THE LOST CIVILIZATION VIETNAM TO CAMBODIA - 11 DAYS / 10 NIGHTS (TI/PRI)
SAIGON - MY THO - CAI BE - CHAU DOC - PHNOM PENH - KAMPONG CHAM - KAMPONG CHHNANG - TONLE SAP - SIEM REAP
Departures: Jul 2, 16, 30; Aug 13, 27; Sep 10, 24; Oct 8, 22; Nov 5, 19; Dec 3, 17

Day 1 Arrive in Saigon
Upon arrival, meet your tour guide and transfer to hotel.

Day 2 Saigon - My Tho (breakfast, lunch & dinner)
Pick you at hotel and transfer to meeting point - located in Renaissance Riverside hotel and then, take a shuttle bus to My Tho for embarkation the ship. Enjoy a cocktail reception at the Funnel Bar and Lounge followed by a Welcome Dinner on the Sun Deck. Drop anchor just outside of My Tho for the night. Overnight on board of The Jayavarman

Day 3 Cai Be - Chau Doc (breakfast, lunch & dinner)
Starts with the cruise among local sampans coming from all provinces of the delta full of fruits and vegetables. Proceed to Dong Hoa Hiep island located between Vinh Long and Cai Be. During a 40 minute cruise, discover beautiful landscapes along the river and observe the typical Mekong Delta rural life. Further stops will allow you to see traditional brick and tile factories and how locals use palm leaves for houses. After touring the canals, head to the Ba Duc ancient house to have known the descendants of the former imperial residents.
Then you will observe the Cai Be's colorful floating market from Cai Be Princess boat. Back on the sampans, cruise 20 minutes further to Phu An hamlet passing by Cai Be's beautiful cathedral. Then, group 1 can stay on boat to go straight to the restaurant while group 2 explores the edges of the canals on bicycle.
Lunch will await you at Le Longanier, a superb Indochinese villa located in a lush tropical garden by the river, surrounded by fruit orchards. After lunch the cruise will continue with the visit some interesting home factories to see how rice paste, rice cookies and coconut candies, are made, along with the longan fruit drying process. Board The Jayavarman for a relaxing evening cruise towards Chau Doc.

Day 4 Chau Doc - Border crossing (breakfast, lunch & dinner)
The early birds will be treated to Tai Chi lessons on the Sun Deck. Brace yourself for a short excursion by tricycle in about 30 minutes.
After that a short walk to visit the local market then coach to visit Lady Temple . She is the most famous Lady who brings strong spirit to the local in their daily life.
Go back to the quay; you will start a boat excursion to the exciting floating villages and catfish farms witnessing masses of basa fish being fed, a shore excursion to the village of the local Muslim Cham community. By mid-afternoon, The Jayavarman casts off for the border towards Phnom Penh .

Day 5 Phnom Penh (breakfast, lunch & dinner)
After breakfast, embark on a city tour in this dynamic, historical capital of Cambodia which has retained its French colonial charm. Sightseeing will include the dazzling white and gold architecture of the Royal Palace , outstanding displays of Khmer crafts at the National Museum and the temple - Wat Phnom.
After lunch in a local restaurant, examine the painful, heart wrenching reminders of Cambodia 's ugly past under the Khmer Rouge regime with an excursion to the Genocide museum to learn more about the Cambodian civil war. Introduction and onsite lecture by a local history professor.
Thereafter, to ease the nerves a variety of cocktails will be at your disposal, followed by Cambodia 's traditional Apsara dance performance . Experience the brilliance and richness of the culture, the soothing sounds of traditional music, the calming scent of incense sticks and a delicious Khmer food buffet.

Day 6 Phnom Penh - Kampong Cham (breakfast, lunch & dinner)
Depart before the break of dawn from Phnom Penh with a stop at the little known Chong Koh silk weaving village for a leisure walk. We cruise past the Mekong 's tranquil villages and mind blowing river life with scores of fishermen on duty.
Visit Wat Nokor, a wat built within the ruins of an ancient temple that holds a timeless story. Then, travel to the Cheung Kok Ecotourism Village , a small village developed with support from Assistance Médiation Internationale (AMICA). Travelers can visit the village and take part in activities to experience village life.

Day 7 Kampong Cham - Wat Hanchey (breakfast, lunch & dinner)
Wake up in the wee hours of the morning, truly energized to embark on a journey upriver to the pre-Angkorian temple of Wat Hanchey . Located at the top of a hill overlooking the river, it offers some of the best views in Cambodia . Dating from the 8th century, these ancient structures do justice to the architecture of the Chenla Empire which predated the glories of the mighty Angkor . Enjoy spectacular views of the surrounding well organized rice paddy plains, as well as a travelers blessing performed by the local monks.

Day 8 Kampong Cham - Kampong Chhnang - Tonle Sap (breakfast, lunch & dinner)
Before the sun rises, The Jayavarman sets sail to Kampong Chhnang via Prek K'dam along the meandering Tonle Sap River , which narrows through leafy swaths of the South East Asian jungle. Take a walk through Kampong Louang , one of the last silversmith villages, to see the entire community involved in making various silver items to sell. Get back and lunch aboard The Jayavarman while cruising towards Kampong Chhnang .
After lunch, take a motorboat from Kampong Chhnang to see the wetlands, floating houses and fish farms in the region. Stop at a Heritage Line sponsored floating school to interact with the children and teach them some English! In the evening, a Farewell Dinner will be served on the Sun Deck.

Day 9 Tonle Sap - Siem Reap (breakfast)
High Water Program (approx. between July and December)
Cross the Tonle Sap Lake at dawn and 11:00 disembark at Siem Reap Port for onward coach transfer to the hotel by 12:00 pm
Low Water Program (approx. between December and June)
Cruise early morning to Prek K'dam where you will disembark The Jayavarman after breakfast. Board a coach at 9:00am which will take you to see a pre-Angorian temple on your way to Siem Reap. A packed lunch and refreshments will be available along the way. Arrive in Siem Reap early afternoon. Check-in hotel and rest of the day is free at leisure.

Day 10 Siem Reap (breakfast)
After breakfast, drive to Angkor Thom . Enjoy an elephant ride from the South gate to the main complex. At first glance, it seems a shapeless mass of stone, but further scrutiny reveals enigmatic faces looking at every direction, with half-closed eyes, all looking content and serene. Continue your exploration by visiting Elephant Terrace served as a platform from which to view his victorious returning army and the Leper King Terrace with perfect carvings winding along a narrow passage way .Continue to visit the picturesque Ta Prohm , a jungle-clad temple with overgrown trees, giving a haunting and exotic atmosphere. The magnificent roots of a tree push itself between the temple's huge stone blocks in an embrace, emphasizing the 'lost city' feel.
In the afternoon, visit the intricately carved Khmer ruins at Angkor Wat , one of the world's most impressive temple ruins constructed between 9 th and 13 th centuries. The temple still owns hundreds of fine carvings of Apsara and Hindu mythology. Stroll around the massive hallways to discover small shrines still in use today by the local people.

Day 11 Siem Reap departure (breakfast)
Morning, breakfast at your hotel and then, driving 35km to the rural outskirts, visit the jewel of Khmer art, Banteay Srei temple . Its red sandstone walls are decorated with elaborate carvings and in an amazing state of preservation. Back to hotel for check-out at 12:00 noon. Then transfer to the airport for your flight home.

Updated: Jul20,2010