Mekong River - Upstream - High water

Arrive at the Saigon welcome lounge and have a coffee before transferring to My Tho to board the ship. After embarkation, the crew shows you to your stateroom and provides a short briefing on its facilities. Once you settle in, have lunch in the restaurant, followed by a welcome and safety briefing led by the cruise director. In the afternoon, relax on the deck as the ship sails along the Mekong River. Join the sunset gathering with canapés and prosecco to meet other guests before dinner is served. During the evening, the ship anchors near Tan Phong Island, giving you a first view of the area you can explore the next day. If you wish, watch a movie in the indoor lounge later.

Wake up early to enjoy the morning views as the Delta comes to life. Join the morning Tai Chi session, then have breakfast from the buffet. Take a local boat to visit Cai Be, followed by a trip to Tan Phong, a small island in the Mekong River.

Default Morning Excursion:
During the visit to a workshop in the town of Cai Be, guests have the opportunity to observe the production 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 reach Tan Phong Island to visit a local family and their fruit garden. The island showcases many kinds of tropical fruits to taste. A funny buggy ride through the island lets you have 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 Morning Excursion:
Culinary: After a short buggy ride through lush fruit orchards, a local family welcomes you as a 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 can experience every step of the process. And since the secret to great cuisine often lies in the sauce, you can also learn to prepare a perfect coconut dipping cream before savoring your creation with hot ginger tea.

Relax and enjoy some time on your private balcony or at the bar as you continue your voyage upstream. In the afternoon, you arrive at the Sa Dec region and anchor near one of the larger islands in the Mekong known as Binh Thanh.

Default Afternoon Excursion:
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 can 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.

Before dinner, you are invited to the lounge for a presentation about life on the Mekong Delta as the ship sails toward the mooring spot for the night near Gieng Island.
 

After a morning Tai Chi session and a delightful breakfast, you embark on an exploration revealing a vibrant kaleidoscope of the diverse activities bringing the Mekong Delta to life.

Default Morning Excursion:
Gieng Island, also known locally as Mango Island, is perfect to stroll through under the shade 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 fragrant 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 a century-old local home. This is the moment when you can 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 lunch, board a traditional sampan toward Evergreen Island, a fertile pocket of the delta known for its small-scale farms and seasonal crops. Upon arrival, spend time with a local farming family and gain insight into their daily routine. You’re invited to step into the shoes of your hosts and share in their daily work. Depending on the season, you can help prepare seedlings, plant new crops, or assist with the harvest; a rare opportunity to share the delta daily life from the inside. Much of what’s grown here is later used by the onboard chef, tying your culinary experience onboard directly to the land.

After having discovered Mekong delta’s bustling rhythm, you head towards the border. Once in Cambodia, an overnight sail takes you to the country’s capital.

Welcome to Phnom Penh, a city once renowned as the "Paris of the East." Despite its rapid development, it has retained much of its rustic charm and elegance. Phnom Penh is a remarkable city with a history and culture that spans centuries, still palpable at every street corner.

The full-day sightseeing tour begins right after breakfast, allowing you to explore the city's highlights. Start with a cyclo ride, meandering through the town, and then visit historic places such as the palace and the silver pagoda. This journey takes you to the "S21" prison, a poignant and dark chapter in Cambodia's history during the Khmer Rouge regime of the 1970s. Afterward, you pause for a delightful lunch in town before continuing to immerse within the Khmer culture. This afternoon starts with a visit of a famous academy of arts and a school dedicated to preserve traditional arts. Observe young dancers training in the intricate Apsara dance and take the opportunity to learn some basic techniques on your own under guidance. Conclude the day with a leisurely stroll through the city’s French Quarter, including the iconic Wat Phnom temple.

Back on board, join a captivating testimony held in the lounge of the ship. Having endured the S21 imprisonment and later taking an active part in the Khmer Rouge tribunal, Mr. Sum Rithy continues to bear witness to a difficult chapter of Cambodia’s history. Guests have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to talk, question and discuss a living witness of this dark Cambodian era. To cap off this eventful day, guests can indulge in a delightful open-air barbecue and gala dinner accompanied by a classic Apsara dance performance. Afterward, feel free to explore the city and its nightlife on your own, with its lively river promenade and colorful bars and cafes.

You are leaving Phnom Penh early to make your way to Prek Bangkong.

