Heritage Line Jahan Cruise Untouched Mekong River 11 days: Saigon - Siem Reap

Welcome to Ho Chi Minh - the most thriving and boisterous city of Vietnam

Morning:

- Our tour guide will pick you up and transfer to hotel in Saigon.

- Check-in and move into your room

- The rest of the day is free so you can explore the city on your own or recharge your mind and body for the nest experience. 

(Operated by BestPrice Vietnam) 

Morning: 

- At 8.00: Your Cu Chi Tunnels tour begins. The place was once the underground maze during Vietnam War.  

- On visiting the tunnels, you will have a chance to go underground to get to know how life was going on at that time, which can be an unique experience. 

Afternoon:

- After lunch at a local resturant, go on the city tour to visit several attractions including the War Museum and Chinatown. 

Morning/Afternoon:

- In the early morning, a bus picks you up and transfers you 70 kilometers to My Tho, where the boutique ship is awaiting.

- The bus journey will take you 4.5 hours.

- On arrival, the crew will give you a welcome drink.

- After check-in and moving into your stateroom, the rest of the day is free.

Night:

- Enjoy your dinner in the mesmerizing sunset.

- The ship will get to Cai Be for the night. 

Morning:

- Start your day with a Tai Chi lesson on the sundeck. A cup of tea or coffee will then get you refreshed for the day. 

- After a rich breakfast buffet, the Cai Be tour starts with a visit to Cai Be boisterous and floating market.

- During the languid ride, you will have a chance to discover breathtaking landscapes along the river and quaff the rustic life in the Mekong Delta. 

Afternoon: 

- After lunch on board, we cruise to Sa Dec.

- Upon arrival, you can get on the traditional sampan to visit Binh Thanh Island and its man-made canals.

- Here, villagers are involved in the process of making rattan mat, allowing you to interact with the old local people. 

Night:

- We then board the ship for a tranquil evening cruise towards Tan Chau for staying overnight. 

Morning:

- Enjoy your breakfast at the Indochina Dining Hall or in the quiet sanctuary of your balcony.

- Brace yourself for a short excursion in Tan Chau, a pleasant town near the Cambodian border with sizable Chinese, Kinh and Khmer communities. 

- The tour will first take you to the “evergreen” islands where you will be thrilled to learn the life of the locals.

- After that, we will stop to visit a fish farm located in the Tan Chau canal - this farm consists of floating houses and the villagers make their living by cultivating fish. 

Afternoon:

- Your trip will continue on a boat to Tan Chau pier. Disembark here and stroll around this colorful local market with lots of regional products. 

- Back on board after your market visit.

Morning:

- After breakfast, a comprehensive lecture on Cambodia's modern history is provided for you. The city tour will then follow. 

- In the morning, you will be taken to the Royal Pagoda and the National Museum. 

Afternoon:

- After lunch at a local restaurant, we will visit the Genocide Museum and the Killing Fields in town.

- Get back to the ship after our museum visit. Take a rest on your cabin balcony or the lounge and get prepared for an exciting evening event.

Night:

- The evening starts with a variety of cocktails served on the sundeck.

- Take a seat and enjoy the following Apsara dance performance.

- It is indeed a truly marvelous experience, dining in the open with the stars and the moon as our companions.

- Overnight on cruise.

Morning:

- Before the break of dawn, the cruise leaves Phnom Penh for the little known Chong Koh silk weaving village.

- Here, you will have a chance to explore how silk is made and get know the native life.

Afternoon: 

- Afterwards, we get back on board as the ship cruises past the Mekong's tranquil villages and drops by the rural Angkor Ban village where time stood still. 

- The village ancient workshops, houses and shops will take you back in time to the 40s.Travelers can also take part in the daily activities of the villagers to experience village life first hand. 

Night:

- The ship continues its journey to Kampong Cham. 

- Overnight on board 

Morning:

- Embark on a land journey to the pre-Angkorian temple of Wat Hanchey. 

- Travelers can either take a motor-taxi or climb the 291 steps to the top of the temple as from there, you can have an spectacular view over the Mekong River. 

- The temple was built in the 8th century and has been the symbol of the Chenla Empire.

- We can even get to engage in light banter with some of the monks in the area. 

- After the excursion, we get back on board to attend the monk's blesing ceremony to pray fo health and prosperity. 

Afternoon:

- It's time to immerse yourself in the tea-colored Mekong river and have fun. 

