Save $1,900* per person

Vietnam and Cambodia Highlights

   
Destination:
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Duration:
12 nights
Offer ends:
22 November 2024
Valid for travel:
Departures available January - December 2025

Details

Spend seven nights aboard the brand-new luxury Mekong Serenity river ship as you explore the best of Vietnam and Cambodia. Discover Ho Chi Minh City’s history and culture, then join your cruise, visiting charming riverside and Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, on your way to Siem Reap and the majesty of Angkor Wat

In partnership with:

Inclusions

  • 7 nights' on a Luxury Yacht cruise, the Mekong Serenity
  • A total of 32 meals and a wide range of onboard beverages
  • Transfers, port charges, porterage and gratuities
  • Specially selected multicourse fusion meal at the highly awarded Vietnam House in Ho Chi Minh City
  • 12 night luxury tour exploring the Vietnam & Cambodia region from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap
  • Range of Signature Experiences including meeting a Master Distiller at Lady Trieu Gin Distillery and receive a Buddhist Blessing in Oudong

Itinerary

Receive Fast Track Service for a seamless arrival in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.  Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City once the bustling French colonial city known as Saigon. Be met on arrival with Fast Track Service and transferred to your luxury hotel. This evening, enjoy a welcome dinner. Stay: Two Nights, Ho Chi Minh City, Park Hyatt Saigon Meals: Dinner

Stay: Eight Nights, MV Lady Eleganza

Meals: Dinner

Journey by speedboat to the Cu Chi Tunnels, built by Vietnamese resistance fighters during the war. Meet a Master Distiller at Lady Trieu Gin Distillery and enjoy a private tasting. Dine on a specially selected multicourse fusion meal at the highly acclaimed Vietnam House, and enjoy a special cocktail designed specifically for APT guests. Leave the city behind and relish in your Signature Experiences today. Tonight, your dinner is another Signature Experience. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today you can choose to enjoy a leisurely walking discovery of Ho Chi Minh City, or you might like to jump on the back of a motorbike for an exciting city ride. Alternatively, you may like to try out your culinary skills with a fun cooking class, or take a shopping spree. Exploring more of Ho Chi Minh City, select from the array of Freedom of Choice experiences on offer. Later, transfer to My Tho and embark your ship. Set sail from My Tho and soak in the scenery during your cruise towards Cai Be. Tonight, a Vietnamese welcome dinner awaits, showcasing the diverse flavours from the region. Stay: Seven Nights, Mekong River, Mekong Serenity Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Board your traditional sampan for your first excursion on the banks of the Mekong. Step ashore to visit Cai Be Catholic Church and the colourful port area filled with crumbling colonial buildings and flowering gardens. Built in the Roman architectural style, the bell tower, with its set of four bells cast in France in 1931, is the tallest of all the churches in the Mekong Delta. Afterwards, you’ll visit rice paper and coconut candy manufacturers and learn how these Vietnamese staples are made. Head back to the ship to refresh before sitting down to savour a delicious lunch whilst continuing to cruise to the quaint town of Sa Dec. Upon arrival, explore Sa Dec by foot and meet some of the sellers at the colourful market. Continue to where French writer Marguerite Duras met her Vietnamese-Chinese lover, Huynh Thuy Le. Tour his former home and learn the story behind Duras’ best-selling novel, The Lover. After, visit a traditional Cao Dai temple. Watch visitors and pilgrims come and go and appreciate the beauty of the colourful building. Dinner is served as you cruise towards Tan Chau. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
 

Transfer to a small boat to cruise the tiny tributaries around the town of Tan Chau. Pass a floating fish farm, then step ashore for a fun rickshaw tour and a visit to a local silk and rattan weaving workshop. Later, step back in time as you experience authentic rural Mekong life on a nearby Evergreen Island. The remainder of today is yours to relax on board and soak up views of the Mekong. Upon entering Cambodia, you’ll cruise towards its enthralling capital, Phnom Penh. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Perhaps experience some of Cambodia’s sobering history with a visit to the infamous Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. Or discover Phnom Penh on a cyclo ride to uncover some well-known sights. History buffs can admire the exhibits at the National Museum or perhaps explore the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda.

In Oudong, pay a visit to a monastery for a Buddhist blessing with monks at a local monastery. Today, journey to historic Oudong, which was Cambodia’s fascinating royal capital from 1618 until 1866. During your time here, you’ll enjoy a Signature Experience. On the way back to Phnom Penh, take a leisurely stroll through the village of Koh Chen and visit some home workshops that manufacture copperware. Later, your ship glides along the lush banks of the Mekong to Oknha Tey, which is renowned for its silk manufacturing traditions, preserved over centuries. Stroll among the stilt houses and gain an insight into the traditional silk weaving process. Watch as the village women create the beautiful Khmer fabrics from their wooden looms. After, return to your river ship to relax before enjoying delicious onboard dining tonight.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
 

