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From the Temples of Angkor to the Mekong Delta
Preferred
Overview
Highlights (Bullets)
HIGHLIGHTS
- EXCURSIONS INCLUDED:
- Discover 3 historical cities: Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap
- Crossing through the splendid Cho Gao canal
- Visit 6 major temples in Angkor
- Meet the locals and learn about their daily lives in Koh Chen, My Tho...
Short Description
From the heights of the Himalayas to the southern coasts of the South China Sea, winding over 2,700 miles, the Mekong is much more than just irrigation for Indochina—everywhere it flows, it fascinates men and shapes their lives. Come take an expedition on this grand and plentiful “water snake,” from the ruins of Angkor to Tonle Sap Lake following the footsteps of Henri Mouhot, to Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City, still largely influenced by the French colonial days. Our meditative trip takes you along the Mekong River on board a ship combining charm and colonial-style comfort.
Itinerary
Day 1 Siem Reap
Your program will begin according to your time of arrival. If your flight arrives between 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., your program will be: Lunch will be served at the hotel. The afternoon is free to do as you please. Then, visit of the “Angkor Night Market”. We’ll have dinner in the city and spend the night at a four-star hotel for the four-anchors ship and at a five-star hotel for the five-anchors ship.
Day 2 Siem Reap - Angkor Temples
This morning, we’ll tour Ta Prohm and Angkor Thom. Stroll through the grounds of the former Royal Palace, and discover the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King. We’ll have lunch in the city before visiting the Senteurs d'Angkor (closed on Sundays), a local business with a diverse collection of silk and carvings, as well as a superb range of traditional beauty products and spices, all made locally. We’ll end the day with Phare, the Cambodian circus, and spend the night at the hotel.
Day 2 Siem Reap - Angkor Temples
Full-day included excursion: the Ta Prohm temple, Angkor Thom, the grounds of the former Royal Palace, the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King. Lunch and visit of the Senteurs d'Angkor (closed on Sundays).We’ll end the day with Phare, the Cambodian circus.Night at the hotel.
Day 3 Siem Reap - Angkor Temples - TONLE SAP LAKE
We’ll visit the Angkor Wat temple: the epitome of Khmer architectural art and the most famous and imposing of all the monuments in Angkor (visitors must cover their shoulders and wear long pants or a long skirt). Lunch will be served at the hotel. After, you’ll be transferred to your ship. Our crew will welcome you and help you get comfortably settled into your cabins. We’ll have dinner and formally meet our crew. Our ship will remain anchored overnight.
Day 3 Siem Reap - Angkor Temples - TONLE SAP LAKE
Included excursion: the Angkor Wat temple. You’ll be transferred to your ship. After comfortably settling into your cabins, we’ll introduce our crew at a welcome cocktail. We'll spend the night on the ship.
Day 4 TONLE SAP LAKE - KAMPONG CHHNANG
Disembark, road(1) to Kampong Chnang and discovery of traditional villagesOrMorning cruise(2) through Tonle Lake and disembark.Kampong Chhnang is one of the largest fishing ports on the Tonle Sap. Fish farming is abundant here. The region is also known for its traditional pottery combining ancient knowledge with modern techniques—Chhnang itself means "pot." We'll also enjoy a tasting of regional products before returning on board and beginning to cruise to Kampong Tralach. Our ship will remain anchored overnight.
Day 4 TONLE SAP LAKE - KAMPONG CHHNANG
Disembark, road(1) to Kampong Chnang and discovery of traditional villagesOrMorning cruise(2) through Tonle Lake and disembark.Excursion included: Visit of Kampong Chhnang and tasting of local products.Cruise towards Kampong Tralach.Our ship will remain anchored overnight.
Day 5 KAMPONG TRALACH - KOH CHEN - PHNOM PENH
We will set out to visit the beautiful Vihara at the Wat Kampong Tralach Leu pagoda. To access the pagoda, we need to cross the village of Kampong Tralach in ox carts or in "tuk-tuk", moving along a small road that runs perpendicular to the river in the middle of magnificent rice fields. We’ll enjoy lunch on board before exploring the small village of Koh Chen, where craftspeople specialize in silver and copper work. After our tour, we’ll return on board and begin to cruise to Phnom Penh. Once we arrive, enjoy a brief tour of the area by "tuk-tuk," the easiest way to get around the city. We’ll return to the ship and enjoy a performance of classical Khmer dancing and music. Our ship will remain overnight in Phnom Penh.
