Victoria Mekong Cruise | Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City 8 days 7 nights

This morning, travel by coach from Siem Reap to Kampong Cham, and set off for lunch before embarking. Meet your crew for the next 7 nights and enjoy your first sunset on the Mekong River.

Before dinner, enjoy an interesting pre-dinner lecture about Cambodia and learn some basic Khmer phrases.

Overnight in Phnom Penh.

Morning excursion to explore the village of Angkor Ban with its wooden stilt houses and local vibe. After having lunch on the ship, 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.

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.

Enjoy lunch on board with time to relax in your cabin afterward. In the late afternoon, hop on a pedal-powered cyclo to the elegant Raffles Hotel Le Royal for a signature cocktail at the famed Elephant Bar. Return to the ship for dinner and entertainment activities onboard. 

Overnight in Phnom Penh.  

This morning, explore 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. Before dinner on board, take in a lively performance of Khmer Apsara dancing with the opportunity to meet the performers afterward. 

Overnight in Phnom Penh.  

As the ship begins cruising towards the Cambodia-Vietnam border, start the day with early exercise on the Sky Deck, followed by a leisurely breakfast in the restaurant. Afterward, choose from the many onboard activities, including a ship’s tour, a mini-golf tournament, or simply enjoy the scenery as we cross the border between Cambodia and Vietnam.

After lunch on board, travel by local rickshaw to visit the local market and a 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 Vam Nao.

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 that allows them to block the wind, retain heat, and keep ash from dispersing.

During lunch, the ship sails on before anchoring near Tiger Island. Head ashore by sampan and explore Tiger Island by 3-wheeled “xe loi”, learning about cottage industries such as plant pot making 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 a cocktail competition and the evening’s entertainment.  

Enjoy a relaxed breakfast as the ship cruises towards the provincial capital of Long Xuyen. Travel by tender to witness the mesmerizing Long Xuyen floating market and tour the An Giang Museum, with fascinating exhibits on Kinh, Chinese, Khmer, and Cham cultures in the region.

Enjoy lunch onboard as we cruise towards the village of Dinh Yen, where we’ll observe colorful straw mats being woven on mechanized looms. On the way, we’ll also visit a family who makes delicate tofu skin, a food product made from boiling soy milk with a plethora of uses. Return to the ship and cruise towards Can Tho, the beating heart of the Mekong Delta. Enjoy a traditional Southern Vietnamese folk music performance known as “Đờn ca tài tử,” followed by a final farewell dinner. 

Overnight in Can Tho.

Enjoy breakfast on the terrace of Claypot Restaurant with time to enjoy the view from the pool or from your private balcony before disembarkation. Accompanied by your local guide, board a coach for Cai Be, where lunch is served at the elegant Le Longanier Restaurant set amidst lush fruit trees by the river.

Continue to Ho Chi Minh City, arriving mid-afternoon at ÊMM Hotel at 157 Pasteur Street, District 3, concluding your adventures.