Sail through Cambodia and Vietnam aboard the RV Indochine, on this 9-day cruise from Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh Ville. This trip is favorable to meditation and allows you to live during 9 days to the rhythm of the Mekong River. Spend your days enjoying enriching excursions and discovering fascinating destinations, including the Silver Pagoda and the Royal Palace, the former home of Huynh Thuy Le, My Tho islands, and Thien Hau Pagoda among others.
Highlights
Explore Kampong Chhnang, one of the largest fishing ports on the Tonle Sap
Visit Koh Chen where the inhabitants are experts in silver and copper work
Tour Sa Dec, known as the “garden of the Cochin Chine” in colonial times
Enjoy some free time to stroll around the Ben Thanh markets
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Today´s program depends on your arrival time to Siem Reap. If arrived from your flight between 6:00 am and 11:00 am, schedules as follows: Have lunch in the hotel Lotus Blanc. Board small local boats in Siem Reap at 14.00, and be transfered to the RV Indochine. After comfortably settling into your cabins, meet the crew at a welcome cocktail and have dinner on board. Drop anchor and moor for the night close to the flooded forest.
Day 2: Tonle Sap | Kampong Chhnang | Kampong Tralach
Have breakfast on board and spend the morning cruising to take advantage of the lake crossing. After lunch on board, arrive in Kampong Chhnang. Located some 90km from Phnom Penh, the town of Kampong Chhnang is one of the largest fishing ports on the Tonle Sap. Here they also have many fish farms. The region is best known for its fine traditional pottery which is a major source of revenue for the entire country, and the region’s very name Kampong Chhnang means “the port of the pottery” in Khmer. Taste some palm sugar from the Thnot sugar palm (a real national symbol) before going around the village afloat small local boats. Return on board and continue your cruise to Kampong Tralach. Enjoy dinner on board and moor for the night.
Have breakfast on board this morning before visiting the beautiful Vihara of the Wat Kampong Tralach Leu pagoda. Cross through the village of Kampong Tralach on an ox cart to reach the pagoda on a small path running perpendicular to the river amidst a magnificent landscape of rice fields. The Vihara dates back to the beginning of last century and has many magnificent wall paintings which are starting to suffer from the effects of time. Completely isolated in the middle of the rice fields, the pagoda is quite unassuming and does not receive many visitors, so its isolation makes it a truly magnificent spot.
Return on board for lunch and cast off. Arrive into Koh Chen during the afternoon and visit this small village where the inhabitants are experts in silverwork and copper work. Here they make the ornaments and decorations used during traditional ceremonies in the pagoda or for weddings. Visit Mr thom Umson's private school, a bright mathematics teacher, speaking Fench, but always in need of pens, pencils and copybooks for the children.
Rturn on board and cruise to Phnom Penh arriving in the late afternoon. Enjoy some free time to explore the capital. Return on board and enjoy an Aspara dance show and dinner on board. Take a “tuk tuk” trip, a motorized tricycle which is the traditional mode of transport in Phnom Penh. Moor for the night in the port of Phnom Penh.
Founded in 1434, the capital of Cambodia retaines much of its French colonial charm, thanks to the rehabilitation of part of its architectural heritage. Visit the Silver pagoda, paved over 5000 silver tiles which it owes its name.Constructed in wood in 1892 it was then rebuilt in 1962, and the Royal palace, symbolic heart of the nation and one of the finest examples of Cambodian architecture in classical Khmer style.
Then, visit the National museum housing the Fine Arts museum, built in 1917 by the French in traditional Khmer architectural style. Beautiful lapidary museam, which the sublime statue of Javayarman VII sits with the head slightly tilted in a meditative posture. Lunch in a local restaurant and this afternoon visit the Tuol Svay Prey school S21, former centre of detention, torture and execution used by the Khmer Rouge during the War. There is free time in the “Russian market” – crammed full with all types of businesses. Return on board and have dinner as you continue your cruise through the night to Vietnam.
