RV The Jahan Cruise

Pick up at the meeting point and shuttle transfer from Saigon to the departure point of the RV Mekong, at My Tho. Embark the RV Jayavarman Mekong river vessel to begin your eight day cruising journey along the Mekong. Upon boarding our crew warmly welcomes you and you check into your accommodation. The ship set sail and your fascinating journey of exploring the Mekong can begin. Lunch buffet is served in the restaurant
The afternoon allows you pass time at your private balcony or join our tea time at the open air bar as the twilight bathes the land of the Mekong Delta into a golden haze. During the time you savour your dinner, the ship reaches Cai Be, a charming small town, famous for its Catholic French church and manufacturing of traditional crafts and food products. We drop anchor mid-stream and stay overnight near Cai Be.

• Start your day with a invigorating Tai Chi class  like many local people do around Asia, just as the sun begins its gentle glow and then you will enjoy a sumptuous buffet breakfast is the perfect start for your first exploration day in the Mekong Delta.
• The morning tour takes you to Cai Be. Cai Be still hosts a small floating market for boat to boat trading of local goods such as fruits and agricultural products. Our guide explains the particularities of this long lasting dealing culture. Each boat has a special marker to let buyers know what goods they are selling. Ride on a local boat we continue to cruise through the lush and green canal network and observe farmers working in the fields. Back on board, lunch is served on the cruise.
• In the afternoon, we reach the area of Sa Dec. We embark a traditional sampan and take a tour towards Binh Thanh Island. This island is one of the larger ones in the vast stream of the Mekong. By wandering through the village we get a deep understanding of the native life. But moreover, we can follow the whole process of mat making. You can even try the weaving yourself which is still done manually. We will meet also an old local couple who shares their story on the island with us.
• Back on board you may like to pamper yourself with a spa treatment or take a dip into our pool on the sun deck. Our expert guides offer a presentation on the “Life in the Mekong Delta” as the ship continues sailing to Tan Chau, near the boarder to Cambodia. We moor mid-stream near Tan Chau.
• Dinner is served and afterwards you can join our evening cinema session (offered every night) featuring selected movies.

• Welcome to the fish sanctuary of Vietnam. Begin your day with a hearty breakfast at the dining hall or in the quiet privacy of your balcony.
• Brace yourself for a tour around Tan Chau, a pleasant, slow-paced town with a sizeable Chinese, Kinh and Khmer community. Once on-shore we hop on “xelois” to explore Tan Chau. A “xeloi” is a local vehicle which is still used as a taxi in this region. We slowly move around the streets to see all the workshops, houses and domiciles. Get to feel the laid-back vibes of this place. We stop at the colorful local market near one of the town’s temples. This is the best time to interact with the vendors of this friendly town to practice your bargaining skills. We board our local boat and cruise past floating houses and finally reach a floating fish farm. This region is the source of a fish production that is sold all over the world. Here we get a deep insight on how fish farming works..
• Back on board our “home” we sail towards the Vietnamese-Cambodian border. Get ready for a fascinating and leisurely cruise through the deep Cambodian countryside towards Phnom Penh. A culinary class is offered during the afternoon to sharpen your knowledge and skills on the local cuisine. 
• Dinner is served before we arrive in the Cambodia's capital in the evening. The boat docks at the pier of Phnom Penh. You are free to go for your first exploration by yourself. Stroll along the river promenade and watch the locals chit-chatting, selling odds and ends or have a drink in one of the numerous bars (kindly inform our crew when you are leaving the ship on your own).

