Along the way…
Cai Be
One of the many well known floating markets in the western region of southern Vietnam was formed in the Nguyen Dynasty in the 19th century. The Cai Be Floating Market is always busy, bearing all the characteristics of the locals' life in the western region. All the goods are transported to the market by rafts and boats. The market is divided into two parts: buying and selling places. Rafts and boats are anchored along the two sides of the river for kilometers. On each boat, goods are hung on poles that are called dialectically "cay beo". Hundreds of such poles point towards the sky. Boats also operate like "taxis", very convenient for tourists around the region
SaDec
Sa Dec is a town in Dong Thap Province in the Mekong Delta of southern Vietnam. It is a river port and agricultural, industrial trading center. During the Vietnam War, it was the site of an American Swift Boat base. Before the nineteenth century, it was the capital of Dong Khau Dao, and it was known as the one of the largest cities in the Mekong Delta. Sa Dec is also known outside of Vietnam as the place where the French novelist Marguerite Duras fell in love with Huynh Thuy Le, a gentle, older Chinese landowner. Visitors will visit the schools where Duras mother taught, temples built and donated to the local community by Le and most interestingly visit The Lover Museum, which used to be Le's family home.
Tan Chau
Tan Chau is a district of An Giang Province in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. Visitors will hop onto Xe Loi, a form of Trishaw used only in this part of Vietnam to visit traditional and family run silk weaving home factories where Diospyros Mollis fruits are used to dye the silk black. Tan Chau is an extremely remote town, untouched by tourism. Explorers will still get to witness many Monkey Bridges, as they cruise through the canals on smaller boats
Phnom Penh
Traces of the city’s former splendor are visible at the Royal Palace, enclosing the Silver Pagoda. The national Museum houses the world’s finest collection of Khmer artifacts. The historic journey is through the Killing Fields where authoritarian Khmer Rouge reigned from 1975 to 1979. It was renamed Democratic Kampuchea when Vietnamese forces toppled the Khmer Rouge regime.
Wat Nokor
The original fusion temple, Wat Nokor is a modern Theravada Buddhist pagoda squeezed into the walls of an 11th-century Mahayana Buddhist shrine of sandstone and laterite. It is a kitsch kind of place and many of the older building's archways have been incorporated into the new building as shrines for worship. On weekdays there are only a few monks in the complex and it is peaceful to wander among the many alcoves and their hidden shrines. There is also a large reclining Buddha
Cheung Kok Ecotourism Village
A 'must-see' for tourists traveling through Kampong Cham. Developed with support from AMICA (Assistance Médiation Internationale pour le Cambodge), visitors can see and take part in how villagers process palm sugar and weave multi-use scarves called 'krama' that are an integral part of Khmer identity. AMICA has invested in a number of long-terms projects for Cheung Kok villagers, providing them with additional income and helping them gain important skills. Tourism activities and handicraft production have been launched to diversify livelihoods and enable foreigners to experience firsthand Khmer traditions and rural ways of life.
Kampong Chhnang
Kampong Chhnang (Clay Pot Port), on the Tonle Sap River, is a tale of two cities: the leafy center, its focal point a grassy park, and the bustling dockside. The surrounding area is occupied by Khmer peoples, some of who tend rice paddies and live on floating fishing villages during the monsoonal high-water season. The major products of the area are pottery, rice, and bananas, supplemented by fishing.
Kampong Cham Area
In 1921 the well-drained red volcanic soils of the Chub Hill area on the left bank of the Mekong River were discovered to be favorable to the cultivation of the rubber tree. The 64,000-acre (26,000-hectare) Chup Plantation was subsequently started a few miles southeast of Kampong Cham; it was privately owned until 1975 and had a crepe-rubber factory. Rice, cotton, fruit trees, potatoes, sugarcane, tobacco, jute, cassava, beans, sesame, kapok, cinchona, and corn (maize) are also grown in the surrounding area. The upland regions near Kampong Cham are rich in timbers, including Ceylon ironwood, rosewood, bean trees, teak, and rubber trees
Onboard the ship…
Wine & Dine
Mekong Restaurant; Legendary dishes, a showcase for Marguerite Duras’passion for exploring multisensory dinning.
Entertainment
Saigon lounge; Indulge in a splendid afternoons and evenings with a variety of soothing and relaxing chill out music.
Panoramic lounge; the panoramic lounge allows one to quieted the mind, and opens all the five senses necessary for passion revival for everyday living.
Sun Deck Bar; Refreshing, invigorating concoctions and snacks are created and served using the freshest ingredients that are made form scratch daily.
The Spa, Pool & Gym; Located on sun deck, passengers can relax in a indulgent. |
