Life along the Mekong
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Highlights:
Follow the Mekong River as it winds its way through Southeast Asia. Explore the cities that lie on the river’s edge and take in their highlights. Take a closer look and see what makes the Mekong River region so special; combining stunning landscapes and incredible traditional lifestyles.
​Take three river cruises: form Thailand to Luang Prabang, Siem Reap to Phnom Penh and through Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. Stay overnight in a Lao village and cruise through river islands in Cambodia, get an in-depth look at the Angkor temples and bike though Luang Prabang’ s old town with deluxe hotels and lodges and private guides throughout.
Follow the Mekong River as it winds its way through Southeast Asia. Explore the cities that lie on the river’s edge and take in their highlights. Take a closer look and see what makes the Mekong River region so special; combining stunning landscapes and incredible traditional lifestyles.
​Take three river cruises: form Thailand to Luang Prabang, Siem Reap to Phnom Penh and through Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. Stay overnight in a Lao village and cruise through river islands in Cambodia, get an in-depth look at the Angkor temples and bike though Luang Prabang’ s old town with deluxe hotels and lodges and private guides throughout.
SKU:
Explore: The Mekong
Customizable Itinerary - 17 Days (from $4,875 / person)
Day 1: Depart USA
You board your aircraft for the flight to Chiang Rai and the beginning of your Custom Mekong adventure created just for you.
Day 2: Welcome to Thailand
You land in Bangkok and connect to a flight to Chiang Rai where you are met and escorted to the lodge. A refreshing local herb juice will be offered as you check-in and then you have the rest of the day to relax and recuperate from the trip.
Day 3: A Day among the Hill Tribes
After breakfast and a good night’s sleep you are ready to meet your guide. You start with a presentation about the Hmong and Lahu hill tribes, the Golden Triangle area and the giant catfish, locally known as Pla Buek, which is the largest fresh water fish found in the Mekong River. Take a walk through Hmong and Lahu hill tribe villages, including a visit to the shaman of the Hmong’s house. You will have tea with the Shaman and discover the rituals of the fireplace. You then have lunch overlooking the Mekong River and Laos. After lunch get firsthand experience on how to make batik handkerchiefs then help the villagers to plant trees at the Herbal Plant Nursery Project, dedicated to His Majesty the King to commemorate his 84th birthday. In the evening you complete your day with dinner and a traditional Hmong performance.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 4: Cruising in Laos from Huay Xay to Pakbeng
After breakfast you transfer to the Lao border at Houay Xay where a representative of the cruise company will meet you and escort you to your boat. The cruise takes three days to reach Luang Prabang with overnight stops made in Pakbeng and at the Kamu Lodge. During the morning cruise you will stop to visit the rural life of hill tribe settlements. You return to the boat for lunch as you continue your cruise on the Mekong. Late in the afternoon you will reach the town of Pakbeng, a small town lined with wooden houses along a steep street running up the hillside.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 5: The Journey to and Activities around Kamu Lodge
Following breakfast at the hotel you continue the river cruise to Kamu Lodge where you arrive in time for lunch. The lodge features 20 private canvas tents with thatch roof, private bathroom with solar powered hot water and electricity. After lunch you have a variety of activities to choose from. You can assist with rice planting and harvesting in the surrounding rice fields. You can pan for gold and anything you find is yours. You can learn the traditional fishing techniques used in the Mekong. Whatever your activity you will enjoy a cozy meal at the lodge.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6: The Pak Ou Caves and the View from Mount Phousi
Enjoy breakfast in the cool morning air and then join your guide for a visit to the local village. After lunch at the lodge you return to the boat for the rest of the journey to Luang Prabang. You will stop in the village of Ban Baw to see how rice wine is made then continue downstream to the Pak Ou Caves which are two caves carved out of limestone cliffs and containing thousands of gold-lacquered Buddha statues from a few inches to human size. Arrive in Luang Prabang and transfer to your hotel. Just before sunset your guide will take you for a walk up Mt. Phousi to enjoy the panoramic view of the city. Descend to the Mekong side and find yourself in the evening hill tribe market, a good place to buy souvenirs. Enjoy dinner on the banks of the Mekong at a Sindat restaurant, a Lao style barbeque which is very popular with the locals.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 7: City Highlights by City Bike
In the morning your guide will arrive with bikes which will be adjusted to your needs. You will start your tour with a visit to the former Royal Palace, now the National Museum where you will explore the history of Los. Continue on to Wat Mai, a temple renowned for its golden bas-relief. You will visit several other temples and enjoy lunch at a local café. In the afternoon return to your hotel where the rest of the day is left open. Your hotel has an excellent restaurant or you could dine at L’Elephant, one of our favorites.
