Fascinating Vietnam, Cambodia & the Mekong River (Southbound) 2024 - 13 Day River Cruise Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City

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Fascinating Vietnam, Cambodia & the Mekong River (Southbound) 2024

13 Day River Cruise Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City



Tour Description:

On this unique and inspiring Southeast Asia river cruise through Cambodia and Vietnam, you’ll be immersed in the cultures and ancient traditions as you sightsee and spend time with locals in the most fascinating places along the mighty Mekong River.

Your adventure begins in fascinating Siem Reap, Cambodia, where you’ll get up close to the phenomenal Temples of Angkor with an intricacy and architectural grandeur unmatched in the world. Visit famous Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, and the splendid Bayon temple featuring some 200 mysterious faces carved in its many towers. Enjoy an inspiring Aspara dance performance and tour the other gems of the city before embarking on your river cruise.

In the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, tour the National Museum and Royal Palace with its striking Silver Pagoda. On a hilltop at the site of the 8th-century temple of Wat Hanchey, take in the stunning views before walking through the rural village of Angkor Ban to visit with welcoming schoolchildren. Continue your cruise into Vietnam and visit a vibrant market, the home of a local family making handcrafted sampans, and a workshop to learn how rice wine and traditional candies are made.

This memorable Southeast Asia river cruise vacation concludes in the bustling Ho Chi Minh City which combines historic architecture with modern skyscrapers. See the famous landmarks and try your hand in the kitchen—Vietnamese-style, with a cooking class. Go back in time with an excursion to the Cu Chi Tunnels where you’ll have an opportunity to walk through a section of the immense underground tunnel system used extensively during the Vietnam War.

Map for Fascinating Vietnam, Cambodia & the Mekong River (Southbound) 2024 - 13 Day River Cruise Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City
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Dates & Pricing



Destination & Sightseeing

Day 1 Siem Reap: Welcome to Cambodia
Day 2 Siem Reap: Visit Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, and Bayon Temple; Apsara dance performance
Day 3 Siem Reap: Visit Ta Prohm, Banteay Srei, and a noodle-making village
Day 4 Siem Reap–Phnom Penh (Embarkation): Fly to Phnom Penh; onboard welcome reception
Day 5 Wat Hanchey–Angkor Ban: Visit Wat Hanchey and partake in a traditional water blessing by local monks; walking tour in Angkor Ban with school visit
Day 6 Kampong Tralach–Konpong Louang–Phnom Penh: Ox cart ride through the countryside and visit a local farmer’s home in Kampong Tralach; visit the silversmith village of Konpong Louang; visit the Tuol Sleng Museum and one of the Killing Fields in Phnom Penh, or visit the lively central market
Day 7 Phnom Penh: Sightseeing by private cyclo, including the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, and the National Museum; show by children from local orphanage
Day 8 Border Crossing–Chau Doc: Visit a local market and the religious sites at Sam Mountain in Chau Doc
Day 9 Long Khanh A–Cu Lao Gieng: Walking tour of Long Khanh A with cotton-weaving demonstration; interact with sampan-making and conical hat making families in Cu Lao Gieng
Day 10 Vinh Long: Visit a local garden and a local workshop to see how rice wine and traditional candy are made
Day 11 Ho Chi Minh City (Disembarkation): Walking tour; visit the famous Rex Hotel for a drink, War Remnants Museum, and Ben Thanh Market; cooking class and lunch
Day 12 Ho Chi Minh City: Cu Chi Tunnels excursion
Day 13 Ho Chi Minh City: End of vacation

ITINERARY

Day 1
SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA Temples & Traditions Welcome to Siem Reap, home to the Temples of Angkor, considered by many to be the most spectacular architectural ruins on Earth! Hotel rooms are available for mid-afternoon check-in. SIEM-REAP-ANGKOR-WAT.jpg

