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Lower Mekong Discovery
4-day Lower Mekong cruise from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh aboard Jayavarman with Delta villages and border context.
Best Price Guarantee
Best Price Guarantee
Length
4 Days
Ship category
Luxury
Ship type
Small Ships
Capacity
54 guests in 27 staterooms and suites Passengers
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Jayavarman is Heritage Line's art-filled Lower Mekong ship for travelers who want Vietnam and Cambodia with comfort, context and a strong sense of place. She carries 54 guests in 27 balcony cabins: Superior Staterooms on the main deck, Deluxe Staterooms on the upper deck and two Signature Suites at the front of the ship. Cabins are 20 to 27 sqm, with air conditioning, private balcony, bathroom, minibar, safe and Wi-Fi when the network allows. The ship feels like a floating gallery: Khmer sculpture, French-colonial references, carved wood, local textiles and a warm, lived-in atmosphere. On boar … Read more about Jayavarman
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Bar
Private Balcony
Observation Deck
Pool
Eco friendly
Room Safe
Hot water
Observation Lounge
All meals
Spa
Air conditioning & private bathroom
Library
English guides
Internet/Wifi
Butler Service
Sundeck with jacuzzi
Restaurant
Jayavarman takes food seriously. Expect Asian, Khmer, Vietnamese, fusion and Western dishes, daily changing dinners, breakfast and lunch buffets, live cooking, an open kitchen, barbecue evenings, afternoon tea and balcony breakfast. Dietary requests can usually be handled with advance notice.
When booking online, you can choose the option to "Upgrade to single occupancy". This will guarantee you the whole cabin to yourself, for an additional fee. If you don't select this option, then another traveler of the same sex might be placed into the same cabin with you. Exceptions may apply.
Accommodation aboard the ship, meals as listed in the itinerary, guided excursions, entrance fees for included visits, selected transfers listed by the operator, onboard talks, and the ship team's services.
International flights, visas, travel insurance, optional excursions, drinks beyond the included meal program, personal expenses, laundry, gratuities, and transfers not listed as included.
The river is the route, so water levels, border procedures, and local conditions can change the order or exact content of excursions.
Expect heat, humidity, stairs, uneven ground, small boats or local transport, and active days ashore.
Casual clothing is appropriate throughout. For temples and sacred places, shoulders and knees should be covered.
These are small-ship journeys with strong destination access, not resort-style cruises with large cabins or nightly entertainment.
Long-haul flights and the on-the-ground program generate 1.2 t CO₂e on this trip. Rivertours regularly measures and monitors the carbon footprint of its journeys and actively reduces emissions through sustainable travel design: no unnecessary flights, fewer feeder flights, integration of rail and public transport, and promoting longer stays for a more balanced relationship between travel distance and impact.
From 2018 to 2024, we supported carbon reduction projects equivalent to the emissions generated. Recognizing the limits of traditional offsetting, we now focus on active environmental protection through our own rainforest project, Forest Guardians.
More information on our climate and environmental responsibility: https://www.venturatravel.org/impact
No, we do not own or run the boats. Rivertours is an independent platform. We scout the market to find, compare, and vet smaller, independent boat operators (such as local boutique vessels, traditional wooden ships, or hotel barges). We act as your single point of contact to make sure you book a high-quality, authentic trip at the operator's direct price, with none of the usual booking fees.
Every single boat listed on Rivertours—whether Standard or Luxury—must meet our strict quality charter. This means that regardless of the price, all our trips guarantee small passenger capacities (8 to 40 guests), direct booking with vetted local operators, authentic regional stops, and zero mass-tourism compromises.
The difference between the two tiers lies strictly in the onboard amenities and level of physical comfort: Rivertours Standard: These vessels focus on comfort and simplicity. Cabins are clean, functional, and compact, featuring everything you need for a comfortable night’s sleep. The onboard atmosphere is active and down-to-earth. It is the perfect choice for travelers who prioritize the destination, want to spend their days exploring or on the sun deck, and appreciate a rustic, highly authentic travel style at an accessible price.
Rivertours Luxury / Premium: While keeping our signature casual, small-scale atmosphere (with absolutely no heavy corporate dress codes or pompous treatment), these boats offer a higher level of material refinement. Cabins are more spacious (often featuring larger windows or private balconies), the linen and bedding are premium, the crew-to-guest ratio is higher, and the onboard meals feature upscale regional gastronomy. Choose this option if you want a deeper sense of relaxation and refined amenities between your daily shore excursions.
Every single boat listed on Rivertours—whether Standard or Luxury—must meet our strict quality charter. This means that regardless of the price, all our trips guarantee small passenger capacities (8 to 40 guests), direct booking with vetted local operators, authentic regional stops, and zero mass-tourism compromises.
The difference between the two tiers lies strictly in the onboard amenities and level of physical comfort:
Rivertours Standard: These vessels focus on comfort and simplicity. Cabins are clean, functional, and compact, featuring everything you need for a comfortable night’s sleep. The onboard atmosphere is active and down-to-earth. It is the perfect choice for travelers who prioritize the destination, want to spend their days exploring or on the sun deck, and appreciate a rustic, highly authentic travel style at an accessible price.
Rivertours Luxury / Premium: While keeping our signature casual, small-scale atmosphere (with absolutely no heavy corporate dress codes or pompous treatment), these boats offer a higher level of material refinement. Cabins are more spacious (often featuring larger windows or private balconies), the linen and bedding are premium, the crew-to-guest ratio is higher, and the onboard meals feature upscale regional gastronomy. Choose this option if you want a deeper sense of relaxation and refined amenities between your daily shore excursions.
