Heritage Line Jayavarman Cruise : Saigon – Phnom Penh 4 Days

Day 1: Saigon – My Tho
Activities:Travel to My Tho, cruise along the Mekong, enjoy the sunset, hit Tan Phong

We welcome our guests in the morning at our Saigon welcome lounge. Relax with a second coffee while our staff collects your details. We bid farewell to the hustle and bustle of Saigon and travel 70 kilometres south overland towards My Tho to embark on our vessel. After checking into your luxurious floating “home,” the sailing on this major Asian waterway begins.

A lunch buffet is served in the restaurant 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 and join in our official welcome with canapés and prosecco.

During dinner, the ship will likely reach Tan Phong Island area near Cai Be, where we anchor midstream. This is your first glimpse of the bustling area where we will begin our Mekong adventure on land tomorrow. Join us for some late-night entertainment in the evening cinema, featuring interesting classic movies or thrilling documentaries.

Meals:Dinner
Overnight: Heritage Line Jayavarman Cruise

Day 2: Binh Thanh Island – Tan Chau
Activities:Observe the production of rice paper, rice cookies, rice wine and coconut candies, Visiting a local family and their fruit garden offering us various kind of tropical fruits to taste

Wake early to embrace the stunning dawn scenery, a time when the Delta’s inhabitants have already been active for hours. Energize yourself with our daily morning Tai Chi class before indulging in a lavish breakfast buffet. By local boat, we gain access to the secluded island of Tan Phong, a small island situated in the midst of one of the expansive Mekong River tributaries flowing toward the nearby sea.

Default Excursion (any ship): During a visit to a workshop in the town of Cai Be, we’ll have the opportunity to observe the production of rice paper, rice cookies, rice wine and coconut candies. This is a very interesting manual process involving manual labour and special production technics. After the workshop we are heading to Tan Phong Island, a smaller island in the middle of the vast Mekong. We are visiting a local family and their fruit garden offering us various kind of tropical fruits to taste. A buggy ride through the island let us have a glimpse of the local day to day life as it unfolds. We stop at another family’s house. They are specialized in weaving of water hyacinth plants into artistic crafts by hand.

OPTIONAL MORNING EXCURSION:

Culinary (Ship ‘Jayavarman’ only): Via tender we head towards Tan Phong Island to visit a workshop where we can see skilled workers weaving dried water hyacinths into artistic crafts. We explore some parts of the local island life during a 15-minute motorized buggy ride along small pathways, eventually stopping at a house of a local family to visit their orchard. Get to know various kind of fruits the Mekong Delta has to offer and engage in an interactive cooking experience with the local family preparing some local dishes together.

Default Excursion (any ship): Relax and enjoy some time on your private balcony or at the bar as we continue our voyage upstream. In the afternoon, we arrive at the Sa Dec region and anchor near one of the larger islands in the Mekong known as Binh Thanh. This island is home to several communities that sustain themselves by cultivating water hyacinths. Strolling through the village, you’ll gain profound insights into local life and witness the complete traditional mat-making process. Additionally, you’ll have the opportunity to meet a local elderly couple who have spent their entire lives on this island. They enjoy engaging in conversations with foreign visitors.

Before dinner, join us in the lounge for a presentation about life on the Mekong Delta as the ship sails toward our mooring spot for the night in Tan Chau.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Heritage Line Jayavarman Cruise

Day 3: Tan Chau – Phnom Penh
Activities:Immerse ourselves in the vibrant town life of Tan Chau, visit a Cao Dai temple and meet with one of the priests, sail towards the Vietnamese-Cambodian border

Default Excursion (any ship): Upon disembarking, we immerse ourselves 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. Our journey takes us to the local market, where we mingle with residents as they go about their morning shopping routines. Continuing on, we visit a Cao Dai temple and meet with one of the priests, who enlightens us about the unique beliefs and spirit of Cao Dai. Our final destination is a fish farm that has been operated for many years by a local family, who make their livelihood from this distinctive business. Here, we gain insight into the essential knowledge required to manage such a unique enterprise in this region.

OPTIONAL MORNING EXCURSION:

Culinary (Ship ‘Jayavarman’ only): Once on-shore, we walk five minutes to the nearby market. Join our guide in selecting and buying fresh ingredients for the upcoming cooking session. We take cyclos for a charming ride through town to the local Cao Dai temple. During a quick visit you get to know some insight into this particular religion as well as the special dietary practices of Cao Dai followers. We head to the temple kitchen for an hands-on cooking class, preparing special dietary dishes in an interactive and culturally enriching experience together with the local kitchen team.

Back on board our “home”, we sail towards the Vietnamese-Cambodian border. Get ready for a fascinating and leisurely cruise through the deep Cambodian countryside towards Phnom Penh.

The whole afternoon is at your own disposal. From here, even the last passenger turns on their cruise mode and hopefully experiences the relaxing influence this mighty river emanates. The afternoon is perfect for massages, relaxation on a terrace deck sunbed or private balcony kick-backs. Conjure up a spell to merge with the river and float into a state of mild bliss.

You also may like to visit the bridge as the captain always has a little story to share about “his” river. Or, if you are curious to learn more about Khmer gastronomy, join a culinary workshop to sharpen your knowledge about local cuisine.

After our relaxing cruise during the whole afternoon into the evening hours, the boat arrives at Phnom Penh (docking mid-stream or at the pier). Enjoy your time onboard with our onboard entertainment, social at our public venues or relay in the privacy or your cabin (due to immigration regulation passengers may not be allowed to go on land this evening).

Meals:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Heritage Line Jayavarman Cruise

Day 4: Phnom Penh
Activities:Have breakfast, check out

Welcome to Phnom Penh – the city once named Paris of the East. Despite its rapid development, it has retained a lot of its rustic charm and elegance. It is an amazing town with centuries of incredible history and culture which can still be felt at many street corners.

Enjoy your last breakfast aboard your floating home before disembarking the ship. We hope you enjoyed this fascinating river cruise, just as our crew does every single time. Moreover, take the enchanting memories and friendships along with you and share the stories of this amazing river – the Mighty Mekong.

Dining: Breakfast

IMPORTANT NOTES:
The culinary tours are complimentary and do not need to be booked in advance. The guests can choose on the ground whether they like to join cultural default tour or the food outing, both to be conducted as group tours.

The culinary tours depend on the number of clients booked on board. If very little choose this option, the tour will be not operated. Minimum: 6pax