BlueSun Cruises

1300 799 758

holidays@bluesuntravel.com

Luxury Lower Mekong River Cruise - MEKONG PRINCESS

Validity Dates 11 Nov 2024 to 25 Dec 2024
Start Price US $3,162 per person
Cruise Mekong Princess, 7 Night Mekong River Delta (downstream) ex Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City
Cruise Line Mekong Princess Cruise
Ship Mekong Princess
Destination Asian Rivers
Brief Description Travel on a 7 night luxury small ship cruise with Mekong Princess from Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City.
Type of Special Cruise Only
Departure Date 02 Jan 2025
Inclusions Make a new booking on this cruise and receive a 15% discount on the regular fare. Full payment is required at time of booking. Offer is valid until sold out or withdrawn from sale. Not combinable with any other offers. Fares shown are already at the discounted prices.

Twin Junior Suite - was USD3720 - now USD3162*pp
Twin Saigon Suite - was USD4320 - now USD3672*pp
Twin Apsara Suite - was USD4580 - now USD3893*pp
_____________________

** ALL PRICES IN USD **
_____________________

Luxury Lower Mekong Cruise only prices include:
- Transfer from Siem Reap designated central hotel meeting point to Campong Cham for embarkation on RV Mekong Princess
- 7 night Mekong River cruise downstream aboard the luxurious RV Mekong Princess from Campong Cham to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
- All onboard meals provided by an expertly trained culinary team - buffet breakfast, buffet lunch, and seated multiple course dinner, including exclusive `Spa Cuisine` and French-Indochine inspired options
- Complimentary onboard organic coffee, herbal teas, mineral water, soft drinks, local beer and local spirits, and free flow select wines with dinner
- Series of cultural performances, educational talks, cooking classes and more
- Local Entertainment on selected evenings
- Complimentary Wireless internet in all public areas (speeds and reception may vary)
- Port charges and taxes
- Shipboard and shoreside gratuities
- A range of complimentary excursions - see in-depth day to day itinerary for cruise/tour below for touring options during cruise.
- Additional luxury inclusions supporting ship excursions such as: Shoe cleaning after excursions | Welcome drink following excursions | Individual VOX listening devices | Modern air-conditioned coach transfers by road
- One way transfer from port to designated central hotel meeting point in Ho Chi Minh City

______________


IN-DEPTH DAY TO DAY ITINERARY

CRUISE ITINERARY:
Day 1: Kampong Cham / Embarkation
Early this morning, transfer by motor-coach from Siem Reap to Kampong Cham and embark the RV Mekong Princess for lunch. After enjoying the afternoon at leisure, enjoy a Welcome Reception and Cambodian Welcome Dinner on board. The ship sails to Angkor Ban and docks overnight.

Day 2: Angkor Ban - Phnom Penh
We start the day with a visit to the charming and authentic town of Angkor Ban. Here, we witness the daily life of the local people, starting with a visit to the pagoda with a special blessing ceremony for our guests by local monks, then we keep going on visiting to a local family`s home, to meet them and discuss their lifestyle. We continue through the village to the local school where we join the children in their classroom and experience what their typical school day is like. Ship sails to Phnom Penh and docks at the center port.
This afternoon, local cyclo drivers meet you for an exciting city tour of Phnom Penh. You begin your ride along the riverfront to the Royal Palace, where a leisurely walk takes you through the grounds, with opportunities to visit the Throne Hall and Moonlight Pavilion. Upon crossing into the second section of the complex, you walk amongst enormous stupas and spirit houses, on the way to the famous Silver Pagoda, home of Cambodia’s Emerald Buddha and Maitreya Buddha, encrusted with more than 9,000 diamonds. Following a short break, your cyclos take you to the National Museum. Housing the largest pre-Angkorian and Angkorian holdings in Cambodia, the National Museum ends the morning tour with a comprehensive look at many of the artifacts excavated around the Angkor Archeological Area in Siem Reap, as well as other areas around the former Khmer Empire.

This evening before dinner, enjoying the entertainment onboard with a cultural performance including Apsara, Cambodia`s national dance, as well as several traditional folk dances. The ship docks in Phnom Penh overnight.

