| | | | | Arrive | Depart |
| 29th29 | JulJul | 202222 | 2 nights accommodation before your cruise, staying in Hanoi | | |
| 31st31 | JulJul | 202222 | Hanoi, Vietnam, embark on the Scenic Spirit | | |
| After breakfast, checkout of your luxury accommodation and begin your four-hour journey to Halong Bay. Along the way you will drive through the prosperous farmlands of the Red River Delta before joining a two-night cruise onboard the Au Co for an awe-inspiring trip through the picturesque waters of this spectacular World Heritage-listed icon. This stunning vessel provides a first-class experience from beginning to end. The luxurious features and suites allow a comfortable and exquisite way to explore Halong Bay reaching areas of the bay far beyond the day trippers and overnight cruises. |
| 1st01 | AugAug | 202222 | Cát Bà Island, Vietnam | | |
| After breakfast, enjoy a Tai Chi lesson on the Sun Deck as the ship sails deeper into the National Park. Take control and jump into a kayak to paddle your way through a limestone cave system, and later take a bike ride on Cat Ba Island. Cat Ba Island has to be one of the hidden beauties of the region. Twined with jungle and wildlife, the island remains mainly untouched from large development. Sundowners After your adventure ashore head back to the ship to enjoy an exclusive to Scenic guests Sundowners activity whilst at anchor. Soak up the aromas in a wine tasting set against the backdrop of the karst Islands at sunset. Later, after enjoying the fine local cuisine in the onboard restaurant, try your hand at some squid fishing from the boat. |
| 2nd02 | AugAug | 202222 | Hanoi, Vietnam | | |
| Relax during your morning cruise back to the harbour. After stopping for lunch and shopping en-route back to Hanoi, arrive back at Hanoi for an overnight stay. Later join a historical bunker tour at the hotel to learn about its place in the history of this capital city, a history that spans over 1000 years. Freechoice Dining: Tonight, you have a choice of venues for your dinner through Scenic's Freechoice. Dine in house at the La Terrace at your hotel, or following a short walk, enjoy a local Vietnamese meal in a classic French villa at Home Moc restaurant. For the more adventurous, ride tandem on the back on a Vespa with a guide for a foodie tour of Hanoi's Old Quarter, stopping at local food haunts for authentic Hanoi Street food with free flow drinks enabling you get a feel of the nightlife and vibe of the local Hanoi culture. |
| 3rd03 | AugAug | 202222 | Hanoi, Vietnam | | |
| After breakfast, check-out and transfer to Hanoi Airport for your flight to Danang. Upon arrival continue south past Marble mountains to the ancient trading port town of Hoi An. Here enjoy a three night stay at, which includes a daily spa journey as part of your stay. Freechoice Dining: After you have settled into your little slice of heaven, take the opportunity to enjoy a range of carefully selected dining venues for your Scenic Freechoice dining at either the Morning Glory Restaurant, Hoi An Café or alternatively visit Brother's Café along the river, featuring a wide range of Vietnamese delicacies. |
| 4th04 | AugAug | 202222 | Hoi An, Vietnam | | |
| Step back in time as you take a walking tour of Hoi An's World Heritage-listed Old Quarter, visiting the Japanese Bridge and central market where you can experience its incredible sights and aromas. Afterwards stop at the home of a former merchant to learn all about what life is like in the old town of Hoi An. Enjoy the afternoon at your leisure, perhaps to get a massage using your included spa treatment, swim in the hotel's large resort style pool or continuing shopping in the old town, visiting the many tailors the town is known for. Sundowners Before dinner attend your Scenic Sundowners, a time to relax at a cocktail reception in the Blue Bar, followed by a scrumptious dinner at Mango Mango Restaurant in town down by the water. |
| 5th05 | AugAug | 202222 | Hoi An, Vietnam | | |
| Start the day refreshed and ready to join your Scenic Freechoice activity. Freechoice: The option of a half day drip to My Son provides a glimpse into the area's ancient history and a truly cultural highlight of Central Vietnam. The remaining structures of the Tower Temples provide an atmospheric image of the majesty of the Champa Kingdom. Stroll through the ruins and visit the small museum at the entrance to My Son before a local lunch. If you are a food lover, then a half day cooking class cooking class at Red Bridge is for you. In this second option transfer to Hai Scout Café, arrive to a welcome drink before exploring Hoi An's colourful central market to source your ingredients. Then take to Thu Bon River on the Red Bridge boat for an idyllic cruise to the actual Red Bridge Cooking School. Enjoy a fun and mesmerizing way to indulge and involve yourself in the practice of local cuisine. Alternatively, you have the choice of participating in a bicycle ride to a local farm in Tra Que Village. Soak in the beauties of the vegetable gardens and participate in the preparation of the land and fertilizing it with seaweed with the local farmers. You will learn how to prepare "Tam Hu'u', a local delicacy before sitting down for a home cooked meal including "Banh Xeo' a specialty savory pancake wrapped in rice paper. After your morning of adventures, arrive back at your where you are then free to head back into town to explore on your own. |
