Luxury Vietnam - Cambodia Mekong Cruise 18 Days

On arrival at Hanoi international airport) you will be greeted by representative airport staff at the air bridge. Have fast track immigration and customs clearance as well as assistance with luggage collection and be escorted to the airport arrival hall for transfer to the hotel in the city centre (hotel check-in time is 14:00 hrs; early check-in is subject to room availability and surcharge will apply)

Depending on your flight arrival time, optional day excursions in and around Hanoi are available at a surcharge.

Meals: Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Today you will have a full day exclusive city tour escorted by an expert for an insight in to Vietnamese cultures, religions, especially Buddhism and architecture of Hanoi.

In the morning, you will first visit the historic Ba Dinh Square where in the Autumn of 1945 President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence marking the birth of the young Democratic Republic of Vietnam. In such a connection, there stands the mausoleum of the historic figure and father of modern Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh (mausoleum viewed from outside). Continue to the stilt house which was his temporary residence from 1954 – 1969. In the same complex you will see the One Pillar Pagoda, founded by King Ly Thai To in 1049. Next, visit the Temple of Literature, built in the 11th century as Vietnam’s first university. Continue to West Lake and one of the oldest Buddhist pagodas in Hanoi, Tran Quoc, and the nearby Taoist temple of Quan Thanh which dates from the Ly Dynasty.

In the afternoon, stroll through the old quarter of Hanoi and enjoy a cyclo (rickshaw) tour of Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Finish the day with a Water Puppet show, a uniquely northern Vietnamese art form depicting scenes from rural life and episodes of national history.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Enjoy breakfast and some leisure time in the morning. At 10:30 hrs. Pick-up will be provided at the hotel lobby and transfer to Gia Lam Heliport for a memorable flight by Seaplane to Halong Bay. The helicopter will circle above the bay for a panoramic view of the Bay and will then touch down at Halong helipad

Arrive in Halong City. Check-in at the cruise center, take a rest and get ready to start your lifetime cruise. The cruise depart from Tuan Chau Island, meet the crew on board and receive safety briefing. The program begins with a delicious lunch as the boat cruises toward South East Halong Bay passing by many islets… In the afternoon, explore the Dark Cave & Light Cave by bamboo boat.

Optional: Traditional massage (chargeable), sunbathing on board or swimming around platform in Dark and Bright caves.

Bar opens for the Happy Hour "Buy one get one free" for drinks on board. Traditional cooking demonstration on sundeck (or in the restaurant if weather does not allow) while The Au Co cruises back to overnight area.

19:30 - 21:00: Set menu dinner is served in the restaurant. In the evening, free time to watch movies in the restaurant or join squid fishing at reception.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Overnight on board

6:15 - 8:30: Start your day with a Tai Chi lesson on sundeck with complimentary tea and coffee. Have breakfast on board while The Au Co cruises through the bay passing a lot of beautiful spots.

9:00 - 12:00: Arrive at Cat Ba Island. Cycle and explore the tropical junk in national park with guide from crew members.Then return to the boat and take time to relax. Enjoy lunch in restaurant while cruise slowly passes by beautiful karst towers.

14:30 - 18:00: The captain and chief engineer will show Bridge and Engine room, a special tour allowed by the captain. In the afternoon, visit Ho Ba Ham area. Then back to the boat for relaxation on board. Make the most of an extended Happy Hour (buy 1 get 1 free) for drinks.

19:30 - 21:00: Enjoy the barbecue buffet in the restaurant (or sundeck depends on weather) while the boat is at anchor. Free time in the evening to watch movies in the restaurant, squid fishing at the reception or join our kitchen staff for the fruit carving session.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Overnight on board

6:30 - 7:30: Morning with a Tai Chi lesson on sundeck or enjoy the breath-taking views of the bay while The Au Co cruises leisurely in Halong Bay. Breakfast is served on board.

8:00 - 10:45: Explore one of the biggest caves in Halong Bay with beautiful stalactites and stalagmite in Sung Sot Cave. Back to the boat, prepare for check out: passenger’s bags must be put in the corridor. Join a Vietnamese traditional tea ceremony before check-out.

Arrive at Tuan Chau Island at around 10:30 hrs. Disembark and take a helicopter flight back to Gia Lam Heliport and take a land transfer from there to Hanoi airport for the domestic flight to Da Nang.

