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Sailing the Mekong River: Exploring Cambodia & Vietnam is a cruise like no other. Walk in the sublime temples at Angkor, a World Heritage Site built by the Khmer people over a 400-year period that ended in the 13th century. With one never-to-be-forgotten monument, vista and carving after another, and with magnificent Angkor Wat the centerpiece, the Angkor area stands out as a place that absolutely must be experienced. At the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh you’ll bear witness to the devastating effects of the rule of the Khmer Rouge, and also experience the dynamic, positive spirit of these people as they rapidly rebuild their lives and country. We’ll also stay in the great Vietnamese city of Saigon (officially called Ho Chi Minh City), a burgeoning metropolis with an interesting colonial legacy. The new 48-guest river ship Jahan affords access to places that would otherwise be difficult to reach. Her cabins are spacious, each with a private balcony, and she offers a standard of accommodation and service that has until now been unknown in this part of the world.

Day 1 - Arrival in Cambodia

Take connecting flights to Siem Reap, Cambodia

Accommodations: n/a
Included Meals: n/a

Day 2 - Siem Reap, Cambodia

Arrive in Siem Reap, the gateway to Angkor, in the evening and spend the next three nights at outstanding La Résidence d’Angkor, built in traditional Khmer style with teak furniture and bamboo screens, and located along the Siem Reap River.

Accommodations: Hotel TBA
Included Meals: n/a

Day 3 - Angkor & Siem Reap

Begin early in order to get to Angkor Wat in time for sunrise. This visionary 12th-century temple, the world’s largest religious monument, represents the apogee of Khmer art and architecture. Crowned by five towers, with elaborate bas-reliefs and a profusion of statues that dramatically depict complex religious tales, along with some 2,000 carved apsaras (beautiful female spirits), Angkor Wat is enthralling. We return to our hotel for a late breakfast. After lunch, take tuk-tuks (motorized taxis) to the great remains of Angkor Thom, seeing the Bayon Temple, known for its dozens of serene stone faces of King Jayavarman VII, and the Terrace of the Elephants. In the evening, gather for welcome cocktails and dinner at your hotel.

Accommodations: Hotel TBA
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 4 - Angkor & Siem Reap

This morning visit the evocative temple Ta Prohm. The jungle has been allowed to continue growing here, framing the structures with the twisted roots and branches of ceiba and fig trees, giving you an idea of what archaeologists encountered when they began their work in the area. In the afternoon venture out some distance from the central sites to the fine temple of Banteay Srei, known for its exceptional carvings. On your return, stop at Les Artisans d’Angkor to see how local artisans preserve age-old Khmer arts. Dinner is at a fine local restaurant.

Accommodations: Hotel TBA
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 5 - Tonle Sap & Embark Jahan

Leave early for the drive to the Tonle Sap River, with a stop at the market town of Skon, and just before embarkation, visit a village where silverwork is crafted. Embark Jahan, your home for the next seven nights, at the town of Prek K’dam, and sail along the Tonle Sap through an exceptionally interesting landscape of forest and floating homes, with local residents fishing in small boats. Watch for the sunset in this vast, watery realm. Enjoy welcome cocktails and dinner aboard our ship.

Accommodations: Jahan
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 6 - Kompong Chnang

From the town of Kompong Chnang, drive a short way to a village where pottery is still made for sale to local residents by traditional methods. See how the pots are made and learn about the uses of the palm tree, complete with a taste of palm sugar if you’re so inclined. Then local boats take you along the Tonle Sap for a glimpse into a unique way of life: seeing the floating houses and shops that line the riverbanks here. This afternoon, Jahan sails along the Tonle Sap River.

Accommodations: Jahan
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 7 - Wat Hanchey & Kompong Cham

Wat Hanchey, which you visit in the morning, is a large temple complex atop a hill overlooking an exceptionally pretty stretch of the Mekong, offering outstanding views. There is a lot to see here: an 8th-century temple from the pre-Angkor Chenla period, an Angkor-era temple, some fine contemporary temples, and a school. In the afternoon stop at the bustling town of Kompong Cham and visit remarkable Wat Nokor, where a well preserved 11th-century temple forms the heart of a contemporary pagoda that remains in active use. The reliefs on the old temple are exceptional, as are the decorations of the more modern one.

