| Itinerary Siem Reap - Tonle Sap Lake to Ho Chi Minh City | Siem Reap Tonle Sap Lake Embarkation Kampong Chhnang
The great lake dominates Cambodia and is known for its profuse bird life and tranquil fishing villages. We will meet our fellow travelers at the Welcome Dinner as we cruise to Kampong Chhnang. The ship moors overnight.
Kampong Chhnang Kampong Tralach - Oudong
After breakfast, a motor boat excursion will take us into the lakeside wetlands that form the mouth of the Tonle Sap River. We will enjoy a stunning variety of birdlife and see numerous great fish traps, some over a half-mile long. After our excursion, we will return to our vessel and cast off towards Kampong Tralach. Our afternoon tour includes an oxcart ride from the river bank through the countryside to the beautiful Wat Kapong Tralach Pleu. Next, we will tour the pagodas and board a motor coach to Oudong, the former capital of Cambodia, where we will tour the Buddhist monastery. After the visit, our motor coach will take us to our vessel, which will cruise towards the village of Chong Koh.
Chong Koh - Phnom Penh
In the morning we will visit the Chong Koh silk weaving village for a leisurely walk. Our vessel will then depart for Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. Our afternoon walking tour provides an orientation to this spectacular city. We will return to the vessel for dinner, followed by a special Khmer folk performance on board. The vessel moors overnight in Phnom Penh.
Phnom Penh
Our morning tour explores the highlights of Cambodia's capital city, famous for its French colonial architecture, busy cafes, vibrant nightlife and renovated river "corniche." We will visit the Royal Palace and the spectacular Silver Pagoda. The National Museum is another highlight with outstanding displays of Khmer crafts. After lunch onboard, another excursion will lead us to the infamous Killing Fields and the Khmer Rouge's grim Tuol Sleng or S21 detention centre (Genocide Museum) situated in the suburbs of the city. An overnight on the waterfront provides an opportunity for us to dine in one of many nearby restaurants and experience Phnom Penh's vibrant nightlife.
Phnom Penh Border Crossing Tan Chau, Vietnam
We will spend a day cruising the Mekong River and crossing the border into Vietnam. Our vessel moors at the small town of Tan Chau, Vietnam.
Tan Chau Sa Dec
After breakfast, we will be transferred to small boats, which will navigate through narrow channels to visit an evergreen island. We will also visit a catfish farm and a rattan mat and slipper-making workshop. Back ashore, a traditional "xe-loi" (trishaw) awaits to transport us around Tan Chau. In the afternoon our vessel cruises downstream to Sa Dec, where it will moor overnight.
Sa Dec Xeo Quyt - Cai Be
In the morning, we will board a local boat for Sa Dec passing floating markets as our boat maneuvers through the river's channels. Once ashore, we will tour Sa Dec, noteworthy as the town where the French writer Marguerite Dumas spent many years in her youth. Next, we will visit a local market, Fujian Temple and the house of Mr. Huynh Thuy Le, Dura's Chinese paramour, which is now a small museum. Afterwards, we will board a motor coach for the 1-hour ride to Xeo Quyt, used as a base during the French and U.S. wars and now an important ecological site, with its jungle overgrowth. After lunch on board, a local boat will take us to Cai Be's spectacular floating market then we will go ashore to see candy and rice paper workshops. In the evening, we will enjoy a gourmet Farewell Dinner on board.
Ho Chi Minh City Disembark
Our cruise comes to an end as the ship docks at My Tho Port, followed by a motor coach transfer to Saigon. As the capital of the French colony of Cochinchina, Saigon was known as "Paris of the Orient." Today, Vietnam's largest city is an industrial, cultural and educational hub, but still retains vestiges of its colonial past. | |
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