Aug

Toum Tiou II Saigon – Siem Reap – 7D/6N

Toum Tiou II boat

Day 1: Full day Saigon – My Tho
08:00 Toum Tiou II is opened for embarkation at the International Port of Saigon, terminal of Nha Rong, next to Ho Chi Minh museum.
09:00 Custom formalities, departure for My Tho. Safety briefing. Day of relaxation, lunch during the crossing of the splendid channel of Cho Gao.
17:30 Arrival to My Tho. Toum Tiou II drops anchor in proximity of the Island Thoi Son. A group of local musicians comes onboard for a spectacle of 45 minutes traditional music-show.
19:00 Welcome cocktail, presentation of the crew.
Welcome dinner and night onboard

Day 2: Full day My Tho Vinh Long – Cai Be
08:00 Breakfast, then departure for visit of My Tho.
My Tho, which translates as “fragrant herb”, where tourists come to discover the beauty of the delta. It’s a quiet,
prosperous city of about 100,000 inhabitants, famous for its many fruit orchards, gardens and the huge rice fields
that surround it. The climate is warm and pleasant year round. The surrounding countryside is home to one of the
most luxuriant gardens of Vietnam, with its coconut palms, banana and mango trees. Local boats come alongside
Toum Tiou to pick up passengers and transfer to the mainland. Departure for Vinh Trang Pagoda by car – Short
panoramic tour of My Tho town on the way. Visit the local market in My Tho.
11:00 Embarking, Toum Tiou II leaves to Cai Be. Lunch and rest on board.
14:30 Toum Tiou II drops anchor on the river near Cai Be. Local boats take the passengers to visit the floating market, then the tour turns on the streams to discover Vinh Long. Vinh Long, which translates as “Majestic Dragon”, is right in the middle of the delta, between two arms of the Mekong. The soil of Vinh Long is enriched by silt deposits, making it ideal for growing mandarins and other citrus fruits. Life is organized around the water. Houses on stilts, hawkers in boats, hundreds of small craft crisscross in all directions. The hospitality of the locals makes this tourist destination par excellence.
17:00 Embarking Toum Tiou II, navigation to Sa Dec.
19:30 TTII boat drops anchor little before Sa Dec.
Dinner and night onboard.

Day 3: Morning Vinh Long – Cai Be Sa Dec
07:30 Breakfast, arrival at Sa Dec. Short panoramic tour of Sa Dec and transfer by bus to Trung Vuong primary school. Continuing to Kien An Cung Pagoda. Stroll around Sa Dec Market along the river bank. This small city of 30,000 inhabitants is fascinating in its unspoiled authenticity and undisturbed by tourists. It provides a glimpse of the delta where a few colonial houses still remain, including the “Chinaman’s house” (from Duras’ novel “The Lover”, also made into a movie).
09:30 Return to the boat, Toum Tiou II leaves Sa Dec for Chau Doc. Rest on board, lunch during navigation.
Afternoon Sa Dec Chau Doc
16:00 Arrival at Victoria Hotel Chau Doc jetty. Departure for fish raising rafts and Cham minority village by local boat. Visit sun set on the Sam Mountain which peaks at 237 meters. Its well-known Buddhist sanctuaries offer an unobstructed view over the mosaic of glistening rice paddies below. To the left is Cambodia, and the flow of the Mekong on the horizon breaks into an infinity of silver ribbons. Visit on the way of the Lady Chua Xu temple and Tay An Pagoda.
19:00 Return to the boat. Dinner is at the restaurant of the Victoria Hotel. Toum Tiou II remains moored with the pier of the hotel, passengers are free to use the services of the hotel (swimming pool, billiard etc) or to walk in Chau Doc.
Night onboard.