Welcome to Phnom Penh the once called Paris of the East. Breakfast and followed by a full sight-seeing tour. Visit the Killing Fields at the outskirts of the city and after the centrally located prison “S21”. Both historic sites display the sad and cruel chapter of Khmer history when the Khmer Rouge ruled the country with terror and suppression. Lunch is held in a nice restaurant in town. Our exploration of Phnom Penh focuses afterwards on the fascinating cultural heritage of Phnom Penh. The golden edifice of the Royal Palace with its Silver Pagoda and the exceptional Khmer crafts at the National Museum are the afternoon highlights. The day trip ends with a cycle ride back to the ship through the bustling streets of downtown Phnom Penh. Cocktails are served on the cuise while a captivating lecture about Cambodian modern history, held by a professor of the Royal University of Phnom Penh. Definitely among the highlights of this cruise to receive knowledge out of first hand as our lecturer knew the former King of Cambodia privately and many other high ranking politicians. After the lecture, a feast of a barbecue dinner commences on the sun deck. The dinner is accompanied by an Apsara dance performance. You have to witness the brilliance and richness of this dance along with the soothing sounds of traditional music. As the evening unwinds enjoy your supper with a good glass of wine and marvel at the skyline of Phnom Penh and the calming flow of the Tonle River.

• Deaprt Phnom Penh adn cruising towards the small Angkor Ban village up the Mekong River. Wake up to the gentle cruise motion and get ready for breakfast in the dining room. Visit the Angkor Ban village is famous for it´s unspoiled community and beautiful, traditional houses. Back on board our staff is keen on showing you the variety of traditional Khmer fashion. Lunch is served after this demonstration.
• We cruise further up the Mekong to visit a local school and we continue the travel by road to the enchanting pre-Angkorian temple of Wat Hanchey (7th century). This small complex sits on a hill top right on the shore with breath-taking views on the Mekong. Another temple on the way is the tiny, colorful monastery of Wat Nokor. Here we might get the chance to engage in a light banter with some of the monks living in the area.
• Relax back on board until dinner is served. The boat moors mid-river near Kampong Cham.

• We sail downstream the Mekong during breakfast time and stop at the Island of Koh Oknha Tey. This spot in the middle of the Mekong owns its fame for the manufacturing of high class silk products. By tuk tuk we explore the island with its workshops and learn how silk is processed from its source, provided by little silkworms, to a final top quality product made of original Cambodian silk. Before lunch our expert guides offer a presentation about the “Geography of the Mekong and Tonle Sap”. After lunch a Monks’ blessing ceremony on board will deliver spirits and wishes for health and prosperity to all.
• The cruiser continues its journey, passing the confluence of Mekong and Tonle River towards Kampong Tralach. Gliding through leafy swaths of this jungle-like landscape we reach Kampong Tralach.
• The boat find its anchor spot later in the Tonle River near Kampong Chhnang allowing you to observe the interesting and close-by life on shore until dinner is served in the restaurant.

• Wake up early to witness this spectacular water-world in the break of dawn. Our morning Tai Chi class has the perfect backdrop today. Breakfast buffet is served in the restaurant.
• We are now at Kampong Chhnang, Cambodia’s “water world”, where everything is on sticks balanced on water rich soil. This is the most fascinating cruise part in Cambodia. We take a local boat to the shore and will enjoy a walking tour to visit pottery and palm sugar villages. Before returning to the boat we explore the local floating villages and wetlands of the region.
• Lunch is served as your the boat gently cruises along the narrow and meandering Tonle, towards the Great Tonle Lake - the biggest fresh water lake in Asia. This lake can only be crossed during high water season (approx. from End-July to Mid-November). Let your soul float and your eyes wander while the boat makes its way towards Siem Reap.
• In the afternoon we serve a afternoon tea at the bar and as the sun sets, our crew invites for a farewell event. Enjoy your dinner and some music and dancing afterwards together with the crew.
• The boat moors mid-stream near Siem Reap.

The cruise comes to an end. We prepare to disembark the ship and take a local boat to the shore, passing a vast floating community. Around 9 o’clock, we arrive at the Siem Reap pier and bring you back by a short transfer to the drop-off point in the city center. We hope that you enjoyed this fascinating river same as our crew does every single time. Moreover, we wish you plenty of memories and friendships that will linger with your stories of this amazing river - the Mighty Mekong.