Day 1: Kampong Cham (L/D)
From 7:00 am to 9:00 pm
Early this morning, our guide will come to pick you up at your hotel in Siem Reap. Please give us your hotel name with address and be ready at your hotel at 7:00 A.M to wait for our shuttle service.
You will be transferred by motor-coach from Siem Reap to Kampong Cham and embark the RV Mekong Princess for lunch. Once aboard, a safety briefing as soon as you embarked will take place in the Ramvong Lounge. After enjoying a cruising afternoon at leisure, enjoy a Cambodian Welcome Dinner on board.
The ship sails to Angkor Ban and docks overnight.
*Onboard activity: Lecture of Cambodia’s Geography and Life along the Mekong River by your host.
Day 2: Angkor Ban (B/L/D)
From 6:00 am to 9:00 pm
We start the day with a visit to the charming and authentic town of Angkor Ban. Here, we witness the daily life of the local people, starting with a visit to the pagoda with a special blessing ceremony for our guests by local monks, then we keep going on visiting to a local family’s home, to meet them and discuss their lifestyle. We continue through the village to the local school where we join the children in their classroom and experience what their typical school day is like. Ship sails to Phnom Penh and docks at the port.
This afternoon, local cyclo drivers meet you for an exciting city tour of Phnom Penh. You begin your ride along the riverfront to the Royal Palace, where a leisurely walk takes you through the grounds and perfectly manicured gardens, with opportunities to visit the Throne Hall and Moonlight Pavilion. Upon crossing into the second section of the complex, you walk amongst enormous stupas and spirit houses, on the way to the famous Silver Pagoda, home of Cambodia’s Emerald Buddha and Maitreya Buddha, encrusted with more than 9,000 diamonds. Following a short break, your cyclos take you to the National Museum. Housing the largest pre-Angkorian and Angkorian holdings in Cambodia, the National Museum ends the morning tour with a comprehensive look at many of the artifacts excavated around the Angkor Archeological Area in Siem Reap, as well as other areas around the former Khmer Empire.
The ship docks in Phnom Penh overnight.
Day 3: Phnom Penh (B/L/D)
From 11:30 am to 9:00 pm
This morning, private motor-coach take you on a scenic 45-minute drive away from the ship, arriving at Choeung Ek, the killing fields depicted in the movie, and the center of the darkest days of Cambodian history. You may walk through the fields, visit the small museum and Memorial Stupa, and learn more about the atrocities committed during the Khmer Rouge regime. On the return drive to Phnom Penh, a stop is made at Tuol Sleng (infamously known as S-21), which was converted by the Khmer Rouge from a large school to a prison and torture headquarters.
The afternoon is free at leisure for your own exploration the charming city of Phnom Penh.
This evening before dinner, enjoying the entertainment onboard with a cultural performance including Apsara, Cambodia’s national dance, as well as several traditional folk dances.
Early Sunday morning, the Mekong Princess will make her way towards to Border of Cambodia- Vietnam and complete formalities.
Day 4: Gieng Island, Hong Ngu (B/L/D)
From 6:00 am to 9:00 pm
This morning, after completing immigration procedures to Viet Nam, we visit the local island village of Hong Ngu, not far from the Vietnam-Cambodia border. Hong Ngu produces a large number of the traditional, Khmer scarves exported to Cambodia. Woven in many homes around the village, here we have the opportunity to see the weaving process under several homes. Some villagers are also embroidery artists, displaying their art in and around the homes. The inhabitants of this area had only encountered a few western visitors prior to the arrival of the Mekong Princess, they are especially friendly and welcoming. Guests will also visit the local temple dedicated to a unique religion founded in this area of Vietnam, Hoa Hao.
In the afternoon, we board sampans that will take us into Gieng Island. After a short walk around the local sampan village, where sampans are produced daily by local families, we take a canal drive to explore the mango gardens along the riverbanks. We will try one of most popular local transportation named “xe loi” (motor trishaw) driving through this island to visit a Phanxico Monastery.
The ship sails to Hoa An and anchors overnight.
Day 5: Hoa An, Can Tho (B/L/D)
From 6:00 am to 9:00 pm
This morning, continue excursion by boat to Hoa An village, which is untouched and well-known with lush green fields whereby local inhabitants grow a variety of seasonal crops, including vegetable, fruity trees. Starting our excursion on a “xe loi” (motor cart) via winding country roads. En route , enjoy a short walk in the peaceful village with rice fields, and fruit orchards. We then continue the sampan ride on a major branch of the Mekong river - before turning into a busy canal famous for being the rice milling center of the region, observing from afar on our sampan towards the village milling in operation will also enhance our understanding of how rice being transported and processed locally. Our last stop is at one of the conical hat-making families, with an opportunity chatting with local family members and learn how to create products through hands-on experience.
This afternoon, the ship sails through an area of the Mekong Delta barely touched by tourism to Can Tho city, known as Tay Do - the capital of the Mekong Delta. Guests will take a short and orientated city tour with visiting to the Zihuang Pagoda (Chua Ong) and enjoying the welcome unicorn dances. Explore on your own around the charming city before having dinner onboard.
The ship docks in Can Tho overnight.
Day 6: Can Tho, Ben Tre (B/L/D)
From 6:00 am to 9:00 pm
We start our morning before breakfast aboard the sampans for a cruise through the fascinating Cai Rang floating market near Can Tho. The sampans will weave in and out of the many boats that sail into the market each morning to sell produce and other items the residents of the Mekong Delta need in their daily lives. As they weave through the market, there will be many opportunities for amazing photographs, while enjoying fresh fruit and the Vietnamese “anti-aging drink,” fresh coconut water. Before returning to the ship for a sumptuous buffet breakfast, we stop at a local noodle factory, where we witness the amazing process of how they are made.
After completing the port formalities, we will leave Hoang Dieu Harbor, downstream the Bassac river to sail through Tra On rivulet mouth, Nicolai canal, Mang Thit canal, Cho Lach rivulet mouth and Mekong river. The ship anchors and docks overnight in the heart of the Mekong Delta in Ben Tre province
*Onboard activity: Fruit Carvings & Tropical Fruits Demonstration by our Executive Chef.
Day 7: Ben Tre, Ho CHi Minh City (B/L/D)
From 6:00 am to 9:00 pm
This morning, sampans take you through a channel lined with mangroves. We will try one of most popular local transportation named “xe lam” (three-wheeler) to visit a local coconut candy maker. After watching the candy-making process, walking through the village to visit an orchard where fruits native to Vietnam can be seen in various stages of maturity on the vine. After a fresh fruit tasting, you continue to a pier where you board small, local boats for a trip through the narrow creeks lined with Nipah palm before returning to the ship.
We sail through the ‘Mighty Mekong River’ to Cho Gao canal, Vam Co river, Nuoc Man canal, Soai Rap river and Saigon river.
The ship docks overnight at Saigon Port.
*Onboard activity: Cooking Class Demonstration by our Executive Chef.
Day 8: Ho Chi Minh city - Saigon port (B)
From 6:00 am to 8:00 am - Disembakation
Enjoy a sumptuous Breakfast Buffet in the Indochine Restaurant. After breakfast and completing the port formalities, we disembark the Mekong Princess at 8:00 A.M in Saigon port and transferred by motor-coach to your hotel in Ho Chi Minh city.