Accommodations: Jahan
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 8 - Phnom Penh

Today will be a full, rewarding day exploring the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, situated at the confluence of the Mekong, Bassac and Tonle Sap Rivers. Begin with a “cyclo” (bicycle taxi) ride to the magnificent Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, home and place of worship to Cambodia’s kings. The architecture, displays and furnishings are remarkable. We continue to the excellent National Museum, which has sculpture and many other artifacts from Khmer temples and other aspects of Cambodia’s history. After lunch at a local restaurant, visit an interesting local market, then venture out of town to the Choeung Ek “killing fields,” where many thousands of Cambodians were murdered by the Khmer Rouge and buried in mass graves. A moving memorial and museum are on the site. Late in the afternoon, visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, where innocent people were imprisoned, tortured, and many sent to their death. Exhibits show the determination of Cambodians that this should never happen again. Back aboard ship, an evening dance performance by children from a local orphanage shows how well the arts have been able to reestablish themselves.

Accommodations: Jahan
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 9 - Sailing the Mekong

As you sail along the Mekong, there’s a chance to see life along the river, with traditional ships, barges and freighters plying the waterway. There will be a chance to enjoy Jahan’s many amenities, to hear talks by ship staff and for chefs to show you how to prepare some of Cambodia and Vietnam’s signature dishes. Cross the border into Vietnam, where you will spend the rest of the journey.

Accommodations: Jahan
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 10 - Chau Doc, Vietnam

Friendly Chau Doc has one of Vietnam’s most interesting markets, with an astonishing variety of tropical fruits, vegetables and other goods. Continue to an island village with fish farms, and see fish being fed through trap doors in the floating platforms. Then see a village inhabited by people of the Cham ethnic minority, with a chance to visit the attractive mosque and to learn about a unique way of life.

Accommodations: Jahan
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 11 - Sadec & Cai Be

From the hamlet of Sadec, take a local boat along a channel off the main river, with much activity to be seen along the way. Visit a small community where the villagers grow, process and fashion water hyacinths into floor mates and rattan baskets — a real slice of life in the Mekong Delta. At the town of Cai Be, we see the floating market, where people in boats sell their wares. Each boat has an object attached to a pole that shows what is being sold. Then visit a rice “factory,” where varieties of rice-based candies are made. Rice husks are reused as fuel for the cooking process, and ash is sold to farmers for use as fertilizer. We’ll also visit a Chinese-style house built in 1838, and walk along local lanes to see loganberries being processed by the families who live there. On board Jahan, enjoy a gala farewell dinner.

Accommodations: Jahan
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 12 - Ben Tre, My Tho & Saigon

Disembark Jahan in the morning in My Tho, and take a local boat to visit the nearby villages around Ben Tre. See a village where fish are raised before entering the palm-lined Vam Xep canal.. Stroll around the Quoi An fruit orchard, visiting fruit-drying kilns and a workshop for coconut candy and craftware. Then you’ll be poled along a canal before transferring to My Tho for a lunch of Mekong specialties. After a stop at the great Vinh Trang pagoda, we transfer to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam’s greatest commercial center, and check in to the outstanding Park Hyatt, located in the heart of the city. In the late afternoon, meet with a local expert on Vietnam’s modern history. This evening, gather at an excellent local restaurant for dinner.

Accommodations: Jahan
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 13 - Saigon, Depart

In the morning take a walking tour of Saigon’s historic landmarks, which include a rich selection of fine colonial buildings. See the grand exteriors of the 1911 Opera House, the former city hall dating from 1908 and the Notre Dame Cathedral, a red-brick edifice with twin spires; and visit the General Post Office, designed by Gustave Eiffel. Continue to the Presidential Palace, headquarters of the South Vietnamese Government during the Vietnam War. The breaching of the gates by North Vietnamese tanks symbolically marked the war’s end. If you wish, end at the War Remnants Museum, which gives a strong view of the war through the eyes of the Vietnamese. The afternoon is free, with rooms reserved until departure, until the evening transfer to the airport for flights home.

Accommodations: n/a
Included Meals: breakfast

Day 14 - Arrive USA

Arrive in the U.S.