Breakfast and Lunch
Day 8: Siem Reap, Marum and the Cambodian Circus
After breakfast you are transferred to the airport for a short flight to Siem Reap in Cambodia. This cosmopolitan city is best known as the location of Angkor Wat but it has other attractions to hold your interest. Upon arrival you are met and taken to your hotel where you have free time to explore the area around the hotel. This evening is both a feel good and doing good evening. Dinner tonight is at Marum, a training restaurant for young adults, working with street children and other marginalized young people to offer vocational training in hospitality or cooking and giving them the experience they need to transition into the real world. You will then enjoy a performance of Phare, the Cambodian Circus. Set up in 1994 by young returnees from the refugee camps that learned about using art as means to cope with trauma after the Khmer Rouge genocide. The show mixes traditional and modern theatre, music, dance, acrobatics and juggling.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 9: Siem Reap to Phnom Penh Cruise (Day 1)
You will be sailing from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh including time sailing on the Tonle Sap which is the flowing heart of Cambodia and has more fish than any other lakes in the world. At noon you will transfer to your ship where you meet your crew before enjoying a buffet lunch. You begin your cruise and glide on the smooth waters. Dinner is served in the dining hall and you can finish the evening watching the moon from the sun deck.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 10: Siem Reap to Phnom Penh Cruise (Day 2)
Every day, your journey will start with an invigorating Tai chi lesson on the sun deck just as the sun begins its slow rose. Coffee and tea awaits the early bird. Before dawn the ship sets sail across the Tonle River, you see spectacular marshlands floating along the river banks of the Kampong Chang province. The afternoon cruise continues with a languid meander along the Tonle sap River. Here, the river is so narrow that you can be greeted by kids waving enthusiastically at you from the banks. Take a short bus trip to see Khmer-styled pottery. You then embark to see the wetlands, floating houses and fish farms in the region before reaching Kampong Cham in the evening, Further down the river we take part in an ox cart rally.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 11: Siem Reap to Phnom Penh Cruise (Day 3)
You will wake up in the early morning after an overnight cruise, truly energized to embark on a land journey to the pre—Angkorian temple of Wat Hanchey. You can either take a motor-taxi or climb 303 steps to the top. Located at the top of the hill overlooking the river, the temple offers one of the most breath-taking views in Cambodia. You will return to the ship to witness a blessing ceremony performed by orange-clad monks. You will cruise towards Kampong Cham to visit Wat Nokor, built within the ruins of an ancient temple. You will anchor midstream near Phnom Penh.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 12: Siem Reap to Phnom Penh Cruise (Day 4)
Phnom Penh was once the Paris of the East. Despite its rapid development, it has retained a lot of its rustic charm and elegance, Sightseeing in the morning will include the Killing Fields. Be prepared to be heat-wrenched by this stark reminder of the genocide that transpired during Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge regime, then visit S21 Genocide museum. After lunch at a local restaurant you will visit the former Royal Palace, now the National Museum. Return to the ship by cyclo for a rest as you get ready for your last night on board. The evening starts with cocktails on the sun deck followed by a BBQ dinner in the open air. Top it off with an Aspara dance performance.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 13: The Architecture of Phnom Penh
After breakfast you will disembark and your guide will meet you and take you to your hotel to check in. Your unique guide will take you on an interesting journey based on the Cambodian architecture of the late 1950’s and 1960’s a vibrant time other culturally and architecturally. This new architecture focused on integrating international style with local tradition, materials and climate. You will have lunch at Van’s Restaurant housed in the historic building of the Indochina Bank built in 1900 and former home of the Van family. After a tour of the villa enjoy an exquisite lunch of French delicacies. After lunch explore the adjacent French Quarter by cyclo. The cyclos will bring you to the port where you will take an evening boat trip to view the riverfront at night filled with interesting examples of the city’s various architectural periods from pagodas to French Colonial to Contemporary architecture. Return to the hotel to freshen up before enjoying dinner at Bopha Phnom Penh overlooking the river.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 14: The Cross-Border Speedboat
This morning you will be transferred to the per to board a Blue Cruiser speed boat that will take you down the Mekong River to Chau Doc in Vietnam. On the way you will stop at the border between Cambodia and Vietnam. Upon arrival in Chao Doc you are met and transferred to your hotel. Relax by the pool.