Upon arrival at Da Nang airport, meet our representative for transfer to your hotel. Rest of the day is at leisure and enjoy the hotel facility and spa package

Meals: Breakfast, Brunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Da Nang

Rural Villages Experience – Hoi an: Experience local life in the slow lane.

Setting off from Café Zoom in Hoi An, we head out west along the banks of the Thu Bon River, first stopping at a bustling local fish market before heading into the rice paddy rich countryside and local villages, stopping to meet a local family producing local rice crackers. Crossing a bridge over the Thu Bon River takes us through more quiet villages and then into beautiful farmlands, where we take a break for a local speciality dish while surrounded by seasonal vegetables in the picturesque fields of corn, eggplants, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, and herbs (location is seasonal).

As the sun starts to go down, we set off through the rice paddies, passing duck farms, visit a local mat weaving family and then ride along by the prawn farms and over the river to visit a charming family home where they produce the local & potent favourite brew – rice wine. It’s then a short ride over the Cam Kim Bridge into Hoi An as the sun begins to set on this beautiful heritage town.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Hoi An

Have early check-out and transfer to Hue airport for the morning flight (by VN1371 08:50 – 10:10, subject to change) to the dynamic Ho Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by the locals.

Enjoy a full day city tour. You will first head to Cholon, the city’s Chinatown district. Visit the Cantonese Thien Hau Pagoda, dedicated to the goddess of the sea, and Vietnam's first traditional medicine museum, the FITO Museum. Head back to the city centre to visit Ben Thanh Market where an incredible display of fresh produce is offered.

In the afternoon you can either visit the War Remnants or History Museum and the former Presidential Palace. Then take a leisurely stroll to the major sights of colonial Saigon including the Old Saigon Post Office, Dong Khoi Street (formerly Rue Catinat), Continental Hotel, Opera House and City Hall.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City

Pick-up at the hotel and transfer to the pier in District 1 for a half-day tour by speed boat to Cu Chi Tunnels (70 km northwest of Ho Chi Minh City), an amazing complex of underground tunnels used during the Vietnam War. There are more than 200 km of tunnels, comprising a main axis system with many branches connecting to underground hideouts, shelters and other tunnels. You have the chance to crawl through this amazing system of tunnels. For a more “thrilling” experience, you can even test your shooting skills on original AK47s and other guns from past war times (subject to a surcharge).

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City

Bid farewell to the hustle and bustle of Saigon as we travel 70 kilometers south by land to My Tho to embark your boutique boat. We will be served a refreshing welcome drink as the ship steadily glides along the Mekong. We will bathe in the fading sunset on the balcony followed by a briefing at the lounge. Later, a welcome dinner awaits us.

When approaching Cai Be, the ship drops anchor to moor midstream where the river is several kilometers wide. Including dinner. Overnight in Cai Be.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation: Overnight on board

The day - in fact everyday - starts with an invigorating tai-chi lesson on the sundeck, just as the sun begins its gentle glow. Coffee and tea awaits the early bird.

The day's tour starts with a visit to Cai Be's boisterous and colorful floating market on board a traditional sampan(a flat bottomed traditional Vietnamese wooden boat). During the languid ride, discover breathtaking landscapes along the river and quaff the rustic life on the Mekong Delta.

The cruise will halt intermittenly to allow us to observe how rice paste, rice cookies and coconut candies are made, along with the Longan fruit drying process. After touring the canals, we head to an ancient house surrounded by fruit orchards before heading to the ship for lunch.

In the afternoon we cruise to Sa Dec. Upon arrival, we embark a traditional sampan* to tour Binh Thanh Island and its man-made canals. Here, every villager is involved in the process of making rattan mat and this give us the chance to interact with the old local people. We then board the Ship for a tranquil evening cruise towards Tan Chau.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included. The Ship will moor midstream overnight near Tan Chau.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Overnight on board

Welcome to the fish sanctuary of Vietnam. Begin your day with a hearty breakfast at the Indochine Dining Hall or in the quiet sanctuary of your balcony. Brace yourself for a short excursion in Chau Doc, a pleasant town near the Cambodian border with sizeable Chinese, Kinh and Khmer communities. Firstly, the journey takes you to the “evergreen” islands where you will be thrilled to learn the life of the locals.

The inhabitants of these islands live on houses poised on high stilts - a centuries-old tradition in this part of the Mekong Delta.