Day 5 KAMPONG TRALACH - KOH CHEN - PHNOM PENH
Included excursion: the Wat Kampong Tralach Leu pagoda in ox carts or in "tuk-tuk".We’ll enjoy lunch on board.Included excursion: visit of a small village where craftspeople specialize in silver and copper work.We’ll cruise to Phnom Penh.Included excursion: brief tour of Phnom Penh by "tuk-tuk."We’ll return to the ship and enjoy a performance of classical Khmer dancing and music.We’ll spend the night on board.
Day 6 PHNOM PENH
We’ll enjoy a tour of the fabulous Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda, which is inlaid with more than 5,000 silver tiles. After, join us for a visit to the National Museum of Cambodia. We’ll have lunch in the city. In the afternoon, you can pay a visit to the Tuol Svay Prey School, a former detention, torture, and execution center run by the Khmer Rouge during the civil war. Afterwards, enjoy some free time at the market. After our tour, we’ll return on board and begin to cruise to Vietnam. Our ship will be anchored overnight.
Day 6 PHNOM PENH
Full-day included excursion: - The Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda - The National Museum - The Tuol Svay Prey School, a former detention, torture, and execution center run by the Khmer Rouge during the civil war We’ll cruise to Vietnam. We’ll spend the night on board.
Day 7 CHAU DOC
Located on the border between Cambodia and Vietnam, the prosperous city of Chau Doc has developed around fish and fish farming. We’ll pay a visit to the Ba Chua Xu Temple and the Tay An Pagoda. Lunch on board. We’ll begin to cruise toward Sa Dec. We’ll have dinner and spend the night on board.
Day 7 CHAU DOC
Included excursion: visit of a local fish farm, the Tay An Pagoda and the Ba Chua Xu Temple. We’ll begin to cruise toward Sa Dec. We’ll spend the night on board.
Day 8 SA DEC - VINH LONG - CAI BE
Visit the former house of Huynh Thuy Le, the man who Marguerite Duras based her book The Lover on. After our excursion, enjoy some free time in Sa Dec. We’ll have lunch on board and cruise to Vinh Long. We’ll set out in smaller boats and travel through canals and orchards before arriving in Cai Be. We’ll discover a brick and pottery factory as well as a traditional factory producing puffed riced, rice-paper wrappers used to make nems, and rice alcohol*. We’ll return on board our ship and begin to cruise. We’ll have dinner and spend the night on board.
Day 8 SA DEC - VINH LONG - CAI BE
Included excursion: visit of the former house of Huynh Thuy Le. Enjoy some free time in Sa Dec. We’ll cruise to Vinh Long. Included excursion: discovery of a brick and pottery factory, a fruit-tree nursery, puffed riced, rice-paper wrappers, and rice alcohol.* We’ll spend the night on board.
Day 9 MY THO - HO CHI MINH CITY (formerly Saigon)
We'll visit a bee farm and enjoy some honey tea and exotic fruit. We'll then take a ride in small sampans along the canal lined with mangrove palms and have a glimpse of villagers going about their daily lives. We’ll enjoy lunch on board and then set out to cross the very narrow canal, heading for Ho Chi Minh City and spending the night on the ship, which will remain moored in central Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 9 MY THO - HO CHI MINH CITY (formerly Saigon)
Included excursions: - Visit of a bee farm and tasting - Ride in small sampans along the canal lined We’ll set out to cross the very narrow canal, heading for Ho Chi Minh City. We’ll spend the night on board.
Day 10 HO CHI MINH CITY
Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the most populous city in Vietnam. We’ll enjoy a tour of the city to see the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Saigon Central Post Office. After, join us for a visit to the Museum of Vietnamese History. Lunch will be served on board. We’ll leave by coach for the Cu Chi tunnels, an immense network of underground tunnels that were the location of several military campaigns during the Vietnam War. After our excursion, we’ll return to the ship. Tonight, we’ll have our farewell cocktail and dinner and spend the night at the port.
Day 10 HO CHI MINH CITY
Included excursion: tour of the city, its hectic market and the Thien Hau temple. Lunch will be served on board. Included excursions: - The Museum of Vietnamese History - Discovery of the Cu Chi tunnels We’ll spend the night on board.