Breakfast
Day 15: Cruising the Mekong Delta
Today a car will pick you up for the drive to Can Tho where you board a boat and head downstream on the Hau River. Enjoy lunch as you watch the scenery passing by. The boat will enter Nicolai Canal passing rice fields and sugar cane. You will be served dinner while the boat makes way to her anchorage point for the night.
Breakfast. Lunch and Dinner
Day 16: Cai Be Floating Market and the Return Home
You have breakfast as you make your way to Cai Be where you board a smaller boat along with your guide to observe the floating market. From Cai Be you are driven to the airport in Saigon for the return trip to the USA.
Breakfast
Day 17: Arrival in USA
You board your aircraft for the flight to Chiang Rai and the beginning of your Custom Mekong adventure created just for you.
Day 2: Welcome to Thailand
You land in Bangkok and connect to a flight to Chiang Rai where you are met and escorted to the lodge. A refreshing local herb juice will be offered as you check-in and then you have the rest of the day to relax and recuperate from the trip.
Day 3: A Day among the Hill Tribes
After breakfast and a good night’s sleep you are ready to meet your guide. You start with a presentation about the Hmong and Lahu hill tribes, the Golden Triangle area and the giant catfish, locally known as Pla Buek, which is the largest fresh water fish found in the Mekong River. Take a walk through Hmong and Lahu hill tribe villages, including a visit to the shaman of the Hmong’s house. You will have tea with the Shaman and discover the rituals of the fireplace. You then have lunch overlooking the Mekong River and Laos. After lunch get firsthand experience on how to make batik handkerchiefs then help the villagers to plant trees at the Herbal Plant Nursery Project, dedicated to His Majesty the King to commemorate his 84th birthday. In the evening you complete your day with dinner and a traditional Hmong performance.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 4: Cruising in Laos from Huay Xay to Pakbeng
After breakfast you transfer to the Lao border at Houay Xay where a representative of the cruise company will meet you and escort you to your boat. The cruise takes three days to reach Luang Prabang with overnight stops made in Pakbeng and at the Kamu Lodge. During the morning cruise you will stop to visit the rural life of hill tribe settlements. You return to the boat for lunch as you continue your cruise on the Mekong. Late in the afternoon you will reach the town of Pakbeng, a small town lined with wooden houses along a steep street running up the hillside.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 5: The Journey to and Activities around Kamu Lodge
Following breakfast at the hotel you continue the river cruise to Kamu Lodge where you arrive in time for lunch. The lodge features 20 private canvas tents with thatch roof, private bathroom with solar powered hot water and electricity. After lunch you have a variety of activities to choose from. You can assist with rice planting and harvesting in the surrounding rice fields. You can pan for gold and anything you find is yours. You can learn the traditional fishing techniques used in the Mekong. Whatever your activity you will enjoy a cozy meal at the lodge.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6: The Pak Ou Caves and the View from Mount Phousi
Enjoy breakfast in the cool morning air and then join your guide for a visit to the local village. After lunch at the lodge you return to the boat for the rest of the journey to Luang Prabang. You will stop in the village of Ban Baw to see how rice wine is made then continue downstream to the Pak Ou Caves which are two caves carved out of limestone cliffs and containing thousands of gold-lacquered Buddha statues from a few inches to human size. Arrive in Luang Prabang and transfer to your hotel. Just before sunset your guide will take you for a walk up Mt. Phousi to enjoy the panoramic view of the city. Descend to the Mekong side and find yourself in the evening hill tribe market, a good place to buy souvenirs. Enjoy dinner on the banks of the Mekong at a Sindat restaurant, a Lao style barbeque which is very popular with the locals.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 7: City Highlights by City Bike
In the morning your guide will arrive with bikes which will be adjusted to your needs. You will start your tour with a visit to the former Royal Palace, now the National Museum where you will explore the history of Los. Continue on to Wat Mai, a temple renowned for its golden bas-relief. You will visit several other temples and enjoy lunch at a local café. In the afternoon return to your hotel where the rest of the day is left open. Your hotel has an excellent restaurant or you could dine at L’Elephant, one of our favorites.
