CRUISE FROM SAIGON TO SIEM REAP

Detailed Itinerary

• Day 1

  HO CHI MINH CITY - MY THO - CAI BE (D) - START SAIGON SIEM REAP CRUISE

  Bid farewell to the hustle and bustle of Saigon, travel 70 kilometers south by land to My Tho to embark your boutique ship - Jayavarman Cruise and start your Saigon to Siem Reap cruise. Upon check in, you will be served a refreshing welcome drink as the ship steadily glides along the Mekong. Bathe in the fading sunset on the balcony followed by a briefing at the lounge. Later, a welcome dinner awaits you.

   
  When approaching Cai Be, the ship drops anchor to moor midstream where the river is several kilometers wide. Dinner and overnight on boat.
• Day 2

  CAI BE - SA DEC - CHAU DOC (B/L/D)

  The day - in fact everyday - starts with an invigorating tai-chi lesson on the sundeck, just as the sun begins its gentle glow. Coffee and tea awaits the early bird.

  The day's tour starts with a visit to Cai Be's boisterous and colorful floating market on board a traditional sampan (a flat bottomed traditional Vietnamese wooden boat). During the languid ride, discover breathtaking landscapes along the river and quaff the rustic life on the Mekong Delta.
   
  The cruise will halt intermittently to allow us to observe how rice paste, rice cookies and coconut candies are made, along with the Longan fruit drying process. After touring the canals, head to an ancient house surrounded by fruit orchards before heading to the ship for lunch.
   
  In the afternoon, cruise to Sa Dec. Upon arrival, embark a traditional sampan to tour Binh Thanh Island and its man-made canals. Here, every villager is involved in the process of growing and processing water hyacinths into natural fibre floor mats and rattan baskets.
   
  Then board the Ship for a tranquil evening cruise towards Chau Doc. The ship will moor midstream overnight near Chau Doc.
• Day 3

  CHAU DOC (BORDER CROSSING) - PHNOM PENH (B/L/D)

  Welcome to the fish sanctuary of Vietnam. Begin your day with a hearty breakfast at the Indochine Dining Hall or in the quiet sanctuary of your balcony. Brace yourself for a short excursion in Chau Doc, a pleasant town near the Cambodian border with sizeable Chinese, Kinh and Khmer communities. Also visit the colorful local market near an ancient temple. This is followed by a trip to the quay, where you will be feted to a boat excursion to the floating villages and rustic catfish farms.

  You will certainly enjoy watching schools of basa fish being fed by hand followed by a shore excursion to the local Cham Muslim community village. Then, it is back to the ship for a mouth-watering lunch and continue to cruise along this Saigon Siem Reap tour.
   
  By mid-afternoon, the cruise liner will make its way to the border for Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia. It is an opportune time to relax on-board, sharpen your culinary skills with our hands-on cooking classes or tour the ship with our impeccable Cruise Director. Or, better yet, do all three. 'The Highway Blues' beckon as we float into a state of mild bliss caused by the hypnotic murmur of the ship's engine. After hours of cruising, we will feel the rush of entering into a new country and to embrace new adventures.
   
  Overnight on boat.
• Day 4

  PHNOM PENH (B/L/D)

  Phnom Penh was once the Paris of the East. Despite its rapid development, it has retained a lot of its rustic charm and elegance. After breakfast, you will be captivated by a comprehensive lecture on Cambodias modern history. This will be followed by a city tour of this dynamic, historical capital city of Cambodia which has managed to preserve huge slices of its French colonial allure. Sightseeing in the morning will include visiting the dazzling white and gold edifice of the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda, and witnessing exceptionally beautiful Khmer craft at the National Museum.

  After lunch at a local restaurant, you will visit the Genocide Museum and the Killing Field in town. Be prepared to be heart wrenched by this stark reminder of the genocide that transpired during Cambodia's Khmer Rouge regime.
   
  Go back to the ship after your museum visit. Take a rest on your cabin balcony or the lounge and get prepared for an exciting evening event. The evening starts with a variety of cocktail served on the sun deck. Take a seat and enjoy the following Apsara dance performance. Experience the brilliance and richness of this culture, the soothing sounds of traditional music, the calming scent of incense sticks and a barbeque on the sundeck. It is indeed a truly marvelous experience, dining in the open with the stars and the moon as our companions.
   
  Overnight on boat.
• Day 5

  PHNOM PENH – KAMPONG CHAM (B/L/D)

  Depart before the break of dawn from Phnom Penh with a stop at the little known Chong Koh silk weaving village. Then return to the ship and will cruise past the Mekong's tranquil villages, exhilarating river life and sun-hardened fishermen on their make shift boats.

  You will tour the rural Angkor Ban village where time stood still. You are transported back a hundred years into an era unsullified by modernity. The houses here are truly rustic, made by hand and without any concrete. But most of all, you feel overwhelmed by the unbridled warmth of the villagers.
   
  Travelers can take part in the daily activities of the villagers to experience village life first hand. Then, you are back to the Ship to cruise towards Kampong Cham.
   
