Tour Pages
Tour Info
Tour Length: 19 days
Leave Mon. Oct. 15
Return Fri. Nov. 02
$8,635 - Total Package
$3,580 - Single Room
$270 - Globus Journeys Club Discount
$100 - DWJ sign up discount available
More Information
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2018 Mekong River Cruise, Vietnam & Cambodia 19 days
Including Train to Hillside Station of Sapa & Ha Long Bay Overnight Cruise
Overview
Features
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Deluxe 7-nights River Cruise from Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) on the Avalon Saigon in hotel-style, outside stateroom; 8-nights in Deluxe, or Superior First-Class Hotels; Overnight Victoria Express Train to Sapa: and Overnight Paradise Elegance Ha Long Bay Cruise. Deluxe Avalon Waterways.
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17 (B) Breakfasts, 13 (L) Lunches, and 11 (D) Dinners. Bottled Water on excursions. Free coffee, tea, soda, local beer/spirits on ship.
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Escorted by Alex Dold from Honolulu. Professional Cruise Director, Vietnam Tour Director and a selection of certified local guides. Twin-bedded rooms/cabins with private bath or shower, service charges, and tips for baggage handling.
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Japan Airlines from Honolulu. One intra-flights. Cyclo "rickshaw" ride through Hanoi's Old Quarter; Oxcart Ride past the rice paddy fields of Kampong Tralach; Cyclo ride in Phnom Penh; multiple sampan rides to access remote areas. Private deluxe coach with air-conditioning.
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Unique visits and interaction with locals at: Koto non-profit restaurant and hospitality program that trains local street children in restaurant skills; Sapa's famous Weekly Markets; Les Artisans d’Angkor, teaching young adults traditional handicraft techniques; meet with a Local Farmer and learn about his daily life; enter a Silversmith Village to see talented craftsmen use age-old techniques; view the traditional Khmer houses of Angkor Ban and visit a local school; experience Chau Doc Local Market; spend time with a local family and watch a Cotton-Weaving Demonstration; stop at a local home who hand-craft sampans for a living; visit Vietnam’s oldest churches for an Interesting Conversation with a Catholic Priest; explore a local workshop which makes rice wine and traditional coconut candy; stop at the Rex Hotel's popular Rooftop Bar where the U.S. Military held the infamous “Five O’clock Follies” during the war.
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Some fascinating sights include: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Cottage; ascend the highest road in Vietnam to Heaven Gate for stunning views; Taphin village, home of the Red Dao people; UNESCO's Ha Long Bay; the amazing Temples of Angkor; Phnom Penh's Royal Palace with the spectacular Silver Pagoda, the National Museum, and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a former high school that housed over 17,000 prisoners; 8th Century Wat Hanchey Temple; Ho Chi Minh Square, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the immense Cu Chi Tunnels was used by the Viet Cong during the war.
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Special performances like: Savor Hanoi’s renowned Water Puppets; Apsara Dance, where the ancient Khmer culture is brought to life; local Phnom Penh orphanage puts on a show featuring local song and dance. Ran out of space : ( more highlights found in the itinerary!
Alex's Notes
After experiencing one of the best travel journeys of my life (a sentiment expressed by other Irrawaddy 'Ohana), I was shocked when Ryan (who put together our Irrawaddy River Cruise and India & Nepal programs) told me the Mekong River Cruise is even better. With the deluxe treatment, a smaller ship, the most caring and personable staff, and let's not forget the amazing untouched sights and personal interaction with the locals, how could anything be better. Well, after finalizing the itinerary, Ryan might just have a point.
Designed with Style!
Launching in 2018, the brand new, all-suite Avalon Saigon will be meticulously designed (like Irrawaddy's Avalon Myanmar) to offer the best cruise experience on the Mekong. Carrying only 36 guests the ship offers an unrivaled small-ship cruise experience. Yet the ship was purposely built as long and wide as other ships that carry twice as many guests so that spaces aren’t cramped and crowded. The innovative Open-Air Balcony is a floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall panoramic window measuring a massive 14 feet across. The doors slide open a full 9 feet, creating the feeling of sitting outside. In addition, there’s a gym and a spa room offering relaxing massages. And with a crew to guest ratio of nearly 1:1 we’ll experience personalized service throughout the journey.
Shop and Compare - Size Does Matter!
