Aqua Mekong River Cruise-Discover Cruise 4 Days 3 Nights

Discover Cruise 4 Days 3 Nights
Ho Chi Minh (SGN) to Siem Reap (REP) or Phnom Penh (PNH)
High & Low Water Itinerary / Downriver: Phnom Penh (PNH) to Ho Chi Minh (SGN) (All Year)

Day 01: Tuesday: Mekong River – Phnom Penh – Cambodia

Welcome our 3-night passengers over custom sundowners like the Salted Watermelon Crush with Thai basil. Together we celebrate the onward journey towards the heart of this mighty river with a Khmer Apsara performance, an indigenous tradition memorialized on the temple walls at Angkor Wat.

Day 02:Wednesday: Mekong River – Ka’om Samnor – Vinh Xuong Border Crossing – Chau Doc – My An Hung – Vietnam

Say ‘Good Morning, Vietnam’ while we cross the border and sail towards Tan Chau, a vibrant border town where we take the local rickshaw called xe loi for a trip around town or pedal 18 kilometers on the peaceful island of Long Khanh. In the afternoon, we visit a typical Mekong Delta village called My An Hung where we will walk through verdant plantations. We will be invited to a local’s home to taste local fruits while hearing traditional folk songs performed by villagers, followed by a unique Unicorn dance. Biking option is also available for those who wish to explore on wheels.

Day 03: Thursday: Mekong River – Binh Thanh/Sa Dec – Cai Be – Vietnam

Begin the day at Binh Thanh mat weaving village or opt to visit Sa Dec where we will peruse the vibrant market and see the famous house of Marguerite Duras’ legendary lover, Mr. Huynh Thuy Le. We continue downstream for Cai Be, zigzagging in our sampan past lone fishermen on their long tail boats. Later, our skiffs moor at a wooden pier. Here in Cai Be, walk or bike ride among high-roofed open courtyard houses, some dating back more than 100 years, and currently inhabited by gracious locals who will invite us to glimpse their property.

Day 04: Friday: Mekong River – My Tho – Ho Chi Minh – Vietnam

Disembarkation. En route to Ho Chi Minh, we stop at Vinh Trang Pagoda, one of the largest Mahayana Buddhist temple in the region. You will notice the mixed architectural style and see three large buddha statues plus an impressive collection of bonsai trees.

High Water Itinerary / Upriver: Phnom Penh (PNH) to Siem Reap (REP) (From August to November)

Day 01:Tuesday: Phnome Penh – Cambodia

Welcome our passengers over custom sundowners like the Salted Watermelon Crush with Thai basil. Together we celebrate the onward journey towards the heart of this mighty river with a Khmer Apsara performance, an indigenous tradition memorialized on the temple walls at Angkor Wat.

Day 02: Wednesday: Tonle Sap River – Koh Chen – Kampong Chhnang – Cambodia

This morning, we visit Koh Chen, a silversmith village known for its fine craftsmanship. Keep an eye out for their famous silver bowls, regularly chosen by Cambodia’s king as gifts for visiting dignitaries. In the afternoon, we continue learning about Khmer riverside life in Kampong Chhnang, the ‘Port of Pottery’ so called because archaeological findings here date to the 6th century. Bike option is available.

Day 03:Thursday: Mouth of the Tonle Sap Lake – Chhnok Tru – Moat Khla – Cambodia

Continue exploring the remote communities around the Tonle Sap Lake, designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1997. In Chhnok Tru, we “slide” into an ice factory and learn from locals what it’s like to live in a town where schools, churches, pagodas, and even the karaoke bar and police station all float. After lunch, we visit the floating village of Moat Khla, accessible only by water, and attend a Buddhist blessing ceremony in this isolated community.

Day 04: Friday: Tonle Sap Lake – Prek Toal – Siem Reap – Cambodia 

Set off by skiff into the 22,000-hectare Prek Toal Core Bird Reserve, one of the largest freshwater bodies in Asia and the last refuge in Southeast Asia for large waterbirds like the spot-billed pelicans, milky stork, black-headed ibis and the elusive masked finfoot. Disembarkation.

Low Water Itinerary: Phnom Penh (PNH) (From December to August)

Day 01:Tuesday: Phnom Penh – Cambodia

Welcome our 3-night passengers over custom sundowners like the Salted Watermelon Crush with Thai basil. Together we celebrate the onward journey towards the heart of this mighty river with a Khmer Apsara performance, an indigenous tradition memorialized on the temple walls at Angkor Wat.

Day 02: Wednesday: Tonle Sap River – Koh Chen – Kampong Prasat – Cambodia

In the silversmith village of Koh Chen, we watch artisans producing the magnificent silverware favored by Khmer royalty. We continue to Udong, the royal capital from the 17-19th centuries, where we learn about a uniquely challenging Buddhist practice at the Vipassana Dhura Mandala, a meditation center. In the afternoon, a walking tour of Kampong Prasat offers a close up perspective on local lives and their riverside environment.

Day 03:Thursday: Tonle Sap River – Kampong Chhnang – Kampong Tralach – Cambodia  

In the cooler hours, we head into the lush countryside to visit traditional potters and palm-sugar producers, astride mountain bikes or chauffeured by shaded tuk-tuk. Into the rice paddies we pedal to watch wizened masters scale sky-piercing palms towering over us. Cruise across the glassy water and disembark among the lotuses for an ox-cart ride along the Tonle Sap riverbanks, past lacquered wooden houses where during these dry months residents take refuge in the relative cool of these outdoor impromptu living rooms.

Day 04: Friday: Phnom Penh – Cambodia  

We show off the Cambodian capital to our passengers by motorized tuk-tuk, the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and the National Museum of Cambodia, home to the world’s largest collection of Khmer art. For those who wish, we visit the Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocide and the Killing Field or shopping at Russian Market. Disembark.

Inclusive of:

All meals while onboard
All beverages (premium non-alcoholic, house wine and beer)
All shore excursions
Laundry
Bike use
Internet with intermittent connection
Group transfers to/from vessel and the meeting points in Siem Reap and Saigon

Exclusive of:

All air tickets
Visas
Private transfers
Spa services
Boutique purchases
Guide and crew gratuities

Children Policy:

Seven year age minimum on all departures
Child under 12 years old will receive a 20% discount
Third person sleeping on sofa bed will receive a 20% discount
The third person being a child under 12 years old sleeping on sofa bed pays US$540 per nigh