It depends on the river, but natural seasons dictate river navigation:
Water Levels: Rivers rely on rain and mountain runoff. High water can sometimes prevent boats from passing under low bridges, while low water can prevent navigation in shallower sections. Lock Maintenance: Many rivers close entirely at specific times of the year for scheduled infrastructure repairs (for example, the Douro closes from mid-December to early March). Our Advice: We list clear sailing seasons for each destination (usually Spring and Autumn) and give you honest updates on water conditions before you book.
When booking a river cruise, understanding cabin layouts is crucial. Unlike massive ocean ships, river vessels have absolute physical limits: they must fit through narrow locks, cruise under low bridges, and navigate tight river bends. Because of these constraints, cabins on river boats are generally compact (usually ranging from 11 to 22 square meters / 120 to 240 sq ft).
To help you configure your booking, here is a factual breakdown of the three main cabin types you will find on small-ship river cruises.
Standard Cabins (Lower Deck / Porthole or Fixed Windows) These cabins are located on the lowest passenger deck of the boat, which sits partially below the river's water level.
The Window Setup: They feature small, rectangular windows or circular portholes located high up on the cabin wall. For obvious safety reasons, these windows cannot be opened. The Reality: Standard cabins are the most budget-friendly option. While they receive less natural light than upper decks, they have the exact same footprint, beds, and private bathrooms. They are highly quiet, stable, and generally remain cooler in the hot summer months. Our Advice: If you plan to spend your day on the sun deck or exploring villages on shore, standard cabins offer the best value-for-money, as you will essentially only use the room to sleep.
French Balcony Cabins (Middle / Upper Decks) This is the most common cabin type featured on modern European boutique river boats.
The Window Setup: A French balcony is not a walk-out balcony. It consists of floor-to-ceiling glass doors that slide open horizontally. A safety railing is fixed directly behind the open glass. The Reality: While you cannot step outside, sliding the doors open turns your entire cabin into an open-air viewing area. It provides excellent ventilation, plenty of natural light, and unobstructed views of the riverbank. The Space Trap: Because a French balcony does not extend outside the hull of the boat, it does not use up any of your interior cabin space, leaving you with more room inside to move around.
Suite / Private Walk-Out Balcony Cabins True step-out balconies are rare on smaller river ships and classic hotel barges because the physical width of a river boat is strictly limited.
The Window Setup: These premier cabins feature a small, private outdoor veranda with space for two chairs and a drinks table. The Reality: Because the boat’s exterior width is fixed, any space allocated to an outdoor balcony is space taken away from the interior of your cabin. As a result, standard walk-out balcony cabins on rivers can sometimes feel narrower inside than French balcony cabins. When to book: Choose a suite or a walk-out balcony only if you highly value private, quiet outdoor time or if you are booking a high-end ship where the master suites are specifically engineered with a wider footprint.
Price
Upon Request
Vietnamese Delta workshops, markets, and local boats
Phnom Penh's royal, Buddhist, and modern city context
Cambodian village life, silk, silver, pottery, or rural transport depending on route
Tonle Sap or border-river geography that changes with water and direction
Best Price Guarantee: Find a better price elsewhere, and we’ll match it.
River Cruise Specialists: We focus exclusively on river expeditions, with recommendations grounded in first-hand expertise.
Travel that gives back: Every booking directly supports rainforest conservation project.
The Lower Mekong is not one country and not one story. It is Delta workshops, floating communities, border formalities, Phnom Penh's beauty and difficult memory, Tonle Sap water levels, silk villages, markets, and a river that still moves people, food, work, and belief.
This 4-day journey aboard Jayavarman follows the Lower Mekong Discovery Cruise: Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh route. The ship gives you comfort and calm between days ashore, but the strongest moments happen off the gangway: local boats, workshops, markets, village walks, cyclo rides, temples, and the practical rhythm of life along the Mekong.
Choose this trip if you want Southeast Asia by river with real cultural texture. It is not ideal if you want a resort-style cruise where the destination stays safely in the background.
Keep in mind this is an expedition-style river journey, so the exact itinerary can change with weather, river levels, wildlife activity, and local safety conditions.
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Start in Ho Chi Minh City, then leave the city by road for My Tho, where the ship enters the Mekong Delta. The first afternoon is deliberately simple: settle in, watch the river widen, and let the pace change from traffic to water. As the ship moves toward the Tan Phong area, the Delta begins to show itself as a working place of fruit gardens, fish farms, boats and low river islands. This is not the main action day yet, but it sets the frame.
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This is the day when the Delta stops being a map and becomes a set of hands at work. Local boats take you to Cai Be and Tan Phong Island, with rice paper, coconut sweets, fruit gardens and water-hyacinth weaving giving the morning real texture. Later, Sa Dec adds market life, Chinese-Vietnamese heritage and the old Huynh Thuy Le house. It is busy in the best way: food, craft, literature, trade and everyday river movement in one day.
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Gieng Island is a useful counterpoint to the better-known Delta towns. Mango groves, incense making, boatbuilding and local homes show a quieter, more practical side of the river. After the visit, the ship handles the Vietnam-Cambodia border formalities while you use the afternoon to watch the landscape change. This is a transition day, but not a dead day. The border reminds you that the Mekong connects countries as much as it separates them.
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The route closes in Phnom Penh, where the Mekong meets a capital shaped by royal history, Buddhist life, colonial streets, markets and difficult twentieth-century memory. Depending on timing, the day is mostly breakfast, leaving the ship and onward travel. Still, it matters where you arrive. Phnom Penh gives the journey a serious final note: the river has led from Delta farms and islands into one of Southeast Asia's most layered cities.
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