Default Morning Excursion:
At the confluence of the Tonle and Mekong Rivers lies the small village of Prek Bangkong, known for its silk weaving community. This village was also the former residence of the Royal family before they moved to the Royal Palace. However, the real stars in this area today are the silk weavers, artisans who craft silk from the very beginning. You can have the opportunity to closely observe and learn about this intricate silk production process. You conclude this excursion by visiting the heritage house of H.E. Sam-El, once a famous architect for the royal family.

As you continue to sail upstream and prior to lunchtime, your guide offers a presentation about the geography of the Mekong and the Tonle Rivers.

Optional Morning Excursion:
Culinary: In addition to a shorter visit to the Angkor Ban village, the culinary excursion group extends their excursion to pass by the house of Mr B, who used to work as a young chef aboard the ship ‘Jayavarman’. After he got married, he moved to his wife’s home village. Together with his “mom-in-law” and the “chef” in the household (his wife), you prepare and cook a century-old soup recipe called “Samlor Korko”. The soup is kind of a fish soup made with many vegetables, spices, herbs, and roasted rice, accompanied by a duck egg omelette.

Once back onboard, the ship turns arounds sailing down the Mekong River to reach your overnight mooring place, at the confluence of the Mekong and the Tonle Rivers.

Early birds are welcome to join the daily Tai Chi on the open deck again.

Default Morning Excursion:
Your first stop is Kampong Luong, a renowned Silver Smith Village. Here, 400 families breathe life into silver, copper, and brass, crafting art pieces and jewelry. A short stroll on the island reveals their hard labor. Continue with a visit to Wat Prang, the Royal Buddhist Temple. This sacred site offers a moment of reflection on the king’s legacy, intertwining both history and spirituality. Engage with the monks and laymen, learning about their daily lives, rituals, and personal stories.

Default Afternoon Excursion:
In the afternoon, you enjoy an exciting excursion to discover another part of rural Cambodian Kampong Tralach countryside. An ox-pulled cart transports you along the riverside and down winding back roads, flanked by picturesque rice paddies, until you arrive at a small village. Here, you can have the opportunity to learn about a local NGO school and library project. Alternatively, you can choose to visit the nearby ancient 300-year-old temple and Buddha shrine.

Join a happy hour time at the bar while you sail into the sunset. The ship moors later near Kampong Laeang. After dinner, the nightly cinema has another classic film on display.

Default Morning Excursion:
You are in the midst of the expansive Tonle region, one of Cambodia’s amazing ecosystems. The tour this morning leads to Kampong Laeang, an unknown hamlet situated just across from the famous pottery town of Kampong Chhnang. Once ashore, you embark on tuk-tuks to travel the heart of rural Cambodian life. During this excursion, you explore various locals, discover the art of pottery making, and visit a charming pre-Angkorian temple. From a vantage point, amazing panoramic views of the vast floodplains and lush rice fields (seasonal) can be enjoyed.

Optional Morning Excursion:
Culinary: The culinary-themed excursion offers the possibility to participate in a cooking demonstration at a local household in the village. Together with the locals, guests prepare the quite famous snack called “Nom Kruak” which is a kind of cake made from white or brown rice. Originally cooked only one side only, the Khmer invented Nom Kruak and cooked it on both sides. This dish is a tasty pre-dinner snack often consumed by locals.

Back on board, the ship enters now the vast Tonle Lake. During the whole afternoon, accompanied by some onboard entertainment, you can enjoy the ocean-like views until you reach the mooring spot mid-lake at the doorstep of Siem Reap. End this day of sailing with a farewell dinner and party vibes.

Enjoy your last breakfast on board your floating sanctuary.

The Tonle Sap (The Great Lake) is the flowing heart of Cambodia, giving love and life to millions of people. This rich ecosystem and UNESCO-designated Biosphere Reserve has more fish than any other lake in the world and is home to an incredible variety of birds, including rare and endangered feathered life.

Here, your Heritage Line cruise comes to an end this morning. You prepare to disembark the ship and take a local boat to the shore, passing a vast floating community. You arrive at the Siem Reap pier and bring you to the drop off point in the city center.

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.

Itinerary and program are subject to change and are operated as advertised on the public website or collateral at the time of boarding
Optional tours and program are subject to change and are operated as advertised on the public website or collateral at the time of boarding