Day 3: Phnom Penh - Cambodia
This morning, private motor-coach take you on a scenic 45-minute drive from the ship, arriving at Choeung Ek, the killing fields depicted in the movie, and the center of the darkest days of Cambodian history. You may walk through the fields, visit the small museum and Memorial Stupa, and learn more about the atrocities committed during the Khmer Rouge regime. On the return drive to Phnom Penh, a stop is made at Tuol Sleng (infamously known as S-21), which was converted by the Khmer Rouge from a large school to a prison and torture headquarters. The afternoon is free at leisure for your own exploration the charming city of Phnom Penh. The ship docks in Phnom Penh overnight.

Day 4: Border Crossing / Hong Ngu - Gieng Island
This morning we visit the local island village of Hong Ngu, not far from the Vietnam-Cambodia border. Hong Ngu produces a large number of the traditional, Khmer scarves exported to Cambodia. Woven in many homes around the village, here we have the opportunity to see the weaving process under several homes. Some villagers are also embroidery artists, displaying their art in and around the homes. The inhabitants of this area had only encountered one western visitor prior to the arrival of the RV Mekong Princess, they are especially friendly and welcoming. Guests will also visit the local temple dedicated to a unique religion founded in this area of Vietnam, Hoa Hoa.
In the afternoon, we board sampans that will take us into Gieng Island. After a short walk around the local sampan village, where hundreds of sampans are produced daily by local families, we take a canal drive to explore the untouched floating area with duck farms, monkey bridges, and tropical orchards along the riverside. We will try one of most popular local transportation named `xe loi` (motor trishaw) driving through this island to visit a Catholic Church, built around the same time as the Notre Dame Cathedral in Saigon in the 1870s. The ship sails to Hoa An and anchors overnight.

Day 5: Hoa An Village - Can Tho
This morning, continue excursion by boat to Hoa An village, where is untouched and well-known with flower growing and handmade craft. Our first stop at flower gardens where we will see many different kinds of flowers and learn how to grow and take care of them. Then, a short walking to a local house and chat with the host to see how they live and work in their daily life. After a short break, continue our excursion on motor cart to another village. We stop by at the conical hat-making and mat weaving families, have memorable time chatting with local family members and learning how to create products though hands-on experience. Enjoy your walk in the peaceful village with rice fields, fruit trees in between visiting few local families.
This afternoon, the ship sails through an area of the Mekong Delta barely touched by tourism to Can Tho city, the capital riverside city of Mekong Delta of Vietnam. Guests will take a short and orientated city tour with visiting to the Zihuang Pagoda (Chua Ong) and enjoying the welcome unicorn dances. Explore yourself on own around the charming city before having dinner onboard. The ship docks in Can Tho overnight.
*Onboard activity: Fruit Carvings & Tropical Fruits Demonstration by our Executive Chef.

Day 6: Can Tho
We begin our morning after breakfast aboard the sampans for a cruise through the fascinating Cai Rang floating market near Can Tho. The sampans will weave in and out of the many boats that sail into the market each morning to sell produce and other items the residents of the Mekong Delta need in their daily lives. As they weave through the market, there will be many opportunities for amazing photographs, while enjoying fresh fruit and the Vietnamese `anti-aging drink,` fresh coconut water. Before returning to the ship for breakfast, we stop at a local noodle factory, where we witness the amazing process of how they are made. The Princess sails and anchors near Ben Tre.
*Onboard activity: Lecture of Vietnam, the Past & Present by your local Vietnamese host.

Day 7: Ben Tre - Ho Chi Minh City
This morning, sampans take you through a channel lined with mangroves to visit a local coconut candy maker. After watching the candy-making process, walking through the village to visit an orchard where fruits native to Vietnam can be seen in various stages of maturity on the vine. After a fresh fruit tasting, you continue to a pier where you board small, local boats (two guests per boat) for a trip through the narrow creeks lined with Nipah palm before returning to the ship. The ship sails through the beautiful Bassac River to Ho Chi Minh City, where it docks overnight at Saigon Port. *Onboard activity: Cooking Class Demonstration by our Executive Chef.

