AQUA MEKONG LUXURY RIVER CRUISE
Tour Of Mekong Delta
(available also in Cambodia)
OVERVIEW
Charting a luxurious passage on Asia’s Mekong River across Cambodia and Vietnam, the 205-foot Aqua Mekong showcases award-winning modern design with comprehensive amenities such as a spa, gym and river-facing plunge pool. The vessel’s 20 spacious suites feature floor-to-ceiling windows that offer panoramas of the ever-changing Mekong scenery. For off-shore excursions, Aqua Expeditions owns and operates Mekong’s only fleet of private tenders that bring guests on highly personalized day trips to landmarks, temples and villages where tradition, spirituality and craftsmanship reside. The cultural journey continues on board with a locally-inspired dining experience crafted by Michelin-starred consulting chef David Thompson.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Aqua Mekong: Ship FACTS
- Year Built: 2014
- Ports of Embarkation: My Tho (Vietnam), Phnom Penh and Siem Reap (Cambodia)
- Vessel’s Registry: Cambodia
- Type of Vessel: River Expedition Vessel
- Length: 62.4 meters / 205 feet
- Beam: 11.5 meters / 38 feet
- Draft: 1.5 meters / 5 feet
- Cruising Speed: 12 knots
- Electricity: 220 volts
- Engines: 2 New Caterpillars, Tier 3 Emission compliant
- Generators: 2 New Caterpillars, encapsulated for noise reduction
- Water: Reverse osmosis and UV water treatment plant
- AC: Central air-conditioning throughout
- Laundry: Complimentary service (no dry cleaning on board)
- Internet: Complimentary satellite internet with intermittent connection
Safety On Board the Aqua Mekong: State of the art safety features include radio communications with separate battery pack, satellite phone, Carley float life rafts, flares and signals, fire extinguishers and smoke detectors in each cabin, automatic defibrillator on board.
Launch Boats for Mekong River Shore Excursions: Four auxiliary aluminum launch boats equipped with two four-stroke low emission engines; constant radio communication with the main vessel. Each boat has a capacity of 10 passengers.
Aqua Mekong Crew: 40 members, including a cruise director, paramedic and 4 English-speaking guides.
Aqua Mekong Capacity: 40 passengers
Accommodations and Cabins: Passengers are accommodated in 20 Design Suites:
- First Deck: 10 Design Suites measuring 30 square meters / 322 square feet; 4 with balcony and 6 without balcony.
- Second Deck: 10 Design Suites measuring 30 square meters / 322 square feet; 4 with balcony and 6 without balcony.
- Design Suites without balconies all have river facing panoramic windows that open and a 4m (13ft) long interior sofa that converts to a single bed.
- Design Suites with balconies all have panoramic windows, sliding glass door and an exterior daybed.
- All suites are air conditioned, with en-suite bathroom.
Unique Cabin Features and Amenities: California King size bed that can be converted to twins, floor to ceiling windows facing the Mekong, large double closets, chest of drawers, password generated security box, iPod docking station, dual sink bathroom with walk-in shower and rainforest showerhead,professional hairdryer, and all-organic natural hair and bath amenities.
Interconnecting Suites: Four sets of two interconnecting suites are suitable for families, two sets on each deck. For the ultimate luxury, passengers may book interconnecting suites, with one suite configured as a private living room, the other a master bedroom, and his-and-hers baths. The result is your own private, 60 square meter (640-square-foot) apartment on the Mekong.
Bicycles: Ten bicycles are provided free of charge onboard, for passengers to explore independently on shore.
Common Living and Social Areas:
- Indoor and outdoor bars
- Indoor dining room and outdoor private dining
- Screening room with theater-style seating
- Outdoor cinema under the stars
- Library / Games room with the Mekong’s only foosball table
- Outside shaded lounge with single and double day beds
- Antique and artisanal boutique
- Lobby lounge
- Observation deck with outdoor sunbeds
- Top deck gym overlooking the river
- Infirmary with onboard medical staff
- Outdoor top deck plunge pool with private cabanas
- Two spa treatment rooms, one single and one double.
High & Low Water Itinerary
Option 1 (4 days):
Downriver: Phnom Penh (PNH) to Ho Chi Minh (SGN) (All Year)
DAY 1 Tuesday: MEKONG RIVER – PHNOM PENH – CAMBODIA. 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 2 Wednesday: MEKONG RIVER – KA´OM SAMNOR-VINH XUONG BORDER CROSSING – CHAU DOC – MY AN HUNG – VIETNAM. Say ‘Good Morning, Vietnam’ while we cross the border and sail towards Tan Chau, a vibrant border town where we take the local rickshaw called xe loi for a trip around town or pedal 18 kilometers on the peaceful island of Long Khanh. In the afternoon, we 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. Biking option is also available for those who wish to explore on wheels.
DAY 3 Thursday: MEKONG RIVER – BINH THANH/SA DEC – CAI BE – 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. We continue downstream for Cai Be, zigzagging in our sampan past lone fishermen on their long tail boats. Later, our skiffs moor at a wooden pier. Here in Cai Be, walk or bike ride among high-roofed open courtyard houses, some dating back more than 100 years, and currently inhabited by gracious locals who will invite us to glimpse their property.
DAY 4 Friday: MEKONG RIVER – MY THO – HO CHI MINH – VIETNAM. Disembarkation. En route to Ho Chi Minh, we stop at Vinh Trang Pagoda, one of the largest Mahayana Buddhist temple in the region. You will notice the mixed architectural style and see three large buddha statues plus an impressive collection of bonsai trees.
Itinerary Addendum
All itineraries are subject to change, due to weather and other conditions
High & Low Water Itinerary
Option 2 (5 days)
Upriver: Ho Chi Minh (SGN) to Phnom Penh (PNH) (All Year)
DAY 1 Friday: MEKONG RIVER – MY THO – HO CHI MINH – VIETNAM. We will collect you at the Ho Chi Minh 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. 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 – CHAU DOC – VINH XUONG – KA’OM SAMNOR BORDER. 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. 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. 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 or choose to shop at the Russian Market. We bid farewell to 4-night guests who are disembarking in Phnom Penh.
High Water Itinerary
Option 3 ( 8 days):
High water Upriver: Ho Chi Minh (SGN) to Siem Reap (REP) (From August to November)
Low water: Upriver: Ho Chi Minh (SGN) to Phnom Penh (PNH) (From December to August)
DAY 1 Friday: MEKONG RIVER – MY THO – HO CHI MINH – 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 – CHAU DOC – VINH XUONG – KA’OM SAMNOR BORDER. 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. 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 1997. In Chhnok Tru, we “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.
Itinerary Addendum
All itineraries are subject to change, due to weather and other conditions.