Accommodations: n/a
Included Meals: n/a

Reverse Itinerary
Day 1: Depart
Day 2: Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam
Day 3: Saigon
Day 4: Ben Tre/My Tho/Embark Jahan
Day 5: Cai Be/Sadec
Day 6: Chau Doc, Vietnam
Day 7: Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Day 8: Angkor Ban/Chong Koh
Day 9: Wat Hanchey/Kompong Cham
Day 10: Kompong Chnang
Day 11: Disembark/Siem Reap/Angkor
Day 12: Angkor/Siem Reap
Day 13: Angkor/Siem Reap/Depart
Day 14: Arrive U.S.

Extend Your Trip: Call AdventureSmith Explorations about the possibilities of combining trips to other regions of Costa Rica. We offer custom extensions to Manuel Antonio National Park, Arenal Volcano, Monteverde Cloud Forest, Corcovado National Park, Tortuguero National Park, and many other great options.

Itinerary Notes: Read this itinerary as a guide only; our exact route and program varies according to weather conditions and the wildlife/culture we encounter. Flexibility is the key to the success of Sailing the Mekong River: Exploring Cambodia & Vietnam.

Included: All accommodations aboard ships or in hotels per itinerary or similar, all meals and nonalcoholic beverages aboard ship, meals on land as indicated, air transportation where indicated as included, shore excursions, sightseeing and entrance fees, special access permits, transfers to and from group flights, use of snorkeling equipment and wet suits, use of kayaks (where available), gratuities (except to ship’s crew), taxes and service charges, services of a ship physician on most voyages, & staff.

Exclusions: Air transportation (sample airfare: US/Saigon &Siem Reap/US: economy from $1600), extensions, passport, visa, immigration fees, scuba diving (where available), meals not indicated, baggage/accident/travel protection plan, items of a personal nature, such as alcoholic beverages, e-mail, and laundry. Gratuities to ship's crew at your discretion.

Room Configurations: We will make arrangements for roommate shares for solo travelers at the double occupancy rate in Category 1 and 2 only. We match you with a cabin mate(s) of the same gender. Even if we are unable to find a cabin mate for you, no single supplement will be charged. Third person rates are available in certain categories at one half the double occupancy rate.

Families & Children: Travelers aged 17 years old and under save $500. Specially skilled staff who are trained in organizing activities that inspire curiosity in young people of all ages. These staff members have gone through a course designed by travel experts with years of experience in childhood and environmental education. This course has also been created in conjunction with the National Geographic Education department and NG Kids Magazine. And don't worry – even though these are educational travel gems, the primary emphasis is on "fun". After all, you are on a family cruise vacation!

For your party of 8 or more, you will each receive 5% off your expedition. A 10% deposit is due at time of reservation, and an additional 25% is required 120 days in advance.

Arrival & Departure: We have charter flights available. Our specialists can help with booking flights.

Payment & Cancellation: In order to confirm this trip, a deposit of $850 is required at the time of booking ($1000 for 2014 reservations). A Reservation Form, which includes a release of liability, must be completed and signed by all travelers. The balance of the trip price is due 90 days before the departure date. Guests who must cancel their trip for any reason must do so in writing. Cancellations are subject to the following fees, based on number of days prior to departure:
Up to 91 days - 50% of deposit
90 to 31 days - 50% of total trip cost
30 to 0 days - 100% of total trip cost

Terms & Conditions: This trip is subject to AdventureSmith Explorations Terms and Conditions. Please read this information carefully and call us if you have any questions. A packing list and extensive pre-departure and travel insurance information is sent upon confirmation.

Travel Insurance: We highly recommend our travelers protect their investment with travel insurance. Please note that you must purchase your travel insurance policy within 14 days of booking your trip for it to cover pre-existing medical conditions. Click the link below for a selection of policies from our partners at Travelex.



Qualifications: Sailing the Mekong River: Exploring Cambodia & Vietnam will be enjoyed by anyone who is in good health and leads an active life. Daily excursions from the boat will be made in Zodiacs. Trip members will take excursions to specific areas for wildlife observation. Hiking time for most landings will be a couple of hours round-trip with lots of time to stop to study, photograph and enjoy the flora and fauna. Some landings are dry but many are "wet", requiring cautious footing on slippery rocks. The boat staff will be on hand to assist.

Themed Departure: Paula Swart, an expert on Asian culture and history and who has been a museum curator for more than 20 years, will join the Jan. 8 and 14, 2014 departures.


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