Toum Tiou II is a charming little vessel with a lot character. It has a very special ambience onboard with its open air restaurant and following a refurbishment program has all of the comforts and quality you would expect from a river vessel. The program itself is more than just cruising, you will explore and discover the fascinating Mekong river.
Start your tou in Vietnam Ho Chi Minh and finish in Cambodia in Siem Reap to discover Angkor Wat before going back home.
Day 1 - Beijing - Saigon (D)
Arrive at Saigon, you will be welcomed by your driver and guide who will transfer you to the meeting point before 15:30pm. 16:30 Departure for My Tho, security briefing 19:00 Welcome drink and info meeting about cruise, crew introduction. Welcome dinner Overnight onboard
Day 2 - My Tho - Cai Be - Vinh Long (B, L, D)
07:00 Breakfast during navigation. 08:00 Arrival at My Tho – Toum Tiou II drops anchor on the river in the proximity of Thoi Son Island. On the banks of a northern arm of the Mekong, My Tho, which is translated as "fragrant herb", You will 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 garden of Vietnam with its coconut palms, banana and mango trees. Local boats are coming alongside Toum Tiou to pick you up and transfer to the mainland. Departure for a short panoramic tour of My Tho town. On the way stop for a visit of My Tho market. Return at the pier - You will cruise on the river to the Dragon Island by local boat to visit the island, explore local people’s daily life and enjoy locally seasonal fruits At 9h30 you will re-embark Toum Tiou II and leaves My Tho for Cai Be. Lunch and leisure on board. In the afternoon Toum Tiou will drop its anchor at Cai Be. Local boats are coming alongside Toum Tiou to pick you up and cruise around Cai Be Floating Market. Continuing for Vinh Long - a brick and pottery factory, the Binh Hoa Phuoc Islet Nursery of Fruit Trees as well a typical house and a show room of traditional farming tools. Vinh Long, which is translated 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 it a tourist destination par excellence. Around 16h30 return on the Toum Tiou II and depart for Sa Dec where you will arrive around 19h30 and spend the night. Dinner and overnight on board.
Day 3 - Sa Dec - Chau Doc (B, L, D)
Get an early breakfast, then leave around 7h to discover Sa Dec - Short panoramic tour and transfer to Trung Vuong primary school. Continuing to Kien An Cung Pagoda. Stroll around Sa Dec Market along Sa Dec 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). At 9h you will re-embark and leave Sa Dec for Chau Doc. Lunch and leisure on board. You will arrive at Chau Doc jetty around 17h. Departure for fish raising rafts and Cham minority village by local boat. Return to the Victoria. If the timing is allowing it, watch of the sunset 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, 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 then return on the boat. You will have dinner then you can visit the Promenade along the river. You will have to get back at 22h on Toum Tiou II for the departure to the border. Overnight onboard
Day 4 - Vinh Xuong - Phnom Penh (B, L, D)
Toum Tiou leaves early in the morning for Vinh Xuong (Vietnamese border). Breakfast during navigation. The boat will arrive at 8h at Vinh Xuong the check-point – Formalities clearance for Toum Tiou to cross the border. At 10h30 Toum Tiou will leave Vinh Xuong check point for Phnom Penh. Lunch during the navigation. You will arrive in Phnom Penh around 18h. You will be free to enjoy an evening in the Cambodian capital. Dinner and overnight on board
Day 5 - Phnom Penh (B, D)
Breakfast will be served at 7h. leave the boat at 8h for an half day city tour including the Royal Palace the National Museum and What Phnom. Return to Toum Tiou II at 12h and get a lunch in a local restaurant. In the afternoon departure for Tuol Sleng Museum, old center of detention, of torture and execution between 1975 and 1979. The visit of this place is essential to understand the atrocities perpetrated by the Khmer Rouges. In the same area, you will stop at the Russian Market. In the evening return to the boat. Local group performs on board a traditional “APSARA” show for 45 minutes. Dinner and overnight on board.
Day 6 - Phnom Penh - Koh Chen - Kompong Tralach (B, L, D)
After breakfast the day is free to explore on your own. Suggestions can be made up to your interest: FCC, Central Market, Russian market, other boutiques (antiques), etc. Depart of the Toum Tiou II at 12 and lunch on board. In the beginning of the afternoon you will arrive in Koh Chen where you will visit a local village. At 16h you will arrive at Kampong Tralach to 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 for Wat Tani Pagoda in the province of Kampot. Around 18h your will re-embark. The Toum Tiou drops anchor a few miles away. Dinner and overnight on board.