Day 11 HO CHI MINH CITY
Enjoy breakfast on board this morning. After you disembark from the ship, we’ll head to Cholon, the Chinese-influenced section of the city. We’ll enjoy lunch and we’ll bid you farewell at approximately 2:00 p.m. Please do not book your flight before 5:00 p.m.
Day 11 HO CHI MINH CITY
Inlcuded excursion: Cholon. We’ll enjoy lunch in town. We’ll bid you farewell at approximately 2:00 p.m. Please do not book your flight before 5:00 p.m.
Availability
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128 CroisiEurope Travel Reviews & Ratings
From the Temples of Angkor to the Mekong Delta
Company Reviews
Great tours and food! Exceptional customer service
I am non-EU national, and very much enjoyed the international clientele .
My flight arrived later than the prescribed boarding time, the crew had my cabin ready, and held dinner. Both land side New York office and the onboard crew were very welcoming, and most attention to detail. Special recognition to Charina, my reservation agent, and Daniel the ship's purser.
The vessel's decor is very discreet, comfortable, and relaxing -- no neon, casino, etc. The elegance one would expect from a French company.
The land tours were very comprehensive, in comfortable coaches, with sufficient rest stops. Lunches ashore were included, as appropriate. As advertised, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages were included. In-town shopping was available, but not forced.
In all, a delightful experience. I look forward to another voyage with CroisiEurope. The company offers so many unique intineraries, it may be difficult to select.
A memorable four nights on the Seine - Le Havre to Paris
The Seine scenery was gorgeous and the boat was extremely comfortable—we loved that we could stay in our cabin, relax on various decks, or attend onboard activities, including a lively dance performance by a Normandy folk troupe. Even though we were the only English speakers on the cruise, the bilingual staff were always on hand to help us, and the other passengers (mostly French with a few Belgians/Swiss) were friendly and tolerant of our basic French. After our final night sleeping aboard the boat on Quai de Grenelle in Paris, we were rather sad to depart the beautiful Renoir.
The food, tours and service on the Miguel Torga exceeded our expectations, and we felt very safe with the Covid precautions being taken on board.
We had such a wonderful time on our cruise and absolutely intend to travel with CroisiEurope again. I was especially pleased with the attention to detail regarding food preferences and requests. I have a shellfish allergy, and our kids didn’t always like what was on the menu. The chef and staff always made every effort to accommodate and please us.
Our guide Deborah on the excursions was so informative and made great suggestions for sightseeing and shopping. I liked the way the excursions were managed by touring in the morning with lunch and sailing in the afternoon. We were the only Americans on board with mostly French speakers, but everyone was friendly, and we had no communication issues with the crew. Entertainment was simple but fun with games or local talent coming aboard for flamenco or folk singing and dancing. There were only 62 passengers and no young children. Our kids were 12 & 17, and they were happy with the pool on board, which was small, but ideal for cooling off after a morning in port. They surprised our 17-year-old with a special dessert on her birthday.
We’ve been on several other riverboat cruises (Viking, Peter Dielmann, Vodohod), and they did not match the value and service provided by CroisiEurope.
This barge hotel cruise on and along the Marne river was absolutely fantastic!
The crew were very attentive and hospitable. One of the biggest, if not THE biggest, highlight of the trip was the food. Breakfast was a typical French style buffet with all the trimmings. Lunch and dinner were menus, in the French style, prepared by our Chef and paired with a variety of wines and cheeses from around France. Each meal was unique and full of variety culminating at the end of the week with our Gala Dinner.
One of the excursion highlights, and a major reason why we chose this particular cruise, was the falconry demonstration at Chateau Thierry. It was very well done and quite a moving presentation, which included an American Bald Eagle and, even more surprisingly, Storks.
If you are looking for a more intimate way to cruise, Passenger to Crew ratio was 17 - 6, consider barge hotel cruises. We are most definitely looking forward to our next barge hotel cruise experience.
It’s affordable, the atmosphere on board is unique, the routes can be very interesting.
As seasoned cruisers, knowing well all aspects of cruising on seas and rivers, we had no experience about traveling on a barge in a canal. It was also time to overcome this lack.
A number of companies offer this kind of cruising on barge with 8 to 16 passengers, however very often at exorbitant prices. Luckily, we discovered that the company CroisiEurope offers one week cruise on various canals in Europe, at very decent price, especially considering that all is inclusive (full board, all alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and all excursions) on modern barges with a maximum of 22 passengers.
