Window to the Mekong River
Private - Independent Tour
HHo Chi Minh City – Mekong Cruise Phnom Penh – Siem Reap
If you are short on time this is the perfect itinerary, exploring key sites in Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. One day you might be sat in a café watching overloaded motorbikes weaving through locals going about their everyday market trading, the next, visiting historical sites which no doubt will be spine tingling. For a more contrasting peaceful experience, sail onboard a boutique style river boat along the Mekong where villagers will wave from riverbanks and be eager to share stories of their family crafts and way of life.
Your Itinerary
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Day 1-3
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Day 4
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Day 5
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Day 6
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Day 7
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Day 8
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Day 9
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Day 10
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Day 11
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Day 12
Day 1-3 : UK - Ho Chi Minh City
Your driver and local guide will be waiting at the airport. A 1-hour private transfer will be an entertaining experience full of chaotic traffic and overloaded motorbikes, this is people watching at its best. After check in, the rest of the day is at leisure. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is a city of bright neon lights, endless shopping and trendy cafés. Its wide tree-lined boulevards reflect its French heritage, and towering skyscrapers announce it has landed squarely in the 21st Century.
Day 4 : Ho Chi Minh City
This morning your guide will meet you and begin a private city tour, which includes a visit to the absorbing War Remnants Museum, the Reunification Palace, the Notre-Dame Cathedral and the historic Post Office built by the French. Your guide will offer local advice and share their knowledge depending on your interests for you to explore independently this afternoon.
Day 5 : Embark Mekong Cruise
Your driver will transfer you to the cruise meeting point before you bid farewell to the hustle and bustle of the city. A group transfer will take you overland towards My Tho where you will embark on a 4 day/3 night cruise sailing from Ho Chin Minh City to Phnom Penh on board a Heritage Line riverboat. Here is where you will find Art Deco of 1930s France combined with the romance of Indochina. Passenger numbers are a maximum of 54, therefore the crew offer a very personal service sharing their knowledge as you set sail. A buffet lunch is served as the vessel steadily glides upstream. As twilight bathes the Mekong Delta in a golden haze, take the opportunity to get to know your fellow travellers at the official welcome with canapés and prosecco. During dinner, the ship will likely reach Tan Phong Island area near Cai Be. This is your first glimpse of the bustling area where your Mekong adventure will begin on land tomorrow.
Day 6 : Mekong Cruise
Wake early to embrace the stunning dawn scenery, energise yourself with a morning Tai Chi class before indulging in a lavish breakfast buffet. Excursion options include a transfer by local boat to the secluded island Tan Phong Island, a smaller island in the middle of the vast Mekong. Visit a local family and their fruit garden. You may wish to join a 15-minute buggy ride through the island and take a glimpse of the local day to day life as it unfolds. Another stops at a family house where they specialise in weaving water hyacinth plants. Or engage in an interactive cooking experience with a local family. This afternoon enjoy time on your private balcony as your voyage continues before arriving in the Sa Dec region. Stroll through the village and gain profound insights into local life and craft making.
Day 7 : Mekong Cruise
Breakfast is served before you disembark and immerse yourself in the vibrant town life of Tan Chau, by boarding 'xelois' (the Vietnamese word for rickshaws). Your personal xeloi driver leisurely navigates through a network of streets, allowing you to observe workshops, street vendors, shops, and the intriguing day-to-day activities of the locals. Your journey includes a tour of the local markets. Visit a Cao Dai temple and meet with one of the priests. Optional morning excursions also include a cyclos ride through the town and temple kitchen for a hands-on cooking class. Back on board, sail towards the Vietnamese-Cambodian border. Get ready for a fascinating and leisurely cruise through the deep Cambodian countryside towards Phnom Penh. The afternoon is at leisure.
Day 8 : Phnom Penh
Disembark after breakfast taking with you enchanting memories of the mighty Mekong along with new friendships made. Your driver and private guide will meet you and take you on a half day tour to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. Discover the brutality of the Khmer Rouge as documented in the photos and memorabilia and meet one of the few survivors of the regime. Continue to Choeung Ek Killing Fields, the destination for prisoners from Tuol Sleng. Have lunch (at own expense) before you check in at your hotel. The afternoon is free for you to explore the city further.
Day 9 : Siem Reap
A leisurely breakfast is served before your hotel check out. Your driver will transfer you to the airport for your flight to Siem Reap. Once again, you will be met by a private driver at the airport and swiftly transferred to your hotel for a 3-night stay. The rest of the day is free.
Day 10 : Siem Reap
Today your driver and private guide will begin your temple exploration of the UNESCO world heritage complex inside the stunning walled city of Angkor Thom. Take in the enigmatic Bayon, Baphoun Temple, Phimeaanakas, and the Royal Palace enclosure. Next stop is Ta Prohn easily the most atmospheric and a highlight for anyone visiting Angkor. As you enter the main causeway of Angkor Wat, feast your eyes on the sight of this imposing structure. Discover its many galleries, libraries, pavilions, courtyards and ponds full of water, carved bas-reliefs that tell the ancient Hindu legends of Ramayana and victorious Khmer battles. Climb to the holiest sanctuary at the summit of the temple, where you are rewarded with fantastic views across the entire complex and beyond. (The temple tour itinerary is flexible and may be adjusted by your local guide after consultation with you. Please bring your Angkor Entry Pass.)
Day 11 : Siem Reap
Today is at leisure. For a unique experience this evening your driver will pick you up and take you to the Big Top in Siem Reap to see a performance of the Phare Cambodian Circus from the best seat in the house. Theatre, story, dance, high-energy music and circus acts tell uniquely Cambodian stories. These circus artists will astonish you with their energy, emotion, enthusiasm and talent. (Please note there are no animals in the performance).
Day 12 : Depart Siem Reap
Your driver will transfer you to the airport for your onward journey.