| 6th06 | AugAug | 202222 | Hue, Vietnam | | |
| This morning travel via the breath-taking Hai Van Pass to Hue, the former imperial capital. In the afternoon, enjoy a cyclo ride to Hue's Imperial Citadel before wandering though the grandeur of it's ruins. Afterwards check into your hotel in Hue, your home for the night. Enrich Traditional Vietnamese cuisine is served family style at the private Garden House accompanied by Royal Hue court music and a glass of wine. |
| 7th07 | AugAug | 202222 | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam | | |
| 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 final day in the center of Vietnam starts with breakfast before checking out and setting off on a morning excursion to the Mausoleum of Emperor Tu Duc, the last independent emperor of Imperial Vietnam before French colonisation. After exploring the grounds, head to the airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Once you have settled into your hotel for the next two nights, located "in the heart of Saigon', enjoy the remainder of the afternoon at leisure. |
| 8th08 | AugAug | 202222 | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam | | |
| 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. After breakfast, travel to the Cu Chi Tunnels and spend the morning learning about the development and establishment of this hidden covered tunnel network that the Viet Cong soldiers hid in for months on end. Return to the city for lunch and the remainder of the afternoon at leisure. Freechoice Dining: Tonight, choose your Scenic Free Choice dining option from an exhilarating Vespa ride at night as your experienced driver winds in and out the hectic traffic of the streets, stopping at all the best local spots for the most scrumptious Vietnamese cuisines. Sample the best authentic street food and an unlimited supply of drinks and eating however much your stomach desires. Alternatively, dine in the surroundings of an old French Colonial house or a restaurant specialising in Saigon street food. Or, try traditional Italian at Basilico or international fare at Nineteen Restaurant at your hotel. |
| 9th09 | AugAug | 202222 | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam | | |
| 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. After breakfast and checkout, visit the War Museum and Reunification Palace. The former Presidential House of South Vietnam become famous in 1975 with images of tanks crashing through its gates leading to the South's surrender and end of the War of Independence. After lunch a coach will transfer you to My Tho where the breath-taking Scenic Spirit awaits. Start with a cocktail reception hosted by your Cruise Director. Take a stroll around the decks to orientate yourself as to where all the amenities are. After your welcome dinner, settling into your private suite does not mean you settle for service. At any time, your dedicated personal butler is free to swing by with a nightcap and delivery of your preferred pillows. A calm 4-hour sail brings you to halt off Cai Be where the ship will anchor overnight. |
| 10th10 | AugAug | 202222 | Cái Bè, Vietnam | | |
| Enjoy a full gourmet champagne breakfast before heading out on your chosen Scenic Freechoice activity. Freechoice: Choose to board a sampan, gliding through a floating market and soaking in the local life on your way to visit Cai Be before stopping at local cottage industries and a French colonial or traditional Vietnamese house. Alternatively take a sampan to savour a delicious morning tea at the Le Longanier, a French colonial house restaurant, where staff will welcome you with tea, coffee and a range of local fruit and snacks for your tasting. You can dive into a local experience with a band playing music and performing traditional Vietnamese songs. Alternatively if you are enjoying the comforts of the luxurious Scenic Spirit and not quite ready to disembark, our highly skilled bar team is ready to welcome you for our on board hands on cocktail/mocktail making class featuring fresh local ingredients, along with our delicious favourites from the Scenic Spirit menu. After your morning activity, head back to the ship for lunch whilst sailing to Sa Dec. Sometimes everyone needs a break from the hustle and bustle of this exciting cruise and for those bookworms, kick back in the Scenic Spirit library to obtain some back knowledge of each port and getting the key information for the exciting activities ahead. Or head to the heart of this ship, the Scenic Spirit lounge, which is a great place to unwind with a glass of wine. |
