to the beautiful Kampong Tralach Pleu. Next, you will board a motor coach to Oudong, the former capital city of Cambodia, where you will tour the Buddhist Monastery. After this visit, take a 15-minute coach back to the ship at Prek K’dam.Enjoy cocktail hour before your delicious dinner this evening. We will also be showing a movie about the tragic Khmer Rouge, which you can catch in the Saigon Lounge after dinner. Tonight, the ship will sail towards Chong Koh Village.
Day 3: Chong Koh- Phnom Penh
This morning we visit Chong Koh – a silk weaving village located in the middle of the Mekong River. After breakfast, take a lovely morning stroll through this village. We will visit a school and discover home workshops which manufacture traditional silk and cotton handicrafts where we can buy local products. Upon our return to the ship, we will begin to navigate towards Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s bustling and industrious capital city.An afternoon walking tour will provide an orientation to this spectacular city before giving you free time for shopping or exploring the city on your own.You will return to the ship this evening for cocktail hour, followed by another wonderful meal. After dinner, enjoy the nightlife in Phnom Penh.
Day 4: Phnom Penh Highlights
Today is a busy day with many interesting sightseeing activities. In the morning, tour Phnom Penh by bus. Visit the Royal Palace, the spectacular Silver Pagoda and the National Museum which exhibits outstanding Khmer crafts.In the afternoon, we will visit the Genocide museum (Tuol Sleng) and the Killing Field in town. Here you will learn more about the tragic history of the Khmer Rouge regime. We will return to our cruise after the city tour is complete.Enjoy a delicious meal and join the Khmer folklore dances in the Saigon Lounge. Before midnight, opt to chill in one the bars located across the road from the pier. The ship will dock overnight at Phnom Penh port.
Day 5: Phnom Penh- Border Crossing- Tan Chau
Enjoy a hearty breakfast as the ship departs for the border. We will spend the day cruising the main Mekong channel, an international shipping route. In the afternoon, join our lovely cooking class with a fruit carving and Vietnamese fresh spring roll demonstration by our Executive Chef at Saigon Lounge. We will arrive at Tan Chau in the evening, the first Vietnamese town on the Mekong River. Join the crew-members after dinner for a nice surprise in the Lounge.
Day 6: Tan Chau- Sa Dec
Today’s highlight is a visit of Tan Chau, a small town untouched by tourism. In the morning, your excursion starts with sightseeing by local boats and navigating through narrow channels to visit an evergreen island. You will have the opportunity to visit a floating fish farm and travel along tiny tributaries where stilted houses are haphazardly leaning on ano another. Afterwards, go ashore and take a tour of the town by rickshaw (XeLoi). Here, you will visit rattan mats and slippers making factories.In the afternoon, we will cruise downstream to Sa Dec. There will be a lecture give on board about the past and present of Vietnam. The ship will arrive in Sa Dec in the early evening where the boat will drop its anchor for the night. Enjoy a cocktail at the Saigon Lounge before dinner. This evening, watch in-house movie “The Lover” in the cabin or enjoy the beautiful music from the on-board pianist.
Day 7: Sa Dec- Xeo Quyt- Cai Be
In the morning, board a local boat for Sa Dec, passing floating markets as we maneuver through the river’s channels. Once ashore, you will be given a tour of Sa Dec, famous for being the town where French writer Marguerite Duras spent many years during her childhood. Visit a local market and the house of Mr. Huynh Thuy Le, which is now a small museum. Afterwards, take a bus ride from Sa Dec to Xeo Quyt, a former base during the French and U.S. war and a current important ecological site full of lavish jungle overgrowth.
We will meet and re-board the ship in Cai Be. After lunch onboard, a local boat will take you to Cai Be’s floating market. You will then go ashore to visit the rice paper and coconut candy workshops. After that, visit a typical old house in the Mekong Delta and take a short walk through the big garden.This evening, return to the boat and enjoy a farewell cocktail and gourmet dinner.
Day 8: My Tho- Ho Chi Minh City
After breakfast, we will make our way towards Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) where we will leave you to continue your onward journey.
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Exclusions:
Passion Indochina Travel will provide you with a dynamic professional local private tour guide, a private chauffeur and a transportation that suits your style and gives you pleasure, comfort and security through every points of your destination.All our tour guides in our company are registered English Speaking Guides, they are passionate about their city and they take pride in sharing it with others.With our private local tour guide, you’d get the chance to see and learn more among the historic places in the world and their cultures. Be amazed with the breathtaking scenery of Asia and enjoy some once in a lifetime adventure!
Private Tour Guide
The tour guide is always punctual on every destination he/she is needed. You will be picked up at the airport and will be escorted to your hotel and tend to your stuff til their services is needed again. They will also assist you at the airport at every departure, seeing to it that you have checked in and passed through the security checkpoint. All the tour guides in all your choices of destination are Locals. Since they know all the areas of the tours you're taking, they make sure that they share to you all the information may it be historical facts, dates and anecdotes or tell stories about the tour sites to make it more interesting and entertaining. They would also suggest the best spots for picture taking.Our tour guides are also flexible when it comes to the itinerary changes if there's any unexpected reason and will be more than accommodating to any alternative suggestions just to ensure that you will have an incredible experience.
Private Chauffeur Services
Arrive in the comfort of your style. Depending on the group size, and the tour packages of your choice, we would accommodate you with the best transportation and a professional Chauffeur to assist you wherever and whenever you need. They would be happy to transport you.