Please note the tour price reflected on the brochure is subject to change. Due to seasonality, and taxes prices of the tour are subject to change without due notice. Please consult with the operator directly for the recent price.
Mekong Discovery (Southbound)
Overview
Highlights (Bullets)
- Onboard welcome reception
- Visit Wat Hanchey and partake in a traditional water blessing by local monks; walking tour in Angkor Ban with school visit
- Ox cart ride through the countryside and visit a local farmer’s home in Kampong Tralach; visit the silversmith village of Konpong Louang; visit the Tuol Sleng Museum and one of the Killing Fields in Phnom Penh, or visit the lively central market
- Sightseeing by private cyclo, including the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, and the National Museum; show by children from local orphanage
- Visit a local market and the religious sites at Sam Mountain in Chau Doc
- Walking tour of Long Khanh A with cotton-weaving demonstration; interact with sampan-making and conical hat making families in Cu Lao Gieng
- Visit a local garden and a local workshop to see how rice wine and traditional candy are made
- On this unique and inspiring Southeast Asia river cruise through Cambodia and Vietnam, you’ll be immersed in the cultures and ancient traditions as you sightsee and spend time with locals in interesting places along the mighty Mekong River
- In the enchanting Cambodian countryside, go on an ox cart ride amongst rice paddy fields and witness the daily lives of farmers
Short Description
On this unique and inspiring Southeast Asia river cruise through Cambodia and Vietnam, you’ll be immersed in the cultures and ancient traditions as you sightsee and spend time with locals in interesting places along the mighty Mekong River.In the enchanting Cambodian countryside, go on an ox cart ride amongst rice paddy fields and witness the daily lives of farmers. In a Silversmith Village, see craftsmen making silver artwork using ancient techniques. French influences are still apparent in the lovely capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh. Here you’ll tour the National Museum and Royal Palace with its striking Silver Pagoda and enjoy a song and dance performance by children at a local orphanage. On a hilltop at the site of the 8th-century temple of Wat Hanchey, take in the stunning views before walking through the rural village of Angkor Ban to visit with welcoming schoolchildren. Continue your river cruise into Vietnam where you’ll walk through a colorful market as the locals are busy with their daily routine of buying and selling produce. See firsthand how handcrafted sampans are built at the home of a family in Cu Lao Gieng. Via sampan, cruise into Vinh Long and experience Vietnamese culture with a visit to a workshop to learn how rice wine and traditional candies are made. This once-in-a-lifetime Southeast Asia river cruise vacation is sure to create lasting memories!
Itinerary
Day 1
PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA (EMBARKATION) Welcome to Cambodia. Your intimate Suite Ship® Awaits!Get acquainted with the ship and relax before your welcome reception this evening. AFTERNOON/EVENING CRUISE TO WAT HANCHEY(L,D)
Day 2
WAT HANCHEY–ANGKOR BAN Water Blessings and Back-to-School Adventures DISCOVERY Visit Wat Hanchey, a hilltop temple dating back to the 8th century. Climb or be driven to the top where you will enjoy stunning views of the surrounding area and partake in a traditional water blessing given by local monksDISCOVERY After lunch, enjoy a Walking Tour through the rural village of Angkor Ban. Here, you will visit a traditional Khmer house and interact with children at a local schoolEVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO KONPONG LOUANG(B,L,D)
Day 3
KAMPONG TRALACH–KONPONG LOUANG–PHNOM PENH Calm in the Cambodian CountrysideDISCOVERY Your Guided Sightseeing starts in Kampong Tralach with an Ox-Cart Ride through the beautiful Cambodian countryside. Along the way, stop to meet a local farmer and learn about his daily life. At the silversmith village in Konpong Louang see talented craftsmen use age-old techniques to turn pure silver into works of artSail to the capital city of Phnom Penh this afternoon. PHNOM PENHA Dark History or Market DynamicsCLASSIC After lunch, join a Guided a Visit to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and one of the Killing Fields for a glimpse into the atrocities inflicted on the Cambodian people by the Khmer Rouge regime, OR: DISCOVERY Visit the lively Central Market by tuk-tuk to see its unique Art Deco designThis evening, spend some free time to explore the city on your own. Perhaps follow the riverfront promenade to the historic Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC).OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN PHNOM PENH(B,L,D)
Day 4
