Cruise : From Siem Reap (Cambodge) to Ho Chi Minh Ville (Vietnam)

Transcription

1 Réf : 12R_PPINTL Cruise : From Siem Reap (Cambodge) to Ho Chi Minh Ville (Vietnam) SIEM REAP - TONLE SAP - KAMPONG CHHNANG - KAMPONG TRALACH - KOH CHEN - PHNOM PENH - CHAU DOC - SA DEC - VINH LONG - CAI BE - MY THO - HO-CHI-MINH CITY - Hanoi - Halong Bay Reasons to book with us EXCURSIONS INCLUDED EXTENDED STAY Post-program - 4 days to discover Hanoi and the Halong Bay A 9-day / 8-night cruise on the Mekong River Discover Ho Chi Minh City One dinner with traditional shows From Personalised the heights service of the from Himalayas a to the coast of the China Sea, over the course of its 4500km journey, the River Mekong CroisiEurope irrigates much tour more leaderthan Indochina. Wherever it flows, it captivates man and shapes their lives. From the Delta and Saigon, throughout a town the tour still filled with souvenirs of the French colonial presence, right to the great lake of Tonle Sap and Siem Reap, a city at the foot of the Angkor Sites, the Mekong today has to work hard to maintain suitable water levels, with A 4-anchor many dams ship with along much its course, and subjected to a regime of more and more extraordinary monsoons. comfort and charm DRINKS INCLUDED on board the ship (1 soda or 1 beer or 1 mineral water and 1 coffee or tea) DAY 1 : SIEM REAP - ANGKOR Tips for crew included during the cruise Join the pier of Siem Reap at 2 :00 P.M. Tips included during stay in Siem Transfer to your ship. Welcome on board and cocktail. Settle into our cabins Introduction to the crew, then we have dinner. Night at Reap anchor. DAY 2 : TONLE SAP - KAMPONG CHHNANG - KAMPONG TRA- LACH Breakfast on board and spend the morning cruising to take advantage of the lake crossing. After lunch on board, we arrive in the early afternoon in Kampong Chhnang. Located some 90km from Phnom Penh, the town of Kampong Chhnang is one of the largest fishing ports on the Tonle Sap. Here they also have many fish farms. The region is best known for its fine traditional pottery which is a major source of revenue for the entire country, and the region s very name Kampong Chhnang means the port of the pottery in Khmer. Taste some palm sugar from the Thnot sugar palm (a real national symbol) before going around the village afloat small local boats. We return on board and continue our cruise to Kampong Tralach. Dinner on board. Night at anchor. DAY 3 : KAMPONG TRALACH - KOH CHEN - PHNOM PENH We have breakfast on board this morning before visiting the beautiful Vihara of the Wat Kampong Tralach Leu pagoda. Cross through the village of Kampong Tralach by ox-cow to reach the pagoda on a small path running perpendicular to the river amidst

