Mekong Toum Tiou Cruise - Cambodia - Mekong 8 Days 7 Nights

13:30 Meeting at FCC hotel in Siem Reap. We will then transfer the passengers to Phnom Krom pier.

Transfer from the pier by local boat to the Toum Tiou.

16:00 Check-in at the boat docked near Phnom Krom in Siem Reap. Security briefing.

17:30 Drop Anchor near forest on the lake.

19:00 Welcome drink and info meeting about cruise, crew introduction.

Welcome dinner. Overnight onboard

LOW WATER PROGRAM: SIEM REAP - KOH CHEN (D)

13:00 Meeting at FCC hotel in Siem Reap. Bus transfer from FCC Hotel to Koh Chen (5-6 hours bus ride)

18:30 Welcome on board of the Toum Tiou. Security briefing

19:00 Welcome drink and info meeting about cruise, crew introduction.

Welcome dinner. Overnight onboard.

We are served breakfast on board before we visit Chnok Tru where we will tour a floating village. Here, an entire village – churches, houses and schools – sits merrily on stilts in water.

Return to Toum Tiou II before setting sail for Kampong Chhnang. Kampong Chhnang is renowned for its fine clay pottery. In fact, its name in Khmer means Port of Pottery. Kampong Chhnang is a tranquil province lined with sugar-palm trees and paddy fields which disappear into the horizon in delightful puffs of gold and green.

Countinue cruise to the spectacular Wat Kampong Tralach Leu pagoda at Kampong Tralach. We return to Toum Tiou II. Dinner is served and the cruise ship moors overnight.

LOW WATER PROGRAM: Kampong Chhnnang (B, L, D)

07:00 Breakfast. 09:00 Arrival to Kampong Chhnnang.

Located some 56 miles from Phnom Penh, the town of Kampong Chhnnang is one of the largest fishing ports on the Tonlé Sap. Fish farming is also widely practiced in the area. The area is famous for its pottery ware, unchanged in style for centuries, which is produced in sufficient quantities to supply the entire country. And not to be overlooked are the products of the Thnot tree (sugar palm – a real national symbol) that abounds in the area: a mellow tasting, caramel-colored sugar sold in large cakes and palm wine. 12:00 Passengers re-embark. Lunch on the ship during navigation

18:00 The Toum Tiou drops anchor few miles away.

19:00 Dinner and overnight onboard.

07:45 Departure of the Toum Tiou early in the morning. Sail to Kampong Tralach, breakfast during navigation.

08:30 Arrival at Kampong Tralach to visit its wonderful Vihara belonging to Wat Kampong Tralach Leu pagoda. To get to it, we cross Kampong Tralach Krom village along a small road perpendicular to the river, crossing some gorgeous stretches of emerald rice paddy as we leave the river behind.

The Vihara dates back to early last century. It was probably built on an older site, as indicated by the latérite foundations, and is home to some outstanding mural paintings. These, however, are starting to suffer from weathering. They remain one of the last survivors of cultural destruction that continues unabated due to widespread indifference.

Standing by itself in the middle of rice fields, it is a modest pagoda that receives very few visitors. Its isolation may well be its undoing, as was the case last May for Wat Tani Pagoda in the province of Kampot. 11:00 Passengers re-embark the Toum Tiou. Lunch on board on the way to Phnom Penh.

14:00 Arrival in Phnom Penh. Balance of the day free exploration on own.

19:00 Local group performs on board traditional “APSARA” show for 45 minutes.

19:45 Dinner and overnight on board.

LOW WATER PROGRAM: Kampong Tralach – Phnom Penh (B, L, D)

07:45 Departure of the Toum Tiou early in the morning. Sail to Kampong Tralach, breakfast during navigation.

08:30 Arrival at Kampong Tralach to visit its wonderful Vihara belonging to Wat Kampong Tralach Leu pagoda. To get to it, we cross Kampong Tralach Krom village along a small road perpendicular to the river, crossing some gorgeous stretches of emerald rice paddy as we leave the river behind.

The Vihara dates back to early last century. It was probably built on an older site, as indicated by the latérite foundations, and is home to some outstanding mural paintings. These, however, are starting to suffer from weathering. They remain one of the last survivors of cultural destruction that continues unabated due to widespread indifference.

Standing by itself in the middle of rice fields, it is a modest pagoda that receives very few visitors. Its isolation may well be its undoing, as was the case last May for Wat Tani Pagoda in the province of Kampot. 11:00 Passengers re-embark the Toum Tiou. Lunch on board on the way to Phnom Penh.

14:00 Arrival in Phnom Penh. Balance of the day free exploration on own.

