| | | | | Arrive | Depart |
| 31st31 | JanJan | 202626 | 10 nights accommodation before your cruise | | |
| 10th10 | FebFeb | 202626 | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, embark on the RV Apsara | | |
| Romantically referred to by the French as the Pearl of the Orient, Ho Chi Minh City today is a super-charged city of sensory overload. Motorbikes zoom day and night along the wide boulevards, through the narrow back alleys and past vendors pushing handcarts hawking goods of all descriptions. Still called Saigon by most residents, this is Vietnam's largest city and the engine driving the country's current economic resurgence, but despite its frenetic pace, it's a friendlier place than Hanoi and locals will tell you the food—simple, tasty, and incorporating many fresh herbs—is infinitely better than in the capital.This is a city full of surprises. The madness of the city's traffic—witness the oddball things that are transported on the back of motorcycles—is countered by tranquil pagodas, peaceful parks, quirky coffee shops, and whole neighborhoods hidden down tiny alleyways, although some of these quiet spots can be difficult to track down. Life in Ho Chi Minh City is lived in public: on the back of motorcycles, on the sidewalks, and in the parks. Even when its residents are at home, they're still on display. With many living rooms opening onto the street, grandmothers napping, babies being rocked, and food being prepared, are all in full view of passersby.Icons of the past endure in the midst of the city’s headlong rush into capitalism. The Hotel Continental, immortalized in Graham Greene's The Quiet American, continues to stand on the corner of old Indochina's most famous thoroughfare, the rue Catinat, known to American G.I.s during the Vietnam War as Tu Do (Freedom) Street and renamed Dong Khoi (Uprising) Street by the Communists. The city still has its ornate opera house and its old French city hall, the Hôtel de Ville. The broad colonial boulevards leading to the Saigon River and the gracious stucco villas are other remnants of the French colonial presence. Grisly reminders of the more recent past can be seen at the city's war-related museums. Residents, however, prefer to look forward rather than back and are often perplexed by tourists' fascination with a war that ended 40 years ago.The Chinese influence on the country is still very much in evidence in the Cholon district, the city's Chinatown, but the modern office towers and international hotels that mark the skyline symbolize Vietnam's fixation on the future. Begin with your Insider Experience then return to the hotel for breakfast. Drive to My Tho and board your river ship where all suites enjoy twin balconies to soak in the scenery. Set sail towards Cai Be where you anchor overnight. Tonight, enjoy dinner prepared by your onboard chef. |
| 11th11 | FebFeb | 202626 | Cái Bè, Vietnam | | |
| Explore Cai Be and its surrounds by tender boat as you view local life on the river and along its banks. Go ashore to see the French Gothic cathedral, the tallest church in the Mekong Delta with its impressive bell tower, and visit manufacturers of rice paper and coconut candy to learn how they’re made. Head back to the ship and sit down to a delicious lunch whilst cruising to Sa Dec. Afterwards, take a boat ride to the charming town of Sa Dec for a guided tour. Stroll through the colourful markets and continue by foot to the home of Huynh Thuy Le, once the lover of French writer Marguerite Duras, who penned her best-selling novel ‘The Lover’ about their affair. Back on board unwind or relax your body with a rejuvenating treatment from the spa. As the sun sets, the RV Apsara sets sail for Tan Chau. Enjoy dinner and later head up to the Saigon Lounge for evening entertainment or a cocktail. |
| 12th12 | FebFeb | 202626 | Tân Châu, Vietnam | | |
| Transfer to a small boat for a journey along the tiny tributaries that snake around Tan Chau. Embark on a rickshaw tour and weave through the tiny laneways of this sleepy town almost untouched by tourism. Home to one of the largest silk-weaving centres in Vietnam, you can observe how silk is woven in the local workshops. After lunch, take a small boat to discover rural life on Evergreen Island. Observe the traditional Vietnamese farming techniques, where the land is ploughed by water buffalo and where you can see authentic rural Mekong life. Later appreciate some down time and watch the scenery of the Mekong River pass as the RV Apsara spends the afternoon cruising towards the Cambodian border. While border formalities are carried out sit down and enjoy the onboard activities and presentations. Cross into Cambodia and cruise overnight towards the capital Phnom Penh. |
