Saigon - Siem Reap 8 days with Toum Tiou II cruiser

Description

Tour type: joining - easy

Class: deluxe

Duration: 8 days
Embark/ Disembark: Ho Chi Minh City / Siem Reap or reverse.
Price: from 1295.50 USD/person
Meals planned: B: breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner
Group size: on request (1 - 28 persons)

Highlights: local life and floating markets along the biggest and longest river in Southeast Asia - The Mekong, Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia's temples and pagodas, etc.

Introduction: Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Saigon are the key destinations that we use to offer you trips into lands of disconcerting beauty, with an incomparable historical heritage and legendary traditions. See the Toum Tiou II Cruiser

Note: Toum Tiou cruiser also operates on this route with a little different program and a bit lower price. Please contact us for details.

Itinerary

Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – My Tho (D)

Day 2: My Tho – Cai Be - Vinh Long (B, L, D)

Day 3: Vinh Long – Sa Dec - Chau Doc (B, L, D)

Day 4: Chau Doc - Phnom Penh (B, L, D)

Day 5: Phnom Penh (B, L, D)

Day 6: Phnom Penh - Kampong Tralach (B, L, D)

Day 7: Kampong Tralach - Chnok Tru (B, L, D)

Day 8: Chnok Tru - Siem Reap (B, L)

DETAILED ITINERARY
Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) - My Tho (D)

15:45 Toum Tiou II is open for embarking.

16:00 Clearance of departure formalities.

16:30 Departure for My Tho, security briefing.

19:00 Welcome drink and info meeting about cruise, crew introduction. Welcome dinner. Overnight onboard.

Day 2: My Tho - Cai Be - Vinh Long (B, L, D)
07:00 Departure of the boat early in the morning. Breakfast during navigation on the marvelous canal of Cho Gao.

12:00 Arrival at My Tho – Toum Tiou II drops anchor on river in the proximity of Thoi Son Island.

On the banks of a northern arm of the Mekong, My Tho, which translates as "fragrant herb", where tourists come to discover the beauty of the delta. It's a quiet, prosperous city of about 100,000 inhabitants, famous for its many fruit orchards, gardens and the huge rice fields that surround it. The climate is warm and pleasant year round.

The surrounding countryside is home to one of the most luxuriant gardens of Vietnam, with its coconut palms, banana and mango trees.

Local boats are coming alongside Toum Tiou II to pick up passengers and transfer to the mainland.

Departure for Vinh Trang Pagoda by car - Short panoramic tour of My Tho town on the way, stop for a visit of My Tho market. Return at the pier.

Passengers cruise on the river to Thoi Son Island by local boat to visit the island, explore local people’s daily life and enjoy locally seasonal fruits.

Lunch on board.

18:00 Passengers re-embark Toum Tiou II and leaves My Tho for Cai Be. Dinner and leisure on board.

20:30 Toum Tiou drops anchor at Cai Be.
Day 3: Vinh Long - Sa Dec - Chau Doc (B, L, D)
07:30 Local boats are coming alongside Toum Tiou II, picking up the passengers and cruise around Cai Be Floating market. Continuing for Vinh Long - a brick and pottery factory, the Binh Hoa Phuoc Islet Nursery of Fruit Trees as well a typical house and a show room of traditional farming tools.

Vinh Long, which translates as "Majestic Dragon", is right in the middle of the delta, between two arms of the Mekong. The soil of Vinh Long is enriched by silt deposits, making it ideal for growing mandarins and other citrus fruits. Life is organized around the water. Houses on stilts, hawkers in boats, hundreds of small craft crisscross in all directions. The hospitality of the locals makes it a tourist destination par excellence.

10:30 Return on the Toum Tiou II, departure for Sa Dec. Lunch during navigation.

13:00 Arrival at Sa Dec, Toum Tiou II drops anchor on the river.

14:00 Sa Dec - Short panoramic tour and transfer to Trung Vuong primary school. Continuing to Kien An Cung Pagoda.

Stroll around Sa Dec Market along Sa Dec River bank. This small city of 30,000 inhabitants is fascinating in its unspoiled authenticity and undisturbed by tourists. It provides a glimpse of the delta where a few colonial houses still remain, including the "Chinaman's house" (from Duras' novel "The Lover", also made into a movie).

16:30 Passengers re-embark; Toum Tiou II leaves Sa Dec, dinner whilst navigation on board.

20:30 Drop Anchor.

Day 4: Chau Doc - Phnom Penh (B, L, D)
07:30 Breakfast during navigation to Chau Doc.

