SAIGON - PHNOM PENH CRUISE 6 Days / 5 Nights

Put the mythical Southeast Asian capitals of Phnom Penh and Saigon side by side and you have a meeting of two countries separated by an invisible line at the river. But the line becomes real when you compare their very different cultures, landscapes and pace of life. After the "Land of the Nine Dragons", the rice granary of Vietnam, we arrive at the impressive pastoral riverbanks of Cambodia. We are struck by the pace of activity and the cascade of things to see, including the nostalgic port of Saigon, the brickworks and trawlers of My Tho, the floating market in Cai Be, the temples and pagodas, the aquatic gardens of Vinh Long, Marguerite Duras' hometown of Sa Dec, the boat yards of Long Xuyen, the houses over fishing rearing pens in Chau Doc, before docking at Phnom Penh.

DAY 1 : Saigon - My Tho (Lunch, Dinner)
7:45 a.m. - Re-board the boat at the International Port, located behind the Ho Chi Minh Museum
8:00 a.m. - Formalities and departure for a day's travel along the Cho Gao and Nha Be canals.
Arrival in My Tho at the end of the day. Leave the boat for a stroll down town and to the bustling market. Reboard the Toum Tiou and head for Thoi Son Island. Night on board.

DAY 2 : My Tho - Vinh Long - Cai Be (B, L, D)
Trip over to Thoi Son Island, before disembarking at My Tho to visit Vinh Trang pagoda and the Dong Tam snake farm. On the boat for Cai Be, overnight opposite Cai Be.

DAY 3 : Vinh Long - Cai Be - Sa Dec (B, L)
Tour by small boats of the floating market and Binh Hoa Phuoc Islands with their many orchards and gardens, stopping at Mr Cai Cuing's house, Mr Tam Ho's plantation and a pottery-making factory... Get back on the Toum Tiou and head towards Sa Dec. Arrival at Sa Dec in late afternoon, tour the town, the school where Marguerite Duras's mother once taught, Kien An Cung Pagoda, then follow the docks up to the Sa Dec market, passing a charming colonial house mentioned in Marguerite Duras' novel "The Lover". Night on board.

DAY 4 : Sa Dec - Chau Doc (B, L)
Head towards Chau Doc, disembarking at the Victoria Chau Doc Hotel private pier and enjoy lunch at the hotel. Take small boats to visit a floating house and the nearby Cham village. Go back downtown and tour the market and Chua Xu pagoda. Climb Sam Mountain. Back onboard the Toum Tiou for the night.

DAY 5 : Chau Doc - Koh Dek Chou (B, L)
Head towards the border. Cross the borders in the afternoon. Night on board.

DAY 6 : Koh Dek Chou - Phnom Penh (B, L)
On the way to Phnom Penh, stop at Koh Dek Chou Island for a two-hour stroll through the sprawling village that stretches the full length of the island.
1:30 p.m. - Disembark at the Phnom Penh Port after the final meal on board.


* B : Breakfast, L : Lunch, D : Dinner