Mekong River - Downstream

Welcome on board Heritage Line for your Mekong River adventure. After check-in, attend a safety briefing in the lobby lounge.

Before departing Phnom Penh, listen to a talk by Mr. Sum Rithy, a survivor of S21 imprisonment and participant in the Khmer Rouge tribunal, who shares his testimony about this period of Cambodia’s history.

Once the ship departs, the afternoon is free for you to relax—enjoy the spa, sit on the terrace deck or your balcony, visit the bridge to hear stories from the captain, or join a Khmer cooking workshop with the head chef. Later, enjoy afternoon tea as you approach the Vietnam border and sail into the Mekong Delta, mooring near Gieng Island.

After morning Tai Chi and breakfast, explore Gieng Island and see everyday life in the Mekong Delta.

Default Morning Excursion:
Gieng Island, also known locally as Mango Island, is perfect to stroll through under the shades of flourishing mango groves that shape the island’s landscape. A visit to a small incense workshop introduces you to the careful process of crafting these fragrance incense sticks by hand, another local highlight is a traditional boat-building workshop, where generations of families assemble wooden vessels that are essential to life along the river. Before departing, you surely are going to taste some of these delicious and freshly picked mangoes with a local tea in the courtyard of century-old local home. This is the moment when you understand the rhythms and resilience of life on the Mekong - so simple, so joyful.

Optional Morning Excursion:
Culinary: Conclude your morning excursion with a culinary twist: Prepare with a local family an authentic “Banh In”, a soft, sweet treat made from glutinous rice flour and sugar. Always served with jasmine tea, the ‘Banh In’ is popular during Vietnamese national festivals such as Tet.

Default Afternoon Excursion:
After being back onboard a siesta after lunch, your expert guides offer a presentation about life in the Mekong Delta as the ship continues to My An Hung near Sa Dec province. My An Hung Village is a beautiful example of an authentic, local village in the Mekong Delta where time stood still. You receive lovely insights into the private household of a local family and visit the seasonal vegetable fields to understand what the farmers are cultivating. A Vietnamese tea tasting at a local family's house is accompanied by a presentation of various fruits grown nearby, freshly cut from the tree. An artistic group performs displays of the traditional dragon dance, while you can snack on the "vitamins bombs".

Back onboard, the ship sails into the sunset towards your destination for the next day. A complimentary  cocktail hour and alfresco snacks accompanied by music and dance vibes are offered to enjoy the blue hour before dinner is served.

Default Morning Excursion:
Wake early to embrace the stunning dawn scenery when the Delta's inhabitants have been active for hours. Energize yourself with the daily morning Tai Chi class before indulging in a lavish breakfast buffet. By local boat, you head out to 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 can gain profound insights into local life and witness the complete traditional mat-making process. Additionally, you 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.

Default Afternoon Excursion:
During a visit to a workshop in the town of Cai Be, you have the opportunity to observe the making of distinct products of the Mekong Delta, such as rice paper, rice cookies, rice wine and coconut candies. Get to know the very interesting manual processes involving manual labor and special production techniques. After the workshop, you head to Tan Phong Island, a smaller island in the middle of the huge Mekong, to visit a local family and their fruit garden. While Gieng Island was the paradise of mangos, this island showcases many other kinds of tropical fruits to taste. A funny buggy ride through the island gave you a glimpse of the local day-to-day life as it unfolds. You stop at another family’s house. They specialize in the weaving of water hyacinth plants into artistic crafts – all by hand.

Optional Afternoon Excursion:
Culinary: After a short buggy ride through fruit orchards, a local family welcomes you as cooking apprentice to master the art of traditional Jackfruit Leaf Cakes. From picking fresh leaves and extracting their juice to shaping and steaming the cakes in their natural casings, you experience every step of the process. Learn to prepare a perfect coconut dipping cream before savoring your creation with hot ginger tea.

Once everyone is back on board, the ship makes its final journey to My Tho, offering some little farewell party vibes along the way.

Enjoy your last breakfast aboard your floating home. Disembark the ship after breakfast and take a bus transfer from My Tho to Saigon. It is only around 70 kilometers on the highway, and you arrive in Saigon by mid-morning.

The team hopes you enjoyed this fascinating river cruise, just as the 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.