Mekong Discovery (Southbound)

7 nights departing Thursday 4th Nov 2021

On this unique and inspiring Southeast Asia river cruise through Cambodia and Vietnam, you’ll be immersed in the cultures and ancient traditions as you sightsee and spend time with locals in interesting places along the mighty Mekong River.In the enchanting Cambodian countryside, go on an ox cart ride amongst rice paddy fields and witness the daily lives of farmers. In a Silversmith Village, see craftsmen making silver artwork using ancient techniques. French influences are still apparent in the lovely capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh. Here you’ll tour the National Museum and Royal Palace w...

Itinerary

Map

					Arrive	Depart
	4th04	NovNov	202121	Phnom Penh, Cambodia, embark on the Avalon Siem Reap
Welcome to Cambodia. Your intimate Suite Ship® Awaits!Get acquainted with the ship and relax before your welcome reception this evening. AFTERNOON/EVENING CRUISE TO WAT HANCHEY
	5th05	NovNov	202121	Angkor Ban, Cambodia
Water Blessings and Back-to-School Adventures Visit Wat Hanchey, a hilltop temple dating back to the 8th century. Climb or be driven to the top where you will enjoy stunning views of the surrounding area and partake in a traditional water blessing given by local monks. After lunch, enjoy a Walking Tour through the rural village of Angkor Ban. Here, you will visit a traditional Khmer house and interact with children at a local school. EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO KONPONG LOUANG
	6th06	NovNov	202121	Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Calm in the Cambodian Countryside Your Guided Sightseeing starts in Kampong Tralach with an Ox-Cart Ride through the beautiful Cambodian countryside. Along the way, stop to meet a local farmer and learn about his daily life. At the silversmith village in Konpong Louang see talented craftsmen use age-old techniques to turn pure silver into works of art. Sail to the capital city of Phnom Penh this afternoon. PHNOM PENHA Dark History or Market Dynamics After lunch, join a Guided a Visit to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and one of the Killing Fields for a glimpse into the atrocities inflicted on the Cambodian people by the Khmer Rouge regime, OR: Visit the lively Central Market by tuk-tuk to see its unique Art Deco design. This evening, spend some free time to explore the city on your own. Perhaps follow the riverfront promenade to the historic Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC).OVERNIGHT DOCKING IN PHNOM PENH
	7th07	NovNov	202121	Phnom Penh, Cambodia
The Royal Treatment Join a Guided Tour of the city by private cyclo with visits to the Royal Palace with the spectacular Silver Pagoda, and the National Museum, featuring an outstanding display of Khmer artifacts. The remainder of the day is yours to enjoy at your leisure, Consider a Guided Optional Tour of a local brewery with free flowing local beer! Just before dinner, children from a local orphanage will perform a show, featuring local song and dance.EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO VIETNAM/CAMBODIA BORDER
	8th08	NovNov	202121	Châu Đốc, Vietnam
Good Morning Vietnam! Take a Village Walk through the Chau Doc market, and absorb the atmosphere as locals are busy buying and selling fish, meat, and produce. After lunch, embark on a Guided Excursion down the backwaters of the Mekong. Along the way, see traditional floating homes, speedboat merchants, religious sites, a market selling dried goods, and more. EVENING CRUISE TO LONG KHANH A
	9th09	NovNov	202121	Giêng Island, Vietnam
Cotton Weaving, Conical Hats, and Handcrafted Sampans This morning, a sampan brings you to the village of Long Khanh A, for a Cotton-Weaving Demonstration of this well-preserved tradition. This afternoon, enjoy scenes of daily life on Cu Lao Gieng Island via sampan and local motor cart. Your Guided Excursion starts with a stop at one of Vietnam’s oldest Catholic churches. Then, visit the home of a local family that makes Vietnamese conical hats, or “Non la,” from materials available to them such as palm leaves and bamboo. These iconic hats are primarily used as protection from the sun and rain but you may also see them used as a basket to carry home goods from the market. Lastly, visit a local workshop where a skilled family hand-crafts sampan boats.EVENING CRUISE TO VINH LONG
	10th10	NovNov	202121	Vinh Long, Vietnam
Sweets and Rice Treats Board a sampan this morning to Visit a Local Workshop in Vinh Long where you will see how rice paper, rice wine, and traditional candies are made. This afternoon, enjoy time on board the ship as we sail to exciting Ho Chi Minh City.AFTERNOON CRUISE TO HO CHI MINH CITY
	11th11	NovNov	202121	Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, disembark the Avalon Siem Reap
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. Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.

Avalon Siem Reap

Launch Year

2015

Tonnage

1,000

Capacity

Cabins

Accessible

Deck 1- Tonle Deck

The images shown are for illustration purposes only and may not be an exact representation of what you find on the ship.

Stateroom Cat A & B

All Staterooms are furnished with hotel beds- either “Comfort Collection” two twin beds or one king size bed, along with deluxe bedding consisting of a premium mattress, deluxe Egyptian cotton linens, duvets and woollen blankets, and soft/firm pillows. Guests are also provided with terry bathrobes, slippers, 3-door closet with shelves, under beds storage space, bedside tables with lamps, individual climate control, and 220V voltage outlets.

Each of the staterooms has a large full bathroom (WC/sink) with separate glass-door shower, hair dryer, premium bath amenities, seating area, mini-bar/fridge, writing desk/vanity with a chair, alarm clock, safe, complimentary bottled water- this is supplied daily and also on all land tours and excursion.

Guests are given complimentary Wi-Fi in their Staterooms as well as complimentary laundry service, room service and a nightly turndown service.

The images shown are for illustration purposes only and may not be an exact representation of what you find on the ship.

Dining Room

The menu at the Dining Room features a selection of Southeast Asia cuisine and local specialties, based on season and made with fresh local ingredients as well as popular Western dishes. Breakfast and lunch here are buffet-style, the 4-course dinner is served with complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks.

The images shown are for illustration purposes only and may not be an exact representation of what you find on the ship.

Panorama Lounge

For some casual relaxation and discussion guests can visit the Panorama Lounge, with floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows for a stunning view.

The Panorama Lounge is the Ship's entertainment venue, with stylish furniture, full-service bar and a self-serve beverage station. Here guests can watch a live evening show program by local performers, including dancers and musicians.

Depending on the visited ports along the Avalon Siem Reap itinerary on Mekong river, the Panorama Lounge also hosts Cambodia and Vietnam culture and history related lectures and multimedia presentations by local speakers. Another entertainment options at the Lounge are the Afternoon Tea service, cocktail hours and movie nights.

Observation Lounge

Observation Lounge, up on the Top Deck, gives guests a prime view to enjoy with a drink in hand

The images shown are for illustration purposes only and may not be an exact representation of what you find on the ship.

Your Holiday Is Safe With Us

Our Fusion packages are all ABTA & ATOL protected ensuring that your booking is safe with us

Fusion TV

Check out our latest cruise deals, news and information from the cruise world. We will bring you up to date with all of the latest exclusive offers we have available, all the news from onboard the cruise ships and much much more!

Offer

Book by

Fusion Special

Book by

Holiday Summary

	7 nights cruising on the Mekong
	Beer, wine & soft drinks at lunch & dinner
	One complimentary shore excursion In every port
	Free Wi-Fi Included
	Exclusive special events
	Speciality wine pairing meal @ Panorama Bistro
	Bikes for passenger use
	Port Taxes and Fees
	ABTA and ATOL Protection*

	Balcony
	(All prices are £GBP per person)
Thu 2nd Dec 202102 Dec 21	Please call for availability