7 Days Raffles Hotels Siem Reap Phnom Penh on Heritage Line Jayavarman Cruise: While the boat slowly crosses Tonle Lake, you have lunch on board. Get up early to see this amazing water park as it breaks down. The setting is ideal for our morning Tai Chi lesson today. The restaurant offers a breakfast buffet.
Table of Contents
Day 1: Siem Reap
Activities: Arrive in Siem Reap and unwind at the Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor.
Welcome to Siem Reap and to Cambodia.
You will be met by our guide at Siem Reap International Airport and taken to the hotel in the heart of the city. You will have time on your own to explore the city center and get a feel for how vibrant it is after checking in.
Overnight: Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor
Day 2: Siem Reap – Kampong Chhnang – Kampong Cham
Activities: Explore the Tonle Sap, go on a cruise, and take use of the onboard amenities.
High Water: Siem Reap – Tonle River
At our Siem Reap welcome lounge, we meet in the morning. As our crew greets you and gathers your information for the boarding, relax with a drink.
We visit the famous Ankor scenery before traveling a short distance to the Tonle Lake dock. We move to our lovely ship via a local boat, and the crew extends a warm greeting to you as you board. Your fascinating voyage on the Mighty Mekong may start as you check into your ready cabins while the ship is at sea.
While the boat slowly crosses Tonle Lake, you have lunch on board. Only during the high water season (about from the end of July to the middle of November) is it possible to cross the lake. Let your mind wander and your spirit float as the boat crosses.
Following lunch, one of our knowledgeable tour guides will give a lecture on the “Geography of the Mekong and Tonle Sap.” We provide high tea in the open bar in the afternoon. Enjoy your day at sea, unwind on your balcony, or treat yourself to a spa treatment before supper.
In the Tonle River, the boat is moored. You are welcome to attend our nightly movie screening, which features a number of vintage films.
Low Water: Siem Reap – Kampong Cham
At our Siem Reap welcome lounge, we meet in the morning. As our crew greets you and gathers your information for the boarding, relax with a drink.
We then say goodbye to the famous Ankor sight and travel by land south to the town of Kampong Cham, where our ship is waiting for us.
When you arrive, our crew extends a warm welcome and helps you check into your ready staterooms. The restaurant offers a lunch buffet. Take some time to rest and familiarize yourself with all the ship’s amenities.
We take a bus to a nearby school in the afternoon to learn more about the education of the next generation of Cambodians. These kids are always eager to demonstrate their musical and artistic talents, and they will beam at you when you applaud them. We will have the opportunity to see a bamboo bridge that links the mainland to an island because it is low tide. When the water level drops, local communities rebuild the bridge every year.
We head back to the boat. Prior to the restaurant serving dinner, enjoy some alone time. You are welcome to attend our nightly movie screening, which features a number of vintage films.
Meals: Lunch
Overnight: Heritage Line Jayavarman cruise
Day 3: Kampong Chhnang – Kampong Tralach – Kampong Cham
Activities: Take in the scenery, visit a rural area, tour some nearby floating villages, and travel to Kampong Tralach.
High Water: Kampong Chhnang – Kamp. Tralach – Kampong Cham
Get up early to see this amazing water park as it breaks down. The setting is ideal for our morning Tai Chi lesson today. The restaurant offers a breakfast buffet.
We are now in Kampong Chhnang, or the “water world,” where everything is perched on sticks above water-rich ground. The most intriguing element of the Cambodian cruise is this.
To go to the coast, we board a nearby boat. We go by minibus to a neighboring rural community where we do a walking tour. The production of palm sugar and Khmer-style ceramics are two of the local specialties that our guides highlight. You should most definitely bring some home. We see the nearby marshes and floating towns before heading back to the boat.
When everyone is back on board, lunch is served while the boat makes its leisurely way down the Tonle River into Kampong Tralach. On board, a monks’ blessing ritual will provide good vibes and prayers for everyone’s health and happiness.
We arrive to Kampong Tralach by gliding over lush patches of this jungle-like area. Children waving raucously as they bring their animals for a wash in the winding river. By taking a native ox cart trip, you may live to experience all of this life, which is so very different from ours.
When we get back on board, we continue to sail downstream, crossing the Tonle River and Mekong’s confluence. Dinner is served in the dining room after we moor in the middle of the river.
Low Water: Kampong Cham – Oknha Tey – Kampong Chhnang
You will get in shape for the day every morning during our Tai Chi lesson on the sun terrace. Served in the dining room is breakfast.
We go by land this morning to the beautiful Wat Hanchey pre-Angkorian temple (7th century). This compact building offers breathtaking views of the Mekong from its hilltop location near the beach. The modest, vibrant monastery of Wat Nokor is another temple along our journey. Here, we could get the opportunity to joke about with some of the local monks.
We get ready for lunch when we get back to our floating residence before setting out on the Mekong. Our team is eager to demonstrate the range of traditional Khmer clothing to you during the afternoon high tea that is provided.
We reach the Koh Oknha Tey Island. This location in the Mekong River’s center is well known for producing high-end silk goods. By tuk tuk, we travel the island’s workshops and discover how silk is produced, from the tiny silkworms that serve as its source to the final, premium product made of genuine Cambodian silk.
The boat anchors in the middle of the river close to Kampong Chhnang after continuing to cruise for a while and reaching the point where the Mekong and Tonle Rivers merge.
