Characteristics
River Cruise. Local English-speaking guides during the tours. Include meals (v. the fee includes)
Itinerary
Giorno 1 — Long Xuyen
Departure by coach from the EMM Saigon Hotel to Can Tho, the vibrant heart of the Mekong Delta. Stop in the rustic riverside town of Cai Be, where lunch is served at the elegant Le Longanier Restaurant, surrounded by lush fruit trees along the river. Board the Victoria Mekong Cruise at the Victoria Can Tho Pier at 4:00 PM. Set sail for Long Xuyen and have the opportunity to admire the sunset over the Hau River. Enjoy a traditional southern Vietnamese folk music performance, known as "Don Ca Tai Tu," while sipping a cocktail. As day turns into night, enjoy a welcome dinner that officially greets you aboard the Victoria Mekong Cruise, accompanied by onboard entertainment activities. Overnight near Long Xuyen.,
Giorno 2 — Long Xuyen → Vam Nao
After breakfast, tender ashore to visit the authentic Long Xuyen Floating Market and the An Giang Museum, with fascinating exhibits on Kinh, Chinese, Khmer and Cham cultures in the region. During lunch the ship sails on before anchoring near Tiger Island. Head ashore by sampan and explore Tiger Island by 3-wheeled “xe loi”, visiting cottage industries such as plant pot and incense making. Visit a site locally known as “Mr. Tiger’s Temple” and hear the story that won the island its name. Return on board in time for the cocktail competition and the evening’s entertainment as the ship continues cruising to Vam Nao where we anchor and overnight.,
Giorno 3 — Vam Nao → Tan Chau
Wake up to another leisurely breakfast in Phu Tan, the provincial capital of An Giang in the Mekong Delta. Tender ashore to visit a craft village famed for handmaking Ca Rang clay stoves. Used for hundreds of years by the southern Vietnamese, these stoves have a unique design which allows them to block the wind, retain heat, and keep ash from dispersing. Enjoy lunch onboard as we cruise towards the village of Tan Chau where we’ll travel by local rickshaw to visit the local market and colorful temple which is the spiritual center for local residents. Return to the ship in time for a traditional Vietnamese lion dance, followed by dinner and the evening’s entertainment. Overnight in Tan Chau.,
Giorno 4 — Tan Chau → Phnom Penh
Enjoy early morning scenery on the Sky deck while the ship begins cruising towards the Vietnam – Cambodia border. After the leisurely breakfast in the Claypot restaurant, select from the many onboard activities including a ship’s tour, mini-golf tournament, or simply enjoy the scenery as we cross the border between Vietnam and Cambodia and sail on towards Phnom Penh. We arrive late afternoon in the charming capital of Phnom Penh, once known as the “Pearl of the Orient” for its French colonial buildings, tree-lined boulevards and scenic river walk. Before dinner, enjoy an interesting pre-dinner lecture about Cambodia as well as learn some basic Khmer phrases. Overnight in Phnom Penh.,
Giorno 5 — Phnom Penh
This morning, hop on a three-wheeled cyclo and be driven to the majestic Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda complex. Admire the elaborately constructed palace buildings, some of the 5,000 silver floor tiles that give the Silver Pagoda its name, as well as spectacular gold and bejeweled Buddha statues that are considered national treasures. Walk to the nearby National Museum, a beautiful sandstone building that showcases the world’s largest collection of Khmer art. Set off for lunch afterward before driving to Choeung Ek, one of the mass grave sites of the Killing Fields where the Khmer Rouge executed over a million men, women, and children between 1975 and 1979. Today, Choeung Ek is a memorial with a Buddhist stupa filled with skulls and bones to honor the victims. Finish off the afternoon in style at Raffles Hotel Le Royal, sipping on a signature cocktail at the famed Elephant Bar. Return to the ship and take in a lively performance of Khmer Apsara dancing with the opportunity to meet the performers afterward.,
Giorno 6 — Phnom Penh → Angkor Ban
After breakfast, go on a walking tour of the village of Koh Chen where the highlight is meeting a local copper and silversmith. Afterward, travel by coach to Oudong, the ancient capital of Cambodia with a stop at the fascinating Vipassana Dhura Meditation Center. After having lunch on board, travel by three-wheeled tuk tuk to Silk Island where you will learn about the process of silk weaving, from worm to loom, with the chance to observe local families weaving the iconic Cambodian krama.,
Giorno 7 — Angkor Ban → Kampong Cham
This morning, explore the village of Angkor Ban with its wooden stilt houses and local vibe. Enjoy lunch on board as the Victoria Mekong sails to Wat Hanchey. Walk up the steps to this 7th-century hilltop temple built under the Chenla Empire, and take in gorgeous panoramic views over the Mekong River.,
Giorno 8 — Kampong Cham