19:00 Local group performs on board traditional “APSARA” show for 45 minutes. 19:45 Dinner and overnight on board.

07:30 Breakfast. 08:30 Visit Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, National Museum and Wat Phnom.

12:00 Lunch at a local restaurant.

14:00 Visit Toul Sleng old center of detention, of torture and execution between 1975 and 1979. The visit of this place is essential to understand what could be the fatal madness perpetrated by the Khmer Rouges. Visit Russian Market.

17:00 Return to the boat.

18:30 Toum Tiou departs Phnom Penh. Dinner onboard.

08:00 Navigation towards Kaam Samnaar (Cambodian border).

10:00 Toum Tiou arrives at Immigration check point in Kaam Samnaar. Clearance of departure formalities Departure for Chau Doc, lunch during navigation.

12:00 Arrival at Chau Doc.

14:00 Located to the north at the beginning of Mekong's famous delta, Chau Doc straddles both banks of the Mekong which fans out to the dimensions of a river mouth here. Floating fish farms have sprung up everywhere. Visit Cham minority village by local boat.

Bamboo fish drying racks are set up a meter above the water's surface. The bourgeoning downtown area features some charmingly rustic colonial buildings, squeezed in by the marketplace - the colorful, vibrant heart of the city. As always, these busy parts of town, despite their sometimes strong odors, offer wonderful photo opportunities... Short panoramic tour of the city. This is the perfect timing to discover the effervescence of the local market.

18:00 Return to Toum Tiou. Dinner onboard.

07:00 Depart Chau Doc for Sa Dec. Breakfast and lunch during navigation.

14:00 Arrival at Sa Dec – Short panoramic tour of Sa Dec and transfer by bus to Trung Vuong primary school. Continuing to Kien An Cung Pagoda. Stroll around Sa Dec Market along Sa Dec River bank. This small city of 30,000 inhabitants is fascinating in its unspoiled authenticity and undisturbed by tourists. It provides a glimpse of the delta where a few colonial houses still remain, including the "Chinaman's house" (from Duras' novel "The Lover", also made into a movie).

17:00 Return to the boat, departure for Vinh Long.

 Dinner during navigation.

Toum Tiou drops anchor few miles before Vinh Long.

19:30 Dinner on the ship.

07:30 Breakfast.

08:30 Arrival at Vinh Long, local boats pick up passengers for visiting a brick and pottery factory, the Binh Hoa Phuoc Islet Nursery of Fruit Trees as well a typical house and a show room of traditional farming tools.

Vinh Long, which translates as "Majestic Dragon", is right in the middle of the delta, between two arms of the Mekong. The soil of Vinh Long is enriched by silt deposits, making it ideal for growing mandarins and other citrus fruits. Life is organized around the water.

Houses on stilts, hawkers in boats, hundreds of small craft crisscross in all directions. The hospitality of the locals makes it a tourist destination par excellence.

Departure for Cai Be Floating Market – going across the Mekong River en route. Visit the handicraft village where workers produce rice paper, rice wine, popped rice etc. in a traditional way.

11:30 Passengers re-embark at Cai Be, Toum Tiou leaves Cai Be for My Tho, lunch during navigation.

14:30 Arrival at My Tho – Toum Tiou drops anchor on river in the proximity of Thoi Son Island. Local boats comes alongside the Toum Tiou to pick up passengers to the mainland for a short panoramic tour of My Tho town and visit Vinh Trang pagoda, stop for a visit of My Tho market.

Located on the banks of a northern arm of the Mekong, My Tho, which translates as "fragrant herb", where tourists come to discover the beauty of the delta. It's a quiet, prosperous city of about 100,000 inhabitants, famous for its many fruit orchards, gardens and the huge rice fields that surround it. The climate is warm and pleasant year round.

The surrounding countryside is home to one of the most luxuriant gardens of Vietnam, with its coconut palms, banana and mango trees.

Return at the pier - you will cruise on the river to Dragon Island by local boat to visit the island.

17:00 Re-embarking the Toum Tiou that leaves My Tho for Saigon

Time to navigate on the marvelous canal of Cho Gao.

19:00 Farewell cocktail (1 glass of local liquor or juice) with Master of Ship & Cruise Manager.

Captain’s farewell dinner (Enriched menu + 1 glass of wine). Toum Tiou drops anchor on river en route. Overnight on board.

07:00 Departure for Saigon, breakfast and leisure on board.

11:00 Toum Tiou arrives at Saigon Port (Cang Nha Rong Port) next to Ho Chi Minh Museum. (Address: #5 nguyen tat thanh, quan 4.) – Customs formalities clearance.