Day 1: My Tho

Registration is at 08:30 at the Renaissance Riverside Hotel in Saigon (8-15 Ton Duc Thang Street, District 1) and transfer at 09:00 to the Delta Port of My Tho by coach arriving at 11:00 for check in followed by port and immigration formalities.  My Tho is the hub of the Delta, but not of great cultural interest, so once on board we set sail at 13:00 and have lunch. In the afternoon we moor near Cai Be and make a fascinating trip by traditional junk to explore evergreen islands and the former Imperial residence, the An Kiet House. Surviving members of the Kiet family will welcome us with tea and we can wander in the fruit orchards around the house. Overnight moor in mid-stream Cai Be.

Day 2: Cai Be – Vinh Long - Sadec - Culao Gien - Chau Doc

We begin by visiting Cai Be and its colorful floating market which takes place daily in front of the catholic church.  A further stop on the river bank allows us to see local factories where rice pasta, coconut candies and other specialities are traditionally made.  Also the visit includes a Mandarins house dating from late 19th century.

Cruise further by Sampan to Dong Hoa Hiep islet to explore the rural life and the daily activities of the delta inhabitants seeing palm tree leave weaving, traditional wooden boat factories and fruit orchard plantations. 

Back on board your sampan, we will cruise up the Tien River where we see water hyacinths, an important Mekong delta product used for furniture and baskets and then visit a traditional brick and tile factory. 

Sa Dec will then appear like a little “Venice” with its numerous narrow canals and various kinds of traditional activities on the banks. You will disembark at the local market for a visit, then proceed to the splendid ancient house of Mr. Huyn Thuy Le, the “lover” of Marguerite Duras, famous French novelist and inspiration for the film L'Amant-The Lover directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud .

After lunch on board the Pandaw, cast off for Chau Doc.  En route visit Cu Lao Gien island and a Catholic monastery called “La Providence” built in 1875 by the French nuns of “Saint Paul de Chartres”.  Cu Lao Gien became an important Catholic centre with mission, yielding an orphanage, school, hospice and leprosy centre that can treat 1,000 people. During the Japanese invasion, later the monastery was abandoned; operations were resumed after 1945 until 1977. Nowadays Cu Lao Gian serves as a retreat for 180 retired nuns cared for by novices.

Day 3: Chau Doc / Border Crossing

From the main Mekong channel we travel down to Chau Doc jetty where we transfer to small boats to visit a Cham tribal village and a cat fish farm. We take a trishaw ride round this fascinating town of fine French-colonial buildings and see its bustling market. Return to the ship by boat for lunch and cast off for the Cambodian border for the usual formalities. Evening cruise up the broad Mekong channel, an international shipping route, and moor overnight just downstream from Phnom Penh.

Day 4: Phnom Penh

The capital of Cambodia has retained its French charm. The city has several impressive wats, including Wat Ounalom, Wat Phnom and the newly-painted Wat Lang Ka. Pride of place goes to the Royal Palace and to the spectacular Silver Pagoda, one of the few places in Cambodia where artifacts embodying the brilliance and richness of Khmer culture were preserved by the Khmer Rouge. The National Museum is another highlight, with outstanding displays of Khmer crafts.

For the morning excursion we are delighted to have teamed up with The Cyclo Centre Phnom Penh to offer an alternative to a conventional coach tour.  The Cyclo Centre is a charity that provides basic welfare and medical services to cyclo drivers, many of whom are very poor. They will provide us with trained drivers with basic English and a good knowledge of the key sights. You decide where you want to go and what you want to see and off you go on your private cyclo for the morning. (For groups: if a conventional guide and coach are required, we are happy to supply).

In the afternoon an optional excursion (by coach) is arranged to the Killing Fields and the Khmer Rouge’s grim Tuol Sleng or S21 detention centre situated in the suburbs of the city then shopping at the Russian market or Central market. Booking for this tour should be made at the time of booking or at the latest on board the first day of the cruise.

For something more uplifting, Phnom Penh has a lively night life, and some passengers choose to dine ashore or try one of the capital’s many watering holes; a favorites being the Foreign Correspondents’ Club.

 Day 5: Phnom Penh to Kampong Cham

Early morning departure from Phnom Penh and a stop at the little-known Chong Koh silk weaving village for a morning walk at leisure. We cruise past the Mekong’s timeless villages and river life with extensive fishing activities. The scenery is very lovely here, and in the distance, forested hills rise. On the river above Phnom Penh there is little shipping, just real Cambodian life. In the afternoon, we stop at Peam Chi Kang village to visit the wat or monastery and school. In this particular wat, the splendid village racing boats are stored. Passengers are at leisure to explore this peaceful and friendly community. 

Day 6: Kampong Cham Area

Morning journey upriver to the hilltop pre-Angkorian temple of Wat Hanchey. Dating from the 8th century, these ancient brick structures characterise the architecture of the Chenla Empire which predated the glories of Angkor. Sail back downstream over lunch for an exploration of the Kampong Cham Area. We travel by bus to the 12th century Angkorian temple of Wat Nokor. This colourful temple is unique in Cambodia, as a modern wat is set within the ruins of an ancient temple. We continue to the eco village of Cheungkok supported by the French-Cambodian NGO AMICA and the Kampong Cham orphanage, supported by the Pandaw Trust programme. Legends abound about the origins of these hills, and there are many pagodas and shrines on the hilltops.

Day 7: Tonle River

We glance by the capital Phnom Penh in the early morning to change pilots, and then sail the Tonle River which connects Tonle Lake with the Mekong and Bassac Rivers that merge at Phnom Penh. This river journey is a real highlight of the trip. We wind our way through jungle, and as the river narrows we feel we can almost reach out and touch the houses and people who come out to cheer our ship on. Temples abound along the river banks at Kampong Chhnang, and we see the rich tapestry of Cambodian rural life. This is a busy rural port town with bustling markets. Mooring mid-stream, we make a truly wonderful motor boat excursion into the lakeside wetlands that form the mouth of the river. Here a stunning variety of birdlife may be seen and of considerable interest are the great fish traps, some half a kilometre long. They can net a huge tonnage of fish after each monsoon as the fish migrate from the falling lake into the Tonle River.

Day 8: Tonle Sap - Siem Reap

The great lake dominates Cambodia and is over 150 Km in length. There is a great stillness and tranquility as we pass floating fishing villages. Bird life is profuse, and from the middle of the lake one cannot even see the shores.