DAY 1: SAIGON – MY THO – CAI BE
Transfer from the Renaissance Riverside Hotel in Saigon to the port of My Tho by coach to embark cruise.
DAY2: CAI BE – SA DEC
In the morning passengers will visit Cai Be and its colourful floating market. In the afternoon take an exciting Sampan boat excursion to Sa Dec via Vinh Long, along canals and backwaters and see the local market and the ancient house of Mr, Huynh Thuy Le, the ‘lover’ of Marguerite Duras, a famous French novelist.
DAY 3: CHAU DOC – BORDER CROSSING
Visit a Cham tribal village, a cat fish farm, and enjoy a trishaw ride round Chau Doc. Return to the ship by boat for lunch and cast off for the Cambodian border for the usual formalities.
DAY 4: PHNOM PENH
Passengers will visit Phnom Penh and will be provided with their own private cyclo*. The Cyclo Centre Phnom Penh which provides the cyclos is a charity that provides basic welfare and medical services to cyclo drivers (www.cyclo.org.uk).
In the afternoon, optional excursion (by coach) to the Killing Fields and the Khmer Rouge’s grim Tuol Sleng or S21 detention centre. This tour is included in the cost of your cruise but must be requested at the time of booking in the comments box.
DAY 5: TONLE RIVER – KAMPONG CHHNANG
Excursion up the Tonle River to Kampong Chhnang either by ship or by coach depending on water levels. Beyond Kampong Chhnang travel by the Pandaw Explorer to discover the vast wetlands around the mouth of the river. Here many fishtraps may be seen.
DAY 6: KAMPONG CHAM – MEKONG RIVER
We stop at the little-known Chong Koh silk-weaving village for a morning walk at leisure. In the afternoon we stop at Peam Chi Kang village to visit the wat or monastery and school. In the wat the splendid village racing boats are stored.
DAY 7: KAMPONG CHAM AREA
Passengers visit the hilltop temple of Wat Hanchey in the morning. In the afternoon, travel by bus to visit the Twin Holy mountains of Phnom Pros and Phnom Srey (Man and Woman Hill). Continuation to the ecotourism village of Choeungkok supported by the French-Cambodian NGO Amica.
DAY 8: TRANSFER TO SIEM REAP
Early morning coach transfer to the Victoria Angkor Resort & Spa in Siem Reap. Refreshments will be provided and we will stop at Kampong Thom along the way. Arrive at Siem Reap mid afternoon.
River Conditions Warning!
The rivers you will sail on are subject to seasonal rises and falls of water level, in some places as much as 30 meters. Water levels can change dramatically overnight and a sudden rise can impede our progress upstream considerably and even prevent us from passing under certain bridges. A sudden fall can result in our being unable to get into certain places or go as far upstream as we would hope. Groundings on sandbars are not infrequent and are part of the excitement of any Pandaw expedition. Published itineraries are indication only and subject to sudden change. In such events alternative itineraries will be provided and we do our best to ensure that if a stop is missed we make up for it with another stop. Passengers are thus forewarned and expected to be flexible and patient. River cruising in Asia can be a dramatic and adventurous experience – not like cruising the controlled waterways of Europe or America. Note also that we operate in areas with little or no developed infrastructure and subject to the strictures of local officialdom. Be prepared for this and it is all more the fun!