Day 2
SIEM REAP Tranquil Temples and Joyful Dances CLASSIC Explore the temples by tuk-tuk. Start at the best preserved and most famous of all the temples: Angkor Wat. Featuring five trademark towers, it is the symbol of Cambodia. Then, continue your Guided Excursion to visit Angkor Thom, where you will explore Bayon Temple with its 200 striking faces carved in 54 towers and impressive bas relief sculptures. Enjoy some time at your leisure this afternoon to explore Siem Reap’s shops for local artisan crafts. DISCOVERY This evening, enjoy dinner and a private Apsara Dance Performance brings ancient Khmer culture to life through music, song, and dance. SIEM-REAP-ASPARA-DANCERS.jpg
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Day 3
SIEM REAP Root-Covered Ruins and Native Noodles CLASSIC Continue your Sightseeing Tour of the Angkor temples at Ta Prohm. Tree roots cover the ruin walls, allowing you to experience the temple with the same wonder as early explorers. Then visit Banteay Srei, a unique temple built on a small scale from red sandstone, which can be carved like wood. En route, stop at a village famous for making Khmer noodles by hand. Spend the afternoon at your leisure. SIEM-REAP-ANGKOR-WAT-TEMPLE.jpg
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Day 4
SIEM REAP–PHNOM PENH (EMBARKATION) Your Suite Ship® Awaits! Fly to Phnom Penh and transfer to the port where your ship’s crew will be waiting to welcome you onboard. Get acquainted with the ship and relax before your welcome reception this evening. AFTERNOON/EVENING CRUISE TO WAT HANCHEY PHNOM-PENH-WELCOME.jpg

Day 5
WAT HANCHEY–ANGKOR BAN Water Blessings and Back-to-School Adventures DISCOVERY Visit Wat Hanchey, a hilltop temple dating back to the 8th century. Climb or be driven to the top where you will enjoy stunning views of the surrounding area and partake in a traditional water blessing given by local monks. DISCOVERY After lunch, enjoy a Walking Tour through the rural village of Angkor Ban. Here, you will visit a traditional Khmer house and interact with children at a local school. EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO KAMPONG TRALACH WAT-HANCHEY.jpg
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Day 6
KAMPONG TRALACH–KONPONG LOUANG–PHNOM PENH Calm in the Cambodian Countryside DISCOVERY Your Guided Sightseeing starts in Kampong Tralach with an Ox-Cart Ride through the beautiful Cambodian countryside. Along the way, stop to meet a local farmer and learn about his daily life. At the silversmith village in Konpong Louang, see talented craftsmen use age-old techniques to turn pure silver into works of art. Sail to the capital city of Phnom Penh this afternoon. PHNOM PENH A Dark History or Market Dynamics CLASSIC After lunch, a Visit to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and one of the Killing Fields provides a glimpse into the atrocities inflicted on the Cambodian people by the Khmer Rouge regime, OR: DISCOVERY Visit the lively Central Market with its unique Art Deco design by tuk-tuk. This evening, spend some free time exploring the city on your own. Perhaps follow the riverfront promenade to the historic Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC). KAMPONG-TRALACH-OX-CART.jpg

