Tour Type:River Cruise Tour Duration:8 Days (7 Nights) From:Saigon toSiem Reap Tour Code:VEMRI08 Operator:APT
from AU $2,370 pp
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River Cruise Description
Embark on a 8 day adventure of Vietnam and Cambodia with a luxury cruise along the Mekong River from Ho Chi Minh (Siagon) to Siem Reap City
The APT Difference
Port charges and tipping included
Airport transfers, excursions and entertainment included
Enjoy seven nights on the luxurious RV AmaLotus along the Mekong
Mekong Cruise Highlights
Visit the floating markets and see the French Gothic Cathedral in Cai Be
On a tour of Sa Dec, see the Fujian Temple, learn the story of award-winning French author Marguerite Duras and visit her lover Huynh Thuy Le’s old house
Enjoy a rickshaw ride through Tan Chau, then visit a floating fish farm and workshops
Learn about the Khmer Rouge regime during an excursion to the infamous Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
Tour Phnom Penh and see the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda as well as the National Museum of Cambodia
Visit the Buddhist monastery in Oudong
Take an ox-cart ride in Kampong Tralach, and visit the town’s pagodas
Absorb the tranquility and watch for wildlife on the great lake of Tonle Sap
Onboard Entertainment
During the day on your Mekong River cruise: choose to attend insightful lectures; see a fruit-carving demonstration; participate in a Vietnamese cooking class
During evenings on your Mekong River cruise: enjoy a range of performance
Finest Dining
Enjoy 7 full breakfasts, 7 lunches and 7 dinners
Special Welcome and Farewell dinners
All meals, as well as local wine with lunch and dinner, are included on your Mekong River cruise
Soft drink, local beer and spirits included at all times throughout your river cruise
Note: This tour is not exclusive to APT, however the full program described will be delivered. There will be no APT Tour Director on board.
Embark your river ship
Transfer to My Tho Port to embark your river ship for your eight day Mekong River cruise. This evening, enjoy a Welcome Dinner.Stay: The luxurious RV AmaLotus cruising along the Mekong River (7 Nights) (L/D)
Day 2
Cai Be, Vinh Long
A local boat will take you to Cai Be today, an intriguing river-land town. Visit the floating markets then go ashore to visit the French Gothic Cathedral as well as the colourful port area, which is filled with colonial buildings and delightful flower gardens. Tour a local rice paper manufacturer to learn how rice paper is made, then enjoy lunch back on board as your ship cruises towards Vinh Long - the second biggest city by the Mekong River. Enjoy a boat ride and visit a bustling afternoon market where you’ll see an array of aquatic life being sold. (B/L/D)
Day 3
Sa Dec, Tan Chau
In the morning, enjoy a boat ride past floating markets to Sa Dec, the city where the French writer Marguerite Duras met her Vietnamese lover, Huynh Thuy Le. Here, tour Huynh Thuy Le’s old house and learn the story behind Duras’ award-winning novel, The Lover. Later, visit Thien Hau Pagoda and the beautiful Fujian Temple. Following lunch back on board, cruise to the peaceful town of Tan Chau. On arrival, enjoy a walk through the town. (B/L/D)
Day 4
Tan Chau, Border Crossing
This morning, transfer to a small boat and travel along the tiny tributaries where stilt houses are haphazardly leaning on each other. Step back in time during a visit to a remote evergreen island, and see rural Mekong life untouched by tourism. See a floating fish farm, then step ashore for a tour of Tan Chau by rickshaw. The remainder of today is then spent on board. This afternoon, perhaps attend a fruit-carving demonstration by the ship’s chef while the border formalities are carried out and you cross into Cambodia. Your river ship will continue cruising overnight, heading for the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh. (B/L/D)
Day 5
Phnom Penh
On arrival in Phnom Penh today, a tour will take you to visit the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda as well as the National Museum of Cambodia, home to one of the world’s largest collections of Khmer art. After lunch, take an excursion to the infamous Killing Fields and the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, on the site of the Khmer Rouge’s notorious Security Prison 21 (S-21). After dinner this evening, perhaps step out to take a leisurely stroll around this fascinating capital. (B/L/D)