| 11th11 | AugAug | 202222 | Sa Déc, Vietnam | | |
| This morning re-board your sampan to explore and interact with the sellers in the lively wet market in Sa Dec where you will see live fishes, frogs and even snakes. This 2-hour exploration lets you dive deep into the local lifestyle. You can also visit the home of Mr. Huynh Thuy Le who inspired marguerite Duras novel L'Amant a story of tragic love told by your entertaining expert. After returning to the ship, you will have time to take an evening dip in the pool overlooking the Mekong as the sun sets. The ship will set sail after your arrival back on board for the 6-hour journey to Tan Chau. |
| 12th12 | AugAug | 202222 | Tân Châu, Vietnam | | |
| You may want to start with some exercise in the on board gym, try stretching at the early morning yoga class or relax in the sauna before setting off to a Scenic Freechoice of your choosing in the areas surrounding Tan Chau. Freechoice: A prime example of leaving the city life behind can be located at Tra Su Bird Santuary in Tra Su Forest where you travel by sampan through endless waterways flanked by mangroves and lush greenery. This eco reserve spans 850 hectares and is known as an ecological haven for fauna and flora, with more than 100 species of water birds known to reside here. Of course, if you are not a bird fan but want to experience the wilderness of Vietnam, look no further than Evergreen Island for a morning of discovery about the local farmers. Enjoy the stunning and tranquil views of Monkey Bridge, orchards and traditional homes. Back in Tan Chau you will have the option to experience a ride in a Xe Loi. This is a commonly used form of transportation in rural Vietnam will lead you to a silk workshop where you will discover the unique dying process of silk which has resulted in a sort after export product, particularly in Paris. Your third choice is boarding a speedboat to visit Chau Doc, a major city in the Mekong Delta. Upon arrival, continue on board a coach to visit Tay An temple, which is a mixture of Indian and Islamic style architecture located at the foot of Sam Mountain. Then board another sampan to visit Vinh Te canal and view life along the riverfront of Chau Doc, stop at a family-operated fish farm and then return to the Scenic Spirit. After lunch upon your arrival back on board, enjoy sailing to the Vietnamese and Cambodian border. Some down time is a great way to relax and what better way to do that than heading to the Wellness Centre or Beauty Salon for a bit of pampering. At the border, you will experience a fantastically themed dinner on board the Spirit along with a lion dance performed by locals. |
| 13th13 | AugAug | 202222 | Phnom Penh, Cambodia | | |
| This morning is at your leisure. Attend an on board demonstration or enjoy some solitude in the library and observation lounge or on your private balcony whilst sailing upstream from the Vietnamese border to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. Enrich Later this evening revel in our Phnom Penh by City Lights tour, giving you an insight to the nightlife of the capital before stopping at a distillery for an exclusive tour and tasting. |
| 14th14 | AugAug | 202222 | Phnom Penh, Cambodia | | |
| After breakfast, it will be time to head into Phnom Penh. Freechoice: Your Scenic Freechoice provides the option to journey to the Killing Fields and tour Tuol Sleng Prison. This attraction is a sobering reminder of the terrors unleashed by the Khmer Rouge regime. Although not a delightful tour, visiting these monuments unlocks the keys to understanding the development of this country. At the conclusion of this choice, you can head back to the Scenic Spirit for lunch. The second choice is for the kitchen wizard, where a cooking class may be the option for you. Take a trip to the local market with a local chef to purchase your ingredients. Head back to the kitchen to cook your own lunch, testing out the styles and flavours of the Cambodian cuisine. The third option is to travel by Remok, a local style of Tuk Tuk to visit the French architecture and history of Phnom Penh. Finish this tour with a stop at the unique designed Central Market for some shopping. Before returning to the Scenic Spirit, stop for lunch at a local Non Government Office (NGO) sponsored restaurant supporting street kids get a start in the hospitality industry. The remainder of the afternoon is at your leisure. |
