8 Days Downstream Siem Reap Saigon on RV Bassac Pandaw Cruise: Sailing downstream all morning, with lectures and film presentations, past Phnom Penh and up the Tonle River to board our expedition vessel, the Pandaw Explorer, to visit Koh Okhna Tey, or’silk island. During the immobile period at the Vietnam border for formalities, there is an optional tour of the functioning ship and fruit carving courses on deck.
Table of Contents
Day 1: Siem Reap – Kampong Cham
Activities: Transfer from the Saigon meeting location to the My Tho Port. After boarding your Pandaw, we cruise to Ben Tre and moor in the middle of the river.
There is an afternoon lecture about Vietnamese living in the Mekong Delta. During the cocktail hour, travelers are entertained by a troupe of native dancers and introduced to the important personnel.
VICTORIA ANGKOR RESORT & SPA
Registration is at 11.00am
Central Park,
Siem Reap Town,
Kingdom of Cambodia.
Meals: Dinner
Overnight: RV Bassac Pandaw Cruise
Day 2: Wat Hanchey – OBT Chiro Village – Wat Nokor Bachey
Activities: Explore the dolphin habitat
Sunrise sail to Wat Hanchey, a significant center of devotion during the Chenla era perched on a hill above the great Mekong River with some of Cambodia’s finest Mekong vistas.
Visit buildings from the eighth century, some of which were damaged by American bombardment during the Vietnam War. Notable for its peculiar Fruit and Animal figurines.
After lunch, we take a bus to the nearby OBT Chiro Village, where the education of the local children is a top priority. To enhance the skill sets of local youngsters, pre-hospitality training courses, plastic recycling, beekeeping, farming, and handicraft skill initiatives are established. Then, we proceed to the Wat Nokor Bachey, which dates back to the era of Jayarvaman VII. Built entirely from Black Sandstone, it stands out from other temples constructed around the same time period. According to Greek tradition, this structure was constructed by a monarch who accidentally murdered his father and then married his mother. This shrine was constructed as atonement for his wrongdoing.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Bassac Pandaw Cruise
Day 3: Koh Oknha Tey
Activities: Up the Tonle River via Phnom Penh to board our adventure vessel.
Sailing downstream all morning, with lectures and film presentations, past Phnom Penh and up the Tonle River to board our expedition vessel, the Pandaw Explorer, to visit Koh Okhna Tey, or’silk island,’ in order to examine the entire silk production process, from silkworms to weavers. There will be a display of Bokator, an ancient Khmer combat technique. Return to the ship and return down the Tonle River to the confluence with the Mekong. Evening presentation about Angkor and Cambodian culture.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Bassac Pandaw Cruise
Day 4: Phnom Penh
Activities: Explore the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, then the National Museum.
Orientation of Phnom Penh by cyclo, seeing the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, followed by the National Museum’s magnificent collection of Angkorian statues. Optional afternoon excursion to the Killing Fields and Genocide museum or tuk-tuk tour of the riverside, followed by High Tea at the Raffles Hotel. Overnight in the Phnom Penh city harbor with its vibrant bars and restaurants.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Bassac Pandaw Cruise
Day 5: Tan Chau
Activities: Visit a Taoist shrine in the intricate canal system of Tan Chau before setting sail towards the Vietnam border.
During the immobile period at the Vietnam border for formalities, there is an optional tour of the functioning ship and fruit carving courses on deck. Explore the labyrinthine canal system surrounding Tan Chau in the afternoon to visit a Taoist temple where monks will tell your fate. Visit a fish farm and gain merit by releasing fish back into the Mekong before continuing via local villages near Xi Loi, pausing to assist people in tending to their farms.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Bassac Pandaw Cruise
Day 6: Con Phuoc Island
Activities: Sail along a short canal to Con Phuoc Island, where you will anchor and disembark to tour the island by tuk-tuk, viewing basket manufacture and visiting a 100-year-old Catholic church.
Morning navigation up a short canal to a mooring off Con Phuoc Island, followed by tuk-tuk exploration of the island to view basket manufacture, a 100-year-old Catholic church, and local woodworkers.
After a brief river cruise in the afternoon, we take a short coach ride to Gao Giong’s “green paradise” and bird refuge. Here, tens of thousands of water birds and egrets congregate in the Duong Tharp Muoi, often known as the ‘Plain of Reeds’. The canals are traversed by rowboats in order to reach the primary nesting locations.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Bassac Pandaw Cruise
Day 7: Ben Tre
Activities: Through mangroves and bamboo gardens, sampans will transport you to the fruit orchards of Ben Tre.
After breakfast, the ship moors off the island of Cho Lach for a lesson in creating traditional Banh Xeo and further views of Delta life, farmland, and native Vietnamese hospitality. After returning to the boat, we proceed downstream to Ben Tre. Where we sail by sampan through mangroves and bamboo gardens to reach Ben Tre’s fruit farms. These local artists invite guests inside their homes for tea, fruit, and honey delicacies created with their own honey. This region is teeming with avian life, and on the way back we ride by horse-drawn cart through the verdant countryside.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Bassac Pandaw Cruise
Day 8: My Tho – Saigon
Activities: Sail from Cai Be to My Tho, inspect the cabin, and return to Saigon’s embarkation point.
Anchor at My Tho for transfer by road to Saigon.
Transfer by coach to the InterContinental Asiana Saigon Hotel, arriving between 9.30 and 10.00 am.
Meals: Breakfast