09:00 Departure for fish raising rafts and Cham minority village by local boat. Return to the Victoria. If the timing is allowing it, watch of the sunset on the Sam Mountain which peaks at 237 meters. Its well-known Buddhist sanctuaries offer an unobstructed view over the mosaic of glistening rice paddies below. To the left is Cambodia, the flow of the Mekong on the horizon breaks into an infinity of silver ribbons. Visit on the way of the Lady Chua Xu temple and Tay An Pagoda.

12:00 Lunch at Victoria hotel. Facilities include internet access. Departure from Chau Doc after lunch.

15:00 Arrival at Cambodian border, formalities conducted on boat.

23:00 Arrival at Phnom Penh.

Day 5: Phnom Penh (B, L, D)
07:00 Breakfast.
08:00 Half-day city sightseeing tour including the Royal Palace, Wat Phnom and the National Museum.

12.00 Lunch in a local restaurant.

13:30 Departure for the Tuol Sleng Museum, old center of detention, of torture and execution between 1975 and 1979. The visit of this place is essential to understand what could be the fatal madness perpetrated by the Khmer Rouges. Visit Russian market.

19:00 Local group performs on board traditional “APSARA” show for 45 minutes. Dinner on board..
Day 6: Phnom Penh - Kampong Tralach (B, L, D)
07:30 Breakfast, Morning is free for exploration on own. Suggestions can be made up on the interest of passengers. FCC,Russian market, other boutiques (antiques), etc.

12:00 The Toum Tiou II leaves Phnom Penh for Kompong Tralach. Lunch during navigation.

16:00 Arrival at Kampong Tralach to visit its wonderful Vihara belonging to Wat Kampong Tralach Leu pagoda. To get to it, we cross Kampong Tralach Krom village along a small road perpendicular to the river, crossing some gorgeous stretches of emerald rice paddy as we leave the river behind.

The Vihara dates back to early last century. It was probably built on an older site, as indicated by the latérite foundations, and is home to some outstanding mural paintings. These, however, are starting to suffer from weathering. They remain one of the last survivors of cultural destruction that continues unabated due to widespread indifference.

Standing by itself in the middle of rice fields, it is a modest pagoda that receives very few visitors. Its isolation may well be its undoing, as was the case for Wat Tani Pagoda in the province of Kampot.

18:00 Passengers re-embark. The Toum Tiou II drops anchor few miles away. Diner and overnight on board.
Day 7: Kampong Tralach - Chnok Tru (B, L, D)
d07:00 Departure of the Toum Tiou II early in the morning. Sail to Kampong Chnang. Breakfast during navigation.
08:00 Arrival to Kampong Chnang.
Located some 56 miles from Phnom Penh, the town of Kampong Chnang is one of the largest fishing ports on the Tonlé Sap. Fish farming is also widely practiced in the area. The area is famous for its pottery ware, unchanged in style for centuries, which is produced in sufficient quantities to supply the entire country? And not to be overlooked are the products of the Thnot tree (sugar palm – a real national symbol) that abounds in the area: a mellow tasting, caramel-colored sugar sold in large cakes and palm wine.
11:30 Passengers re-embark the Toum Tiou II. Lunch on board on the way to Chnok Tru.
14:00 Arrival at Chnok Tru. Local boats are coming along the Toum Tiou II and picking passengers for the visit of the
biggest floating village on the Tonlé Sap River.
17:00 Passengers re-embark. The Toum Tiou II stays overnight in the proximity of Chnok Tru.
19:30 Farewell cocktail (1 glass of local liquor or juice) with Master of Ship & Cruise Manager
Captain’s farewell dinner. Overnight on board.
Day 8: Chnok Tru - Siem Reap (B, L)
Low Waters

07:00 Breakfast, chartered speedboat is coming along the boat and picks up passengers for crossing the Lake.

12:00 Arrival at Phnom Krom pier (5 miles from Siem Reap)

High Waters

Departure of the Toum Tiou II early in the morning. Time to pack and relax a half a day by crossing the Tonlé Sap Lake.

11:00 Arrival at Phnom Krom pier (5 miles from Siem Reap)

Quotation

Validity	Deck	Net rate in US$/person in
		Single cabin	Double/twin cabin
Oct-Mar	Upper deck	2791	3363
	Main deck	2688	3239
Jun-Sep	Upper deck	2232	2690
	Main deck	2150	2591

Inclusion:

• Full board accommodation, including meals, coffee, tea & drinking water.

• French or English speaking guide.

• Visits mentioned in the program.

• Entrance fees.

• Transportation from departure port to arrival port

See details of services we provide in our tours

Exclusion:

• Personal Travel Insurance.

• Tours & meals other than those mentioned in the program.

• Transfers from/to airport and hotels.

• Personal expenses.

• Gratuities for the crew.

• Transfer from hotel to port and vice-versa.

Schedule

Please contact us mail[at]tuanlinhtravel.com to get the best rate and departure dates.