Vietnam, Cambodia & The Mekong River Cruise

The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Photo © Aaron Saunders
The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Photo © Aaron Saunders

Mekong River Cruise takes you through Vietnam and Cambodia. The Mekong river cruise has emerged as one of Southeast Asia’s hottest river cruises. AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways, CroisiEurope, Emerald WaterwaysScenic, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection, and Viking River Cruises all offer cruises in this region.

While most of these departures are longer overland tours that typically either begin or end in Hanoi (for spectacular Ha Long Bay), some cruise lines also offer up their Mekong voyages as a weeklong cruise-only option. These begin in Siem Reap, Cambodia and end in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (or reverse).

Some river cruises, like our journey through Cambodia and Vietnam aboard AmaWateways' AmaLotus, include complimentary excursions that would be downright impossible to secure on your own. Photo © 2013 Aaron Saunders
Some river cruises, like our journey through Cambodia and Vietnam aboard AmaWateways’ AmaLotus, include complimentary excursions that would be downright impossible to secure on your own. Photo © 2013 Aaron Saunders

The staple of these cruises is the opportunity to visit major sites like Phnom Penh, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City, but quite often it is the floating villages and humble dwellings that line the Mekong that make the biggest impression. The way of life here is a mixture of traditional agriculture interspersed with modern technology, so expect to see a lot of farmers working in fields with their hands while answering their iPhones.

For the first-time visitor to Asia, a Mekong river cruise is a fantastic starting point.

Operating Period: January – December

See all articles detailing the Mekong River Cruise.

Also see Ralph Grizzle’s article about his Mekong River cruise with his daughter.

One Response

  1. Good Afternoon We had booked a cruise from Siem Riep to Siagon, for 27 September to 4 October 2022 with Travel marvel, but this very unfortunately has been cancelled. We are a group of 6 adults – 3 couples, requiring 3 cabins. Are you able to assist us with this booking? Looking forward to your response Kind regards Sally

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.