- Later in the afternoon, the cruise moves to Kampong Cham to visit Wat Nokor. 

- When the sun sets, we take you to the local orphanage. 

Morning:

- The cruise sets sail towards Kampong Chhnang on the Tonle Sap River - an amazingly narrow river - which glides through leafy swaths of the Southeast Asian jungle.

- On arrival, you are greeted by cacophonous children who wave enthusiastically early in the morning when they bring their livestock for a bath in the meandering Tonle Sap River.

- Get to Kampong Chhnang, Cambodia's 'water world' where everything is on stilts balanced on rich water rich soil

- Here, you can take a motorboat excursion to the landing, followed by a short bus trip to see the Khmer-styled pottery at the Aundaung Russey village.

- Afterwards, we go on an adventurous motorboat excursion to the wetlands, floating houses and fish farms in the region.

- Return to the ship for lunch whilst cruising the narrow and meandering Tonle Sap.

Afternoon:

- Your floating sanctuary will then cruise gently, in the afternoon, along the narrow and meandering Tonle Sap. 

Night: 

- A sumptuous spread will be served. And for the big surprise - bring along your dance shoes and learn to jiggle the Cambodian way with our staff doubling up as dance instructors.

Morning:

- Enjoy the stillness of the water and the quiet tranquility on the way to Siem Reap.

- The water level varies a great deal according to the time of the year and the amount of rainfall recorded. Thus, minor changes to the itinerary may occur during different seasons.

- Our cruise aboard our Heritage Line cruise liner comes to an end as we reach this city of the fabled Angkor temple complex. 

- We will cross the Tonle Sap Lake at dawn, disembark at the Siem Reap Port for onward coach transfer to the drop off point in town.

- End of trip Jahan cruise trip. 

Morning:

- Before the sun rises, the cruise heads to Kampong Chhnang through the Tonle Sap River. 

- On arrival, you can take a motorboat excursion to the mainland.

- A bus then take you to see the Khmer-styled pottery at the Aundaung Russey village. 

- Afterward, we board a motorboat for an excursion to the wetlands, floating houses and fish farms in the region.

- Lunch will be served whilst the cruise gets to the narrow and meandering Tonle Sap.

Afternoon:

- We will cruise toward Prek Kdam.

- Let's take a walk through the silversmith village of Koh Chen where the entire community of villagers are involved in making various silver items for sale.

Night:

- Back onboard. The ship sails back towards Phnom Penh again overnight.

Morning:

- Depart before dawn from Phnom Penh to Chong Koh silk weaving village.

- Here, you will have a chance to learn about how silk is made.

- After visiting the village, you will return to the ship and cruise past the Mekong's tranquil villages, exhilarating river life and sun-hardened fishermen on their makeshift boats. 

Afternoon:

- We will tour the rural Angkor Ban village where time stood still to be taken back a hundred years into an era unsullied by modernity.

- The houses here are truly rustic, made by hand and without any concrete. But most of all, we feel overwhelmed by the unbridled warmth of the villagers.

- Travelers can take part in the daily activities of the villagers to experience village life first hand. Then, we are back to the ship to cruise towards Kampong Cham.

Morning:

- On arrival at the pre-Angkorian temple of Wat Hanchey, you can either take a motor-taxi or climb the 291 steps to the top. 

- We can even get to engage in light banter with some of the monks in the area.

- Return to the ship for lunch.

- Afterwards, you will have a chance to witness a blessing ceremony performed by orange-clad local monks.

Afternoon: 

- When the tide allows, we will enjoy a surprise sojourn in our zodiacs (inflatable boats) to the nearby beach to swim in the tea-colored Mekong River, an experience that will, no doubt, dominate dinner conversations in the weeks to come.

- Cruise towards Kampong Cham to visit Wat Nokor, a wat built within the ruins of an ancient temple which holds a timeless story.

- On the way back to the ship, we will visit an orphanage and maneuver a 2-kilometer rickety bamboo bridge. Our sense of balance lies in the balance. 

Morning:

- We will disembark the ship after breakfast and board a coach at 9:00am for a transfer from Kampong Cham to the drop off point in Siem Reap.

- We get to munch on snacks and enjoy cold drinks along the journey.

- We will stop briefly at Skon, known as Spiderville for its fried spiders, a delicacy in this country

Afternoon:

- Arrive in Siem Reap in the early afternoon - Tour ends 

Morning:

- Free and relax until the time of departure to Airport.

- Best Price Vietnam say goodbye and hope to see you next time!