Expedition Cruise: Ho Chi Minh City > Phnom Penh

We will meet you at the designated meeting point in Ho Chi Minh City and escort you by air-conditioned coach to the Marina My Tho dock, where your voyage aboard Aqua Mekong begins. Step into your floating sanctuary, where floor-to-ceiling windows reveal panoramic riverscapes. Unwind in the privacy of your design suite—whether from the comfort of your California King bed, private terrace, or daybed—as the Mekong quietly unveils its magic.​

Travel by skiff along Bassac Canal to the vibrant border town of Chau Doc where we will take a rickshaw called xe loi for a ride around the local town and market. We head off by van to Long Son Pagoda for a panoramic view atop Sam Mountain. Ask the monks about their age-old Mahayana Buddhist practices. Return via the bustling morning market. Optional 18-kilometer bike ride on Long Khanh Island to see paddy fields and get a snippet of local life. After lunch, relax by the pool or try a traditional Khmer massage while we cross the border.​

On this river of time, we admire dexterous Khmer artisans dyeing and weaving kroma, the ubiquitous fabric no Khmer lives without. Explore the riverbank on two wheels if you wish, past Buddhist temples and thatch houses perched on spindly wooden stilts while white oxen wade just offshore. After lunch, we board our marine-grade aluminum skiffs and head towards the tamarind shores of Preah Prosop—a remote village that has remained​

We introduce guests to the vibrant Cambodian capital by motorized tuktuk, with stops at the Royal Palace, Silver​ Pagoda and the National Museum of Cambodia, home to the world’s largest collection of Khmer art. For those​ interested, we visit the Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocide or explore the bustling stalls of the Russian Market. We bid​ farewell to 4-night guests who are disembarking in Phnom Penh.​Return to welcome our 3-night guests over custom sundowners like the Salted Watermelon Crush with Thai basil. Together we celebrate the onward journey towards the heart of the mighty Mekong River with a Khmer Apsara​ performance, an indigenous tradition memorialized on the temple walls at Angkor Wat.

In the renowned silversmith village of Koh Chen, we watch artisans produce the magnificent silverware favored by Khmer royalty. We continue to Udong, the royal capital from the 17-19th centuries, where we learn about a uniquely challenging Buddhist practice at the Vipassana Dhura Meditation Center. In the afternoon, a walking tour of Kampong Prasat offers a close-up perspective on local lives and their riverside environment.​

In the cooler hours of the morning, we head out on skiffs to visit traditional potters and palm sugar producers in the village of Andong Russei. There’ll be a chance to explore while riding mountain bikes or chauffeured by tuk-tuks. We’ll pedal through rice paddies to watch climbers scale the sky-piercing palms towering over us. After a cooking demonstration followed by lunch, there’ll be more opportunities to bike through the countryside, go fishing, and discover the floating village of Kampong Tralach aboard skiffs. Finally, we’ll end the day with kayaking along the Tonle Sap and sundowners by the riverbank.​

Customized exploration of Phnom Penh and disembarkation. For those interested, visit the Sosoro Museum of Economy and Money, the serene Wat Phnom hill, or the bustling Centre Market. Guests wishing to continue their Cambodian journey to Siem Reap and the ancient lost city of Angkor Wat enjoy a complimentary flight extension, including a shared transfer to Phnom Penh Airport.​