Day 6
Chong Koh, Oudong, Kampong Tralach
After breakfast, enjoy a walk around the little-known silk-weaving village of Chong Koh. Then continue cruising to Prek K’dam, where you’ll disembark and set off by coach on an afternoon tour of Oudong, the royal capital of Cambodia from 1618 until 1866. Afterwards, continue to Kampong Tralach for a visit to Wat Kapong Tralach Pleu before an ox-cart ride takes you through rice fields and a small village to rejoin your ship on the Tonle River. (B/L/D)
Day 7
Kampong Chhnang, Tonle Sap
Enjoy a boat excursion into the wetlands near Kampong Chhnang this morning. Then return to your ship and cast off towards the lake of Tonle Sap - measuring more than 150 kilometres in length. Absorb the tranquillity of the lake as you cruise past floating fishing villages. This evening, enjoy a Farewell Dinner on board. (B/L/D)
Day 8
Disembark Cruise, Siem Reap
After breakfast this morning, a short boat ride will take you past floating fishing villages to port. Once ashore, transfer to Siem Reap airport.(B)
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River Cruise Prices
Cruise prices are per person. Please request a quote for tour availability.
EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL OFFER*
2012/13 APT Sale! Save $490 per couple PLUS add APT's own Superdeal Savings! Exclusive to Global Journeys. Expires 31 March or until sold out!
Subject to availability at the time of booking.
Note:
All departures above are guaranteed to depart. Single prices available, please request.
We will check the availability of your departure in your quote along with all applicable cruise specials.
2012/13 Vietnam River Cruise SuperDeal Savings
EXCLUSIVE - Our Best Price Above PLUS APT's Superdeal Savings Below!
Guaranteed lowest prices in Australia! We will combine the applicable APT Superdeal below & OUR PRICE to your quote.
View APT Superdeals by clicking on the icon on the left. Terms & Conditions apply.
Note:
All departures above are guaranteed to depart. Single prices available, please request.
We will check the availability of your departure in your quote along with all applicable cruise specials.
2012/13 Vietnam River Cruise SuperDeal Savings
EXCLUSIVE - Our Best Price Above PLUS APT's Superdeal Savings Below!
Guaranteed lowest prices in Australia! We will combine the applicable APT Superdeal below & OUR PRICE to your quote.
View APT Superdeals by clicking on the icon on the left. Terms & Conditions apply.
The information below relates to this itinerary only.
Tour Operator: APT
Immerse yourself in the local culture of Vietnam & Cambodia with APT - the leaders in Mekong River cruising. Explore the region in absolute comfort aboard a luxurious world-class river ship. Visit remote communities inaccessible to most and untouched by tourism. With APT, you'll gain a deeper insight into the local way of life when exploring the villages that line the banks of the mighty Mekong.
All APT Vietnam and Cambodia cruises are on the RV AmaLotus. This state-of-the-art ship was designed with our valued travellers in mind, and launched in 2011. From the intricate elegance of the interior appointments and the opulence of the suites to the wealth of recreational choice provided in the vessel's public areas, these river ships are truly the finest on Vietnam and Cambodia's waters.You can find detailed information on the RV AmaLotus ship details page, and general information on the APT Operator page (Note: These links will take you away from this tour itinerary page).
Our customers have awarded us a 98% satisfaction rating, and APT is committed to maintaining it. We promise we'll continue to set the amazing standards for which we are known, making your choice easy. Through APT's co-ownership of Ama Waterways, we're internationally recognised as the leader in river cruising. The innovative design of our ships, our unmatched experience and insight, as well as our commitment to providing you the ultimate in holiday choice are only some of the many reasons you should choose to travel with APT.
Travel documents, including your travel kit (with luggage labels, ticket wallet, personalised itinerary, touring information and travel bag), are sent approximately two to three weeks prior to departure from your home country, provided full payment has been received.
