32 Ben Tre, Mekong Delta, Vietnam 8-Day Majestic Mekong Cruise Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh Departing: October 2025 – May 2026 Day 1 Arrive Ho Chi Minh City – Embarkation Xin Chao and welcome to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), Vietnam’s largest city. On arrival, you’ll be transferred downtown to the Sheraton Saigon Hotel and Towers before transferring to the Saigon Port to board your Emerald Cruises award-winning Star-Ship. You’ll be welcomed on board Emerald Harmony by your captain and crew before setting sail after lunch down the Saigon River towards Ben Tre, in the Mekong Delta. This evening, enjoy your first dinner on board with your fellow guests and an informative port talk hosted by your Cruise Director. Meals: Lunch and dinner Day 2 Ben Tre This morning, you’ll cruise through the bustling Cho Gao canal, one of the major arterial canals of Vietnam connecting Tien Giang Province in the Mekong Delta with Ho Chi Minh City. You’ll be fascinated watching the heavy commercial traffic navigate this important waterway, where upwards of 1,800 vessels transit each day. Once on the Mekong River, this afternoon you’ll visit the Tan My Floating community followed by a ride through local plantations to visit a mushroom farm, a fruit farm with sampling and a honey farm with local sweets. Later, you’ll sail onwards to Sa Đéc, a Mekong Delta hidden gem. Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner Day 3 Sa Đéc – My An Hung After a short sampan ride to Sa Đéc, enjoy a walking tour with a visit to the home of Mr. Huynh Thuy Le, who inspired Marguerite Duras’ celebrated novel, L’Amant, and the town’s bustling central market. Return to Emerald Harmony by sampan, then sail on to My An Hung Island. Recognised as a cultural and historical destination, this small rural village specialises in cultivating red-hot chilli and peppers and is known for its Monkey Bridge. As part of your EmeraldPLUS experience, listen to local folk singing during your visit. Listen to local folk singing in My An Hung Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner Day 4 Gieng Island – An Long Known as ‘Mango Island’, Cu Lao Gieng is a small, scenic island untouched by tourism, located along the upper Mekong River. Travel by local motorcycle rickshaw through the island’s villages to visit families who work in a variety of local industries. The afternoon is yours to enjoy at leisure on board or, alternatively, partake in a DiscoverMORE excursion to the Tam Nong Ramsar Bird Sanctuary in An Long. As part of our EmeraldPLUS experience, you’ll delight in a traditional Lion Dance performance on board. A Lion Dance performance on board Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner Day 5 Tan Chau – Vietnam/Cambodia Border Crossing Embark on a sampan ride to Evergreen Island for a walk through a local village, giving you a glimpse into the lives of the local farming community. Reboard your sampan and return to Tan Chau and as part of your EmeraldPLUS experience, visit the local Cao Dai Temple. Cao Dai is a syncretic, monotheistic religion established in Tây Ninh, southern Vietnam, in 1926. At the temple, learn more about this fascinating and complex religion. Afterwards, ride in a Xe Loi (local form of cyclo) back to your sampan before returning to Emerald Harmony. Back on board your Star-Ship, you’ll sail to the border between Vietnam and Cambodia. Cao Dai Temple visit and Xe Loi ride Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner Day 6 Phnom Penh This morning, you’ll awake in Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh. Known as the ‘Pearl of Asia’, the city was almost entirely evacuated by the Khmer Rouge in 1975. Today, you’ll learn about the Khmer Rouge and the darkest days of Cambodia’s history. A short drive will take you to the Killing Fields at Choeung Ek, where you’ll have the opportunity to stroll through the fields, visit the memorial and understand more about this country’s sombre chapter. Afterwards, visit Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (also known as ‘S-21’), a former school converted to the Khmer Rouge’s main prison and torture HQ. Spend the afternoon as you please, either exploring our DiscoverMORE excursions, visiting the Central Market located in the heart of Phnom Penh, or simply relaxing on board Emerald Harmony. This evening, as part of your EmeraldPLUS CLICK HERE to explore this itinerary further
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