Vietnam & Cambodia

Mekong Delta Explorer

DAY 1 International Flight

Take a connecting international flight to Ho Chi Minh City from London. There are several airlines to choose from, all overnight.

DAY 2 To Sa Dec

Waking up on the water you'll start the day with breakfast on the deck, before disembarking onto a smaller boat to visit Cai Be floating market, which is found along the canals and backwaters near your mooring point. After lunch you'll continue sailing onto Sa Dec, via Vinh Long Province. Sa Dec is often referred to as Little Venice due to the bustling life that can be found along the canals that make up the markets here. Aside from soaking up the local life you'll also be able to visit the ancient house of Mr Huyn Thuy Le, the lover of Marguerite Duras, a famous French novelist whose book was immortalised in the film L'Indochine.

Dinner will then be served on board and you'll have plenty of time to relax and enjoy the sunset and then the twinkling night sky.

DAY 3 To Chau Doc

Today you'll continue on your journey onto Chau Doc, a colonial town with a very French atmosphere. Since the boat will dock right in the centre of town you have the option to get off board with a guide or to depart separately and explore on your own. If you head out with the guide you'll visit a Muslim Cham tribal village and a catfish farm - a traditional fishing community made up of Cham houseboats. If you are exploring independently, we suggest borrowing bikes from the boat, cycling through the local market and stopping at the Vietnamese Catholic Church.

Afterwards, enjoy a quick pit stop at The Victoria Hotel for a drink overlooking the river, and then head back to the boat in time for lunch and your cast off to the Cambodian border. The crew on board your boat will have taken your passports and will ensure the border crossing formalities all go smoothly.

DAY 4 To Phnom Penh

This morning you'll finish your Mekong cruise as you sail into Phnom Pen, past the Royal Palace and bustling corniche - a beautiful way to see these two iconic sights and a great arrival into Cambodia. Get off board after breakfast and meet a driver who will take you to your hotel for the next two nights. Then, with the bags dropped, start your introduction to Cambodia with a bang as you meet a guide and embark on a city tour. You'll start the day at Wat Phnom Temple, the founding place of the city, and then move onto the Royal Palace. The palace dates back to 1866 and houses several gold, silver and crystal Buddhas, and the Silver Pagoda, named for the 5000 silver tiles that cover its floors. Finally, you'll visit the National Museum, which houses the world's largest collection of ancient Khmer artistic, archaeological and religious artefacts from the 4th to the 13th centuries.

After this busy day of sightseeing, head back to your hotel for dinner and then get an early night.

DAY 5 To Siem Reap

This morning you'll head away from Phnom Penh and north to Siem Reap. To get there you'll make the transfer to the airport and the take a short domestic flight. At the other end you'll be met by a driver and whisked to your hotel in the centre of town. After a relatively non-stop trip so far, and an early start tomorrow, we suggest you take today nice and easy, perhaps going for a wander around town and then spending the afternoon by the hotel pool.