8 Days Downstream Siem Reap Saigon on RV Tonle Pandaw Cruise: We will cruise to Wat Hanchey an important heart of worship during the Chenla period located on top of a hill above the mighty Mekong River with some of the best Mekong views in Cambodia. We will visit 8th-century structures some destroyed by American bombings during the Vietnam War. We will get to famous bizarre Fruit and Animal statues.
Table of Contents
Day 1: Siem Reap – Kampong Cham
Activities: Transfering to the ship at Kampong Cham
We will embark on your Pandaw at Kampong Cham following a road transfer from Siem Reap (Angkor). The ship will proceed upstream to moor midstream for cocktails and to meet the key crew.
Please note: between mid of February and the end of March we will expect low water levels. Alternate itineraries and excursions will apply should we not be able to reach Kratie and the river dolphins.
REGISTRATION DETAILS
VICTORIA ANGKOR RESORT & SPA
Registration at 11.00 am
Central Park,
Siem Reap Town,
Kingdom of Cambodia.
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Tonle Pandaw Cruise Ship
Day 2: Wat Hanchey – OBT Chiro Village – Wat Nokor Bachey
Activities: Visiting Koh Trong Island and the dolphin grounds
We will cruise to Wat Hanchey an important heart of worship during the Chenla period located on top of a hill above the mighty Mekong River with some of the best Mekong views in Cambodia. We will visit 8th-century structures some destroyed by American bombings during the Vietnam War. We will get to famous bizarre Fruit and Animal statues.
We will cruise back downstream to Kampong Cham where after lunch we travel by Bus to the local OBT Chiro Village where the education of local children is high on the agenda. We will then travel to the Wat Nokor Bachey dating back to the Jayarvaman VII period. Built completely from Black Sandstone which makes it stand out from other temples built during this period. Many legends surround this complex, including that it was built by a king who accidentally killed his father and then married his mother. This temple was built in penance for his crime.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Tonle Pandaw Cruise Ship
Day 3: Koh Oknha Tey
Activities: Passing Phnom Penh and going up the Tonle River to board our expedition ship
We will sail downstream all morning with lectures and film presentations, pass Phnom Penh, and go up the Tonle River to board our expedition ship, the Pandaw Explorer to visit Koh Okhna Tey, or ‘silk island’ to study the entire silk-making process from worms to weavers. We will get to see a demonstration of the ancient Khmer martial art of Bokator.
We will come back to the ship and return down the Tonle River to turn up the Mekong at the confluence. Evening lecture on Angkor and Khmer culture.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Tonle Pandaw Cruise Ship
Day 4: Phnom Penh
Activities: Visiting highlights of Phom Penh
In the morning, we will head to Phnom Penh by cyclo to visit the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, the National Museum with its marvelous collection of Angkorian statuary. In the afternoon, we will be able to visit the Killing Fields and Genocide museum or take a tuk-tuk to discover the riverfront and finish with High Tea at Raffles Hotel. We will stay overnight in Phnom Penh city port with its lively bars, restaurants, and night life.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Tonle Pandaw Cruise Ship
Day 5: Tan Chau
Activities: Sail to the Vietnam border for formalities, relaxing, or taking an optional tour, visiting to Tan Chau
We will early sail to the Vietnam border for formalities and during this stationary period, there will be an optional tour of the working ship and fruit carving classes on deck. In the afternoon, we will discover the labyrinthine canal system around Tan Chau to visit a Taoist temple where the monks will read fortunes. We will continue through local villages by Xi Loi stopping off to help locals tend their fields before stopping off to visit a fish farm and earn merit by releasing fish back into the Mekong.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Tonle Pandaw Cruise Ship
Day 6: Con Phuoc Island
Activities: Visiting Con Phuoc island and Gao Giong ‘green oasis’ with its bird sanctuary
In the morning, we will sail up a small canal to moor off Con Phuoc Island and go ashore to discover the island by tuk-tuk to see basket production and visit a 100-year-old Catholic Church and local woodworking artisans.
After a short cruise downstream in the afternoon, we will take a short coach trip where we visit Gao Giong’s ‘green oasis’ with its bird sanctuary. We will get to see a diverse selection of water birds and egrets that gather in the tens of thousands across the Duong Tharp Muoi or ‘Plain of Reeds’. Rowing boats will traverse the canals to take us to see the principal nesting areas.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Tonle Pandaw Cruise Ship
Day 7: Ben Tre
Activities: Discovering local life, Taking a horse cart through the countryside
After breakfast, the ship will be moored off Cho Lach island for pot making and further glimpses of Delta life, agriculture, and local Viet hospitality. Here, we will join a culinary lesson in making traditional banh Xeo (Vietnamese pancake). Upon return to the boat, we will take a cruise downstream to Ben Tre. Here, we will travel by sampans through mangroves and bamboo groves to the orchards of Ben Tre. The local artisans will be at work and invite visitors into their homes for tea, fruit, and honey products made from their own honey. This is an area rich in bird life and on our return journey, we will take a horse cart through the lush countryside.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: RV Tonle Pandaw Cruise Ship
Day 8: My Tho – Saigon
Activities: Sailing from Cai Be for My Tho, checking out the cabin, and transferring to Saigon by road
In the early morning, we will sail from Cai Be for My Tho, where we will disembark for a coach transfer to Saigon.
Note: Transferring by coach to the InterContinental Asiana Saigon Hotel, arriving around 09.30 – 10.00.
Meals: Breakfast
