APT Tours – 8 day Mekong Slendour Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City Tour
8 day Mekong Splendour – Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City
Experience an adventure of Vietnam and Cambodia with a cruise on the Mekong to Ho Chi Minh City via Kampong Cham, Phnom Penh, Tan Chau, Sa Dec and Cai Be exploring cultural and historical highlights of this fascinating region.
Itinerary
Day 1. Embark MS La Marguerite Cruise
Travel to Tonle Sap Lake and embark on your Mekong River Cruise. Enjoy your Welcome Dinner as you cruise to Kampong Chhnang.
Seven Night Stay: MS La Marguerite
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Day 2. Kampong Chhnang – Kampong Cham
After breakfast, enjoy a motor boat excursion into the lakeside wetlands that form the mouth of the Tonle Sap River. Enjoy a stunning variety of birdlife, and observe numerous great fish traps, some over a half mile long. Later, the ship enters the jungle as the river narrows. Temples abound along the riverbanks, offering a unique opportunity to observe the rich tapestry of Cambodian rural life. Arrive in the capital city of Phnom Penh in the afternoon, and enter the Upper Mekong bound for Kampong Cham. The ship makes an afternoon stop, in time for a walk through the quaint silk-weaving village of Chong Kho. Overnight, the ship moors mid-stream in Kampong Cham.
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Day 3. Kampong Cham – Phnom Penh
This morning, journey upriver to the hilltop pre-Angkorian temple of Wat Hanchey. Over lunch, sail back downstream to explore the Kampong Cham area. Travel to the 12th century Angkorian temple of Wat Nokor, which has been “fused” with a modern Wat. Continue to the Eco village of Cheung Kok. The ship departs late in the afternoon from Kampong Cham, arriving at Phnom Penh for an overnight mid-stream mooring
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Day 4. Phnom Penh
Early morning, the ship cruises into spectacular Phnom Penh and docks at the passenger port terminal. A morning tour explores the highlights of Cambodia’s capital city, famous for its French colonial architecture, busy cafes, vibrant nightlife and renovated river “corniche.” Visit the Royal Palace and the spectacular Silver Pagoda. The National Museum is another highlight, with outstanding displays of Khmer crafts. After lunch onboard, another excursion leads to the infamous Killing Fields and the Khmer Rouge’s grim Tuol Sleng or S21 Detention Center (Genocide Museum) situated in the suburbs of the city. An overnight on the waterfront provides an opportunity to dine in one of many nearby restaurants, and experience Phnom Penh’s vibrant nightlife.
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Day 5. Phnom Penh – Border Crossing – Tan Chau, Vietnam
Spend the day cruising the Mekong River, stopping at the jungle village of Preak Dach to visit fruit orchards before continuing to the Cambodian/Vietnamese border. The ship moors overnight mid-stream in Tan Chau.
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Day 6. Tan Chau – Sa Dec
After breakfast, transfer via small boats to the pier, where a trishaw awaits to transport you around Tan Chau. Visit a mat-making workshop and silk-coloring workshop. Back at the pier, embark on a local boat for a channel cruise and visit to a fish farm before returning to the ship. Overnight mid-stream on the Mekong near Sa Dec.
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Day 7. Sa Dec – Cai Be – Ho Chi Minh City
After breakfast, board small local boats for the village of Sa Dec, where you will enjoy a morning stroll. Noteworthy as the town where the French writer Marguerite Duras spent some of her childhood, Sa Dec is a sprawling town on the Mekong Delta. Visit the house of Mr. Huynh Thuy Le, Duras’ Chinese paramour, which is now a small museum. After lunch onboard, the ship continues cruising to Cai Be. A local Junk trip in the afternoon will take you to Cai Be’s spectacular floating market; then go ashore to see the French Gothic Cathedral and visit delightful flower gardens, ancient Kiet
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Day 8. Ho Chi Minh City, Disembark Cruise
In the early morning, the ship docks at the Saigon River Frontage. As the capital of the French colony of Cochinchina, Saigon was known as “Paris of the Orient.” Today, Vietnam’s largest city is an industrial, cultural and educational hub, but still retains vestiges of its colonial past. After breakfast, disembark the ship where your tour concludes
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Day 15. Ho Chi Minh City, Fly Home
Transfer to the airport for your flight home.
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Departure Dates & Prices
| From | To | Twin | Single |
| 14 Mar 2010 | 21 Mar 2010 | $3,240.00 | $4,215.00 |
| 28 Mar 2010 | 4 Apr 2010 | $2,190.00 | $2,820.00 |
| 11 Apr 2010 | 18 Apr 2010 | $2,190.00 | $2,820.00 |
| 11 Jul 2010 | 18 Jul 2010 | $2,190.00 | $2,820.00 |
| 8 Aug 2010 | 15 Aug 2010 | $2,190.00 | $2,820.00 |
| 5 Sep 2010 | 12 Sep 2010 | $2,190.00 | $2,820.00 |
| 19 Sep 2010 | 26 Sep 2010 | $2,190.00 | $2,820.00 |
| 3 Oct 2010 | 10 Oct 2010 | $2,190.00 | $2,820.00 |
| 17 Oct 2010 | 24 Oct 2010 | $2,190.00 | $2,820.00 |
| 31 Oct 2010 | 7 Nov 2010 | $3,240.00 | $4,215.00 |
All prices are displayed in Australian Dollars (AUD)