Cruising Elevated with Avalon Waterways
Price: $5,609 CAD Per Person
(Price per person, based on double occupancy, cabin category B.)
Offer: Save $2,600 CAD Per Couple on Select River Cruise
Departure Date: December 7, 2023
Return Date: December 14, 2023
Photo: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Features:
- Complimentary Wi-Fi in the lounges (when a signal is available)
- Panoramic windows throughout
- Locally inspired design & décor
- Friendly, English-speaking crew & Cruise Director
- Air-conditioned Panorama Lounge
- Covered open-air observation lounge
- Bar serving premium spirits, wine & complimentary coffee, tea, soft drinks, and local beer/spirits throughout the day
Inclusions:
- 7-night cruise in an outside stateroom, daily included port excursions, all meals included while on the ship (including Captain’s & farewell dinners), complimentary beer and wine with lunch and dinner.
Photo: Map of Mekong Discovery itinerary
Day 1: Phnom Penh, Cambodia (Embarkation)
Welcome to Cambodia. Your intimate Suite Ship® Awaits! Get acquainted with the ship and relax before your welcome reception this evening.
Photo: Avalon Siem Reap Exterior
Day 2: Wat Hanchey - Angkor Ban
Water Blessings and Back-to-School Adventures.
Discovery: Visit Wat Hanchey, a hilltop temple dating back to the 8th century. Climb or be driven to the top where you will enjoy stunning views of the surrounding area and partake in a traditional water blessing given by local monks.
Discovery: After lunch, enjoy a Walking Tour through the rural village of Angkor Ban. Here, you will visit a traditional Khmer house and interact with children at a local school.
Day 3: Kampong Tralach - Konpong Louang - Phnom Penh
Calm in the Cambodian Countryside.
Discovery: Your Guided Sightseeing starts in Kampong Tralach with an Ox-Cart Ride through the beautiful Cambodian countryside. Along the way, stop to meet a local farmer and learn about his daily life. At the silversmith village in Konpong Louang talented craftsmen use age-old techniques to turn pure silver into works of art.
Sail to the capital city of Phnom Penh this afternoon.
Phnom Penh. A Dark History or Market Dynamics.
Classic: After lunch, join a Guided Visit to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and one of the Killing Fields for a glimpse into the atrocities inflicted on the Cambodian people by the Khmer Rouge regime, OR:
Discovery: Visit the lively Central Market by tuk-tuk to see its unique Art Deco design.
This evening, spend some free time to explore the city on your own. Perhaps follow the riverfront promenade to the historic Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC).
Day 4: Phnom Penh
The Royal Treatment.
Classic: Join a Guided Tour of the city by private cyclo with visits to the Royal Palace with the spectacular Silver Pagoda, and the National Museum, featuring an outstanding display of Khmer artifacts.
The remainder of the day is yours to enjoy at your leisure, Consider a Guided Optional Tour of a local brewery with free flowing local beer!
Just before dinner, children from a local orphanage will perform a show, featuring local song and dance.
Photo: Phnom Penh Royal Palace
Day 5: Border Crossing - Chau Doc, Vietnam
Good Morning Vietnam!
Discovery: Take a Village Walk through the Chau Doc market, and absorb the atmosphere as locals are busy buying and selling fish, meat, and produce. After lunch, embark on a Guided Excursion down the backwaters of the Mekong. Along the way, see traditional floating homes, speedboat merchants, religious sites, a market selling dried goods, and more.
Day 6: Long Khanh A - Cu Lao Gieng
Cotton Weaving, Conical Hats, and Handcrafted Sampans.
Discovery: This morning, a sampan brings you to the village of Long Khanh A, for a Cotton-Weaving Demonstration of this well-preserved tradition.
Discovery: This afternoon, enjoy scenes of daily life on Cu Lao Gieng Island via sampan and local motor cart. Your Guided Excursion starts with a stop at one of Vietnam’s oldest Catholic churches. Then, visit the home of a local family that makes Vietnamese conical hats, or “Non la,” from materials available to them such as palm leaves and bamboo. These iconic hats are primarily used as protection from the sun and rain but you may also see them used as a basket to carry home goods from the market. Lastly, visit a local workshop where a skilled family hand-crafts sampan boats.
Day 7: Vinh Long
Sweets and Rice Treats.
Discovery: Board a sampan this morning to visit a Local Workshop in Vinh Long where you will see how rice paper, rice wine, and traditional candies are made.
This afternoon, enjoy time on board the ship as we sail to exciting Ho Chi Minh City.
Photo: Avalon Panorama Suite
Day 8: HO Chi Minh City (Disembarkation)
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.