Day 7
PHNOM PENH The Royal Treatment CLASSIC Join a Guided Tour of the city by private cyclo with visits to the Royal Palace with the spectacular Silver Pagoda, and the National Museum featuring an outstanding display of Khmer artifacts. The remainder of the day is yours to enjoy at your leisure. Just before dinner, children from a local orphanage will perform a show, featuring local song and dance. EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO VIETNAM/CAMBODIA BORDER PHNOM-PENH-ROYAL-PALACE.jpg
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Day 8
BORDER CROSSING–CHAU DOC, VIETNAM Good Morning, Vietnam! DISCOVERY Take a Village Walk through the Chau Doc market and absorb the atmosphere as locals are busy buying and selling fish, meat, and produce. After lunch, embark on a Guided Excursion down the backwaters of the Mekong. Along the way, see traditional floating homes, speedboat merchants, religious sites, a market selling dried goods, and more. EVENING CRUISE TO LONG KHANH A CHAU-DOC-MARKET.jpg
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Day 9
LONG KHANH A–CU LAO GIENG Cotton Weaving, Conical Hats, and Handcrafted Sampans DISCOVERY This morning, a sampan brings you to the village of Long Khanh A, for a Cotton-Weaving Demonstration of this well-preserved tradition. DISCOVERY This afternoon, enjoy scenes of daily life on Cu Lao Gieng Island via sampan and local motor cart. Your Guided Excursion starts with a stop at one of Vietnam’s oldest Catholic churches. Then, visit the home of a local family that makes Vietnamese conical hats, or “Non la,” from materials available to them such as palm leaves and bamboo. These iconic hats are primarily used as protection from the sun and rain but you may also see them used as a basket to carry home goods from the market. Lastly, visit a local workshop where a skilled family hand-crafts sampan boats. EVENING CRUISE TO VINH LONG CU-LAO-GIENG-HAT-MAKING.jpg
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Day 10
VINH LONG Sweets and Rice Treats DISCOVERY Board a sampan this morning to Visit a Local Workshop in Vinh Long where you will see how rice paper, rice wine, and traditional candies are made. This afternoon, enjoy time on board the ship as we sail to exciting Ho Chi Minh City. AFTERNOON CRUISE TO HO CHI MINH CITY VINH-LONG-BRICK-KILN.jpg
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Day 11
HO CHI MINH CITY (DISEMBARKATION) Motorbikes, Monuments, and Mouth-watering Cuisine CLASSIC Take a Walking Tour of Ho Chi Minh City’s historic landmarks, including a stop at the Rex Hotel for a refreshing drink at the rooftop bar where the U.S. Military held the infamous “Five O’clock Follies” during the war. Then, visit the War Remnants Museum and bustling Ben Thanh Market. DISCOVERY For lunch, participate in a hands-on Vietnamese Cooking Class. Learn to prepare several local dishes and how to recreate them at home. Last, but not least, sample your delicious creations! Enjoy time at your leisure this afternoon and evening for independent exploration. Maybe stop for a drink at the famous rooftop bar at the Caravelle Hotel. HO-CHI-MINH-CITY-FOOD.jpg

Day 12
HO CHI MINH CITY. EXCURSION TO CU CHI TUNNELS Secret Passageways and Underground Hideouts CLASSIC Drive out of the city for a Guided Visit to the Cu Chi Tunnels—an extraordinary network of tunnels more than 120 miles in length—used as a hideout and secret village by the Viet Cong. Explore the city further during free time this afternoon. This evening, join your traveling companions for a special dinner in a local restaurant. HO-CHI-MINH-CITY-CU-CHI-TUNNELS.jpg
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Day 13
HO CHI MINH CITY Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. HO-CHI-MINH-CITY-LANTERNS.jpg
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Accommodations

Siem ReapHo Chi Minh City
Park Hyatt Siem Reap
Deluxe



Sivutha Blvd Siem Reap Cambodia

The Park Hyatt, Siem Reap is the city's most prestigious address and perfect base to explore the Temples of Angkor. Located in the heart of the city, this award winning hotel blends an elegant and contemporary design to create an enlivening resort and residential feel. From the second you arrive you will be welcomed by true Cambodian hospitality and superb service. The stylish guestrooms offer a refined home away from home with all the amenities one would expect from a deluxe hotel. The luxurious collection of accommodation is matched by stylish dining venues that offer fresh, flavorful, well-presented dishes of French and Indochine inspirations. Lighter fare is also offered at The Glass House, the onsite deli-patisserie. Discerning travelers will appreciate the other amenities on offer. Relax by one of the two pools or in the inviting Living Room lounge and bar, get in a work out in the fitness center, or visit The Spa for holistic therapies and treatments using only locally harvested floral and aromatic ingredients.
Check Mark Disclaimer: Prices listed are per person, based on double occupancy, and in USD. All promotions are valid for new bookings only, capacity controlled and valid on select dates and departures. Individual Terms and Conditions will apply to all promotions. Any promotion can be withdrawn at any time without notice. Please speak with your Pavlus Travel Planner for complete vendor terms and conditions, including eligible tour and cruise dates.

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