Aqua Mekong Expedition Extension Cruise - Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap

Description

Joining our full 7-night Mekong Expedition Cruise allows us to share with you all the mysteries and wonders we have discovered between the Mekong River, Tonle Sap Lake and among the diverse cultures thriving in our midst. During the period from December to August, our program includes much more time on the Cambodia stretch of the Mekong and along the Tonle Sap River, a more rural and scenic area of Cambodia, untouched by tourists. You will have plenty of opportunities to explore, from daily biking options (10 – 15km), kayaking, to relaxing excursions on shaded tuk-tuk and experience the authentic life of people around the river. Passengers who travel with us from August to November experience the full history of Mekong life, meeting Khmer farmers, Buddhist monks and our entrepreneurial friends in Vietnam’s wet markets along the way. Travel leisurely back in time across this legendary landscape and visit the Tonle Sap Lake, a spectacular freshwater lake that that is inhabited by more than three million people living around its bank.

Trip Name

Aqua Mekong Expedition Extension Cruise - Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap

Days

Overview

Vessel Type: Luxury River Expedition Length: 62.4 meters / 204 feet Passenger Capacity: 40 Year Built: 2014 Aqua Mekong operates as a compact, high-spec river vessel built for controlled immersion into Cambodia and Vietnam’s culture, landscapes, and food traditions. Suites are large, climate-controlled, and fitted with floor-to-ceiling glass to keep the Mekong panorama in constant view. Social areas—pool, cinema, gym, spa—are scaled for quiet rather than crowd. Shore access is handled by a private tender fleet, allowing tightly run excursions into temples, markets, villages, and river life without dependence on public infrastructure. The onboard culinary programme is engineered around regional produce and Mekong flavours, executed with Michelin-level discipline. Market visits, cooking demonstrations, and ingredient-driven menus keep the experience tied to place. Kayaks, bikes, guided hikes, and cultural visits round out the activity options, supported by a crew-to-guest ratio that enables controlled, small-group exploration.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Day 1 Vietnam Marina My Tho Port - Ho Chi Minh

We will collect you at the Ho Chi Minh meeting point and transfer you by air-conditioned coach to Marina My Tho dock where we will welcome you aboard the Aqua Mekong. Settle into your floating retreat, with its window wall unveiling an endlessly captivating panorama. Enjoy these private Mekong moments on your California King bed, terrace or daybed.

Day 2 - Day 2 Vietnam Binh Thanh/sa Dec - My An Hung

Begin the day at Binh Thanh mat weaving village or opt to visit Sa Dec where we will peruse the vibrant market. In the afternoon, visit a typical Mekong Delta village called My An Hung where we will walk through verdant plantations. We will be invited to a local's home to taste local fruits while hearing traditional folk songs performed by villagers, followed by a unique unicorn dance. A 17-kilometer biking option is also available.

Day 3 - Day 3 Vietnam Chau Doc - Vinh Xuong –ka’om Samnor Border

Travel by skiff along Bassac Canal to Chau Doc floating market then head off by van to Long Son Pagoda atop Sam Mountain. Ask the monks about their age-old Buddhist practices. Return via the bustling morning market. Optional 18-kilometers bike ride on Long Khanh Island or take a rickshaw ride to visit Tan Chau Market with our chef. After lunch, relax by the pool, try a traditional Khmer massage or learn to cook Mekong-inspired dishes while we cross the border.

Day 4 - Day 4 Cambodia Koh Oknha Tey - Preah Prosop

On this river of time we admire dexterous Khmer artisans dyeing and weaving kroma, the ubiquitous fabric no Khmer lives without. Explore the riverbank on two wheels if you wish, past Buddhist temples and thatch houses perched on spindly wooden stilts while white oxen wade just offshore. After lunch, we board our marine-grade aluminum skiffs and head towards the tamarind trees of Preah Prosop, a remote village little changed over several lifetimes.

Day 5 - Day 5 Cambodia Phnom Penh

We show off the Cambodian capital to our passengers by motorized tuk-tuk, the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and the National Museum of Cambodia, home to the world’s largest collection of Khmer art. For those who wish, we visit the Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocide and the Killing Field or shopping at Russian Market. We bid farewell to 4-night guests who are disembarking in Phnom Penh. Return to welcome our 3-night passengers over custom sundowners like the Salted Watermelon Crush with Thai basil. Together we celebrate the onward journey towards the heart of this mighty river with a Khmer Apsara performance, an indigenous tradition memorialized on the temple walls at Angkor Wat.

Day 6 - Day 6 Cambodia Tonle Sap River – Koh Chen – Kampong Prasat

In the silversmith village of Koh Chen, we watch artisans producing the magnificent silverware favored by Khmer royalty. We continue to Udong, the royal capital from the 17-19th centuries, where we learn about a uniquely challenging Buddhist practice at the Vipassana Dhura, a meditation center. In the afternoon, a walking tour of Kampong Prasat offers a close-up perspective on local lives and their riverside environment.

Day 7 - Day 7 Cambodia Tonle Sap River – Kampong Chhnang – Kampong Tralach

In the cooler hours of the morning, we head out on skiffs to visit traditional potters and palm sugar producers in the village of Andong Russei. There’ll be a chance to explore while riding mountain bikes or chauffeured by tuk-tuks. We’ll pedal through the rice paddies to watch climbers scale the sky piercing palms towering over us. After lunch, there’ll be more opportunities to bike through the countryside, go fishing, and discover the floating village of Kampong Tralach on board skiffs. Finally, we’ll end the day with kayaking along the Tonle Sap and sundowners by the riverbank.

Day 8 - Day 8 Cambodia Phnom Penh

Customized exploration of Phnom Penh and disembarkation. Airplane transfers are provided if you would like to continue your Cambodian adventure to Siem Reap and its ancient lost city of Angkor Wat. Guests will be fully escorted by our guides in a private luxury car transfer to Phnom Penh Airport.

Day 9 - Please note:

Itineraries are subject to change.

Trip Dates

Start	End	Price From	Room Type

Inclusions

Rural Adventures: From December to August, explore scenic Cambodia with biking, kayaking, and tuk-tuk rides along the Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers.
Cultural Encounters: From August to November, meet Khmer farmers, monks, and Vietnamese market vendors, and visit the vibrant Tonle Sap Lake.