Day 7 - Kampong Chnang - Chok Tru (B, L, D)
Departure of the Toum Tiou II early in the morning and Sail to Kampong Chnang. You will have breakfast during navigation. Arrive at 8h in Kampong Chnang. Located around 56 miles from Phnom Penh, the town of Kampong Chnang is one of the largest fishing ports on the Tonlé Sap. Fish farming is also widely practiced in the area. The area is famous for its pottery ware, unchanged in style for centuries, which is produced in sufficient quantities to supply the entire country. And not to be overlooked are the products of the Thnot tree (sugar palm – a real national symbol) that abounds in the area: a mellow tasting, caramel-colored sugar sold in large cakes and palm wine. At 11h30 you will re-embark the Toum Tiou II. Lunch on board on the way to Chnok Tru. At the beginning of the afternoon arrive at Chnok Tru. Local boats are coming along the Toum Tiou II and picking you for the visit of the biggest floating village on the Tonlé Sap River. You will come back around 17h. The Toum Tiou II stays overnight in the proximity of Chnok Tru. At 19h30 you will have a farewell cocktail (1 glass of local liquor or juice) with Master of Ship & Cruise Manager. Captain’s farewell dinner. Overnight on board.
Day 8 - Chnok Tru - Siem Reap (B)
Departure of the Toum Tiou II early in the morning. Time to pack and relax a half a day by crossing the Tonlé Sap Lake. Arrival at Phnom Krom pier at 11h (~5 miles from Siem Reap) Upon your arrival at Siem Reap pier, you will be welcomed by your local English speaking guide and transferred to your hotel. Siem Reap is the base for exploring the fabled temples of Angkor, the ancient capital of the Khmer empire. Rest of the day free at leisure on your own. Overnight in Siem Reap
Day 9 - Siem Reap (B)
This morning, visit early the temples of the Roluos Group. Roluos is the site of an ancient center of Khmer civilization known as Hariharalaya. It was the first town built by the Angkorian kings in the 8th and 9th century and consists of three main temples: Bakong, Lolei and Preah Ko. The surrounding countryside with its paddy fields and sugar palm trees is very typical for Cambodia – enjoy the natural beauty on a cow cart ride, a fun way to get in touch with rural Cambodia and its friendly people. Your destination is Roluos Pagoda, where Buddhist monks will celebrate a private blessing ceremony for you, wishing you health and a safe journey – a memorable experience! This afternoon, continue your visit by the temples of the Small Circuit. The most illustrious of these is Ta Prohm, built in the mid 12th to early 13th centuries. Ta Prohm is unique in that it has been left largely as it was found: overgrown by jungle trees and vines, with many parts of the temple crumbling to the ground. This makes the ‘Tomb Raider Temple’ one of the most picturesque and memorable of the Angkor temples. Your visit will also include Banteay Kdei, a Buddhist monastery from the late 12th Century, and Srah Srang, also known as the “pool of ablutions”. Overnight in Siem Reap
Day 10 - Siem Reap (B)
This morning, visit the ancient city of Angkor Thom, the last capital of the Great Khmer Empire under the reign of Jayavarman VII. This city is surrounded by an 8 m high wall, drawing a perfect square. Enter the city through the ancient South Gate, an impressive stone gate carved with Elephants and four giant faces. Continue to Bayon Temple in the exact center of the city. This 12th century masterpiece is a study in grandeur and is well-known for its 54 towers with enigmatic faces representing the 54 provinces of the Great Khmer Empire. The Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King are also must-visits as they are both known for their intricate bas-reliefs. This afternoon, visit the biggest religious Hindu edifice in the world: Angkor Wat. Built during the reign of King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century, Angkor Wat is constructed following the model of the temple mountain symbolizing Mount Meru, the home of the gods. Inside the temple, the walls are covered with stone carvings and bas-reliefs depicting Hindu mythology and the wars Suryavarman II fought during his reign. Angkor Wat is well known for the more than 2,000 Apsara dancers decorating the temple. Construction is thought to have taken around thirty years of intensive labor. Today, Angkor Wat is figured on Cambodia's national flag as the temple symbolizes the soul of the Khmer people. You will be there during sunset time, when Angkor Wat is less visited and the Apsaras will shine in the most beautiful light. Overnight in Siem Reap
Day 11 - Siem Reap - Beijing (B)
Time free at leisure till transfer with your local English speaking guide to Siem Reap international airport and depart by flight back to Beijing.
They said
Le voyage etait fabuleux a tous les niveaux. La croisiere etait ……