Luxury Mekong Experience - 8 Days

Welcome to Saigon – Vietnam’s bustling, vibrant and financial hub. Upon arrival at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, you will be met by our guide and driver for greetings and hotel transfer. Enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure to recover from jet lag and explore the city on your own.
Meals: N/A.
Accommodation: Hotel in Saigon.

After breakfast at hotel, you travel outside of Saigon to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels. The Cu Chi Tunnels are an underground labyrinth of passageways, used by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War (or ‘American War’ as it’s referred to here) as protection against American air raids. Those inclined are invited to crawl through selections of the tunnels to better understand what life was like for the Vietnamese soldiers during wartime.
Back to Saigon in time for lunch then set out on a guided city tour. Yet within this teeming metropolis are 300 years of timeless traditions and the beauty of an ancient culture. Visit the War Remnants Museum, learn about Vietnam’s recent history at Reunification Palace, visit the nearby neo-Romanesque Notre Dame Cathedral and the City’s Centre Post Office before passing by the ornate Opera Theatre and the City Hall. Finally, end up at the Ben Thanh Market, where vendors display a vast array of goods and handicrafts, appealing to every taste.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Saigon.

Be picked up at your hotel at around 7:30 – 8:00 am and transfer to Cai Be by road. Begin cruising from Phu An Jetty at 10:00 am. From the sampan, observe life as it plays out on shore – people going about their daily activities against picturesque landscapes – while your attentive crew serves tea and seasonal fruit. Before arriving at Sa Dec, stop at various points along the river for a look into some of the cottage industries of the region including a brick factory where everything is made by hand, pass monkey bridges and tiny villages to visit a Cao Dai temple. Arrive in Sa Dec and stroll to the outdoor market. Visit one of the highlights of the charming town, the ancient house of Huynh Thuy Le, a real-life character in the celebrated novel and film “The Lover” by Marguerite Duras.
Lunch is served on board while cruising towards Can Tho along a narrow canal teeming with life. Explore the countryside surroundings by local rowboat. Your last stopover before sunset is at an ancient house (a “Nha Co” in Vietnamese), dating back to the 19th century. The owner will welcome you and a candlelit dinner is served in this authentic countryside setting. After dinner return on board while the Song Xanh continues its cruise towards the Hau River. Overnight on board.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Accommodation: On Cruise.

Wake up early for a visit to the famous Cai Rang Floating Market which operates daily starting from 5:00 am. Breakfast is served on board while the Song Xanh navigates towards the market among local barges loaded down with fruits and vegetables from the Delta, making for some stunning photos. Continue cruising towards Victoria Can Tho and disembark at the hotel’s private jetty.
Then we depart for Tra Su Cajuput Forest on the 3 hour drive. Tra Su Cajuput Forest is renowned for not only its almost-untouched natural beauty but also its sanctuary of flora and fauna. Take a boat trip into the forest, you will immediately feel like you are harmonizing with nature because of all of the impressive pictures of cajuputs, the fragrance of the flowers and the music-like noise of birds, insects and animals making people relaxed and comfortable. From the observation post, you can overlook the forest with an area of nearly 900 ha, home of many birds and animals, including some rare ones.
Afterwards, drive to Chau Doc Town. On arrival, check-in at hotel and enjoy your time at leisure.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap.

After breakfast, check-out the hotel then travel by speedboat up the Mekong to Cambodia’s capital: Phnom Penh. The total trip takes about four and a half hours (including visa formalities). Visas are easily obtained at the border between Vietnam and Cambodia and cost $34 (including the processing fee). 
Upon arrival, your tour guide will meet you at the dock and take you to your hotel for check-in. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant (on your own account) then set out on the afternoon guided tour to acquaint yourself with Phnom Penh’s major sites. Your visit today includes National Museum, an excellent introduction of the ancient Khmer art and civilization, and the Royal Palace, home to the royal family and the opulent silver pagoda.
Later, take the leisure walk to Phnom Penh’s historic riverfront area where stands lots of  restaurants, art galleries and silk shops, or perhaps visit the distinctive Central Market where you can buy jewelry, curios, clothes and souvenirs.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Phnom Penh.

After having breakfast at your hotel, you will join us on a full day city tour, visiting the capital’s main attractions. Start with a guided tour of the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the notorious Choeung Ek “Killing Fields” to learn about the Khmer Rouge and Cambodia’s recent, bloody part of history.
Later in the afternoon, our driver will take you to Phnom Penh airport for your flight to Siem Reap, the gateway to the ancient Angkor temples. Designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the Angkor Archaeological Park encompasses dozens of temple ruins including Bayon, Banteay Srei and the legendary Angkor Wat. Upon arrival, our driver and a tour guide will welcome you at the airport and take you to the hotel to check in. 
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap.

Enjoy an entire full day devoted to the mystical and ancient Angkor Temples. After an early breakfast at the hotel, set out to Angkor Thom’s imposing South Gate, topped with the four serenely smiling faces of Avalokiteshvara. Next, visit Bayon Temple, the Elephant Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King. Leaving Angkor Thom by the North Gate, travel to Preah Khan (Sacred Sword), one of Angkor’s largest temples, constructed in the 12th century by Jayavarman VII.
After lunch at your own account, continue to visit the mystical, jungle-entwined Ta Prohm Temple. To avoid the crowd, we then take the back entrance to the most famous Khmer temple: Angkor Wat, first constructed as a Hindu monument and later dedicated to Buddha, Angkor Wat is the largest temple and finest example of Angkorian art and architect. Discover in deep the history and the culture of this place through our local guide until late in the afternoon.
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap.

After a breakfast at the hotel, you are free for shopping or relaxing until our driver will drive you to the Siem Reap International airport for departure flight. Goodbye & Safe Travels!
Meals: Breakfast.
Accommodation: N/A.