Day 1 - Siem Reap – Chnok Tru
13:30 Meeting in front of FCC hotel in Siem
Reap. Transfer to Phnom Krom pier. Crossing the Tonlé Sap Lake for meeting
the Toum Tiou anchored near Chnok Tru.
17:00 Visit Chnok Tru floating village.
18:30 Welcome on board of the Toum Tiou.
Security briefing.
19:00 Welcome drink and info meeting about
cruise, crew introduction.
Welcome
dinner. Overnight onboard.
At the end of the low water period, (around late March to June) the
water level may not allow anymore speedboats to cross the lake. In this case,
passengers will be transferred by our convenience from/to Siem Reap by land.
(~5-6 hour).
Day 2 - Chnok Tru – Kompong Chnang
07:00 Breakfast.
09:00 Arrival to Kampong Chnang.
Located some 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.
12:00 Passengers re-embark. Lunch on the ship
during navigation
18:00 The Toum Tiou drops anchor few miles away.
19:00 Dinner and overnight onboard.
Day 3 Kompong Tralach – Koh Chen - Phnom Penh
07:45 Departure of the Toum Tiou early in the
morning. Sail to Kampong Tralach, breakfast during navigation.
08:00 Arrival 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 last May for Wat Tani Pagoda in the
province of Kampot.
10:30 Passengers re-embark the Toum Tiou.
Lunch on board on the way to Koh Chen.
13:00 Arrival in Koh Chen. Visit a village of
handicraftsmen that specialise in silvers.
15:00 Return to the boat. Navigate to Phnom Penh.
17:00 Arrival in Phnom Penh.
19:00 Local group performs on board
traditional "APSARA” show for 45 minutes.
19:45 Dinner at restaurant. and overnight on
board.
Day 4- Phnom Penh
08:00 Breakfast.
Visit Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda
and Russian Market.
12.00 Return to the boat, lunch onboard.
15:00 Balance of the day free exploration on
own. (Suggestions can be made up on the interest of passengers. Toul Sleng old
center of detention, of torture and execution between 1975 and 1979. The visit
of this place is essential to understand what could be the fatal madness
perpetrated by the Khmer Rouges.)
19:00 Return to the boat. Toum Tiou departs
Phnom Penh.
Day 5- Kaam
Samnaar – Chau Doc
08:00 Departure for Kaam
Samnaar (Cambodian border).
10:00Toum Tiou arrives at
Immigration check point in Kaam Samnaar. Clearance of departure formalities.
Departure for Chau Doc, lunch
during navigation.
14:00 Located to the north at
the beginning of Mekong's famous delta, Chau Doc straddles both banks of the
Mekong which fans out to the dimensions of a river mouth here. Floating fish farms
have sprung up everywhere. Bamboo fish drying racks are set up a meter above
the water's surface. The bourgeoning downtown area features some charmingly
rustic colonial buildings, squeezed in by the marketplace - the colorful,
vibrant heart of the city. As always, these busy parts of town, despite their
sometimes strong odors, offer wonderful photo opportunities...Short panoramic
tour of the city. This is the perfect timing to discover the effervescence of
the local market.
18:00 Return to Toum Tiou.
19:30 Dinner onboard.
Day 6- Chau Doc – Vinh Long
06:00 Depart Chau Doc for Sa Dec. Breakfast
during navigation.
14:00 Arrival at Sa Dec – Short panoramic tour
of Sa Dec and transfer by bus 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).
17:00 Return to the boat, departure for Vinh
Long. Dinner during navigation.
Toum
Tiou drops anchor few miles before Vinh Long.
19:30 Dinner on the ship.
Day 7- Cai Be – My Tho
07:30 Breakfast.
08:30 Arrival at Vinh Long, local boats pick
up passengers for visiting 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 translates 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.
Departure
for Cai Be Floating Market – going across the Mekong River en route.
11:30 Passengers re-embark at Cai Be, Toum
Tiou leaves Cai Be for My Tho, lunch during navigation.
15:30 Arrival at My Tho – Toum Tiou drops
anchor on river in the proximity of Thoi Son Island
Local
boats come alongside Toum Tiou to pick up passengers and transfer to the
mainland.
Departure
for short panoramic tour of My Tho town on the way.
On the banks of a northern arm of the
Mekong, My Tho, which translates as "fragrant herb", where tourists come
to 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 gardens of
Vietnam, with its coconut palms, banana and mango trees.
16:30
Re-embarking the Toum
Tiou that leaves My Tho for Saigon
Time
to navigate on the marvelous canal of Cho Gao.
19:00 Farewell cocktail (1 glass of local
liquor or juice) with Master of Ship & Cruise Manager.
Captain’s
farewell dinner (Enriched menu + 1 glass of wine). Toum Tiou drops anchor on river en route.
Overnight
on board.
Day 8- My Tho – Saigon
07:00 Departure for Saigon, breakfast and
leisure on board.
11:00Toum Tiou arrives at Saigon port – customs
formalities clearance