Pearl of the Orient – Jayavarman and the Jahan Cruises – 4 Days 3 Nights

Heritage Line extends a heartfelt welcome to our guests in Saigon at our welcome lounge. Enjoy a second coffee this morning before the transfer departs towards My Tho to embark on our vessel. Upon boarding, our crew will guide you to your staterooms, providing a short briefing on the cabin’s facilities. After spending some time to settle in, lunch awaits in the ship’s restaurant, followed by a welcome & safety briefing in the lobby by our cruise director.

As the afternoon unfolds, sailing with the flow of the Mekong River, you can enjoy time on the deck. The cruise director invites you to a little sunset event with canapés and prosecco, where one can socialise with other fellow passengers. After having officially kicked off your journey, dinner is served. During the evening dining, the ship will likely reach Tan Phong Island area near Cai Be, where we will anchor midstream. This is your first glimpse of the bustling area where we will begin our Mekong adventure on land tomorrow. If you like, join the evening cinema in the climatised indoor lounge later.

Wake early to embrace the stunning dawn scenery, a time when the Delta’s inhabitants have already been active for hours. Energize yourself with our daily morning Tai Chi class before indulging in a lavish breakfast buffet. By local boat, we gain access to the secluded island of Tan Phong, a small island situated in the midst of one of the expansive Mekong River tributaries flowing toward the nearby sea.Default Excursion (any ship): During a visit to a workshop in the town of Cai Be, we’ll have the opportunity to observe the production of rice paper, rice cookies, rice wine and coconut candies. This is a very interesting manual process involving manual labour and special production technics. After the workshop we are heading to Tan Phong Island, a smaller island in the middle of the vast Mekong. We are visiting a local family and their fruit garden offering us various kind of tropical fruits to taste. A buggy ride through the island let us have a glimpse of the local day to day life as it unfolds. We stop at another family’s house. They are specialized in weaving of water hyacinth plants into artistic crafts by hand.

OPTIONAL MORNING EXCURSION:

Culinary (Ship ‘Jayavarman’ only): After a short buggy ride through fruit orchards, a local family welcomes you as cooking apprentice to master the art of traditional Jackfruit Leaf Cakes. From picking fresh leaves and extracting their juice to shaping and steaming the cakes in their natural casings, you’ll experience every step of the process. You’ll also learn to prepare a perfect coconut dipping cream before savouring your creation with hot ginger tea.

Cycling (Ship ‘The Jahan’ only, extra cost): This cycling tour offers a ride over the scenic Tan Phong Island. Cycle along well-maintained and flat concrete paths winding through orchards of rambutan, longan, and jackfruit. We stop and visit a local family business producing charming handicrafts from water hyacinths. The tour continues for 3 km along a canal to a local temple for a refreshing break under a banyan tree before continuing the ride to a tropical fruit farmer’s home for a tasting.

Default Excursion (any ship): Relax and enjoy some time on your private balcony or at the bar as we continue our voyage upstream. In the afternoon, we arrive at the Sa Dec region and anchor near one of the larger islands in the Mekong known as Binh Thanh. This island is home to several communities that sustain themselves by cultivating water hyacinths. Strolling through the village, you’ll gain profound insights into local life and witness the complete traditional mat-making process. Additionally, you’ll have the opportunity to meet a local elderly couple who have spent their entire lives on this island. They enjoy engaging in conversations with foreign visitors.

OPTIONAL AFTERNOON EXCURSION:

Cycling (Ship ‘The Jahan’ only, extra cost): Once on the shore, the cycling discovery around the island begins with interesting stops at scenic backstreets, rice paddies, and some island’s distinctive houses offering great photo opportunities. The cycling tour leads to the village of Long Ta, which is famous for its scarf weaving. We return to the pier taking our tender boat back to the mother ship.

Before dinner, join us in the lounge for a presentation about life on the Mekong Delta as the ship sails toward our mooring spot for the night near Gieng Island.

After our morning Tai Chi session and a delightful breakfast, we embark on an exploration revealing a vibrant kaleidoscope of the diverse activities bringing the Mekong Delta to life.

Default Excursion (any ship): Gieng Island, also known locally as Mango Island, is perfect to stroll through under the shades of flourishing mango groves that shape the island’s landscape. A visit to a small incense workshop introduces us to the careful process of crafting these fragrance incense sticks by hand, another local highlight is a traditional boat-building workshop, where generations of families assemble wooden vessels that are essential to life along the river. Before departing, we surely are going to taste some of these delicious and freshly picked mangoes with a local tea in the courtyard of century-old local home. This is the moment when we all understand the rhythms and resilience of life on the Mekong – so simple, so joyful.

OPTIONAL MORNING EXCURSION:

Culinary (Ship ‘Jayavarman’ only): Conclude your morning excursion with a culinary twist: Prepare with a local family an authentic “Banh In”, a soft, sweet treat made from glutinous rice flour and sugar. Always served with jasmine tea, the ‘Banh In’ is popular during Vietnamese national festivals such as Tet.

Cycling (Ship ‘The Jahan’ only, extra cost): The island’s flat terrain makes this ride so pleasurable and easy along lush green paths with many mango farms. Enjoy local Mekong Delta life at its best, left and right, with locals waving friendly. We ride along many fruit gardens and there is always something to stop and see on the way, like a traditional incense workshop or a local boat-building workshop.

Default Excursion (any ship): After lunch, board a traditional sampan toward Evergreen Island, a fertile pocket of the delta known for its small-scale farms and seasonal crops. Upon arrival, spend time with a local farming family and gain insight into their daily routine. You’re invited to step into the shoes of your hosts and share in their daily work. Depending on the season, you will help prepare seedlings, plant new crops, or assist with the harvest; a rare opportunity to share the delta daily life from the inside. Much of what’s grown here is later used by our onboard chef, tying your culinary experience onboard directly to the land.
After having discovered Mekong Delta’s bustling rhythm, we head towards the border. Once in Cambodia, an overnight sail takes us to the country’s capital.

Welcome to Phnom Penh – the city once named Paris of the East. Despite its rapid development, it has retained a lot of its rustic charm and elegance. It is an amazing town with centuries of incredible history and culture which can still be felt at many street corners.

Enjoy your last breakfast aboard your floating home before disembarking the ship. We hope you enjoyed this fascinating river cruise, just as our crew does every single time. Moreover, take the enchanting memories and friendships along with you and share the stories of this amazing river – the Mighty Mekong.