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Day 1 Arrival Ho Chi Minh City
Arrivals to former Saigon late afternoon/evening. Pick up from
airport to hotel and time for relax after a long traveling on
plane. Overnight in hotel in Ho Chi Minh city..
Day 2 Ho Chi Minh City (B/D)
Meet your local guide during the buffet breakfast at your
hotel. Then depart on your morning motor coach tour of this
fabulous and vibrant city! Your first stop will be at the History
Museum, followed by a unique Water Puppet Show. From there
continue past some of the city’s major attractions including the
19th century Post Office and the Notre Dame Cathedral. The tour
will end with sightseeing of the Presidential Palace. In the
afternoon, visit the unique War Remnants Museum followed by a
welcome dinner featuring Vietnamese specialties..Overnight in
hotel in Ho Chi Minh city.
Day 3 HCM- Cu Chi Tunnels (B/L)
The morning is reserved for an excursion to the fascinating Cu
Chi tunnels. To protect themselves from bombing raids, the local
villagers and Viet Cong built a series of tunnels covering an area
of over 212 km where they survived allied attacks for years. The
tunnels, ranging in depth from 3 to 12 meters underground,
included boarding rooms, schools, kitchens, meeting halls and
military production facilities – a whole city underground. Return
to the city for a lunch break (on own). In the afternoon, a
delightful 45 minute cyclo tour through the heart of the city’s
bustling China Town will precede another wonderful dinner at one
of Saigon’s many popular local restaurantsOvernight in hotel in Ho
Chi Minh city.
Day 4 Ho Chi Minh - MY THO embark SHIP - CAI BE (B/L/D)
After breakfast, transfer from the Renaissance Riverside Hotel
by coach to My Tho (approximately 2 hrs) where you will embark
your luxurious floating hotel. Set sail during a light buffet
lunch. In the afternoon, arrive near Cai Be and take a trip by
traditional “junk” to Vinh Long and Tien Giang islands. Here you
will tour the former mandarin residence of An Kiet where surviving
members of the family will welcome you with homemade tea!
Overnight
onboard.
Day 5 Cai Be/Chau Doc (B/L/D)
In the morning, visit the floating market of Cai Be with local
boats. Stop and tour the French Gothic Cathedral and colourful
port area. Then tour several small riverside villages to see
locals hand make coconut candy and rice paper. Return to the ship
for lunch and continue sailing to Chau Doc to arrive in the early
evening.
Overnight onboard.
Day 6 Chau Doc/Border (B/L/D)
Enjoy a morning rickshaw ride around this French style town.
Then board smaller boats to visit a local Cham Minority Tribal
village and a cat fish farm. Return to the ship for lunch and sail
on towards the border with Cambodia for border formalities. End
the day moored near Phnom Penh.
Overnight onboard.
Day 7 PHNOM PENH (B/L/D)
The capital of Cambodia retains a French colonial charm. The
crumbling colonial architecture makes an attractive backdrop to
lively cafes and the redeveloped river front promenade. Your
morning tour will highlight several impressive Wats
(temple-monasteries) and the magnificent Royal Palace. Return to
the ship for lunch. In the afternoon you may wish to join an
optional excursion to the infamous Killing Fields. The evening is
free to explore Phnom Penh on your own.
Overnight onboard.
Day 8 Phom Penh - Kampong Cham (B/L/D)
Your first stop is at the Chong Koh silk weaving village for a
morning walk at leisure. Then continue cruising this less
travelled part of the Mekong. In the afternoon stop at Peam Chi
Kang village to visit the local monastery and school (educational
gifts, pens, crayons will be appreciated by the kids). Return to
the ship and continue sailing.
Overnight onboard.
Day 9 Kampong Cham Area (B/L/D)
Morning journey upriver to the hilltop pre-Angkorian temple of
Wat Hanchey. Dating from the 8th century, these ancient brick
structures characterise the architecture of the Chenla Empire
which predated the glories of Angkor. Sail back downstream over
lunch for an exploration of the Kampong Cham Area. We travel by
bus to the 12th century Angkorian temple of Wat Nokor. This
colourful temple is unique in Cambodia, as a modern wat is set
within the ruins of an ancient temple. We continue to the twin
holy mountains of Phnom Pros and Phnom Srei, or Man and Woman
Hills. Legends abound about the origins of these hills, and
there are many pagodas and shrines on the hilltops.
Overnight
onboard.