Sail to Angkor Ban, where you'll disembark and enjoy a captivating walking discovery of this historic village. Remarkably, Angkor Ban stands as one of the rare Cambodian villages that remained unscathed during the tumultuous Khmer Rouge regime of the 1970s. Here, people still live in traditional wooden homes and keep ancient cultural traditions alive. This afternoon, your ship continues sailing upstream to Wat Hanchey.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
 

Journey by local tuk tuk around a riverside village and gain an insight of village life. If you are feeling active this morning, perhaps set out on a walk to the hilltop pagoda of Wat Hanchey. From here, enjoy views over the Mekong, making it well worth the climb. You’ll find many temples, pagodas and stupas, some dating back to the eighth century. Lunch is back on board, before your Signature Experience. On your ship this evening, toast the end of your cruise during a final farewell dinner. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Visit ODA, Opportunities of Development through Art. 
Be welcomed backstage at Phare Circus and watch a mesmerising performance from your VIP seats. Combining captivating acrobatics, theatre and storytelling, showcasing the country’s rich culture and talent in an unforgettable spectacle.
 a OneTomorrow partner. Bid farewell to the crew and disembark the Mekong Serenity early at Kampong Cham. Travel to Siem Reap, the gateway to Angkor Wat, passing through picturesque countryside and remote villages where you can observe rural life. On arrival at your hotel, enjoy a light lunch and some relaxation time before your Signature Experiences. Stay: Three Nights, Siem Reap, Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
 

At Angkor Archaeological Park, enjoy a special sunrise experience at Angkor Wat. Tonight, take the opportunity to savour a taste of Cambodia with a choice of local restaurants for dinner. Rise early this morning to witness sunrise over the magnificent Angkor Wat, the world’s largest religious monument. As the sun rises, soak up the atmosphere as you marvel at this ancient wonder. After the sun has risen delve into the history and significance of this sacred site with a guided tour inside the vast temple complex and the sprawling grounds before returning to the hotel for a late breakfast. Continue your exploration of the World Heritage-listed Angkor Archaeological Park with a visit to Angkor Thom, the last and most enduring capital. Built during the heyday of the Khmer Empire in the 12th century, this is an extraordinary complex of Hindu and Buddhist monuments. Head to the intriguing Bayon Temple, with its carved stone smiling faces of gods, goddesses and other mythology beings. Visit the Terrace of Elephants, which used to be the base for the king’s grand audience hall, and the Terrace of the Leper King, which housed the royal crematory. Journey to Ta Prohm, known for the thick jungle of fig trees and vines that have enveloped the structure, creating a feeling akin to stepping into a lost world. Commonly referred to as the 'Tomb Raider temple' due to it being used as a location in the blockbuster 2001 film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider which starred Angelina Jolie, Ta Prohm is a captivating glimpse into the past and testament to a bygone era. Enjoy your Freedom of Choice dinner tonight. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Treat yourself to a private visit to Theam’s Gallery and discover this talented Cambodian artist known for his unique sculptures, paintings, and intricate crafts. Indulge in a tantalising five-course Khmer dinner while enjoying a traditional Apsara dance performance accompanied by live musicians. Perhaps enjoy a tuk tuk ride to the Senteurs d’Angkor workshop. If you’re feeling energetic, join a quad bike adventure or take a leisurely bicycle tour through the Cambodian countryside. Other options include a horse and cart ride, a traditional Khmer cooking class, and a shopping adventure, or why not indulge in a relaxing spa treatment. Explore Siem Reap your way today. Tonight, your Signature Experience awaits. Set amid a stunning garden this promises to be an enchanting and memorable evening. Meals: Breakfast

Farewell Siem Reap after breakfast this morning, as you transfer to Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport for your onward flight. Meals: Breakfast

Terms & Conditions

*Conditions apply. Prices correct as at 02 October 2024 but may fluctuate if surcharges, fees, taxes or currency change. Offers subject to availability. Agents may charge service fees, rates vary. Payments by credit card will incur a surcharge.  Airfare not included unless otherwise stated. All savings and bonus nights (if applicable) are included in the advertised price. Offers may be withdrawn without notice and are not combinable with any other offers unless stated. Please check all prices, availability and other information before booking. APT Travel Group and Helloworld Travel booking terms and conditions apply, see in store for details.

 *Conditions apply. Book by 22 November 2024, unless sold out prior. Prices are per person (pp), AUD, twin share, include port charges and include savings and Early Payment Discount where applicable. Prices and offers are correct as at 02 October 2024. Price based on VEMR13: 16 August 2025. OFFERS: Limited seats and offers on set departures are available and are subject to availability. SAVE UP TO $1,900 PER PERSON: Available for bookings made between 25 October and 22 November 2024. Offer includes a bonus Helloworld Travel saving of $400pp valid and a market offer saving of $1,500pp. Offer not combinable unless specified, available on new bookings only and may be withdrawn at any time. DEPOSITS: A first non-refundable deposit of $1,000 pp is due within 7 days of booking.

From

$6,995* | per person twin share
Save $1,900* per person
Destination:
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Duration:
12 nights
Offer ends:
22 November 2024
Valid for travel:
Departures available January - December 2025