Day 4
Morning Chau Doc Koh Dek Chau
Early departure towards to the border, breakfast during navigation
08:00 Toum Tiou II arrives at the border. Formalities.
11:00 The boat leaves the border for the Island Koh Dek Chau. Short stage of relaxation on the way, it offers an intimate and strange discovery of Khmer daily life.
Afternoon Koh Dek Chau Phnom Penh
14:00 Arrive at Koh Dek Chau after to lunch.
In margin of civilization, the 600 inhabitants of the island Koh Dek Chau will be a surprise of your visit. The schoolboys will escort you all with the length of your walk. You will cross the village which skirts the island, while walking on the path protected by the shade by palm trees. Also, visit of the local factories of the famous Mekong rice noodle.
16:00 Toum Tiou II leaves Koh Dek Chau for Phnom Penh
20:00 Arrive to Phnom Penh. Dinner and night onboard.

Day 5: Full day [Phnom Penh]
08:00 Breakfast, morning visits including the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda, the National Museum and Wat Phnom
12.00 Return to downtown, lunch in a local restaurant
15:00 Departure for the Museum Tuol Sleng, old center of detention, torture and execution between 1975 and 1979. The visit of Killing Fields is essential to understand what the fatal madness it was caused by Khmer Reds.
19:00 Return to the boat, a group of local dancers comes onboard for a traditional dance of “APSARA” for 45 minutes.
Dinner and night onboard.

Day 6: Full day [Phnom Penh] [Kampong Tralach]
08:00 Breakfast, morning of free discovery of Phnom Penh. Your guide will give you some suggestions what to visit according of your of interest. FCC, Russian Market, antique dealers, etc
12:00 Departure of the boat, to lunch on board while sailing towards to Kampong Tralach.
16:00 Visit its wonderful Vihara belonging to Wat Kampong Tralach Leu pagoda. To get to it, we cross Kampong Tralach Krom village along a small road perpendicular to the river, crossing some gorgeous stretches of emerald rice paddy as we leave the river behind. The Vihara dates back to early last century. It was probably built on an older site, as indicated by the Latérite foundations, and is home to some outstanding mural paintings. These, however, are starting to suffer from weathering. They remain one of the last survivors of cultural destruction that continues unabated due to widespread indifference. Standing by itself in the middle of rice fields, it is a modest pagoda that receives very few visitors. Its isolation may well be its undoing, as was the case last May for Wat Tani Pagoda in the province of Kampot.
18:00 Embarkation, Toum Tiou II drops anchor downstream a few kilometers away.
Dinner and night onboard.

Day 7
Morning [Kampong Tralach] [Kampong Chhnang]
07:00 Departure early in the morning, navigation towards to Kampong Chhnang. Breakfast during navigation.
Morning [Kampong Chhnang] [Siem Reap (Angkor)]
08:00 Arrival to Kampong Chhnang, visit of the city and its surroundings.
Located 90 kilometers away of Phnom Penh, the town of Kampong Chhnang is one of the largest fishing ports on River Tonlé Sap. The area is famous for its pottery particularly antiquated which feeds all the country. Let us not forget the resources related to the culture of Thnot (palm tree with sugar – a true national symbol) which abounds in the zone: tasting of sugar and palm wine. Return to the port, of the local boats will await the passengers to make them discover floating part of city.

High water (July – December)
11:00 Return by local boats to the Toum Tiou II and leaving to the Lake. Lunch by crossing the Tonle Sap.
17:30 Arrival to Phnom Krom, the port of Siem Reap, transfer to downtown
18:30 Arrival to FCC Hotel

Low water (January – March)
11:00 Return to the boat, TTII leaves forward to Chnok Tru. Lunch during navigation.
14:00 In proximity of Chnok Tru passengers disembark Toum Tiou II and embark a speedboat chartered for our passengers for crossing the Tonle Sap Lake.
17:30 Arrival to Phnom Krom, the port of Siem Reap, transfer to downtown
18:30 Arrival to FCC Hotel

Cruise includes:

English speaking guide
Deluxe double/ twin cabin
Fullboard ( Meal, teas, coffee)
Admission fees and permits where applicable

Cruise excludes:

Airfares & airport taxes
Pre/post trip arrangement
Visa and visa arrangement
Travel insurance
Other personal expenses