Day 1 - 11

Day 1: London – Siem Reap, Cambodia

From London Heathrow we take an overnight flight to Bangkok and connecting flight to Siem Reap, the capital of Cambodia.

Day 2: Siem Reap

On arrival we’ll be met by our local guide before transferring to the four-star Lotus Blanc Resort Hotel. Early check-in has been arranged and the remainder of the day is at leisure for you to relax and enjoy the hotel’s facilities. Should you wish to explore, the hotel is close to both the famous Angkor archaeological park, and Siem Reap’s Cultural Village, War Museum and vibrant downtown.

Day 3: Siem Reap & embark RV Indochine

Enjoy a morning at leisure in the Cambodian capital before we transfer to the port and embark RV Indochine. Meet your Captain and fellow travellers over a welcome cocktail before dinner is served.

Day 4: Tonle Sap Lake – Kampong Chhnang – Kampong Tralach

Today we cruise across Tonle Sap Lake with its fascinating string of floating and stilted villages. We’ll step ashore in the charming town of Kampong Chhnang. The name Kampong Chhnang means ‘clay pot port’ and we’ll learn about the traditional pottery that today combines ancient knowledge with modern techniques. In the old streets by the river we see reminders of colonial times before enjoying a tasting of local products. Our cruise continues to Kampong Tralach..

Day 5: Kampong Tralach – Koh Chen – Phnom Penh

Amidst the rural landscape, the small village of Kampong Tralach is almost a step back in time. Enjoy the scenery at a relaxed pace as we travel in wooden carts pulled by oxen to Wat Kampong Tralach. The ancient pagoda, which sits isolated in the middle of magnificent rice fields, has beautiful paintings and frescoes. Our next stop is the peaceful island of Koh Chen where we’ll see locals crafting in their home workshops. Working with bronze, silver and clay, the men will shape the material into bowls, boxes and trays, which the women engrave with pictures of flowers, trees or animals. We spend the afternoon cruising towards Phnom Penh. On arrival enjoy a short ‘tuk-tuk’ tour of the city before returning to the ship for a performance of classical Khmer music and dance.

Day 6: Phnom Penh – Cruise towards Vietnam

At the confluence of the Mekong, the Bassac and Tonle Sap rivers, Cambodia’s capital was once the hub for both the Khmer Empire and French colonialists. Today’s guided tour highlights the gleaming Royal Palace and magnificent Silver Pagoda. We’ll visit the National Museum. Housed in a graceful terracotta structure of traditional design, it is home to the world’s finest collection of Khmer art. In a former High School, the Tuol Sleng Museum gives a sobering insight into the horrors and despicable crimes during the times of Pol Pot’s regime. There is time at leisure to explore the market before we return to the ship and cruise overnight towards Cambodia’s border with Vietnam.

Day 7: Chau Doc – Sa Dec

With its lively boat traffic, colourful market, floating fish farms and houses - under which people cultivate fish and freshwater shrimps in nets and wire baskets, Chau Doc is fascinating. Today’s tour takes us to the holy 230-metre high Sam Mountain where we’ll visit the magnificently decorated Buddhist Tay An Pagoda, built in 1847 with influences from Hinduism and Islam, and the temple of the protector goddess Ba Chau Xu. From this culturally diverse town we continue cruising towards Sa Dec.

Day 8: Sa Dec – Vinh Long – Cai Be

The charming colonial town of Sa Dec was the original setting of Marguerite Duras’ autobiographical novel ‘The Lover’. As we explore this hidden gem on the Mekong, we’ll see the old market, numerous old mansions and merchants’ homes including the lovingly restored family home of the novel’s protagonist Huynh Thuy Le. After a visit to the busy local market we continue our cruise to Vinh Long where the great Mekong river divides into numerous small canals. By way of small boats, we’ll explore this extraordinary area seeing the brick factories that look like huge beehives, the fruit tree nursery in Binh Hoa Phuoc and traditional floating market, colourful fruit and vegetable gardens in Cai Be.

Day 9: My Tho – Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

The ‘Gateway to the Mekong Delta’ My Tho was founded in the 17th century. Here we visit a beekeeping farm where we taste honey tea and exotic fruits. After lunch on board our cruise takes us through the narrow Chao Gao canal towards the city formerly known as Saigon.

Day 10: Ho Chi Minh City

Marrying 19th century French colonialism with contemporary architecture, Ho Chi Minh boasts an extraordinary skyline beneath which lies a rich cultural diversity. Our guided tour highlights the city’s colonial landmarks including the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral and Central Post Office before a visit to the Museum of Vietnamese History. In the afternoon we gain an insight into the tumultuous events of 20th century Vietnam when we visit the infamous Cu Chi Tunnels used by Viet Cong soldiers. Back on board we enjoy a farewell cocktail before dinner.

Day 11: Ho Chi Minh City – overnight flight to London

Having said goodbye to our Captain and crew we’ll explore Vietnam’s largest Chinatown. Cholon, which translates as ‘big market’, is where for 300 years the locals have been coming to shop. Our visit includes the famous Binh Tay Market where vendors peddle everything from handcrafted goods and textiles, to dried fish and fresh produce. We then transfer to the airport in readiness for our overnight flight to London.

Day 12: London

This morning we arrive in London.