SAI GON - SIEM RIEP ON RV AMALOTUS CRUISE

Sightseeing activities today. This afternoon transfer to My Tho to embark your ship. Stay Seven Nights: Cruise the Mekong River aboard RV AmaLotus.

A local boat will take you to the beautiful river-land town of Cai Be today. Once here, step ashore to visit the French Gothic cathedral as well as the colorful port area, which is filled with crumbling colonial buildings and delightful flowering gardens. The morning then takes you onwards to a rice paper manufacturer where you’ll see how Vietnamese rice paper is made. Lunch will be served back on board later as your ship cruises past scenes of charming rural life towards the quaint town of Sa Dec. This delightfully sleepy locale is where iconic French Writer Marguerite Duras met her Vietnamese-Chinese lover, Huynh Thuy Le. On arrival, tour Huynh Thuy Le’s old house and learn the story behind Marguerite Duras’ best-selling novel, ‘The Lover’. Later, pay a visit to a traditional Cao Dai temple. Watch visitors and pilgrims come and go, and appreciate the beauty of the building.

Transfer to a small boat for a journey along the tiny tributaries that snake around the riverside town of Tan Chau. Cruise right past a floating fish farm, then step ashore for a rickshaw tour of Tan Chau. Ride past shops, rice wine rooms and friendly locals eager to say hello. Later, step back in time during a visit to an evergreen island where you’ll experience authentic rural Mekong life. The remainder of today is left free for you to relax on board your luxurious river ship as you cross the border into Cambodia and cruise towards Phnom Penh.

Perhaps rise early to take in Phnom Penh’s river promenade as your ship nears the capital. After breakfast on board, disembark and join your chosen activity.

Freedom of Choice:

Perhaps enjoy a guided tour of the dazzling white and gold Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, which is located on the south side of the palace complex and houses many national treasures. Alternatively, you may wish to discover some of Cambodia’s sobering history with a moving excursion to the infamous Killing Fields before visiting the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum which is located on the site of the Khmer Rouge’s notorious Security Prison 21 (S-21). Here, you’ll learn of the atrocities inflicted upon Cambodians during Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge regime in the mid-to-late 1970s. Your other options are a visit to the National Museum of Cambodia or a guided city tour in a tuk tuk which is an exciting way to take in a range of city sights, including the Independence Monument and Wat Phnom, a sacred Buddhist pagoda.

With a free morning in Phnom Penh, you may like to enjoy a restful start to the day and stay aboard your ship. Or, make use of your time in this beautiful city and head out on your own to discover the sights and attractions. Your Cruise Director can provide inspiration should you need it. Later in the day, your ship will cruise to remote Koh Chen, a small village specializing in silverware and copperware. Here you’ll visit some of the delicate home-workshops that manufacture handmade copper souvenirs. Watch the clever artisans at work and perhaps purchase a memento.

This morning, take a coach to Oudong, the fascinating royal capital of Cambodia from 1618 until 1866. During your time here, you’ll call in at a monastery where local monks will provide you with a Buddhist blessing experience. Afterwards, continue to the interesting village of Kampong Tralach for a visit to the Wat Kampong Tralach Pleu pagoda. Then, take an exciting ox cart ride through the countryside, passing lush rice fields and smiling locals on your way back to your luxury river ship.

Board a small boat and head to the wetlands near Kampong Chhnang. Known as the ‘Clay Pot Port’, the local people craft pottery under their stilt homes on the river. Afterwards, you’ll return to your ship and cast off towards Prek K’dam, enjoying a Farewell Dinner.

Disembark at Prek K’dam and transfer to your hotel...