Vietnam & Cambodia inc. Mekong River Cruise

Time this morning for connecting flights
before an early afternoon departure for
Singapore. Arrival time is early evening
and overnight hotel accommodation
has been reserved at the airport.

This morning, we join the flight to Hanoi.
On arrival we are met by our local hosts
and transferred to our hotel for a 3-night
stay. The remainder of the day is at leisure
until we go to dinner at KOTO restaurant,
specially set up to train the under-privileged
youth of Hanoi in restaurant skills.

Today, we start our sightseeing tour with a
visit to the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long,
a complex of historic buildings associated
with the history of Vietnam. We pass
by Ba Dinh Square where Ho Chi Minh
read out the declaration of the nation’s
independence in 1945 before we visit the
ancient Temple of Literature, built in the 11th
century and the first university established
in Vietnam. We then take a cyclo ride in
the Old Quarter of “36 streets and 36 wares”
dating back from the 11th century to see the
historic quarter. Late afternoon, we enjoy a
street food tour of Hanoi by a member of
the Hanoi Gastronomy Club. Experience
the amazing sights, sounds, smells and tastes of Hanoi as we visit authentic small
street eateries to taste “real Hanoi food”.

This morning, we drive along the Red River
to Bat Trang pottery village. Our first stop
is Bat Trang communal house which was
built during Le Du Tong King’s period
(from 1719 to 1720) to admire the ancient
architecture of rural villages in the Red River
Delta. We then visit the ancient house and
workshop of ceramic artist Tran Van Do.
We talk with other talented ceramic artists
and learn about the history of the village,
while admiring their exquisite handmade
ceramic products. Later on, witness
craftsmen forming, painting, and glazing
their products in traditional ways and have
a go trying to make your own cup, vase, or
bowl. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure
until we meet again this evening to enjoy
a traditional and unique Vietnamese water
puppet show before dinner at the Press
Club Restaurant which serves fusion cuisine.

After breakfast, we depart by coach for
Ha Long for one of our tour highlights.
The Halong Bay region is referred to as
the “Jewel in the Crown” of Vietnam, with
some of the most stunning scenery in
Vietnam. We join a traditional Vietnamese
junk for two nights cruising Halong Bay
and Lan Ha Bay, a World Heritage site, with
accommodation onboard in private ensuite
cabins. Enjoy the Vietnamese buffet lunch and the sumptuous seafood dinner as you
cruise the bay passing fishing villages and
small towns. Lots of activities available for
the more active – cooking demonstrations,
pristine beaches for swimming, fishing,
kayaking – or just sit back and enjoy the
wonderful setting as the world passes by.

Another fabulous day cruising to some
of the more secluded and untouched
locations. Enjoy a leisurely day of
sightseeing, swimming and relaxing as
you take in the magnificent scenery.

The cruise continues this morning
passing many islands, inlets, caves,
bizarre rock sculptures. Don’t forget to
watch the magnificent sunrise from
the sundeck, maybe even join the crew
for Tai Chi exercises. Sadly, after a late
breakfast, its time to disembark at Tuan
Chau Island, where we rejoin our coach,
making our way to Hanoi Airport where
we join our flight to Da Nang. On arrival
in Da Nang, we transfer by coach Hoi
Ann where we stay for 3-nights.

After breakfast, we journey to Duy Hai
Fishing Village, where we enjoy the hustle
of the morning fish market before visiting
a family-run fish-sauce workshop. We then
transfer by boat upstream, passing by a
shrimp and duck farm, to Thu Bon to Duy
Vinh village, well-known for traditional
weaving sedge mat. Upon arrival at Ban
Thach Mat Village, where abundant
sources of raw rush used to weave mats have allowed the villagers to develop
their own handicraft for 400 years. We
learn the process of sedge mat weaving
and display our own creativity by making
our own patterns. Then it is on to Tra Que
vegetable village, which is named after a
sweet-scented herb they grow and use
to spice up Hoi An specialties. Finally, we
arrive at Kumquat Cooking class restaurant.
Working together with our chef we
learn the traditional ways of preparing
and cooking Vietnamese food, using
the freshest ingredients and traditional
Vietnamese utensils, before coming
together to enjoy the fruits of our labour.
We return to our hotel in the afternoon
and the remainder of the day is at leisure

After breakfast, we set out to enjoy a walking
tour of the ancient town centre, seeing
temples, old houses, pagodas and the
Japanese-covered Bridge, providing us with
an insight into Hoi An architecture/ history
as well as learning about the restoration
plan being implemented by UNESCO.
You have the afternoon free to explore
this ancient town at your leisure. Visit the
colourful market with its stalls brimming
with tropical specialties. The market is
a good place to buy silk, which can be
made into fine garments, all within a day

We depart Hoi An mid-morning and return
to Da Nang airport, where we join the flight
to Siem Reap. On arrival, we are met and
transferred to our hotel for a 3-night stay.