Disembark from the ship at Kampong Chham and travel through the lush Cambodian countryside. Upon arrival to Siem Reap, gateway to the mystical Angkor Complex, sit down to a final lunch where the cruise program ends.,
Notes
ROOMS: Triple rooms are always double rooms with an additional bed, often smaller than the two existing beds; triple rooms are subject to availability at the time of booking. Requests for smoking rooms, connecting rooms, adjacent rooms, higher or lower floors, etc., are always on request and not guaranteed. TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Participants must ensure before departure that they have the necessary and valid documentation for entry into the countries visited during the tour. HOTEL FINAL LIST: indicated in the travel documents HOTEL, CHECK-IN: as a rule, rooms are assigned starting from 2-3 pm; any early check-in is at the hotel's discretion. The request for a guaranteed early assignment requires booking an extra night prior to arrival. HOTEL, CHECK-OUT: The room must be vacated in the morning, by the time indicated by the hotel; the surcharge for late check-out is equal to 50% of the extra night for check-out by 6 pm; for check-out after that time, an additional night will be charged. HOTEL / ITINERARY, CHANGES: The organizing company reserves the right to modify the itinerary and/or hotels with others of similar or higher category, means of transportation, etc., if required by unforeseen circumstances and necessary for the safety and normal continuation of the trip. Furthermore, when it is not possible to accommodate all participants in the same hotel, the group will be divided among different hotels of equal category. TIMETABLES: departure times are indicative and depend on the number of hotels from which pick-ups are scheduled for each day; the pick-up start time indicates when customers should be ready in the lobby for departure; in hotels reached last, a wait of at least fifteen minutes or more compared to the indicated time is likely. The return times to the hotel are purely indicative and variable depending on a considerable number of factors including the time dedicated to visits and the intensity of traffic. PUNCTUALITY: we recommend respecting the scheduled times. No refunds are provided for services missed due to customer delays. TIPS: not included, at the discretion of the tourist MEALS: not included unless specified. REFUNDS: There are no refunds for parts of the tour or excursions not carried out due to force majeure; in any case, no refund is due to the customer who decides to interrupt the trip or stay. TRANSFERS: not included unless specified; if included, they are exclusively for/from the hotels scheduled for the tour on the days of the tour's start/end; in case of extending the stay, for transfers to/from other hotels, or for arrivals/departures from other airports, a supplement applies. The supplement always applies if the passenger is traveling alone. Requests for booking transfers not included or for different hotels must be received at least 3 weeks before departure, or an additional urgency supplement will be applied.,
Starts from
8 days / 6 nights - from Long Xuyen to Kampong Cham,
Meals
Legend: B breakfast, L lunch, D dinner
Price includes
Local English-speaking guides during the tours, entrances, visits and excursions as per the itinerary, meals: breakfasts, lunches, dinners,
Price does not include
Opening fee and Zero Risk coverage, medical-luggage-cancellation insurance, unmentioned meals, beverages and extras in general, tip, janitorial work, flights and airport taxes, everything not expressly mentioned in "The fee includes"
Important notes
It is necessary to plan at least one overnight stay at Saigon before the departure of the tour., flight from Siem Reap (not included) last day: it is necessary to book flights departing after 20.00, The scheduled times are indicative; the exact times will be confirmed locally by the guides., Visiting Vietnam: starting from July 2015, an entry visa is no longer required. The exemption is valid for stays not exceeding 15 days (45 days starting from August 15, 2023)., Cambodia visa is mandatory: 35 USD, it can be obtained on site (further details will be provided upon booking)., At the land border crossing (Thin Bien / Phnom Den), the Cambodian E-Visa is NOT accepted. Do NOT apply for this immigration document before departing from Italy.
The visa for entry into Cambodia can be obtained directly at the border at the time of crossing., Tips: although not mandatory, tips are recommended for all those who provide a service such as guides, drivers of any means of transportation used, porters. It is a sign of appreciation that makes them proud and gratifies them for the work done. As an indication, the amount to consider per person per day is about 5 USD for the tour guide and 3 USD for the driver of the vehicle used for transportation. For the rest of the services provided, the amount of the tip is at the discretion of the traveler.,