2 a magnificent landscape of rice fields. The Vihara dates back to the beginning of last century and has many magnificent wall paintings which are starting to suffer from the effects of time. Completely isolated in the middle of the rice fields, the pagoda is quite unassuming and does not receive many visitors, so its isolation makes it a truly magnificent spot. We return on board for lunch and cast off. Arrive into Koh Chen during the afternoon and visit this small village where the inhabitants are experts in silverwork and copper work. Here they make the ornaments and decorations used during traditional ceremonies in the pagoda or for weddings. Visit school of the village. We return on board and cruise to Phnom Penh where we arrive late in the afternoon Take a tuk tuk trip, a motorised tricycle which is the traditional mode of transport in Phnom Penh. During this trip we can discover the more emblematic monuments of the city as the Royal Palace.We return on board and enjoy an Aspara dance show and dinner on board. Night alongside in Phnom Penh. DAY 4 : PHNOM PENH Founded in 1434, the capital of Cambodia retaind much of its French colonial charm, thanks to the rehabilitation of part of its architectural heritage. Visit the Royal palace, symbolic heart of the nation and one of the finest examples of Cambodian architecture in classical Khmer style, the Silver pagoda, paved over 5000 silver tiles which it owes its name. Constructed in wood in 1892 it was then rebuilt in 1962, and. Then we visit the National museum housing the Fine Arts museum, built in 1917 by the French in traditional Khmer architectural style. Beautiful lapidary museum, which the sublime statue of Javayarman VII sits with the head slightly tilted in a meditative posture. Lunch in a local restaurant and this afternoon visit the Tuol Svay Prey School S21, former center of detention, torture and execution used by the Khmer Rouge during the War. There is free time in the local market - crammed full with all types of businesses. Return on board and have dinner as we continue our cruise through the night to Vietnam. DAY 5 : CHAU DOC - SA DEC Have breakfast on board and spend the morning afloat. We cross into Vietnam and complete customs formalities at the border. Lunch on board. Arriving in the early afternoon in Chau Doc, a town at the border between Cambodia and Vietnam which became part of Vietnamese territory some 300 years ago. Situated in the heart of a gigantic grid of rice fields, the city of Chau Doc embraces both banks of the Mekong and the floating farms overspill into the waters. Chau Doc is a very prosperous town which developed around fishing and farming. Inside the town, a few colonial buildings with their old fashioned charm still remain. The market which surrounds them is the vibrant heart of the city. We set off by minibus and visit the top of the Sam hill, where we can admire the Phat Thay Tay pagoda and the Ba Chua Xu temple, an important place of pilgrimage for the Vietnamese where it overlooks the vastness of the Delta and its rice fields. By local boat, navigation through the floating-village. We return on board and continue our cruise towards Sa Dec. Dinner and night at anchor. DAY 6 : SA DEC - VINH LONG - CAI BE We have breakfast and continue our journey to Sa Dec, where a few colonial mansions are still in existence. Discover the local market and visit the former dwelling place of Huynh Thuy Le, former lover of the French novelist Marguerite Duras who spent part of her childhood in Sa Dec. Famous for its horticulture, Sa Dec was known as the garden of the Cochin Chine in colonial times. Return on board for lunch and continue our cruise towards Vinh Long, located in the middle of the delta region, between two arms of the Mekong and where all of life is organized around the water. Hundreds of boats criss-cross in all directions between houses built on stilts. Set off in boats through the orchards that lead to Caï Be. Here discover the bricks, pottery and chinaware, we see the fruit trees nursery on the island of Binh Hoa Phuoc and also the local traditional craft of rice popcorn, rise wafers for the production of spring rolls, rice alcohol and coconut sweets. All in family context to Delta s economy. Return to the ship and continue our cruise. Dinner and overnight on board at anchor. DAY 7 : MY THO - HO CHI MINH CITY (SAIGON) Early morning breakfast on board before we visit the near islands of My Tho in small local boats. Renowned for its many vegetable gardens, fruit orchards, the climate here is hot and pleasant all year long. The surrounding countryside includes one of the most luxuriant gardens in Vietnam with coconut, banana, mango and logan trees. On the largest of the islands, (Thoi Son) we will visit

3 a beekeeping farm where we will taste honey tea and exotic fruits. Very nice navigation onboard local boat (sampans) through the country. We return on board for lunch and continue with our magnificent cruise, taking the Chao Gao canal and heading for Ho Chi Minh City. Dinner and overnight on board in the port of Ho Chi Minh City. DAY 8 : HO CHI MINH CITY We have breakfast this morning before our visit of Ho Chi Minh City, originally named Saigon and built by the French in 1850 at the beginning of French colonial times and the principal port of Vietnam. Take a tour of the city : Reunification palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, Central Post office and the National History museum. We have lunch on board and in the afternoon, we visit a traditional lacquer-ware factory, and we have free-time in Ben thanh markets Return to the ship for our farewell cocktail and gala dinner. Moor for the night in the port of Ho Chi Minh City. DAY 9 : HO CHI MINH CITY - HANOI After breakfast, we disembark our ship and devote our morning to Cholon, the major center of Chinese trade in the capital city. Visit of market and the Thien Han pagoda dedicated to the goddess of the sea. After lunch, you ll be transferred to the airport and board a flight to Hanoi. Once we arrive in Hanoi, you ll check into the Movenpick Hotel (or similar accommodations). We ll have dinner at the hotel this evening. Day 10 : HANOI After breakfast, you ll spend the day on a guided tour of the capital visiting the outside of the historic Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum on Ba Dinh Square, Ho Chi Minh s humble stilt house behind the mausoleum, and the unique One Pillar Pagoda Buddhist temple. Then, we ll move on to the Temple of Literature, which was home to Vietnam s first national university, the Imperial Academy, and is one of several temples in Vietnam dedicated to Confucius. The interior of the temple is divided into five impressive and unique courtyards, arranged south to north. The first courtyard is reached through a monumental gate known as the Great Portico. We ll have lunch in town. Afterwards, we ll discover the old quarter of the city by pedi-cab or electric car. Also known as the 36 Streets, the quarter reflects the different guilds concentrating their businesses along these streets. During our tour, we ll see many French colonial buildings and Hoan Kiem Lake. We ll finish up our day with a traditional water puppetry show, have dinner in the city, and spend the night at the hotel. Day 11 : HANOI - HALONG BAY Enjoy breakfast before leaving early in the morning for Halong Bay (approx. 3.5 hours travel time). We ll be welcomed aboard a junk, enjoy a cocktail, and have lunch on board. We ll begin our cruise to discover the thousands of various limestone islands dotting the emerald-colored bay. We ll have dinner on board and spend the night on the 4-star junk Bahia (or similar accommodations). Day 12 : HALONG BAY - HANOI Rise early with us this morning and participate in a Tai Chi class on deck. We ll continue our cruise through the bay, discovering more of its extraordinary scenery and visiting one of the largest caves. This morning, brunch will be served on board. You ll disembark at 11 :00 a.m. and begin the trip back to Hanoi. Before arriving, we ll stop off at the Dinh Bang communal hall, one of the largest and finest communal houses in Vietnam. You ll be served a light dinner before being transferred to the airport for your return trip. End of our services around 6 :00 P.M. in the airport. Please do not book any return flight before 8 :30 P.M.

