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Day 1: Saigon – My Tho – Tan Phong Island
Day 2: Tan Phon Island – Binh Thanh Island – Tan Chau
Day 3: Tan Chau – Border Crossing – Phnom Penh
Day 4: Phnom Penh
Operating cruise: Heritage Line The Jahan & Jayavarman
- Day 1: Depart from Saigon and settle into your luxurious floating home as we cruise towards Tan Phong Island. Enjoy a welcome dinner and evening entertainment
- Day 2: Discover the charming Tan Phong and Binh Thanh Islands. Engage in workshops, taste tropical fruits, and explore local crafts, with optional cycling or culinary experiences
- Day 3: Visit Tan Chau, exploring by rickshaw to see markets, a Cao Dai temple, and a traditional fish farm. In the afternoon, relax onboard as we sail towards Phnom Penh
- Day 4: Arrive in Phnom Penh, rich in history and culture, and enjoy breakfast before disembarking
- Accommodation in selected cruise
- English-speaking tour guiding on-and offshore
- Transfers during the cruise; transfers between meeting points and the ship and vice versa
- Meals as mentioned in the program; welcome drink, brewed coffee, tea, and mineral water; complimentary beverage package
- Passenger liability insurance
- Internet on the ship (subject to cellular network signal)
- Crew and guide gratuities
- VISA fees
- Private transfers
- Personal expenses
- Other beverages than those stated under inclusions
- Medical services
- Spa treatments
- Port and anchorage fees
- Optional excursion (as stated in the itinerary)
- All other services or items not listed under inclusions
- Welcome Lounge in Saigon: Renaissance Riverside Hotel 15 Ton Duc Thang Street, District 1 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Pier Location for Embarkation: My Tho Pier – No. 8, 30/4 Street, Ward 1, My Tho City, Tien Giang Province, Vietnam (70 km away from Saigon, transfer time ~2hrs)
- Pier Location for Disembarkation: Phnom Penh Pier – Building #649; Sisowat Quay, Sangkat Sraschork, Khan Daun Penh, GPS (11°34’58.7″N 104°55’16.8″E)
We welcome our guests in the morning at our Saigon welcome lounge. Relax with a second coffee while our staff collects your details. We bid farewell to the hustle and bustle of Saigon and travel 70 kilometers south overland towards My Tho to embark on our vessel. After checking into your luxurious floating “home,” the sailing on this major Asian waterway begins.
A lunch buffet is served in the restaurant as the vessel steadily glides upstream. As twilight bathes the Mekong Delta in a golden haze, take the opportunity to get to know your fellow travelers and join in our official welcome with canapés and prosecco.
During dinner, the ship will likely reach Tan Phong Island area near Cai Be, where we anchor midstream. This is your first glimpse of the bustling area where we will begin our Mekong adventure on land tomorrow. Join us for some late-night entertainment in the evening cinema, featuring interesting classic movies or thrilling documentaries.
Meals: Lunch, dinner
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 labor 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 kinds 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 water hyacinth plants into artistic crafts by hand.
OPTIONAL MORNING EXCURSION:
Culinary (Ship ‘Jayavarman’ only): Via tender, we head towards Tan Phong Island to visit a workshop where we can see skilled workers weaving dried water hyacinths into artistic crafts. We explore some parts of the local island life during a 15-minute motorized buggy ride along small pathways, eventually stopping at a local house o visit their orchard. Get to know various kinds of fruits the Mekong Delta has to offer and engage in an interactive cooking experience with the local family preparing some local dishes together.
Cycling (Ship ‘The Jahan’ only with 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 business 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:
Culinary (Ship ‘Jayavarman’ only): Not available
Cycling (Ship ‘The Jahan’ only with 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 in Tan Chau.
Default Excursion (any ship): Upon disembarking, we immerse ourselves in the vibrant town life of Tan Chau by boarding “Xe Loi” (the Vietnamese word for rickshaws). Your personal Xe Loi driver leisurely navigates through a network of streets, allowing you to observe workshops, street vendors, shops, and the intriguing day-to-day activities of the locals. Our journey takes us to the local market, where we mingle with residents as they go about their morning shopping routines. Continuing on, we visit a Cao Dai temple and meet with one of the priests, who enlightens us about the unique beliefs and spirit of Cao Dai. Our final destination is a fish farm that has been operated for many years by a local family, who make their livelihood from this distinctive business. Here, we gain insight into the essential knowledge required to manage such a unique enterprise in this region.
OPTIONAL MORNING EXCURSION:
Culinary (Ship ‘Jayavarman’ only): Once onshore, we walk five minutes to the nearby market. Join our guide in selecting and buying fresh ingredients for the upcoming cooking session. We take cyclos for a charming ride through town to the local Cao Dai temple. During a quick visit, you get to gain some insight into this particular religion as well as the special dietary practices of Cao Dai followers. We head to the temple kitchen for a hands-on cooking class, preparing special dietary dishes in an interactive and culturally enriching experience together with the local kitchen team.
Cycling (Ship ‘The Jahan’ only with extra cost): By tender, we reach the shores of a small island in the Mekong River near Tan Chau. The island’s flat terrain will make this ride pleasurable and easy along lush green paths with many mango farms. Enjoy the local life left and ride and the many nice fruit gardens. We stop at a small market for a little break an chit-chat with local vendors. We continue our cycling tour with some exciting sightseeing on the way: A frog farm and a workshop specialized in weaving high-quality mats.
Back on board our “home”, we sail towards the Vietnamese-Cambodian border. Get ready for a fascinating and leisurely cruise through the deep Cambodian countryside towards Phnom Penh.
The whole afternoon is at your own disposal. From here, even the last passenger turns on their cruise mode and hopefully experiences the relaxing influence this mighty river emanates. The afternoon is perfect for massages, relaxation on a terrace deck sunbed, or private balcony kick-backs. Conjure up a spell to merge with the river and float into a state of mild bliss.
You also may like to visit the bridge as the captain always has a little story to share about “his” river. Or, if you are curious to learn more about Khmer gastronomy, join a culinary workshop to sharpen your knowledge about local cuisine.
After our relaxing cruise during the whole afternoon into the evening hours, the boat arrives at Phnom Penh (docking mid-stream or at the pier). Enjoy your time onboard with our onboard entertainment, social at our public venues, or relax in the privacy of your cabin (due to immigration regulations passengers may not be allowed to go on land this evening).
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.