Day 8: Ho Chi Minh City - Saigon Port / Disembarkation
After breakfast we disembark the Mekong Princess in Ho Chi Minh City - Saigon Port
Breakfast: Onboard ship.

Special Conditions *Conditions Apply: All prices shown here are per person share twin in USD, based on best available cruise fare at time of publication (07Nov24). Cruise deposit, amendment and cancellation conditions apply. Visas are required for travel to/from Vietnam & Cambodia and are the responsibility of the guest to obtain prior to departure unless otherwise stated. Travel agent service fees may apply. Special conditions apply - please ask for full details at time of inquiry. All passports, vaccinations and visas are the responsibility of the travelling guest to secure prior to departure from Australia. Offer subject to availability at time of booking. We reserve the right to correct errors without penalty. Mekong Princess Cruises reserves the right to charge a per person fuel supplement in the event that the price of increases up to and including the day of embarkation. Mekong Princess Cruises may collect any taxes, government fees/ quasi government fees and fuel supplement at the time of booking, prior to sailing or on board the vessel, even if the cruise fare has been paid in full. Surcharges will be invoiced accordingly. All fares, and itineraries are subject to change without notice. Not included: Optional shore excursions, airfares from/to Australia, onboard cruise premium wines & spirits and all incidentals. ** NOTE - Cambodian entry visa fee of approx. USD $100 pp must be paid directly onboard at border crossing and is not included in the prices here.
Sailing Dates
02 Jan 2025
Cabin Twin
Junior Suites US $3,162
Saigon Suites US $3,672
Apsara Suites US $3,893
Cruise Itinerary
Date Port Arrive Depart
2 Jan 2025 Siem Reap, Cambodia Hotel Transfer
2 Jan 2025 Kampong Cham, Cambodia Embark
3 Jan 2025 Angkor Ban, Cambodia
3 Jan 2025 Phnom Penh, Cambodia
4 Jan 2025 Phnom Penh, Cambodia
5 Jan 2025 Hong Ngu, Vietnam
5 Jan 2025 Cu Lao Gieng, Vietnam
6 Jan 2025 Hóa An, Vietnam
6 Jan 2025 Can Tho, Mekong Delta
7 Jan 2025 Can Tho, Mekong Delta
8 Jan 2025 Ben Tre, Vietnam
8 Jan 2025 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam
9 Jan 2025 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam Disembark Transfer / Hotel
All itineraries and ports of call at the discretion of the cruise line subject to local weather conditions and may change without notice.

* Unless otherwise noted all pricing is on a per person twin share basis. All prices based on cash payment - credit card fees may apply. Cruise deposit, amendment and cancellation conditions apply. Special conditions may apply - please ask for full details at time of enquiry. All passports, vaccinations and visas are the responsibility of the travelling guest to secure prior to departure from Australia. Any pricing not in Australian Dollars will be converted on the day of payment into the relevant currency based on our daily rate of exchange. Please note that many of the prices shown on this website are not shown in real time. Whilst we endeavour to keep our pricing as up-to-date as possible, the advertised prices shown here may differ slightly from the live prices in our booking system. All pricing and offers are subject to availability at time of booking. Whilst all information is correct at the time of publication, offers are subject to change. We reserve the right to correct errors without penalty. Please submit any data errors/omissions you may notice on this site.

Unless otherwise expressly noted, all materials, including images, illustrations, designs, icons, and photographs appearing anywhere on this website are protected by worldwide copyright laws and treaty provisions. The copyright on such materials is held by the original creator of the materials. None of the materials may be copied, reproduced, displayed, modified, published, uploaded, posted, transmitted or distributed in whole or in part in any form or by any means other than as provided by Cruise Factory and The Small Ship Collective to its clients, or with the prior written permission of Cruise Factory and Cruise Traveller. All rights not expressly granted in these Terms are reserved. Any unauthorised use of the materials appearing on this website may violate copyright, trademark and other applicable laws and could result in criminal or civil penalties.