We stop to visit a fish farm located in the Tan Chau canal - this farm consists of floating houses and the villagers make their living by cultivating fish. You continue by boat to Tan Chau pier, disembark here and stroll around this colorful local market with lots of regional products. You return to the cruise Ship after your market visit.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included. Overnight we anchor midstream near Phnom Penh.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: 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 Cambodias 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.

After lunch at a local restaurant, we will visit the Genocide Museum and the Killing Field in town. Be prepared to be heart wrenched by this stark reminder of the genocide that transpired during Cambodia's Khmer Rouge regime.

We go back to the ship after our museum visit. 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 cocktail 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 sundeck. It is indeed a truly marvelous experience, dining in the open with the stars and the moon as our companions.

Including breakfast, lunch and dinner. Overnight in Phnom Penh. In the middle of the night around 1am we depart already during a night cruise to Kampong Chnnang. This region is 100km away from Phnom Penh.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Overnight on board

High Water Season (Mid Sep - Dec)

We will depart before the break of dawn from Phnom Penh with a stop at the little known Chong Koh silk weaving village. We will then return to the ship and will cruise past the Mekong's tranquil villages, exhilirating river life and sun-hardened fishermen on their make shift boats.

We will tour the rural Angkor Ban village where time stood still. We are transported back a hundred years into an era unsullified by modernity. The houses here are truly rustic, made by hand and without any concrete. But most of all, we feel overwhelmed by the unbridled warmth of the villagers.

Travelers can take part in the daily activities of the villagers to experience village life first hand. Then, we are back to the Ship to cruise towards Kampong Cham.

Overnight in Kampong Cham.

Lower Water Season (Jan - Mid Sep)

Before the sun peeks over the horizon, the cruiser sets sail towards Kampong Chhnang (we leave Phnom Penh after midnight) and the Tonle Sap River - an amazingly narrow river - which glides through leafy swaths of the Southeast Asian jungle. We are greeted by cacophonous children who waive enthusiastically early in the morning when they bring their livestock for a bath in the meandering Tonle Sap River.

Then we approach Kampong Chhnang, Cambodia's "waterworld" where everything is on stilts balanced on rich water rich soil- it's an awesome sight whilst practising Tai Chi on the deck.

Here we take a motorboat excursion to the landing, followed by a short bus trip to see the Khmer-styled pottery at the Aundaung Russey village. Then, it is back to the river for an adventurous motorboat excursion to the wetlands, floating houses and fish farms in the region.

We then return to the ship for lunch whilst cruising the narrow and meandering Tonle Sap. We will cruise toward Prek K'dam where we will take a walk through the silversmith village of Koh Chen where the entire community of villagers are involved in making various silver items for sale.

Back onboard, the ship sails back towards Phnom Penh again and will moor for overnight midstream near Phnom Penh.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Overnight on board

High Water Program (Mid Sep - Dec)

We will wake up in the small hours of the morning, truly energized to embark on a land journey to the pre-Angkorian temple of Wat Hanchey. Travelers either take a motor-taxi or climb the 291 steps to the top. Located at the top of a hill overlooking the river, it offers one of the most breath-taking views in Cambodia. Built in the 8th century, this ancient structure, together with a bigger and newer addition underscores the superb architecture of the Chenla Empire which predates the mighty Angkor temple complex. We even get to engage in light banter with some of the monks in the area. We will return to the ship to witness a blessing ceremony performed by orange-clad local monks.

When the tide allows, we will enjoy a surprise sojourn in our zodiacs (inflatable boats) to the nearby beach to swim in the tea-coloured Mekong river, an experience that will, no doubt, dominate dinner conversations in the weeks to come.

We wil then cruise towards Kampong Cham to visit Wat Nokor, a wat built within the ruins of an ancient temple which holds a timeless story. On the way back to the ship, we will visit an orphanage. Along the way, we will have to maneuver a 2-kilometer rickety bamboo bridge. Our sense of balance lies in the balance!

Overnight in Kampong Chnnang

Lower water program (Jan - Mid Sep)

We will depart before the break of dawn from Phnom Penh with a stop at the little known Chong Koh silk weaving village. We will then return to the ship and will cruise past the Mekong's tranquil villages, exhilirating river life and sun-hardened fishermen on their make shift boats.