Have breakfast on board and spend the morning afloat. Cross into Vietnam and complete customs formalities at the border. Lunch on board, arriving in the early afternoon in Chau Doc, a town at the border between Cambodia and Vietnam which became part of Vietnamese territory some 300 years ago. Situated in the heart of a gigantic grid of rice fields, the city of Chau Doc embraces both banks of the Mekong and the floating farms overspill into the waters. Chau Doc is a very prosperous town which developed around fishing and farming. Inside the town, a few colonial buildings with their old fashioned charm still remain. The market which surrounds them is the vibrant heart of the city.
Transfer by small boat to visit a Cham village, a village of silk weavers and fish farms. Then, set off by minibus and visit the top of the Sam hill, an important place of pilgrimage for the Vietnamese where it overlooks the vastness of the Delta and its rice feilds. Return on board and continue your cruise towards Sa Dec. Enjoy an exquisite dinner and make overnight stop on the river bank.
Have breakfast and continue your journey to Sa Dec, where a few colonial mansions are still in existence. Discover the local market and visit the former dwelling place of Huynh Thuy Le, former lover of the French novelist Marguerite Duras who spent part of her childhood in Sa Dec. Famous for its horticulture, Sa Dec was known as the “garden of the Cochin Chine” in colonial times.
Return on board for lunch and continue your cruise towards Vinh Long, located in the middle of the delta region, between two arms of the Mekong and where all of life is organised around the water. Hundreds of boats criss-cross in all directions between houses built on stilts. Set off in boats through the orchards that lead to Caï Be. Here discover the bricks, pottery and chinaware, observe the fruit trees nursery on the island of Binh Hoa Phuoc and also the local traditional craft of rice popcorn, rise wafers for the production of spring rolls, rice alcohol and coconut sweets. All in family context to Delta's economy. Return to the ship and continue your cruise. Enjoy dinner on board and spend the night on board.
Enjoy an early morning breakfast on board before you visit the near islands of My Tho in small local boats. Renowned for its many vegetable gardens, fruit orchards, the climate here is hot and pleasant all year long. The surrounding countryside includes one of the most luxuriant gardens in Vietnam with coconut, banana, mango and logan trees. Along the maze that makes up the network of small canals, pretty country villages appear and you can see the local craftsmen at work. On the largest of the islands (Thoi Son), visit a beekeeping farm to taste honey tea and exotic fruits.
Return on board for lunch and continue with your magnificent cruise, taking the narrow Chao Gao canal and heading for Ho Chi Minh City. Enjoy dinner and overnight on board in the port of Ho Chi Minh City. After dinner the evening is at leisure.
Have breakfast this morning before your visit to Ho Chi Minh City, originally named Saigon and built by the French in 1850 at the beginning of French colonial times and the principal port of Vietnam. Take a tour of the city: Reunification palace, Notre Dame cathedral and Central Post office. Have lunch in town and in the afternoon, visit the National History museum then a traditional lacquer-ware factory. Enjoy some free time to stroll around the Ben Thanh markets. Return to the ship for your farewell cocktail and gala dinner. Moor for the night in the port of Ho Chi Minh City. After dinner the evening is at leisure.
Day 9: Ho Chi Minh City | Disembark
1 Breakfast
After breakfast, disembark your ship and devote your morning to visiting Cholon, the major centre of Chinese trade in the capital city. After lunch the afternoon is free. End of your journey.
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Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
$2,756
Rates are dynamic and fluctuate based on capacity. Contact us for a specific quote.
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Main Deck
14 outside-facing cabins on the main deck equipped with two low beds that can be moved together; large storage space under the box spring; private bathroom with sink, toilet and shower; air-conditioning; safe; hair dryer; and dresser.
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Upper Deck
10 outside-facing cabins on the upper deck equipped with two low beds that can be moved together; large storage space under the box spring; private bathroom with sink, toilet and shower; air-conditioning; safe; hair dryer; and dresser.
Initial deposit is 30%, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 100 days prior to departure by Bank transfer or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
Our guide and driver were very good with their knowledge and were very helpful with our questions. It was a very pleasant visit that would have been impossible to do on our own. Hotels and restaurants were fantastic. The special places we got to go to, like the kitchens, were great. Enjoyed the entire trip!
Meyer Smolen
TrustScore 4.8 | 175 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 175 reviews on
7 hours ago
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
2 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
3 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.