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5 TRANSPORTATION Port-to-port cruise, no transfers included. FORMULA This offer includes : The post-program with excursions and accomodation on full-board - domestic flight from Ho Chi Minh - the cruise in the category of cabin chosen at booking stage - all meals throughout the tour - all transfers, visits and excursions as listed in the itinerary - English-speaking national Vietnamese and Cambodian guides for the visits to Ho Chi Minh City - local guides throughout the cruise - our «CroisiEurope tour leader throughout the cruise and tour - drinks on board during the meals (1 soda or 1 beer or 1 water and coffee or tea per person and per meal) - emergency and repatriation insurance INCLUDED FREE OF CHARGE. This offer does not include : Drinks that are not listed - all personal expenses - cancellation and baggage insurance - compulsory Vietnamese and Cambodian Visas - tips for guides, coach drivers and and local boat pilots during the 9-day cruise. PRACTICAL INFORMATION HEALTH FORMALITIES There are no compulsory vaccinations for this destination. However, it is strongly recommended that you ensure that your inoculations for the following diseases are up-to-date : Tetanus, Polio, Hepatitis A and B, Diphtheria and Typhoid. It is not recommended that you drink tap water, and prefer to drink bottled mineral water only (watch the seal being broken before accepting the bottle) and tea. It is important that you bring with you any of your usual medication (aspirin, anti-diarrhoea tablets, etc). Mosquito repellent is strongly recommended. This type of tour/cruise is not recommended for passengers with limited mobility. CLIMATE The dry season lasts from December to April, but the atmosphere remains humid (25 C to 35 C). During the rainy season which runs from May to November, there are frequent violent but short rainstorms which usually occur towards the end of the afternoon. CURRENCY The currency aboard the RV Indochine ship is the US dollar (preferably in small denominations). During embarkation, you could leave your credit card imprint so as to account for and pay all your on board expenses at the end of the cruise. You will be able to pay them by Us Dollars or Credit card (Visa or Mastercard). FOOD AND MEALS All products (fish, vegetables, fruits) cooked on board the MS Indochine, are fresh. Buffet breakfast and lunch. Table service for dinner. Asian and western cooking served in restaurants and hotels. FORMALITIES A valid Passport is required for your travel. Non European guests please contact the local Embassies or Consulates for proper paperwork required before travelling. Formalities : for French citizens, your passport must be valid for 6 months after your return date and a tourist visa for Vietnam and Cambodia is obligatory. For other nationalities : Please contact your embassy or consulate for current information. Health : No specific vaccinations are obligatory but you are advised to make sure you are up to date with your immunisation (tetanus, polio, hepatitis A and B, diphtheria and typhoid). You are advised not to drink tap water when travelling, you should only drink bottled water or hot tea. Please make sure you travel with your usual medicines (aspirin, imodium etc). Malaria tablets and mosquito repellent are recommended (please consult your doctor). These cruises are not recommended for people with reduced mobility.

6 N.B. The itinerary, ports of call and visits are subject to modification by the ship owner and/or our representatives on the spot. The excursions may be amended or completed in the reverse order if it is deemed necessary. The ship s captain reserves the right to modify the cruising itinerary to ensure the safe navigation of the vessel. The banks of the river on which we travel can be very steep and slippery, depending on the water levels. (1) Crossing the Tonle Sap Lake : when water levels are high, from August to the end of December, the RV Indochine crosses the lake. When water levels are low, from January to Mid-March, we cross the lake via speed boats to join the RV Indochine at Koh Chen. Finally, when water levels are very low, around Mid-March, transfer between Siem Reap and Koh Chen would be organized by air-conditioned coach. Alcohol can be harmful to your health. Please drink in moderation.