RV Mekong Pandaw Cruise 8 days 7 nights : Saigon – Siem Reap

Transfer from Saigon to the river port for boarding. After lunch, we will travel by sampans through the mangroves and bamboo forests to the orchards of Ben Tre. This is a bird-rich area that we will explore using local transport before being transferred to a local rowing boat. We will travel slowly through bamboo-covered canals before arriving at a village specializing in the production of local products. In the evening, you will see a Vietnamese dance troupe on deck.

Please note that transfers are only available for central Saigon hotels and surcharges will be applied for private transfers or transfers from hotels outside of District 1 and District 3.

Sailing in the delta offers a true glimpse of life along this vast waterway. After lunch, a short coach ride through the lush countryside to the green oasis of Gao Giong, a 1,000-acre eucalyptus forest and listed nature reserve. Here, a diverse selection of waterfowl and egrets congregate in the tens of thousands on the Dong Thap Muoi or “plain of reeds”. Rowing boats cross the canals to take us to see the main nesting areas, where photo opportunities abound.

Dong Thap Muoi

We go along the picturesque border town of Chau Doc where we visit floating markets and fish farms by sampan. We stop at a Cham village and observe the life of Vietnamese Muslims before taking minivans for a short ride to Sam Mountain, where the Phuoc Dien Tu or Hang Pagoda is located. Furthermore, we will visit the pagoda after climb the 400 steps to the top. Back on the boat, we navigate a network of canals before dropping anchor at the Vietnam-Cambodia border to undergo immigration formalities.

Hang Pagoda

In the morning, orientation of Phnom Penh by cyclo, visit of the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda, then of the National Museum with its marvelous collection of Angkorian statues. In the afternoon, we visit the Killing Fields and the Genocide Museum to learn about the brutal Khmer Rouge regime. Night in the port of Phnom Penh, with its bars, restaurants and lively nightlife.

Royal Palace – Phnom Penh

Free morning in Phnom Penh, with its café life and its many elegant shops. After lunch, we will travel up the winding canals of the Tonle Sap River to Kampong Tralach. We travel by ox cart through riverside villages, markets and temples to get a sense of life along the river. In the evening, cocktails are served around a village fire, where we will be joined by villagers eager to show us their traditional dances and introduce us to the delicious Khmer culture.

In the morning, travel by coach to the ancient capital of Cambodia, Oudong. Along the way, we stop to visit the Vipassana Dhura meditation center before taking a tour of the ancient capital. We join our boat at Prek Kdam before returning to the Mekong. After lunch, we sail to Silk Island to study the whole process of silk making, from worms to weavers. We visit silk manufacturers and can buy their beautiful silk scarves and other fabrics from them. This village is a center of the ancient martial art of Bokator, which roughly translates to “striking a lion”. This art, which includes techniques for handling weapons, is one of the oldest combat techniques in Cambodia and dates back to the empire of Angkor.

Weaving – Silk Island

Sunrise cruise to Angkor Ban village to see how local villagers live and visit the library donated by Pandaw to Angkor Ban Secondary School.
NOTE: If you would like to donate books, please bring English language children’s books (suitable for ages 8-15) which you can personally donate to the library.
In the afternoon, we sail north to Wat Hanchey, an important center of worship during the Chenla period, located on a hilltop above the mighty Mekong River, with one of the best views from the Mekong to Cambodia. Visit 8th century structures, some of which were destroyed by American bombing during the Vietnam War.

Wat Hanchey

Disembark and travel by coach from Kampong Cham through stunningly beautiful countryside to reach Siem Reap, next to Angkor Wat.