Mekong Cruise Trip

We meet you at the Phnom Penh TS1 Port for check-in to your 3-story, five star Mekong abode.
Welcome aboard. We’ll leave you to settle into your floating retreat, with its window wall conferring an
endlessly captivating panorama. Enjoy these private Mekong moments on your California king bed,
terrace or daybed. Together we celebrate the onward journey towards the heart of this mighty river
with a Khmer apsara performance, an indigenous tradition memorialized on the temple walls at
Angkor Wat.

In the silversmith village of Koh Chen, we watch artisans producing the magnificent silverware favored
by Khmer royalty. We continue to Udong, the royal capital from the 17-19th centuries, where we learn
about a uniquely challenging Buddhist practice at the Vipassana Dhura Mandala, a meditation center.
In the afternoon, a walking tour of Kampong Prasat offers a close up perspective on local lives and
their riverside environment.

In the cooler hours, we head into the lush countryside to visit traditional potters and palm-sugar
producers, astride mountain bikes or chauffeured by shaded tuk-tuk. Into the rice paddies we pedal to
watch wizened masters scale sky-piercing palms towering over us. Cruise across the glassy water and
disembark among the lotuses for an ox-cart ride along the Tonle Sap riverbanks, past lacquered
wooden houses where during these dry months residents take refuge in the relative cool of these
outdoor impromptu living rooms.

On this river of time we admire dexterous Khmer artisans dyeing and weaving kroma, the ubiquitous
item no Khmer lives without. Explore the riverbank on two wheels if you wish, past Buddhist temples
and thatch houses perched on spindly wooden stilts while white oxen wade just offshore. After lunch,
we board our marine-grade aluminum skiffs and head towards the tamarind trees of Preah Prosop, a
remote village little changed over several lifetimes.

We show off the Cambodian capital to our passengers by motorized tuk-tuk, the Royal Palace, Silver
Pagoda and the National Museum of Cambodia, home to the world’s largest collection of Khmer art.
For those who wish, we visit the Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocide and the Killing Field or shopping at
Russian Market. We bid farewell to 4-night guests who are disembarking in Phnom Penh.

Welcome our 3-night passengers over custom sundowners like the Salted Watermelon Crush with Thai
basil. Together we celebrate the onward journey towards the heart of this mighty river with a Khmer
Apsara performance, an indigenous tradition memorialized on the temple walls at Angkor Wat.

Say ‘Good Morning, Vietnam’ while we cross the border and sail towards Tan Chau, a vibrant border
town where we take the local rickshaw called xe loi for a trip around town or pedal 18 kilometers on
the peaceful island of Long Khanh. In the afternoon, we visit a typical Mekong Delta village called My
An Hung where we will walk through verdant plantations. We will be invited to a local's home to taste
local fruits while hearing traditional folk songs performed by villagers, followed by a unique Unicorn
dance. Biking option is also available for those who wish to explore on wheels.

Begin the day at Binh Thanh mat weaving village or opt to visit Sa Dec where we will peruse the
vibrant market and see the famous house of Marguerite Duras' legendary lover, Mr. Huynh Thuy Le.
We continue downstream for Cai Be, zigzagging in our sampan past lone fishermen on their long tail
boats. Later, our skiffs moor at a wooden pier. Here in Cai Be, walk or bike ride among high-roofed
open courtyard houses, some dating back more than 100 years, and currently inhabited by gracious
locals who will invite us to glimpse their property.

Disembarkation. En route to Ho Chi Minh, we stop at Vinh Trang Pagoda, one of the largest Mahayana
Buddhist temple in the region. You will notice the mixed architectural style and see three large buddha
statues plus an impressive collection of bonsai trees.