Unlike the undiscovered Irrawaddy, the Mekong is one of the most popular river cruises in the world. This being said, there are many cruising options, some of which are less expensive, and I encourage you to compare. BUT please be sure to look at all the features included. Being a smaller deluxe ship, the Saigon can move faster over the river allowing us to see more places and it is much easier to disembark 36 cruisers then say 124. Meaning more time exploring fascinating sights on shore, taking in unique experiences, and interacting with the locals. At times, we get off the ship on sampans to reach remote areas. Something the bigger ship cannot provide.
Amazing Features!
Deluxe hotels like the Park Hyatt Siem Reap and the Reverie Saigon Hotel (winner of the 2017 Conde Nast Readers' Choice Award and 2017 Leading Hotel of Vietnam Award). Both properties are located in the heart of their respective cities. Luxury overnight Ha Long Bay cruise on the Paradise Elegance. Launch in 2017, it features 269 sq. ft. room with balconies. Overnight train ride on the stylish Victoria Express to Sapa. One of the best Cruise Directors on the Mekong from our arrival in Siem Reap to our departure in Saigon. He'll even guide us through the streets and enjoy meals with us during our free time. Plus, a fabulous Director in Northern Vietnam and knowledgeable local guides in many cities. Please read the Features section above for more!
Fascinating Sights!
Explore Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and the humble cottage from which “Uncle Ho” ruled Vietnam until his death in 1969; stop at the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” before continuing to mystical Hoan Kiem Lake; visit the villages of the Zay and Black Hmong ethnic groups to learn about their way of life in the lush green hillsides of Sapa. In Siem Reap see the phenomenal Temples of Angkor with an intricacy and architectural grandeur unmatched in the world; experience Phnom Penh's Royal Palace with its striking Silver Pagoda, and the Killing Fields; enjoy stunning views from the temple of Wat Hanchey and receive a Traditional Water blessing; stroll through the heart of the Ho Chi Minh City along Dong Khoi Street (formerly Rue Catinat) past Ho Chi Minh Square and Notre Dame Cathedral; walk through a section of the immense underground Cu Chi Tunnels system used during the Vietnam War; and more. Please see itinerary...
Unique Experiences!
Go on a cyclo “rickshaw” ride through Hanoi's ancient streets of the Old Quarter where peddlers have traded goods for centuries and enjoy a water puppet performance, a traditional art form dating back to the 11th century; have a one of a kind experience on our overnight Victoria Express Train ride to Sapa, once a French hilltop station; explore Taphin Village, home of the Red Dao people who migrated to Sapa from China starting in the 12th century; take a remarkable overnight cruise along Ha Long Bay which reveals its beautiful Limestone Islands and more; enjoy an inspiring Aspara dance performance in Siem Reap; ride an ox cart amongst rice paddy fields; visit the Silversmith Village of Konpong Louang where we see talented craftsmen use age-old techniques to turn pure silver into works of art; try our hand in the kitchen—Vietnamese-style, with a cooking class; and more. Please see itinerary...
Local Interaction!
Experience one of Sapa's famous Weekly Markets where local ethnic minority groups wear their most beautiful costumes as they sell and trade their homemade products; stop at Les Artisans D’Angkor, a development project teaching young adults traditional handicraft techniques; meet with a Local Farmer and learn more about his daily life; walk through the rural village of Angkor Ban to visit with welcoming schoolchildren; via sampan, we are invited into the home of a local family making handcrafted sampans, also via sampan, visit the home of a local family for a cotton-weaving demonstration and a local workshop which makes rice wine and traditional candies; ride a specially designed motor cart to one of Vietnam’s oldest churches for an Interesting Conversation with a Catholic Priest; and more. Please see itinerary...
With Ryan's help and expertise, we are taking one of Avalon's 23 days programs and doing in 19 (without killing us, I promise) and saving thousands of dollars. Once again longtime friends like Ryan at the Globus Family, help me to continue the Dold Family Tradition of Value, Service and Making Travel Dreams Come True.
Pray this itinerary appeals to your sense of amazing exploration (in style). Please contact me with questions.
View Day by Day Itinerary
Dates & Prices
Leave Mon. Oct. 15 - Return Fri. Nov. 02, 2018 - $8,635
Single Room Supplement - $3,580 / Travel Insurance - $379 / Land Only - $7,320
* Priced based on "B" category. Upgrade to category "A" (upper deck) for $400 per person more.
First 15 to sign up Save $100. Second 15, Save $75.
$270 - Globus Journeys Club Discount (submit your Globus Journeys Club number to qualify).
* This program may be back in 5 to 8 years.
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