We will tour the rural Angkor Ban village where time stood still. We are transported back a hundred years into an era unsullified by modernity. The houses here are truly rustic, made by hand and without any concrete. But most of all, we feel overwhelmed by the unbridled warmth of the villagers.

Travelers can take part in the daily activities of the villagers to experience village life first hand. Then, we are back to the ship to cruise towards Kampong Cham.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Overnight on board

High Water Program (Mid Sep - Dec)

Before the sun peeks over the horizon, the cruiser sets sail towards Kampong Chhnang on the Tonle Sap River - an amazingly narrow river - which glides through leafy swaths of the Southeast Asian jungle. We are greeted by cacophonous children who waive enthusiastically early in the morning when they bring their livestock for a bath in the meandering Tonle Sap River.

Then we approach Kampong Chhnang, Cambodia's 'waterworld' where everything is on stilts balanced on rich water rich soil- it's an awesome sight whilst practising Tai Chi on the deck.

Here we take a motorboat excursion to the landing, followed by a short bus trip to see the Khmer-styled pottery at the Aundaung Russey village. Then, it is back to the river for an adventurous motorboat excursion to the wetlands, floating houses and fish farms in the region.

We then return to the ship for lunch whilst cruising the narrow and meandering Tonle Sap.

Your floating sanctuary will then cruise gently, in the afternoon, along the narrow and meandering Tonle Sap. In the evening, a sumptious spread will be served. And for the big surprise - bring along your dance shoes and learn to jiggle the Cambodian way with our staff doubling up as dance instructors. (If you can't dance, do not fret. Neither can our staff)

Lower water program (Jan - Mid Sep)

We will wake up in the small hours of the morning, truly energized to embark on a land journey to the pre-Angkorian temple of Wat Hanchey. Travelers either take a motor-taxi or climb the 291 steps to the top. Located at the top of a hill overlooking the river, it offers one of the most breath-taking views in Cambodia. Built in the 8th century, this ancient structure, together with a bigger and newer addition underscores the superb architecture of the Chenla Empire which predates the mighty Angkor temple complex. We even get to engage in light banter with some of the monks in the area. We will return to the ship to witness a blessing ceremony performed by orange-clad local monks.

When the tide allows, we will enjoy a surprise sojourn in our zodiacs (inflatable boats) to the nearby beach to swim in the tea-colored Mekong River, an experience that will, no doubt, dominate dinner conversations in the weeks to come.

We will then cruise towards Kampong Cham to visit Wat Nokor, a wat built within the ruins of an ancient temple which holds a timeless story. On the way back to the ship, we will visit an orphanage. Along the way, we will have to maneuver a 2-kilometer rickety bamboo bridge. Our sense of balance lies in the balance.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Overnight on board

High Water Season (Mid Sep - Dec)

This great lake dominates Cambodia and is the largest freshwater lake in Asia with abundant birdlife. This lake is so wide that one can not see its shores from the middle of the lake.

Enjoy the stillness of the water and the quiet tranquility on the way to Siem Reap.

The water level varies a great deal according to the time of the year and the amount of rainfall recorded. Thus, minor changes to the itinerary may occur during different seasons.

Our cruise aboard our Heritage Line cruise liner comes to an end as we reach this city of the fabled Angkor temple complex. We bid farewell to the cruise as our journey comes to a close. But the memories - and the friendships made on board - linger on for a lot longer.

We will cross the Tonle Sap Lake at dawn and at 9:00 am, we will disembark at the Siem Reap Port for onward coach transfer to the drop off point in town.

Lower Water Season (Jan - Mid Sep)

We will disembark the ship at after breakfast and boarding a coach at 9:00am for a transfer from Kampong Cham to the drop off point in Siem Reap. We get to munch on snacks and enjoy cold drinks along the journey. We will stop briefly at Skon, known as Spiderville for its fried spiders, a delicacy in this country then we will arrive in Siem Reap in the early afternoon.

Pick up at Siem Reap Port and transfer to hotel in Siem Reap. Enjoy welcome dinner with Apsara Dance Performance.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap

We start by visiting the highlights of the small circuit, including Prasat Kravan, the royal bathing pond of Sra Srang, Banteay Kdei, Takeo and jungle-clad Ta Prohm. Later, we visit magnificent Angkor Wat to view its architecture and bas reliefs.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap

You are free to stroll around the town for your own exploration. Transfer to the airport to take the departure flight

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: NA