Certainly, one of the tour highlights today.
We begin the day early for a full day-tour
of Angkor. When it is well-lit and relatively
quiet is the best time to visit Angkor Wat,
the largest and most famous of the Angkor
temples – it is an architectural marvel
and one of the world’s most impressive
ruins. The temple has fine carvings of
Apsaras in stone made during the Angkor
period. We then return to the hotel for
breakfast. This afternoon, we take a fun
tuk tuk ride to visit Angkor Thom, a walled
and moated royal city and the last capital
of the Angkorian Empire. We visit the
surroundings of the complex including
the Baphou, Elephant Terraces, Leper King
Terrace and Royal Place area. We end our
sightseeing this afternoon with a visit to
Bayon temple with its iconic carved faces.

This morning, we visit the picturesque
Ta Prohm, which has nearly disappeared
into the jungle and remains overgrown;
an oddly haunting and exotic scene,
emphasizing the ‘lost city’ legend. Then,
walk through the Sra Srong village, located
just behind Ta Prohm temple where we
can see the villagers making wooden
carvings and weaving. Enjoy a coffee
break at one of the villagers’ houses with
the opportunity to interact with the local
family. We head back to hotel after the visit
for a late breakfast. Later, we drive out of
Siem Reap and visit Wat Bo Krum village
on the banks of Siem Reap River. Wander
around this typical Khmer village and
enjoy the peaceful scenery. Visit the local
children at the village school. Donations
are always welcome, and you may want to
bring some notebooks, pens, new or used
clothes, or rice to hand over to the school
or village pagoda. After the visit, drive back
to Siem Reap with a stop en route to visit
the smallest, but magnificent, Banteay Srei
built in the 10th Century and dedicated
to Shiva. The temple was the birthplace
of Khmer classical style architecture, and
the bas-relief work is the best example
of Khmer classical art remaining. Lunch
is taken at local restaurant and the
remainder of the day is free at leisure.

This morning, we transfer to Kampong
Cham on the Mekong River. Early this
afternoon, we embark at Kampong Cham
on our boutique river cruise ship “The
Jahan” where we are greeted by the crew
with a welcome drink and buffet lunch.
In the afternoon we learn more about
the education of the young Cambodian
generation (NGO project). The children
join us on board, always excited to show
their skills in music and art. After the
performance, we leave the ship by bus
for an afternoon excursion. During low
water season, we have the chance to see
a bamboo bridge which connects the
mainland with an island. Local communities
re-build the bridge every year when water
levels drop. We continue our land journey
to the enchanting pre-Angkorian temple
of Wat Hanchey (7th century). This small
complex sits on a hilltop on the shore with
a breath-taking view over the Mekong. We return to the ship to freshen up before
we get together for a welcome dinner.

Our journey will start with an invigorating
Tai Chi lesson on the sun deck just as the
sun begins its slow rise. The ship sails up
towards the small Angkor Ban village on
the Mekong River. The Angkor Ban village
is famous for its unspoiled community and
beautiful, traditional houses. Back on board
we enjoy lunch as we set sail downstream
on the Mekong to the Island of Koh Oknha
Tey. This spot in the middle of the Mekong
is known for manufacturing high class silk
products. By tuk tuk we explore the island
with its workshops and learn how silk is
processed from its source, provided by
little silkworms, to a final quality product
made of original Cambodian silk. After
some additional cruising time, passing the
confluence of the Mekong and Tonle Rivers,
and observing the spectacular marshlands
of this area, the boat anchors near
Kampong Chhnang, where we overnight.

After a good night’s rest we awake to
Kampong Chhnang, Cambodia’s “water
world”, where everything is on sticks
balanced on water rich soil. We take a
local boat to the shore and head to a
rural village nearby for a walking tour.
Our guides introduce you to the village
specialities – Khmer style pottery and the
making of palm sugar. Before returning to
the boat, we explore the floating villages
and wetlands of the region. Back on-board
lunch is served while the cruise continues
with a languid meander along the Tonle
River towards Kampong Tralach. Children
wave enthusiastically while bringing
their livestock down to the river. Further
down the river we take part in an Ox cart
ride being introduced to the Heritage
Line pro-bono “literacy project” at the
Green School. After some additional
cruising time the boat arrives at the pier
of Phnom Penh where we overnight.

