Mekong Discovery (Northbound)

Your Suite Ship® is Ready for Boarding. Transfer to the port in the heart of Ho Chi Minh on the Saigon River for embarkation. Get acquainted with the ship and relax before your welcome reception and dinner this evening.

AFTERNOON/EVENING CRUISE TO VINH LONG

Sweets, Sampans, and Sun Hats.

• Discovery: Board a sampan this morning to visit a local workshop in Vinh Long where you will see how rice paper, rice wine, and traditional candies are made.
• Discovery: This afternoon, enjoy scenes of daily life on Cu Lao Gieng Island via sampan and local motor cart. Your Guided Excursion starts at a local workshop, where a skilled family hand - crafts sampan boats. Then, visit the home of a local family that makes Vietnamese conical hats, or “Non la,” from materials available to them such as palm leaves and bamboo. These iconic hats are primarily used as protection from the sun and rain, but you may also see them used as a basket to carry home goods from the market. Lastly, stop at one of Vietnam's oldest Catholic churches.

AFTERNOON/EVENING CRUISE TO CHAU DOC.

Colorful markets, Charming Locals, and Cotton Weavers.

• Discovery: In Chau Doc take a Guided Walk through the local market and absorb the atmosphere as locals are busy buying and selling fish, meat, and produce. Then embark on a River Excursion down the backwaters of the Mekong. Along the way, see traditional floating homes, speedboat merchants, religious sites, a market selling dried goods, and more.
• Discovery: After lunch, a sampan brings you to the village of Long Khanh A for a Cotton-Weaving Demonstration of a well-preserved artisan's tradition.

Return to the ship to set sail for the Cambodian border. On board, we cross the border at Vinh Xuong International Land and River Border Gate in Vietnam and Kaam Samnor in Cambodia.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO PHNOM PENH

The Royal Treatment

• Classic: Take a City Tour of this Cambodian capital by private cyclo to visit the Royal Palace with the spectacular Silver Pagoda, and the National Museum featuring an outstanding display of Khmer artifacts.

The remainder of the day is yours to enjoy the city at your leisure. Just before dinner, children from a local orphanage will perform a show featuring local song and dance.

A Dark History or Market Dynamics

• Classic: This morning, a Guided Visit of the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and one of the Killing Fields offers a glimpse into the atrocities inflicted on the Cambodian people by the Khmer Rouge regime, OR:
• Discovery: Visit the lively Central Market by tuk-tuk to see its unique Art Deco design.

After lunch, depart Phnom Penh and enjoy some time at leisure on the ship.

AFTERNOON/EVENING CRUISE TO WAT HANCHEY.

Water Blessings and Back-to-School Adventures

• Discovery: Visit Wat Hanchey, a hilltop temple dating back to the 8th century. Climb or be driven to the top where you will enjoy stunning views of the surrounding area and partake in a traditional water blessing given by local monks.
• Discovery: After lunch, enjoy a Walking Tour through the rural village of Angkor Ban. Here, you will visit a traditional Khmer house and interact with children at a local school.

EVENING/OVERNIGHT CRUISE TO KONPONG LOUANG

Calm in the Cambodian Countryside.

• Discovery: Start your Guided Sightseeing at the silversmith village in Konpong Louang. Here, see talented craftsmen use age-old techniques to turn pure silver into works of art. In Kampong Tralach board an ox cart for a ride through the beautiful Cambodian countryside. Along the way, stop to meet a local farmer and learn about his daily life.

This afternoon, enjoy scenic cruising on the Tonle River.

EVENING CRUISE TO PHNOM PENH

Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.