AQUA MEKONG EXPEDITION CRUISE

Transcription

1 AQUA MEKONG EXPEDITION CRUISE Joining us for the full 7-night Mekong Expedition Cruise allows us to share with you all the mysteries and wonders we have discovered between the Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers and among the diverse cultures thriving in our midst. Passengers who travel with us during the high water season (August-November), from Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh experience the full history of Mekong life, meeting Khmer farmers, Buddhist monks and our entrepreneurial friends in Vietnam s kaleidoscopic wet markets along the way. Sailing in the opposite direction, from the colonial chic of Saigon to the legendary Angkorian heritage in Siem Reap is to travel leisurely back in time across this legendary landscape. During the low water season (December-August), our program includes much more time on the Cambodia stretch of the Mekong and along the Tonle Sap River. ITINERARY DAY 1 Friday: MEKONG RIVER - MY THO - SAIGON - VIETNAM We will collect you at the Saigon meeting point and transfer you by air-conditioned coach to My Tho dock where we will welcome you aboard the Aqua Mekong. Settle into your floating retreat, with its window wall conferring an endlessly captivating panorama. Enjoy these private Mekong moments on your California king bed, terrace or daybed. DAY 2 Saturday: MEKONG RIVER - BINH THANH/SA DEC - MY AN HUNG - VIETNAM Begin the day at Binh Thanh mat weaving village or opt to visit Sa Dec where we will peruse the vibrant market and see the famous house of Marguerite Duras' legendary lover, Mr. Huynh Thuy Le. In the afternoon, visit a typical Mekong Delta village called My An Hung where we will walk through verdant plantations. We will be invited to a local's home to taste local fruits while hearing traditional folk songs performed by villagers followed by a unique unicorn dance. A 17-kilometer Biking option is also available. DAY 3 Sunday: MEKONG RIVER TAN CHAU - CHAU DOC - VINH XUONG KA OM SAMNOR BORDER

2 Travel by skiff along Bassac Canal to Chau Doc floating market then head off by van to Long Son Pagoda atop Sam Mountain. Ask the monks about their age-old Buddhist practices. Return via the bustling morning market. Optional 18 kilometers bike ride on Long Khanh Island or take a rickshaw ride to visit Tan Chau Market with chef. After lunch, relax by the pool, try traditional Khmer massage or learn to cook Mekong inspired dishes while we cross the border. DAY 4 Monday: MEKONG RIVER - KOH OKNHA TEY - PREAH PROSOP - CAMBODIA On this river of time we admire dexterous Khmer artisans dyeing and weaving kroma, the ubiquitous item 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 trees of Preah Prosop, a remote village little changed over several lifetimes. DAY 5 Tuesday: PHNOM PENH - CAMBODIA slide into an ice factory and learn from locals what it s like to live in a town where schools, churches, pagodas, and even the karaoke bar and police station all float. After lunch, we visit the floating village of Moat Khla, accessible only by water, and attend a Buddhist blessing ceremony. DAY 8 Friday: TONLE SAP LAKE - PREK TOAL - SIEM REAP CAMBODIA Set off by skiff into the 22,000-hectare Prek Toal Core Bird Reserve, one of the largest freshwater bodies in Asia and the last refuge in Southeast Asia for large waterbirds like the spot-billed pelicans, milky stork, black-headed ibis and the elusive masked finfoot. Disembarkation. Please Note: This itinerary is based on the High Water Season (From July to November), it varies slightly for the Low Water Season (From December to June). All itineraries are subject to change, due to weather and other conditions. We show off the Cambodian capital to our passengers by motorized tuk-tuk, the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and the National Museum of Cambodia, home to the world s largest collection of Khmer art. For those who wish, we visit the Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocide and the Killing Field or shopping at Russian Market. We bid farewell to 4-night guests who are disembarking in Phnom Penh. Return to welcome our 3-night passengers over custom sundowners like the Salted Watermelon Crush with Thai basil. Together we celebrate the onward journey towards the heart of this mighty river with a Khmer Apsara performance, an indigenous tradition memorialized on the temple walls at Angkor Wat. DAY 6 Wednesday: TONLE SAP RIVER - KOH CHEN - KAMPONG CHHNANG - CAMBODIA This morning, we visit Koh Chen, a silversmith village known for its fine craftsmanship. Keep an eye out for their famous silver bowls, regularly chosen by Cambodia's king as gifts for visiting dignitaries. In the afternoon, we continue learning about Khmer riverside life in Kampong Chhnang, the 'Port of Pottery' so called because archaeological findings here date to the 6th century. Bike option is available. DAY 7 Thursday: MOUTH OF THE TONLE SAP LAKE - CHHNOK TRU - MOAT KHLA - CAMBODIA Continue exploring the remote communities around the Tonle Sap Lake, designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in In Chhnok Tru, we