Day 10 Tonle River (B/L/D)
We glance by the
capital Phnom Penh in the early morning to change pilots, and
then sail the Tonle River which connects Tonle Lake with the
Mekong and Bassac Rivers that merge at Phnom Penh. This river
journey is a highlight of the trip. We wind our way through
jungle, and as the river narrows we feel we can almost reach out
and touch the houses and people who come out to cheer our ship
on. Temples abound along the river banks at Kampong Chhnang, and
we see the rich tapestry of Cambodian rural life. This is a busy
rural port town with bustling markets. Mooring mid-stream, we
make a truly wonderful motor boat excursion into the lakeside
wetlands that form the mouth of the river. Here a stunning
variety of birdlife may be seen and of considerable interest are
the great fish traps, some half a kilometre long, which net a
huge tonnage of fish after each monsoon as the fish migrate from
the falling lake into the Tonle River. Overnight onboard.
Day 11 Siem Reap -
Angkor (B/L/D)
The great lake dominates Cambodia and is over 150 Km in
length. Here bird life is profuse, and from the middle of the
lake one cannot even see the shores. There is a great stillness
and tranquility as we pass floating fishing villages. Because
the water levels of the lake and river vary a great deal
according to the time of year and rainfall, we will then either:
1. High water, approximately July - November. Cross the Tonle
Lake at dawn and disembark at Siem Reap Port for onward coach
transfer to the Angkor Century Hotel 2. Low water, approximately
November - March. In the early morning depart by speedboat and
disembark at Siem Reap Port for onward coach transfer to the
Angkor Century Hotel 3. No water, approximately March to July.
In the early morning depart by coach from Phumi Prek Chik
Village on the Tonle River, stopping for sightseeing at Angkor
Thom to see Prem Srei Kuk temples, arriving by midday at Angkor
Century Hotel. Overnight in hotel in Siem Reap
Day 12 Angkor (B/L/D)
Begin with a tour of the lesser known Temples of the Angkor
Wat Complex including; Angkor Thom, Elephant Terrace and Leper
King. After the tour proceed to the “Red Piano” restaurant for
lunch. Serving excellent Cambodian and Asian specialties the place
is best known as a favorite of actress Angelina Jolie who was a
frequent visitor during the filming of the Tomb Raider movies.
Continue to the fabulous main Angkor Wat Temples for a truly
magnificent sunset tour of this unique UNESCO World Heritage Site.
End the day with a special dinner accompanied with a performance
of the Apsara Dances – Cambodia’s national folklore. Overnight in
hotel in Siem Reap
Day 13 Siem Reap - Departure (B)
A full free day to relax in the luxury of your resort style
hotel or explore this unique World Heritage town on your own!
Visit the local marketplaces, bargain for those last minute
souvenirs or take an optional Tuk Tuk tour to the local Crocodile
farm! Transfer to airport in the afternoon for flight back home
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Cost in USD per
person
ased on
double/twin sharing basis:
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From
6th Oct 07 – 29th Mar 08 |
|
Group
of Pax |
2-3 |
4-7 |
8-11 |
12-15 |
SGL
Sup. |
|
Upper
desk |
3326 |
3275 |
3120 |
3094 |
2747 |
|
Main
desk |
3194 |
3052 |
2998 |
2872 |
2847 |
|
Lower
desk |
2998 |
2855 |
2700 |
2675 |
2747 |
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From
31st May 08– 27th Sep 08 |
|
Group
of Pax |
2-3 |
4-7 |
8-11 |
12-15 |
SGL
Sup. |
|
Upper
desk |
2916 |
2698 |
2644 |
2618 |
2072 |
|
Main
desk |
2698 |
2488 |
2435 |
2408 |
2072 |
|
Lower
desk |
2541 |
2338 |
2285 |
2258 |
2072 |
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From
4th Oct 08 – 31st Dec 08 |
|
Group
of Pax |
2-3 |
4-7 |
8-11 |
12-15 |
SGL
Sup. |
|
Upper
desk |
3834 |
3637 |
3584 |
3357 |
3175 |
|
Main
desk |
3680 |
3490 |
3337 |
3110 |
2975 |
|
Lower
desk |
3360 |
3075 |
2922 |
2895 |
2975 |
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Book now |
Cruise
includes:
English
/ French speaking guide
All transfer and
transport by private coach
5 nights in deluxe
hotel ( Sofiftel Palaza hotel 5* in Saigon, Angkor Century
hotel 5* in Siem Reap)
7 nights in double / twin cabin of
The RV Mekong Pandaw or The RV Tole Sap Pandaw
Meal as indicated
( B = breakast; L= lunch, D= dinner)
Admission fees
and permits where applicable
Government taxes & service charge
Cruise
excludes:
Airfares &
airport taxes
Pre/post trip
arrangement
Visa and visa
arrangement
Travel
insurance
Other personal
expenses
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