Kampong Cham Siem Reap Kampong Kdei Ho Chi Minh City My Tho Sa Dec Cai Be Tan Chau Phnom Penh Koh Dach Angkor Ban 7 Cambodia Vietnam The magic of the Mekong From the ancient heart of Siem Reap to bustling Ho Chi Minh City, this award-winning seven-night cruise is the most luxurious way to explore the Mekong. Combine your river cruise with a luxury land tour in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos or Japan and make the most of your journey. Cruise operates January - May and October - November Day 1 Ho Chi Minh City > Mekong Cruise Welcome to Vietnam and the bustling metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City. Transfer from the airport to the Caravelle Saigon hotel to meet your Tour Director and your fellow travellers for lunch at an authentic Vietnamese restaurant before setting off to begin your river cruise. A coach will transfer you to My Tho where the elegant, 5-star Scenic Spirit awaits. Start with a cocktail reception hosted by your Cruise Director, then take a stroll around the decks to familiarise yourself with your new home. After the welcome dinner, settle into your private suite. Your dedicated butler is available at any time and is on hand to deliver a nightcap or your preferred pillow from the menu. A gentle sail brings you to an anchorage off Cai Be, where the ship will dock overnight. Meals: L.D Day 2 Cai Be > Sa Decf Start the day with a full gourmet breakfast – complete with champagne – before heading out to explore Cai Be. Choose to travel via sampan to Tan Phong, a small island famed for its rich alluvial soils and leafy orchards that produce tropical fruit all year round. Covering more than 1,000 hectares and surrounded by silted sandbanks and canals, this temperate island has long been a popular eco-tourism destination. Try a hands-on weaving class, transforming water hyacinths into intricate crafts. Take a motorised buggy ride through the orchards to meet the growers and sample fresh fruit, then cruise back to Cai Be to see local cottage industries where families make rice paper and sweets from popcorn, pop-rice and coconut. Alternatively, take a sampan to Le Longanier, a French colonial house restaurant, to savour a delicious morning tea. The elegantly dressed staff will welcome you with beverages and a range of local fruit and snacks, and you’ll enjoy a local band playing music and traditional Vietnamese songs. If you would prefer to enjoy the comforts of your ship, our highly skilled bar team is ready to welcome you to a hands-on cocktail/mocktail making class featuring fresh local ingredients. After your morning activity, enjoy lunch on board whilst cruising towards Sa Dec. Relax and soak in the beauty of the scenery, visit the on board library to read up on future ports, or head to the Scenic Spirit lounge to unwind with fellow guests over a glass of wine. When you arrive in Sa Dec, board your sampan once again to explore the lively wet market where you can meet the sellers and marvel at their wares, including live fish, frogs and even snakes. This fascinating exploration will take you deep into the local way of life. You can also see the grand home of Mr. Huynh Thuy Le, a Chinese merchant who inspired Marguerite Duras’ novel L’Amant. Your expert guide will reveal the secrets behind this passionate tale of tragic love. On return to Scenic Spirit, get ready for an extra-special show by a troupe of local performers. You will then set sail to Tan Chau. After dinner, retire to your suite and be lulled to sleep by the gentle motion of the river. Meals: B.L.D Day 3 Tan Chau > Border Crossingf You may want to start the day with some exercise in the on board gym, an early morning stretching class or relax your muscles in the sauna, before setting off to discover the areas surrounding Tan Chau. Leave city life behind at Tra Su Bird Sanctuary in Tra Su Forest. Travel by sampan through endless tranquil waterways, flanked by mangroves and lush greenery. This eco-reserve spans 850 hectares and is an ecological haven for fauna and flora, home to more than 100 species of waterbirds. Alternatively, experience a traditional way of life on Evergreen Island, joining local farmers for a morning of discovery. Back in Tan Chau, ride in a xe loi: a three-wheeled bicycle rickshaw that was introduced by the French in the 19th century and a common form of transportation in rural Vietnam. Visit the recently renovated, brightly coloured Cao Dai temple. Caodaism – a new religion, established in 1926 in the southern Vietnamese city of Tây Ninh – brings together beliefs and practices from Buddhism, Christianity, Taoism and Confucianism. Here, you will learn more about the mix of ideas that form the basis of this fascinating religion. For your third choice, drive to Chau Doc, a major city in the Mekong Delta, and Tây An Temple. Set at the foot of Sam Mountain, this elaborate temple is a mixture of Indian and Islamic architecture. Afterwards, board a sampan to visit Vinh Te canal and view life along the riverfront of Chau Doc, before stopping at a family-operated fish farm on your way back to Scenic Spirit. Night Ultra-Luxury Mekong Cruise Royal Palace, Phnom Penh, Cambodia Mekong Delta, Vietnam 8 Day river cruise Ho Chi Minh City > Siem Reap or Siem Reap > Ho Chi Minh City f 12 Scenic Freechoice e 1 Scenic Enrich event s 2 Scenic Sunset Drinks Scenic° 45 South East Asia River Cruising & Land Journeys To book call +44 161 234 2848 | Visit scenic.eu | Contact your local Travel Agent 44 Scenic°
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