3 YOUR SHIP: AQUA MEKONG YOUR SHIP: Aqua Mekong VESSEL TYPE: Luxury River Expedition LENGTH: 62.4 meters / 204 feet PASSENGER CAPACITY: 40 BUILT/REFURBISHED: 2014 Spacious and indulgent, yet intimate enough to feel entirely exclusive, the Aqua Mekong incorporates relaxed yet refined lounging and dining areas and can accommodate a maximum of 40 guests plus crew. Modern navigation technologies and the highest cruise ship standards as well as our experienced river pilot and crew ensure smooth travel and safety on the water. The Aqua Mekong has 20 air conditioned Design Suites, each one a generous 30 square meters (320 square feet), eight with balconies and all created entirely of local materials with the relaxed sophistication and contemporary comforts of a five star resort. Floor to ceiling panoramic windows allow guests to gaze upon the Mekong from the pillow top California king size bed that can be converted upon request into two full twin beds. More captivating views await on the plush, roomy daybed placed by the window wall or for our eight balcony accommodations, outside along with a romantic table for two. Those who wish to keep up on the world beyond these enthralling riverbanks will appreciate the flat screen television and complementary high speed wireless internet. Sunlit indoors and out, the top level Observation Deck aboard the Aqua Mekong has been designed to seamlessly connect guests with the constantly shifting landscape of floating Vietnamese villages, French colonial church spires and gilded Buddhist stupas along this mighty river, always in the utmost comfort. Whether one chooses to relax in the air conditioned Indoor Lounge, go horizontal under the sun outside at the ship's Outdoor Lounge area or cool off with a plunge in the shimmering pool at the bow side, the Observation Deck ensures that the river always remains in full view. Guests gravitate to the Indoor Lounge in the mornings for ca phe đa, Vietnamese coffee poured over ice with sweet condensed milk, between excursions to swap travelers tales and for daily lectures from the expert local guides.

4 INSIDE YOUR SHIP

5 PRICING 23-Dec-2016 to 30-Dec USD pp 8890 USD pp 24-Feb-2017 to 03-Mar Dec-2016 to 06-Jan USD pp 8890 USD pp 03-Mar-2017 to 10-Mar Jan-2017 to 13-Jan Mar-2017 to 17-Mar Jan-2017 to 20-Jan Mar-2017 to 24-Mar Jan-2017 to 27-Jan Mar-2017 to 31-Mar Jan-2017 to 03-Feb Mar-2017 to 07-Apr Feb-2017 to 17-Feb Apr-2017 to 14-Apr Feb-2017 to 24-Feb-2017

6 14-Apr-2017 to 21-Apr Apr-2017 to 28-Apr Apr-2017 to 05-May-2017

7 PRICING 05-May-2017 to 12-May Jul-2017 to 04-Aug May-2017 to 19-May Aug-2017 to 11-Aug May-2017 to 26-May Aug-2017 to 18-Aug May-2017 to 02-Jun Aug-2017 to 25-Aug Jun-2017 to 07-Jul Aug-2017 to 01-Sep Jul-2017 to 14-Jul Sep-2017 to 08-Sep Jul-2017 to 21-Jul Sep-2017 to 15-Sep Jul-2017 to 28-Jul-2017

8 15-Sep-2017 to 22-Sep Sep-2017 to 29-Sep Sep-2017 to 06-Oct-2017

9 PRICING 06-Oct-2017 to 13-Oct Jan-2018 to 12-Jan Nov-2017 to 10-Nov Jan-2018 to 19-Jan Nov-2017 to 17-Nov Jan-2018 to 26-Jan Nov-2017 to 24-Nov Jan-2018 to 02-Feb Nov-2017 to 01-Dec Feb-2018 to 09-Feb Dec-2017 to 22-Dec Feb-2018 to 16-Feb Dec-2017 to 29-Dec Feb-2018 to 23-Feb Dec-2017 to 05-Jan-2018

10 23-Feb-2018 to 02-Mar Mar-2018 to 09-Mar Mar-2018 to 16-Mar-2018

11 PRICING 16-Mar-2018 to 23-Mar Jun-2018 to 15-Jun Mar-2018 to 30-Mar Jun-2018 to 22-Jun Mar-2018 to 06-Apr Jun-2018 to 29-Jun Apr-2018 to 13-Apr Jun-2018 to 06-Jul Apr-2018 to 20-Apr Jul-2018 to 13-Jul Apr-2018 to 27-Apr Jul-2018 to 20-Jul Apr-2018 to 04-May Jul-2018 to 27-Jul May-2018 to 11-May-2018

12 27-Jul-2018 to 03-Aug Aug-2018 to 10-Aug Aug-2018 to 17-Aug-2018

13 PRICING 17-Aug-2018 to 24-Aug Oct-2018 to 19-Oct Aug-2018 to 31-Aug Oct-2018 to 26-Oct Aug-2018 to 07-Sep Oct-2018 to 02-Nov Sep-2018 to 14-Sep Nov-2018 to 09-Nov Sep-2018 to 21-Sep Nov-2018 to 16-Nov Sep-2018 to 28-Sep Nov-2018 to 23-Nov Sep-2018 to 05-Oct Nov-2018 to 30-Nov Oct-2018 to 12-Oct-2018

14 14-Dec-2018 to 21-Dec Dec-2018 to 28-Dec-2018