PHNOM PENH The Royal TreatmentCLASSIC Join a Guided Tour of the city by private cyclo with visits to the Royal Palace with the spectacular Silver Pagoda, and the National Museum, featuring an outstanding display of Khmer artifactsThe remainder of the day is yours to enjoy at your leisure, Consider a Guided Optional Tour of a local brewery with free flowing local beer! Just before dinner, children from a local orphanage will perform a show, featuring local song and dance.EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO VIETNAM/CAMBODIA BORDER (B,L,D)
Day 5
BORDER CROSSING–CHAU DOC, VIETNAM Good Morning Vietnam! DISCOVERY Take a Village Walk through the Chau Doc market, and absorb the atmosphere as locals are busy buying and selling fish, meat, and produce. After lunch, embark on a Guided Excursion down the backwaters of the Mekong. Along the way, see traditional floating homes, speedboat merchants, religious sites, a market selling dried goods, and moreEVENING CRUISE TO LONG KHANH A(B,L,D)
Day 6
LONG KHANH A–CU LAO GIENG Cotton Weaving, Conical Hats, and Handcrafted SampansDISCOVERY This morning, a sampan brings you to the village of Long Khanh A, for a Cotton-Weaving Demonstration of this well-preserved traditionDISCOVERY This afternoon, enjoy scenes of daily life on Cu Lao Gieng Island via sampan and local motor cart. Your Guided Excursion starts with a stop at one of Vietnam’s oldest Catholic churches. Then, visit the home of a local family that makes Vietnamese conical hats, or “Non la,” from materials available to them such as palm leaves and bamboo. These iconic hats are primarily used as protection from the sun and rain but you may also see them used as a basket to carry home goods from the market. Lastly, visit a local workshop where a skilled family hand-crafts sampan boatsEVENING CRUISE TO VINH LONG(B,L,D)
Day 7
VINH LONG Sweets and Rice Treats DISCOVERY Board a sampan this morning to visit a Local Workshop in Vinh Long where you will see how rice paper, rice wine, and traditional candies are made This afternoon, enjoy time on board the ship as we sail to exciting Ho Chi Minh City.AFTERNOON CRUISE TO HO CHI MINH CITY(B,L,D)
Day 8
HO CHI MINH CITY (DISEMBARKATION) Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)
Availability
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1,474 Avalon Waterways Travel Reviews & Ratings
Mekong Discovery (Southbound)
Company Reviews
Amsterdam Active Discovery was Amazing
I like thi site
A Grand Disappointment
If things don’t go as planned on-trip, our guests are never left to face a cloud of uncertainty alone. Instead, they’re always in the care of our operations team while in destination."
In our case, this was not the case.
We purchased the Avalon Galapagos tour and arrived in Quito, Ecuador March 29. My wife contracted the Rota Virus at the hotel at the beginning of the tour. She was bedridden for four days, with four doctors' visits plus a lab tech. She even had to receive an IV right in the room. We were completely abandoned by Avalon. When the tour left town to fly to the Galapagos Islands, the only telephone call we received was from a local rep informing us that the tour's rooming responsibility towards us had expired. He told us we had to make our arrangements for a room until the tour returned the following week. Even after my travel agent contacted Avalon Home Office, no one provided any assistance. The worst tour ever. Then, in submitting a claim to Avalon's recommended insurance company, AON, I was told that in order to process the claim for trip interruption, we need to provide Attending Physicians’ Statements---in English, from Ecuador. I paid a small fortune for what turned out to be a plane flight and a ride to and from the hotel. Some people have asked what did I expect from Avalon. How about a telephone call asking how my wife was doing. How about assistance with arranging housing while waiting for the tour to return. Or, asking if I needed a translator for the doctor's visits or my many trips to the pharmacy. Or, a recommendation for a specialist. Joseph Cerroni
Grand France River Cruise Truly Grand
We traveled before the Omicron…
Bucket List Trip A Success! Almost two years in the making because…
Details
Deck & Cabin Plans
Optional Activities
WSH|Mekong Discovery (Southbound)
WHS|Mekong Discovery (Northbound)
WSHI|Fascinating Vietnam, Cambodia & the Mekong River (Southbound)
WSII|The Heart of Cambodia & Vietnam (Southbound)
Accommodations
The Reverie Saigon
Inspired by the desire to ignite and excite the imagination of travelers, The Reverie Saigon is the ultimate example a luxury hotel. Paired with luxurious facilities and amenities, and the warmth of distinctly Vietnamese hospitality it's not anything like you've ever experienced before, just like the destination.
Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnam
22-36 Nguyen Hue Boulevard, District 1
Trip ID#:
AVALON-WSH
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