  Overnight on boat.
• Day 6

  PHNOM PENH – WAT HANCHEY (B/L/D)

  You will wake up in the early morning, truly energized to embark on a land journey to the pre-Angkorian temple of Wat Hanchey. Travelers either take a motor-taxi or climb the 291 steps to the top. Located at the top of a hill overlooking the river, it offers one of the most breath-taking views in Cambodia. Built in the 8th century, this ancient structure, together with a bigger and newer addition underscores the superb architecture of the Chenla Empire which predates the mighty Angkor temple complex. We even get to engage in light banter with some of the monks in the area. You will return to the ship to witness a blessing ceremony performed by orange-clad local monks.

  When the tide allows, enjoy a surprise sojourn in our zodiacs (inflatable boats) to the nearby beach to swim in the tea-coloured Mekong River, an experience that will, no doubt, dominate dinner conversations in the weeks to come.
   
  Then cruise towards Kampong Cham to visit Wat Nokor, a wat built within the ruins of an ancient temple which holds a timeless story. On the way back to the ship, visit an orphanage. Along the way, you will have to maneuver a 2-kilometer rickety bamboo bridge. Our sense of balance lies in the balance!
   
  Overnight on boat.
• Day 7

  KAMPONG CHAM – KAMPONG CHHNANG (B/L/D)

  Before the sun peeks over the horizon, the cruiser sets sail towards Kampong Chhnang on the Tonle Sap River - an amazingly narrow river - which glides through leafy swaths of the Southeast Asian jungle. You are greeted by cacophonous children who waive enthusiastically early in the morning when they bring their livestock for a bath in the meandering Tonle Sap River.

  Then approach Kampong Chhnang, Cambodia's 'water world' where everything is on stilts balanced on rich water rich soil- it's an awesome sight whilst practicing Tai Chi on the deck.
   
  Here, take a motorboat excursion to the landing, followed by a short bus trip to see the Khmer-styled pottery at the Aundaung Russey village. Then, it is back to the river for an adventurous motorboat excursion to the wetlands, floating houses and fish farms in the region.
   
  Later, return to the ship for lunch whilst cruising the narrow and meandering Tonle Sap.
   
  Your floating sanctuary will then cruise gently, in the afternoon, along the narrow and meandering Tonle Sap. In the evening, a sumptuous spread will be served. And for the big surprise - bring along your dance shoes and learn to jiggle the Cambodian way with our staff doubling up as dance instructors. (If you can't dance, do not fret. Neither can our staff).
   
  Overnight on boat.
• Day 8

  TONLE SAP – SIEM REAP (B) - END SAIGON SIEM REAP CRUISE

  This great lake dominates Cambodia and is the largest freshwater lake in Asia with abundant birdlife. This lake is so wide that one can’t see its shores from the middle of the lake.

  Enjoy the stillness of the water and the quiet tranquility on the way to Siem Reap, the last destination of this Saigon Siem Reap cruise tour.
   
  The water level varies a great deal according to the time of the year and the amount of rainfall recorded. Thus, minor changes to the itinerary may occur during different seasons.
   
  Your cruise aboard our Heritage Line cruise liner comes to an end as we reach this city of the fabled Angkor temple complex. Bid farewell to the cruise as our journey comes to a close. But the memories - and the friendships made on board - linger on for a lot longer.
   
  After crossing the Tonle Sap Lake at dawn and at 9:00 am, disembark at the Siem Reap Port for onward coach transfer to the drop off point in town.
   
  End of trip.

The price of tours base on accommodation category, travel period, and number of tourists. Please contact us for more information about prices.

Services Include:

• Accommodation with daily breakfast as mention or similar
• Transfer services in a private air conditioned vehicle
• Entrance fees, other boat fees where applicable
• Meals as listed in the program B= Breakfast; L= Lunch & D = Dinner: pre-arranged at local restaurants based on local food with set menu. 
• Tours with local English speaking guide (Other languages with supplemental charge)
• Boat trip as mentioned

Services Exclude:

• Dinks and other meals not clearly mentioned
• Surcharge for special request on food, and meals. 
• Entrance fees, permits and guide service during free time. 
• Insurance, gratuities and personal expenses
• Surcharge for public holidays (if any)
• Internal airfares in the tour (please refer to the supplement quotation)
• International airfare from/to Vietnam
• International airport departure tax
• Visa handling fee, visa stamp fee.
• Personal expenses such as Bar, telephone & Laundry bills 
• All other service not stated in the program

A. CANCELLATION POLICY:
The cancellation charges below refer to the non-transferable fee that is charged to the group member who has cancelled their tour:

• More than 45 days before departure: No cancellation charge
• Between 45 and 30 days before departure: 10% of total tour cost 
• Between 30 days and 15 days before departure: 25% of total tour cost
• Between 15 days and 7 days before departure: 50% of total tour cost
• Less than 7 days before departure: 90% of total tour cost
• No-show at the airport on the day of arrival/departure: 100% of total tour cost

B. CHILDREN POLICY (land service only)

• Child from 1- 4 yrs:  Free of charge if sharing bed with parents 
• Child from 5 – 6 yrs: charge 30% of adult price if sharing existing bed(s) with parents
• Child from 5 – 6 yrs: charge 50% of adult price if using extra bed/mattress in parents’ room
• Child from 7 – 11 yrs: charge 75% of adult price if using extra bed/mattress in parents’ room
• Child from 12 yrs up: pay as adult rate