Cruising in Ha Long Bay and Mekong River

Highlights of tour:

Cruise from mystic Ha Long Bay to impressive Angkor temples. Shared and combined luxurious stay in charming hotels and discover wonderful landscape from Vietnam to Cambodia. Impressive !

Day 1: Arrival in Hanoi (D)

Arrival at Hanoi airport, picked up by local guide and driver, then transfer into the city. On arrival, check-in to hotel.

Walking in 36 streets of Ha Noi ancient town gives you a chance to explore the different local way of life. You will visit a complex of the Hoan Kiem Lake, Ngoc Son Temple (Jade mountain Temple), But Tower (Pen – shaped tower), Dai Nghien (Ink Stand), the Red – painted wooden The Huc Bridge…

Enjoy the traditional opera show (cheo performance) in the evening. Welcome dinner and overnight at hotel.

Day 2: Hanoi-Ha Long (B,L,D)

After breakfast, you’ll be driven to famous and magnificent Ha Long Bay. Here you’ll board a charming Junk, having lunch while cruising in the magnificent Bai Tu Long Bay, admiring the fascinating rock formations in the bay. You have occasion to swim or do kayak on Hon Co Island. Dinner and stay overnight on board of a private junk.

Day 3: Ha Long (B,L,D)

Enjoy the bay’s morning landscape while breakfast will be served up in the open air. Cruise to Cong Dam, you will appreciate the rock formations of Ha long Bay. Kayak through hidden lagoons and Cong Dam geological park. Sunbathe, relax or swim at Tra Gioi Beach. BBQ lunch is served up on this deserted beach. Visit Cong Dam Fishing Village by a rustic rowing boat, meet the local people and pass through the lagoons. Cruise back to Cong Do for swimming or kayaking. Have dinner and stay overnight on board.

Day 4: Ha Long – Hanoi – Hue flight (B,L,D)

Enjoy the fresh air and gentle breezes of the bay in the morning while having breakfast on board. Visit Thien Canh Son Cave followed by swimming. Cruise towards the harbor while an “a la carte” lunch is served up. Return to the harbor. Disembark and come back to Ha Noi.

Drop off at the airport, flight to Hue, ancient citadel of Vietnam. Welcome by our guide upon arrival. Check in to hotel.

Stay overnight in Hue.

Day 5: Cruising in Perfum River (B,L,D)

Breakfast at hotel, and then embark on our night boat for a cruise on the poetic Perfume River. We disembark at Dong Ba market for buying some ingredients for dinner cooking class. Return to the boat and continuing the cruise until Sinh junction and Thien Thanh village. You will visit also Bao Vinh ancient wharf, a typical Thien Mu Pagoda and Van Mieu Temple during the cruise. You have a chance to explore the daily life of Hue people on 2 river banks. Walking or biking in a quite village and contact with villagers. End of the day, relaxing with a finest foot massage with medicinal herbs. Stay overnight on boat.

Day 6: Hue – Saigon – My Tho – Cai Be (B,L,D)

Breakfast on boat while enjoy the magnificent sunrise on Perfume river, disembark then transfer to the airport, flight to Saigon. Upon arrival, you’ll meet our driver and drive to My tho and embark to our ship. Lunch on board. Cruise towards Cai Be. Enjoy folk performances of Mekong delta and gourmet dinner on board. First night on the ship.

Day 7: Cai Be – Vinh Long (B,L,D)

After breakfast, transfer to a boat to discover Cai Be and it’s famous floating market. Visit French Gothic cathedral and colorful port area then cruise back to the ship. Enjoying your lunch while the cruise continues towards Vinh Long, disembark again for a walking tour in Vinh Long. Come back to the boat for dinner and overnight.

Day 8: Sa Dec – Tan Chau (B,L,D)

The ship arrives to Sa Dec during the night. In the morning, we will visit this city of Marguerite Duras, famous French novelist. Visit the old house of Huynh Thuy Le, the local market, a pagoda and the Fujian Temple, build and donated to the city by the late Le family. Return to the ship for lunch. Afternoon, free at own leisure. Dinner and stay overnight on board.

Day 9: Tan Chau (B,L,D)

Today’s highlight is a visit of Tan Chau – a small town untouched by tourism. In the morning, the excursion starts with sightseeing by local boat, navigating narrow channels to visit an evergreen island. Chance to visit floating fish farm and travels along the tiny tributaries where slit houses are haphazardly leaning on each other. Afterwards, go ashore and tour the town on rickshaw (XeLoi). Visit rattan mats and slippers making factories. Return to the ship and enjoy lunch while the ship departs for border. In the afternoon, enjoy Fruits Carving and Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls demonstration on boat. Dinner and stay overnight on board.

Day 10: Phnom Penh (B,L,D)

We arrive in Phnom Penh during the night. After breakfast, we disembark and take a sightseeing tour in Phnom Penh by private bus. Visit Royal Palace, the spectacular Silver Pagoda and the National Museum where outstanding Khmer crafts are exhibited. After lunch at local restaurant, excursion facilitates understanding of a crucial part of the Cambodia’s history: the Khmer Rouge’s grim Toul Sleng (S21 detention center) and the Killing Fields. After dinner, join the Khmer folk dances and songs at the restaurant on board. Overnight on board.

Day 11: Chong Koh – Oudong – Kampong Tralach (B,L,D)

The cruise continues toward the known village Chong Koh. After breakfast, we stroll through Chong Koh silk weaving village. Visit a school, some home workshops manufacturing traditional silk and cotton handicrafts and buy some local products. Return to the ship. Enjoy the lunch while the ship sails to PrekK’dam. In the afternoon, we start to visit Oudong – the second capital city of Cambodia. Visit a Buddhist Center here and join a blessing. After that, drive to Kampong Tralach and discover Kampong TralachPleu temple and then come back to the boat. Ship sails to Kampong Chhnang afterwards and moors midstream overnight.

Day 12: Kampong Chhnang – Prek K’dam (B,L,D)

In the morning, you have motorboat excursion into the lakeside wetlands that form the mouth of the river, where you can discover variety of birdlife, local life and floating village. Return to the boat and cast off towards PrekK’dam – a small village that is around 35km away from Phnom Penh. Free time for getting more information about Cambodia. In the afternoon, join the “Towels and napkin folding demonstration” with the housekeeping and restaurant staff in the Lounge. Time for packing and prepare for Farewell Cocktail this evening. The ship docks overnight in Prek K’dam.

Day 13: Prek K’dam – Siem Reap (B,L,D)

Breakfast is served up on board. Disembark and then take 5½ hour private bus ride to Siem Reap with stop at Kampong Thom. Arrival in Siem Reap.

Visit the famous temple: Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is a World Heritage Site since 1992, famous for its beauty and splendor. Angkor Wat features the longest continuous bas-relief in the world, which runs along the outer gallery walls and narrates stories from Hindu mythology, visit Bakheng Temple and enjoy a romantic sun set view from Bakheng Hills. Dinner and enjoy with Aspara Dance Show at local restaurant, overnight in Siem Reap. (Optional for elephant riding).

Day 14: Siem Reap departure (B,L)

Visit the antique capital of Angkor Thom (12 century), the Bayon Temple, the Royal Enclosure, the Elephants Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King. Lunch at local restaurant.

Afternoon, we visit Ta Prohm, one of the area’s most beautiful temples; Neak Pean; Ta Som and Preah Khan temple.

Transfer to the airport, flight back to your country.