| 15th15 | AugAug | 202222 | Phnom Penh, Cambodia | | |
| Board your bus for the short drive to the former capital of Cambodia, Oudong. Here witness the life of the monks and nuns who reside here at the monastery and if you are lucky, you maybe able to partake in one of the many festivals and customs often held here. Even the most developing countries have a standard of luxury and opulence. You can experience this this afternoon back in Phnom Penh at the Royal Palace with the famous Silver Pagoda within, on your included visit to this must-see attraction. If you are running out of clean clothes, be sure to utilise the complimentary laundry facilities and get an outfit ready for an evening of style with a cocktail reception on the sundeck against the backdrop of Phnom Penh's lights and stunning scenery as the ships sets sail towards Oknha Tey, commonly known as Silk Island. |
| 16th16 | AugAug | 202222 | Angkor, Cambodia | | |
| This morning we explore the island of Oknha Tey, dedicated to the art of silk weaving. Travel by tuk tuk to the farm and learn about the process of silk production. Return to Scenic Spirit for lunch and some free time. With travelling throughout South-East Asia comes the heat and what better way to cool down than socialising with a fresh cocktail and dipping your toes in the pool. Next port after lunch is Angkor Ban. Explore its historical rural wooden houses, which survived the Khmer rouge and visit a school that teaches English to the local students after their regular school lessons. Back on board, continue sailing to Kampong Cham. The option to immerse yourself in local culture with our team is available by learning how to make and wear the Cambodian scarf. |
| 17th17 | AugAug | 202222 | Kampong Cham, Cambodia | | |
| Meet the novice monks at Wat Hanchey, an ancient hilltop pagoda and monastery. Walk (or drive) to the top and soak in some of the best elevated views of the cruise. Enrich Receive a blessing from a monk and learn how to pray in a Buddhist pagoda before partaking in a ceremony, which contributes to the daily meal of the resident monks. Back in Kampong Cham, your Scenic Freechoices this afternoon provide the chance to learn about the history and industries of the area. Freechoice: First option is to learn about the local folklore with stops at Phnom Pros (Man Hill and Wat Nokor). Phnom Pros was part of a traditional local legend but more recently was used as a Killing Field during the Khmer Rouge era. The temple now features a Buddha garden and is home to a local troop of monkeys. Wat Nokor Bachey is a unique architectural experiment blending an Angkorian era temple with a new temple built inside it. This a truly enriching experience can be completed in under 2 hours leaving the rest of the day to unwind either exploring or enjoying the luxurious facilities located on the Scenic Spirit. Alternatively explore Kampong Cham's history and industry with a drive through past shop houses, remnants of the French colonial era and the large Central market. Visit a local rubber plantation established by the French, followed by a tour to view the processing of the raw rubber at a rubber factory before stopping at a village known for growing betel nut, a popular item in Cambodian Culture. Cambodia is known for its villages so your third option is to visit a local village where the locals are being educated through a French NGO to be self-sustaining and live in a clean environment through rubbish collection and recycling. Back on board you will have time to relax and overlook the gorgeous sunset of the Cambodian skyline before your engaging farewell dinner with the crew. |
| 18th18 | AugAug | 202222 | Siem Reap, Cambodia, disembark the Scenic Spirit | | |
| Today we journey to Siem Reap via stops at Kampong Tom and the Angkorian bridge in Kampong Kdei. Siem Reap is a split in time with ancient and traditional architecture weaved between the modern developments. Your hotel, is a step back in time in the definition of luxury and your historical home for the next three nights in Siem Reap. This brilliantly appointed accommodation is styled with a mix of French inspired architecture, local interior furnishings, the attentive staff provide a service beyond expectations, and brilliant amenities fit for royalty. Enrich Head to the colourful Cambodian Phare Circus where your VIP premium reserved seating awaits you. Beautifully dressed performers style a stunning show that is more than just a circus. The performers use theatre, music, dance and modern circus arts to tell uniquely Cambodian stories; historical, folk and modern. |
| 18th18 | AugAug | 202222 | 6 nights accommodation following your cruise, staying in Siem Reap / Luang Prabang | | |
| 24th24 | AugAug | 202222 | Check out of accommodation | | |