| 13th13 | FebFeb | 202626 | Phnom Penh, Cambodia | | |
| Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s busy capital, sits at the junction of the Mekong and Tonlé Sap rivers. It was a hub for both the Khmer Empire and French colonialists. On its walkable riverfront, lined with parks, restaurants and bars, are the ornate Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and the National Museum, displaying artifacts from around the country. At the city’s heart is the massive, art deco Central Market. Today learn of the atrocities inflicted upon Cambodians during Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s. Explore the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the Killing Fields, where you’ll find the Memorial Stupa, a glass monument erected in memory of the thousands of Cambodians who lost their lives. After lunch on board, visit the spectacular Royal Palace, delighting in its dazzling white and gold architecture. Then head to the glorious Silver Pagoda, set on the southern side of the palace complex. The remainder of the afternoon is at your leisure. You may wish to head to the local markets for souvenirs or perhaps to taste the local delicacy of fried tarantula. Alternatively, relax on board and enjoy the facilities and service. |
| 14th14 | FebFeb | 202626 | Phnom Penh, Cambodia | | |
| Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s busy capital, sits at the junction of the Mekong and Tonlé Sap rivers. It was a hub for both the Khmer Empire and French colonialists. On its walkable riverfront, lined with parks, restaurants and bars, are the ornate Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and the National Museum, displaying artifacts from around the country. At the city’s heart is the massive, art deco Central Market. Travel by coach to Oudong, the former capital of Cambodia, for your memorable Insider Experience. Afterwards, you will visit Koh Chen and explore the open-air copperware workshops. Return to the ship and enjoy a free afternoon in Phnom Penh, or perhaps enhance your time by choosing one of Travelmarvel’s Select Experiences. |
| 15th15 | FebFeb | 202626 | Phnom Penh, Cambodia | | |
| Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s busy capital, sits at the junction of the Mekong and Tonlé Sap rivers. It was a hub for both the Khmer Empire and French colonialists. On its walkable riverfront, lined with parks, restaurants and bars, are the ornate Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and the National Museum, displaying artifacts from around the country. At the city’s heart is the massive, art deco Central Market. Rise early as your ship glides along the lush banks of the Mekong to Oknha Tey, or Silk Island, renowned for its silk manufacturing traditions, preserved over centuries. Travel by tuk tuk, pass rice fields and get a glimpse into rural life. Stroll amongst the stilt houses and gain an insight into the traditional silk-weaving process. Watch as the village women create the beautiful Khmer fabrics from their wooden looms. Return to your river ship and enjoy lunch on board as the ship sets sail for Angkor Ban. In the afternoon, as you cruise up the Mekong River, enjoy time at leisure. Have a dip in the pool or sit and read a book on the Sun Deck while soaking in the scenery. |
| 16th16 | FebFeb | 202626 | Angkor Ban, Cambodia | | |
| Start your morning with a guided walk of Angkor Ban, a village nicknamed the ‘Lucky Village’ which is awash with stories of Cambodia's cultural history, and one of the few traditional villages that survived the Khmer Rouge regime. Stroll through town, see traditional stilted houses and a Khmer-style pagoda. After lunch, your cruise docks at its final location Kampong Cham, where you can enjoy your Insider Experience. This evening, enjoy a Farewell Dinner on board with your fellow travellers as you reminisce about your Mekong River cruise adventure. |
| 17th17 | FebFeb | 202626 | Kampong Cham, Cambodia, disembark the RV Apsara | | |
| Transfer to Siem Reap the gateway to Angkor Wat, passing through picturesque countryside and remote villages. Later, discover the atmospheric Ta Prohm temple, where the jungle grows within the temple walls, and then enjoy your Insider Experiences. |
| 17th17 | FebFeb | 202626 | 2 nights accommodation following your cruise, staying in Siem Reap | | |
| 19th19 | FebFeb | 202626 | Check out of accommodation | | |
