| Duration : |
 |
8 days and
7 nights
|
| Starts
from : |
Saigon City |
| Ends
in : |
Siem Reap City |
| Departure
dates: |
Click
here for details |
| Call us to
book: |
+84.91.2270058 |
| Email to book: |
|
Booking |
| Please
kindly contact us to arrange hotels, land excurions pre
or post of the trip |
Day 1: Saigon City - My Tho
Registration is at 0830 at the Renaissance
Riverside Hotel in Saigon and transfer at 0900 to the Delta
Port of My Tho by coach arriving at 1100 for check in followed
by port and immigration formalities. My Tho is the hub
of the Delta, but not of great cultural interest, so once on
board we set sail at 1300 and have lunch. In the afternoon we
moor near Cai Be and make a fascinating trip by traditional
junk to explore evergreen islands and at the former Imperial
residence, the An Kiet House. Surviving members of the Kiet
family will welcome us with tea and we can wander in the fruit
orchards around the house. Overnight moor mid-stream Cai Be.
Day 2: My Tho - Cai Be - Vinh Long
We take a morning junk trip around Cai Be
to see a floating market, and go ashore to visit the French
Gothic Cathedral and colourful port area, with its colonial
buildings, delightful flower gardens and local rice paper
manufacturers. We return to the ship and cruise over to Vinh
Long to visit a Bonsai Garden and fruit farm, followed by
visit to a brick and pottery factory. We return to the ship
and cruise past Vinh Long City and evergreen islands. The
remainder of the day is spent cruising through the Mekong
Delta.
Day 3: Heading for Chau Doc
From the main Mekong channel at Tan Chau we
travel down the canals and backwaters by local ferry boat. At
Chau Doc we transfer to small boats to visit a Cham tribal
village. We also visit a cat fish farm. We take a trishaw ride
round this fascinating town of fine French-colonial buildings
and see its bustling market. Return to the ship by boat for
lunch and cast off for the Cambodian border for the usual
formalities, which in this part of the world, take time.
Evening cruise up the broad Mekong channel, which is an
international shipping route. Moor overnight just downstream
from Phnom Penh.
Day 4: Chau Doc - Phnom Penh City
The capital of Cambodia retains its French
charm. The old colonial architecture makes an attractive
backdrop to busy cafes, and the renovated river
"corniche" is full of life. The city has several
impressive wats, including Wat Ounalom, Wat Phnom and the
newly-painted Wat Lang Ka. Pride of place goes to the
spectacular Silver Pagoda, one of the few places in Cambodia
where artefacts embodying the brilliance and richness of Khmer
culture were preserved by the Khmer Rouge. The National Museum
is another highlight, with outstanding displays of Khmer
crafts. An afternoon excursion is arranged to the Killing
Fields and the Khmer Rouge’s grim Tuol Sleng or S21
detention centre situated in the suburbs of the city.
More happily, Phnom Penh has a lively night
life, and some passengers choose to dine ashore or try one of
the capital’s many watering holes; a favourite being the
Foreign Correspondents’ Club.
Day 5: Phnom Penh to Kampong Cham
Early morning departure from Phnom Penh and
a stop at the little-known Chong Koh silk weaving village for
a morning walk at leisure. We cruise past the Mekong’s
timeless villages and river life with extensive fishing
activities. The scenery is very lovely here, and in the
distance, forested hills rise. On the river above Phnom Penh
there is little shipping, just real Cambodian life. In the
afternoon we stop at Peam Chi Kang village to visit the wat or
monastery and school. Passengers are at leisure to explore
this peaceful and friendly community. In the wat the splendid
village racing boats are stored.
Day 6: Kampong Cham Area
Morning journey upriver to the hilltop
pre-Angkorian temple of Wat Hanchey. Dating from the 8th
century, these ancient brick structures characterise the
architecture of the Chenla Empire which predated the glories
of Angkor. Sail back downstream over lunch for an exploration
of the Kampong Cham Area. We travel by bus to the 12th century
Angkorian temple of Wat Nokor. This colourful temple is unique
in Cambodia, as a modern wat is set within the ruins of an
ancient temple. We continue to the eco village of Cheungkok
supported by the French-Cambodian NGO AMICA and the Kampong
Cham orphanage, supported by the Pandaw Trust programme.
Legends abound about the origins of these hills, and there are
many pagodas and shrines on the hilltops.
Day 7: Tonle River Cruising
We glance by the capital Phnom Penh in the
early morning to change pilots, and then sail the Tonle River
which connects Tonle Lake with the Mekong and Bassac Rivers
that merge at Phnom Penh. This river journey is a highlight of
the trip. We wind our way through jungle, and as the river
narrows we feel we can almost reach out and touch the houses
and people who come out to cheer our ship on. Temples abound
along the river banks at Kampong Chhnang, and we see the rich
tapestry of Cambodian rural life. This is a busy rural port
town with bustling markets. Mooring mid-stream, we make a
truly wonderful motor boat excursion into the lakeside
wetlands that form the mouth of the river. Here a stunning
variety of birdlife may be seen and of considerable interest
are the great fish traps, some half a kilometre long, which
net a huge tonnage of fish after each monsoon as the fish
migrate from the falling lake into the Tonle River.
Day 8: Tonle Sap "Great Lake"
Cruising - Siem Reap City
The great lake dominates Cambodia and is
over 150 Km in length. Here bird life is profuse, and from the
middle of the lake one cannot even see the shores. There is a
great stillness and tranquility as we pass floating fishing
villages.
Because the water levels of the lake and
river vary a great deal according to the time of year and
rainfall, we will then either:
1. High water, approximately July -
November. Cross the Tonle Lake at dawn and 1000 disembark at
Siem Reap Port for onward coach transfer to the VICTORIA
RESORT HOTEL by 1100.
2.
Low water, approximately December - March. Coach transfer
at 0700 from Prek Dom on the Tonle River to the Siem Reap City
stopping for stop at Kampong Thom. Packed lunch and
refreshments provided. Arrive by 1200.
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