Mekong Prestige Cruise – 8 days 7 nights – Saigon – Siem Reap

Check in RV Mekong Prestige II’s desk at Apsara Hotel in Siem Reap, then transfer by air condition bus to Phnom Krom in the morning (Please note that in case of low waters, the transfer to ship will be done by bus or seed boat).

You will warmly welcomed onboard with drinks, then safety briefing will be presented by the cruise manager.

Lunch will be served on board during sailing through Tonle Sap Lake. Then, it is a lazy afternoon as the ship glides along the water. Dinner is at Dining Hall. Enjoy a spectacular experience on the sun deck as we bathe in the glow of the moon and the radiance of the stars.

Meals include: lunch, dinner

Overnight on board

The Day the sun begins its slow rise. Coffee and tea awaits the early bird. Before dawn, the ship sets sail across the Tonle Lake. As the ship is about to exit the lake, we see spectacular marshlands floating along the river banks of Kampong Chhnang province, where located approximately 90 km from Phnom Penh.

This is a busy rural port town with bustling markets. Board local boats to visit the authentic floating village. The life of the entire population is connected to the river with local people using the canal system which criss-cross this little town. We go ashore to stroll through the scenic market Return on board for lunch while sailing towards Kampong Tralach. Departure by bus to discover the very charming Vihara of the Wat Kampong Leu Pagoda dating back from the last century which has retained beautiful wall paintings.

Return by ox-drawn carriage and bus transfer to Oudong, 40 kilometers from Phnom Penh. Between 1618 and 1866, Oudong was the capital city of Cambodia. Erected at a hilltop, this place houses numerous Stupas dating of the last Khmer Kings. We see the Vipassana Dhura Pagoda, a place of meditation for Buddhist Monks.

Early morning sailing from Phnom Penh to Koh Chong which is located on the Mekong River and its famous for silk weaving village for a morning walk at leisure and a visit to the local workshop.

The excursion also includes a visit to a Pagoda and a meeting in a primary school to chat with pupils. Lunch on board.  We cruise past the Mekong’s timeless villages and river life with extensive fishing activities. Return to Phnom Penh and afternoon at leisure for a discovery of the city on your own and shopping at the Russian Market or drink coffee along Mekong River Bank.

In the evening, Take a rest on your cabin balcony or the lounge and get prepared for an exciting evening event. The evening starts with a variety of cocktails served on the sun deck. Take a seat and enjoy the following Apsara dance performance. Experience the brilliance and richness of this culture, the soothing sounds of traditional music, the calming scent of incense sticks and a barbeque on the sun deck. It is indeed a truly marvellous experience, dining in the open with the stars and the moon as our companions.

Overnight on board

Phnom Penh was once the Paris of the East. Despite its rapid development, it has retained a lot of its rustic charm and elegance. After breakfast, we will be captivated by a comprehensive lecture on Cambodia’s modern history. This will be followed by a city tour of this dynamic, historical capital city of Cambodia which has managed to preserve huge slices of its French colonial allure.

Sightseeing in the morning will include visiting the dazzling white and gold edifice of the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda, and witnessing exceptionally beautiful Khmer craft at the National Museum. Back to boat for lunch.

In the afternoon, we will take a short excursions to visit the former High School “S21”, converted to a detention centre under the Red Khmer’s rule between 1975 and 1979, followed by a visit to Wat Phnom after which the city was named. Then we will be free to visit Russian Market, back to ship for relax or massage after interesting day excursions. Dinner will be served on board.

Overnight on board

The cruise liner then sets sail for a lazy day of cruising along the main Mekong Channel. As this is an international shipping route, you will witness large commercial ships plying this route. Later, in the afternoon, we set off to the Vietnamese border for the requisite cross border paperwork. As the process tends to take some time, we bask in the glow of the afternoon sun on the sun deck, pamper ourselves silly at the Spa, or sharpen our culinary skills with the Mekong Prestige’s Cambodian and Vietnamese cuisine cooking class.. The ship moors midstream overnight.

Overnight on board

Have your breakfast on board, today we will see the real life of Vietnamese people along the Mekong River by visiting a fishing farm in Tan Chau on the Ban Sac River.

We continue to a walking tour to handicraft villages where they made woven mat and raw silk. Then enjoy the fun rickshaw ride round the beautiful town, later back to pier for lunch. Free in the afternoon for relax or enjoy the spa on the ship.

Overnight on board

In the morning, we will cruise to Vinh Long Province and tour in Sa Dec Town by visiting French Writer Marguerite Duras’s house.

She spent parts of her childhood in Sa Dec, a sprawling busy town on the Mekong Delta. Both the school where Duras’ mother taught and the small house behind it where the family lived still stand. We see the house of Marguerite’s Chinese Lover. The house is a small museum of “The Lover” in Sadec. Visit to a Caodaist Temple and stroll through the beautiful local market.

Lunch on board. We cruise past Vinh Long Province, located in the middle of the Delta region, between the two tributaries of the Mekong. Arrival Cai Be is the most bustling river market in the Mekong Delta River in Vietnam, where more than 400 sampans gather every day, starting in earnest from 5 a.m.. Each boat has one bamboo stick on the front to display that vendor’s product, be it Vietnamese fish sauce, rice paper for dumplings, or colorful sweet confectionery.

In the afternoon, our ship will reach to Cai Be in the morning, after buffet breakfast we will take a morning junk trip around Cai Be floating market, visit the most well – known French Gothic Cathedral. Take a show walk along the river bank and visit local manufacturer producing rice paper and coconut candies and others. We then board the ship for a tranquil evening cruise towards My Tho. A wonderful farewell party awaits us on the terrace deck.

Meals include: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Overnight on board

Arrival at My Tho. Disembarkation after breakfast and bus transfer to Saigon city center.

*Important notice: it may not be possible to cross Lake Tonle if the water is low. Alternative arrangements will be made to cross the lake either by speed boat or bus to meet the ship. Passengers will be informed of details before departure.

The cruise schedule and program timing are indicative and subject to modification.