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, we visit the
Killing Fields on the outskirts of the city
and afterwards the centrally located
prison “S21”. Both historic sites display the
sad and cruel chapter of Khmer history
when the Khmer Rouge ruled the country
with terror and suppression. Following
lunch, we visit the National Museum, the
dazzling white and gold Royal Palace and
the Silver Pagoda, as well as a visit to the
National Museum. The day trip ends with
a “cyclo” ride back to the ship through
the bustling streets of downtown Phnom
Penh. Once back on board, there is time
to relax on your cabin balcony or the
lounge before the evening programme
commences with a variety of cocktails
served on the sun deck. Take a seat and
enjoy the Apsara dance performance,
showcasing the brilliance and richness
of this culture and the soothing sounds
of traditional music with the calming
scent of incense sticks. This is followed
by a barbeque on the sundeck with the
stars and the moon as our companions

Today enjoy a lazy day of cruising along
the main Mekong Channel where we
witness large commercial ships plying
this route. Later in the afternoon, we
reach the Vietnamese border for the
requisite cross border paperwork which
can take some time. In the meantime,
we can enjoy the afternoon sun on the
Sun Deck, pamper ourselves at the Spa,
or sharpen our culinary skills with the
Heritage Line’s Cambodian and Vietnamese
cuisine cooking class. The ship moors
midstream overnight in Tan Chau.

Welcome to the fish sanctuary of Vietnam.
We begin our day with a hearty breakfast at
the Dining Hall or at your private balcony.
We will then take a short excursion to Tan
Chau, a pleasant town near the Cambodian
border with sizeable Chinese, Kinh and
Khmer communities. We will start the trip
by a traditional vehicle called “xeloi” to local
market where we will take a local boat to
visit the fish farm. Here you will see the
daily life of Vietnamese people in Mekong.
Lunch is on board the ship before we set off
for My An Hung Village. Passengers walk
to the family house through the vegetable garden to see the boat building yard and
canals. We will cross a monkey bridge and
see chilli, corn and beetle nut plantations
amongst other vegetable fields. Then
gather at the family’s house to taste tea
with honey with local delicacies and fruits
before we return to the ship and set sail
for Sa Dec where we moor for the night.

This morning we join a traditional sampan
to tour Binh Thanh Island and its manmade canals. Here, every villager is involved
in the process of growing and processing
water hyacinths into natural fibre floor
mats and rattan baskets. After lunch on
board, the ship arrives in Cai Be in time
for a visit to the boisterous and colourful
floating market where traders gather in a
cacophonous congregation. Continuing
our cruise, we discover breath-taking
landscapes along the river and see the
rustic life on the Mekong Delta unfold. The
cruise halts 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, we head to an ancient
house surrounded by fruit orchards before
returning to the ship for the tranquil
evening cruise towards My Tho. A wonderful
farewell party awaits us on board.

Our cruise sadly comes to an end, as the
ship winds its way to My Tho, approximately
70km south of Saigon on the upper Mekong
River in Vietnam. We disembark after
breakfast and leave the rural tranquillity
behind us as we transfer to the bustling
city of Saigon for a 2-night stay. On arrival,
we enjoy an orientation tour, visiting
historic landmarks such as the Notre
Dame Cathedral, a red brick edifice with
twin spires constructed from materials
imported from France. Then, we head
across the square to the Central Post
Office, completed in 1891. A short drive
away is the former Presidential Palace, the
headquarters of the Saigon Government
during the American War. Continue to
the War Remnants Museum for a vivid
perspective of the American War through
the eyes of the Vietnamese. Experience
Saigon’s famed street coffee culture
while our guide provides a brief language
lesson as well as insights into daily life of a
Saigonese. We check into our hotel early
afternoon and the remainder of the day
is at leisure. For those that wish, there is
the option to enjoy a “Saigon Nightlife by
Vespa” tour this evening (price on request).

Today is a full day of sightseeing. After
breakfast travel out of the city to the Cu
Chi Tunnels. This vast network of tunnels,
stretching for over 150 kilometres was built
by the Viet Cong in the battles for the South.
The tunnels are a sobering insight into the
dedication of the Viet Cong who virtually
lived in the narrow and claustrophobic
tunnels whilst the war raged. Nearby, a
chilling demonstration of the traps and
weapons that were used against the
Americans is given and we then enjoy
lunch at a local restaurant. The afternoon
is yours for some last-minute shopping,
sightseeing or just relaxing by the pool in
preparation for the journey home. We enjoy
one final dinner together this evening.

A leisurely day until our lunchtime
transfer to the airport where we join
the flight to Singapore connecting
with the overnight flight home.
NB: Those who wish may break their
journey at Singapore for a stopover and
return independently at a later date.

Arrive home mid-morning