Breakfast and Lunch
Day 8: Siem Reap, Marum and the Cambodian Circus
After breakfast you are transferred to the airport for a short flight to Siem Reap in Cambodia. This cosmopolitan city is best known as the location of Angkor Wat but it has other attractions to hold your interest. Upon arrival you are met and taken to your hotel where you have free time to explore the area around the hotel. This evening is both a feel good and doing good evening. Dinner tonight is at Marum, a training restaurant for young adults, working with street children and other marginalized young people to offer vocational training in hospitality or cooking and giving them the experience they need to transition into the real world. You will then enjoy a performance of Phare, the Cambodian Circus. Set up in 1994 by young returnees from the refugee camps that learned about using art as means to cope with trauma after the Khmer Rouge genocide. The show mixes traditional and modern theatre, music, dance, acrobatics and juggling.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 9: Siem Reap to Phnom Penh Cruise (Day 1)
You will be sailing from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh including time sailing on the Tonle Sap which is the flowing heart of Cambodia and has more fish than any other lakes in the world. At noon you will transfer to your ship where you meet your crew before enjoying a buffet lunch. You begin your cruise and glide on the smooth waters. Dinner is served in the dining hall and you can finish the evening watching the moon from the sun deck.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 10: Siem Reap to Phnom Penh Cruise (Day 2)
Every day, your journey will start with an invigorating Tai chi lesson on the sun deck just as the sun begins its slow rose. Coffee and tea awaits the early bird. Before dawn the ship sets sail across the Tonle River, you see spectacular marshlands floating along the river banks of the Kampong Chang province. The afternoon cruise continues with a languid meander along the Tonle sap River. Here, the river is so narrow that you can be greeted by kids waving enthusiastically at you from the banks. Take a short bus trip to see Khmer-styled pottery. You then embark to see the wetlands, floating houses and fish farms in the region before reaching Kampong Cham in the evening, Further down the river we take part in an ox cart rally.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 11: Siem Reap to Phnom Penh Cruise (Day 3)
You will wake up in the early morning after an overnight cruise, truly energized to embark on a land journey to the pre—Angkorian temple of Wat Hanchey. You can either take a motor-taxi or climb 303 steps to the top. Located at the top of the hill overlooking the river, the temple offers one of the most breath-taking views in Cambodia. You will return to the ship to witness a blessing ceremony performed by orange-clad monks. You will cruise towards Kampong Cham to visit Wat Nokor, built within the ruins of an ancient temple. You will anchor midstream near Phnom Penh.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 12: Siem Reap to Phnom Penh Cruise (Day 4)
Phnom Penh was once the Paris of the East. Despite its rapid development, it has retained a lot of its rustic charm and elegance, Sightseeing in the morning will include the Killing Fields. Be prepared to be heat-wrenched by this stark reminder of the genocide that transpired during Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge regime, then visit S21 Genocide museum. After lunch at a local restaurant you will visit the former Royal Palace, now the National Museum. Return to the ship by cyclo for a rest as you get ready for your last night on board. The evening starts with cocktails on the sun deck followed by a BBQ dinner in the open air. Top it off with an Aspara dance performance.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 13: The Architecture of Phnom Penh
After breakfast you will disembark and your guide will meet you and take you to your hotel to check in. Your unique guide will take you on an interesting journey based on the Cambodian architecture of the late 1950’s and 1960’s a vibrant time other culturally and architecturally. This new architecture focused on integrating international style with local tradition, materials and climate. You will have lunch at Van’s Restaurant housed in the historic building of the Indochina Bank built in 1900 and former home of the Van family. After a tour of the villa enjoy an exquisite lunch of French delicacies. After lunch explore the adjacent French Quarter by cyclo. The cyclos will bring you to the port where you will take an evening boat trip to view the riverfront at night filled with interesting examples of the city’s various architectural periods from pagodas to French Colonial to Contemporary architecture. Return to the hotel to freshen up before enjoying dinner at Bopha Phnom Penh overlooking the river.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 14: The Cross-Border Speedboat
This morning you will be transferred to the per to board a Blue Cruiser speed boat that will take you down the Mekong River to Chau Doc in Vietnam. On the way you will stop at the border between Cambodia and Vietnam. Upon arrival in Chao Doc you are met and transferred to your hotel. Relax by the pool.
Breakfast
Day 15: Cruising the Mekong Delta
Today a car will pick you up for the drive to Can Tho where you board a boat and head downstream on the Hau River. Enjoy lunch as you watch the scenery passing by. The boat will enter Nicolai Canal passing rice fields and sugar cane. You will be served dinner while the boat makes way to her anchorage point for the night.
Breakfast. Lunch and Dinner
Day 16: Cai Be Floating Market and the Return Home
You have breakfast as you make your way to Cai Be where you board a smaller boat along with your guide to observe the floating market. From Cai Be you are driven to the airport in Saigon for the return trip to the USA.
Breakfast
Day 17: Arrival in USA