We opted for the barge Ms Deborah, which cruises on the canal de la Loire, with the Briare to Nevers’ route. We were looking forward to this itinerary because the proposed excursions particularly suited us. Unfortunately, only a few days before departure, we were informed that due of a lack of water in the Loire canal the Ms Deborah was switched over to the Haute Seine and Yonne for a new itinerary from Paris to Sens. Despites the fact that this new itinerary didn’t really meet our desires, especially the excursions, we decided to accept the change.
Our group of 6 persons from Switzerland was very warmly greeted by all members of the crew when arriving on the quai de Grenelle in Paris where we see the MS DEBORAH for the first time, our floating home for the week. With its two dominating colours blue and white, it is difficult not to fall in love with this beautiful small ship.
We were invited immediately for the welcome cocktail during which we met officially the crew and the other six individual passengers originating from New Zealand, England and the USA. With less time than it needs to tell, the relation between us was created, so that everyone felt part of a bunch of friends knowing each other for long time.
There is no need to present here the MS Deborah itself, as this is already thoroughly done on the Cruise Critic page.
The crew of 6 persons is composed of a captain, a sailor, a cruise director, a chef, a waitress and a cabin hostess who put all their efforts to satisfy the passengers and offer them the best possible service. The captain as well as the sailor are always trying to make passengers at ease, answer questions or even bring a drink. The lady cruise director is omnipresent, taking care of the passengers better than a mother hen would do. The talented young French chef aims to produce dishes which please everybody. His outstanding sauces and excellent desserts should be particularly praised. However, referring to comments we made during a cruise on the Seine Princess two years ago, we cannot understand that why today it is not possible to offer the choice of a light buffet at lunch instead a three or even four course menu! The always smiling and friendly Hungarian waitress was very caring and attentive, without forgetting the cabin hostess doing a great job in the cabins, the public spaces and even the kitchen. It wouldn’t be fair to name a single person as all members of the crew, without any exception, do all they can to make the cruise unforgettable.
Our one-week cruise on the barge Ms Deborah enables us today to make the following comments:
~ a cruise on a barge cannot be compared to any other kind of cruise
~ despite all the comfort offered on modern barge, one must be very aware that life on board happens at a restraint space, requiring therefore much flexibility and understanding in all aspects from all passengers
~ in our case, being only 12 passengers, we had the opportunity to take our meals on the terrace. We also never had the feeling that the boat was overcrowded. This can be different when the ship is full, especially by bad weather
~ the state of mind between the passengers who are mostly of foreign nationalities, who don’t know each other and don’t speak French, must function well right from the beginning
~ if the interrelation works, it is difficult to find a more relaxing and enjoyable way of travelling
~ the success on a barge is mainly due on the quality of its crew. Ms Deborah’s crew members have quickly created a family spirit on board, showing also that they genuinely like what they do
~ excursions can play a major role in choosing an itinerary. Not speaking French or English can be a handicap
Do we recommend to do a cruise on a barge? Yes, definitively! It’s affordable, the atmosphere on board is unique, the routes can be very interesting. In our case, this second try with CroisiEurope gives them a better note.
We are still waiting for a refund
Details
Flight & Transport Inclusions
All internal transport included (including local flights)
Group Size
Standard Group - 25 + people
Cancellation policy
- 4 DAYS IN HANOI AND HALONG BAY
Ref. 1R6_AIPP - POST-CRUISE PROGRAM AVAILABLE starting with 2 participants
The 4-day post-cruise program will let you discover Hanoi, the capital, and many of the unforgettable sites in the country. Set out on an unforgettable cruise on the legendary Halong Bay among the fantastically formed islands, crags, and cliffs.
Additional Information
THE CROISIEUROPE DIFFERENCE
- All meals included
- Refined local cuisine
- Headsets are included for excursions
- Official welcome from the captain and crew
- Tour leader or cruise director on board
- Onboard activities and/or lectures
- Travel assistance and repatriation insurance
- All port fees included
Rules & Other Requirements
Non-EU nationals are requested to consult their embassy or consulate.
Trip ID#:
croisieurope-1R3_AIPP
What's excluded
International flights and their taxes - transfers - Cambodian and Vietnamese visas - cancellation and baggage insurance - tips for crew members on board the ship (for informational purposes, daily tips per passenger amount to US$5) - drinks other than those mentioned.
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