Before dinner, have a drink while admiring the wonderful marshes of this lovely locale.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Heritage Line Jayavarman cruise
Day 4: Kampong Cham
Activities: Visit the pre-Angkorian temple Wat Hanchey, take in a blessing ceremony, observe Mekong riverside life, tour the island’s workshops, discover how silk is made from the ground up, etc.
High Water: Kampong Cham – Okhna Tey – Phnom Penh
After a delicious breakfast, we take a bus to a nearby school to learn more about the education of the next generation of Cambodians (the project is funded by an NGO). These kids are always eager to demonstrate their musical and artistic talents, and they will beam at you when you applaud them. We go farther on the road till we reach the beautiful pre-Angkorian temple of Wat Hanchey (7th century). With breathtaking views of the Mekong, this modest complex is perched on a hill just a short distance from the water.
We offer lunch back aboard the ship after a little period of relaxation. Our team is eager to demonstrate the range of traditional Khmer clothing to you in the afternoon. As the cruise makes its way to its next destination, have high tea while seeing the Mekong’s riverside inhabitants. We reach the Koh Oknha Tey Island. This location in the Mekong River’s center is well known for producing high-end silk goods. By tuk tuk, we travel the island’s workshops and discover how silk is produced, from the tiny silkworms that serve as its source to the final, premium product made of genuine Cambodian silk.
The boat comes and docks at the Phnom Penh port after even more cruise time. After supper, feel free to go on your first solo adventure. Drink at one of the many pubs or stroll along the river promenade and see the residents chatting and selling trinkets (kindly inform our crew once you are leaving the ship on your own).
Low Water: Kampong Chhnang – Kamp. Tralach – Phnom Penh
Get up early to see this amazing water park as it breaks down. The setting is ideal for our morning Tai Chi lesson today. The restaurant offers a breakfast buffet. We are now in Kampong Chhnang, or the “water world,” where everything is perched on sticks above water-rich ground.
To go to the coast, we board a nearby boat. We go by minibus to a neighboring rural community where we do a walking tour. The production of palm sugar and Khmer-style ceramics are two of the local specialties that our guides highlight. You should most definitely bring some home. We see the nearby marshes and floating towns before heading back to the boat.
When everyone is back on board, lunch is served while the boat makes its leisurely way down the Tonle River into Kampong Tralach. On board, a monks’ blessing ritual will provide good vibes and prayers for everyone’s health and happiness.
We arrive to Kampong Tralach by gliding over lush patches of this jungle-like area. Children waving raucously as they bring their animals for a wash in the winding river. By taking a native ox cart trip, you may live to experience all of this life, which is so very different from ours.
The boat arrives at the Phnom Penh dock after some more cruise time. After supper, feel free to go on your first solo adventure. Drink at one of the many pubs or stroll along the river promenade and see the residents chatting and selling trinkets (kindly inform our crew once you are leaving the ship on your own).
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Heritage Line Jayavarman cruise
Day 5: Phnom Penh
Activities:
Tour the city of Phnom Penh, take in the sights, stop at the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, view Khmer crafts, travel to the Killing Field, and participate in a variety of cultural events.
Welcome to Phnom Penh, once known as the Eastern Paris. It has kept much of its rustic elegance and charm despite its fast expansion. The great history and culture of this town, which can still be sensed at many street corners, spans centuries.
After breakfast, our full sightseeing trip begins. After the S21 jail, which is situated in the middle of the city, we take a bus to the Killing Fields. Both historical sites depict the tragic and horrific period in Khmer history when the Khmer Rouge terrorized and suppressed the population. It might be heartbreaking since such sites have hardly altered since the terrible period in the early 1970s. An option would be to independently tour the city in the morning before rejoining the group.
We have lunch at a beautiful restaurant in the city. The remarkable cultural legacy of Phnom Penh is thus the main focus of our tour of the city. Highlights of the day include the magnificent Khmer crafts at the National Museum and the golden Royal Palace with its Silver Pagoda. The day tour concludes with a “cyclo” ride through the busy streets of downtown Phnom Penh returning to the ship.
Before our captivating evening events begin, relax in your roomy cabin or join other travelers in the bar for some refreshing drinks:
It starts with a selection of beverages offered at the open bar or on the sun terrace. We go to the lounge, where a professor from the Royal University of Phnom Penh is preparing a fascinating presentation about modern history in Cambodia. Given that our speaker had a personal connection to the previous King of Cambodia and many other high-ranking politicians, learning first-hand information was undoubtedly one of the highlights of our voyage.
Following the talk, a BBQ feast is served on the sun terrace. An Apsara dance performance takes place before supper. You must see this dance to appreciate its richness and brightness, as well as the calming effects of traditional music.
Enjoy your dinner and a nice bottle of wine as the evening winds down while taking in Phnom Penh’s skyline and the tranquil Tonle River’s flow.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Heritage Line Jayavarman cruise
Day 6: Phnom Penh
Activities: Upon leaving the ship, make your way to your hotel in Phnom Penh.
We said goodbye to our Serenity Cruise passenger after breakfast. Transfer to the Raffles Le Royal, Phnom Penh hotel to complete check-in.
Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Raffles Hotel Le Royal
Day 7: Phnom Penh
Activities: Drive straight to the airport for your flight out.
You have the entire day free to enjoy your last moments in Phnom Penh before heading straight to the airport for your flight out. We appreciate you coming along with us on the trip.
Meals: Breakfast