Freedom of Choice Touring is a exclusive APT option which allows you to custimise certain days on your tour to your liking. On particular days you are given a choice of 3 - 5 touring options and you can select the one that interests you the most.
Freedom to Dine Around (Or Dine Around Dinners) are APT's way of allowing you to have an incredible dining experience on your turms. On particular nights, you get to choose where you would like to dine from a selection of 5 different restaurants.
All meals are prepared by onboard chefs. Meals consist
of exotic Asian fare, with Western-style food always available should you desire the more familiar taste of home. Every morning enjoy a lavish breakfast buffet, offering a choice of English, Continental or Asian inspired cuisine. Have your eggs cooked to order at the breakfast bar. Lunch also offers an extensive buffet, with an a la carte dining menu. For dinner enjoy a four-course a la carte feast of Vietnamese & Cambodian cuisine (with equally impressive Western style alternatives available). Soft drink, Beer, Spirits, Coffee and tea are available free of charge throughout
the day and during meals. Regional wine is also included during lunch and dinner on board.
Handicapped facilities on board are limited. River cruise vessels
are not equipped with wheelchair ramps and hallways and doors
may not be wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs. Ships are
equipped with an elevator but it does not access all decks. Additionally,
motorcoaches and minibuses used for transfers and shore excursions
may not be equipped with wheelchair ramps. Any condition requiring
special attention must be reported to APT at the time of booking.
Facilities and services for passengers with disabilities differ among
destinations and, in some cases, may be limited or non-existent.
Participants requiring special assistance must be accompanied by a
person responsible for and physically able to provide such assistance.
Transfers and shore excursions follow a predetermined timetable
and thus participants should have no physical impairment(s) that
would affect the time schedules or interfere with the rights of other
passengers on their holiday. Without limitation, APT and its affiliates
are not responsible for any denial of services by airline carriers,
cruise vessels, hotels, lodges, coaches, local guides, operators
or other independent suppliers.
For your convenience, all purchases and paid services on board
are billed with a guest check and added to your shipboard account.
At the end of the cruise, you will receive a total, which can be paid
with cash or credit card. The ships do not accept payments made
by Diners Club cards.
Citizens of Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom require visas for travel to Vietnam and Cambodia. We will provide up to date information on the process upon receiving your tour enquiry. If you hold a passport from another country, we can also provide information upon enquiry. Alternatively you can contact your embassy. We strongly recommend that you obtain adequate Medical and Travel Insurance before departure. This should cover any unforeseen circumstances which may arise on tour (such as cancellation fees, loss of luggage, early departure from tour due to illness etc.).
The climate on Vietnam is tropical in the south; monsoonal in the north with the hot, rainy season (May to September) and warm, dry season (October to March). The climate in Cambodia is also tropical with the rainy, monsoon season in (May to November) and the dry season (December to April). There is little seasonal temperature variation. We have average temperatures and rainfall listed on every itinerary (look to the right hand side of your screen)
Arrival & Departure Information
Prebooked Transfers
All APT clients travelling on river tours receive a transfer on the first and last day of the tour. This will
be from the airport to/from either the ship or tour hotel. A transfer
is not included, though may be purchased, should you be arriving
or departing on days other than the first and last day of touring.
These additional transfers are only applicable when your
pre and/or post tour arrangements are booked with Global Journeys & APT.
On Your Own Transfers
If you have not arranged an arrival transfer with Global Journeys, make your own way
to the ship or hotel with the help of the information provided in your itinerary. If you have independent travel arrangements
prior to your APT tour and do not have an APT transfer, the Tourist
Information office at your arrival city will be able to offer assistance
with directions to the ship or hotel. If you transfer to the ship on
your own, we recommend you call the ship prior to confirm the
ships docking location.
The APT Office is available in case of an emergency.
Terms & Conditions:
Yep, all the boring small print! We still recommend you read it all though, as no one likes surprises. Click here to read them now - they will open in a new window, or print them off to read over later with a cup of coffee!