Cruise : From Angkor temples to the Mekong delta (formula port/port, without transfer)

Transcription

1 Réf : 13R_PP Cruise : From Angkor temples to the Mekong delta (formula port/port, without transfer) SIEM REAP - ANGKOR - TONLE SAP - KAMPONG CHHNANG - KAMPONG TRALACH - KOH CHEN - PHNOM PENH - CHAU DOC - SA DEC - VINH LONG - CAI BE - MY THO - HO-CHI-MINH CITY Reasons to book with us A 9-day / 8-night cruise Personalised service from a CroisiEurope tour leader throughout the tour A 4-star ship with much comfort and charm From the heights of the Himalayas to the coast of the China Sea, over the course of its 4500km journey, the River Mekong irrigates much more than Indochina. Wherever it flows, it captivates man and shapes their lives. From the Delta and Saigon, a town 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 many dams along its course, and subjected to a regime of more and more extraordinary monsoons. All visits and excursions included Day 1 : Siem Reap - Angkor Program depends on your time of arrival. If your flight lands between 6AM and 11AM, the program will be as follow : Drinks included with meals on board the ship (1 soda or 1 beer or 1 mineral water and 1 coffee or tea)and water tea and coffee at will during the cruise Lunch at the hotel Lotus Blanc 4* NL (located in the city center) or similar. Rooms will be available only around 2PM. In the afternoon, we visit the Senteurs d Angkor (or perfume workshop), where they make candles, soaps and prepare spices. Afterwards, we visit the workshops of the Artisans d Angkor, where young Cambodians are trained in the art of traditional wood carving and stonework based on long-standing Khmer craftwork traditions. Dinner and overnight in the hotel Lotus Blanc 4* NL or similar. Day 2 : Siem Reap - Angkor Tips for crew included during the cruise. After breakfast set off very early to visit Banteay Srei, the jewel in the crown of classic Khmer art, the temple at Ta Prohm dating back to 1186 and dedicated to the mother of Jayavarman II. The site at Banteay Srei was cleared from creepers and the forest Tips included during stay in Siem Reap

2 in 1924 by H Parmentier. Banteay Srei, which means the citadel of women or citadel of beauty, is known for the intricacy of its fine carvings, and the detail of the sculptures on every corner of this small temple built in pink sandstone and laterite is a joy to behold. Next we visit Ta Prohm. Today nature has taken over the site and the result is stunning : trees spring out from the temple buildings and thick roots now cover the temple. On our return, stop in a village fora demonstration of how to extract sugar from the palm, visit a Khmer house and taste some fresh coconut milk. After lunch, we explore Angkor Thom, a huge architectural masterpiece accessible through five monumental gates with the Mountain temple of Bayon at its center. Bayon temple is famous for its towers with 172 faces of Buddha. Have a wander in the heart of the ancient Royal Palace where the sanctuary of Phimeanakas is located, then visit the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King. This evening we have dinner with a show of Khmer royal dancing (the Apsara dances). After dinner, there is free time to stroll through the Angkor Night Market and perhaps do some shopping. It s a very pleasant place for a wander in the cool night-time temperatures (open from 4pm until midnight), with over a hundred shops and stalls selling souvenirs, handicrafts, clothes, books etc. Overnight in the hotel Lotus Blanc 4* NL or similar. Day 3 : Siem Reap - Tonle Sap After breakfast at the hotel, we visit the Angkor Wat temple a masterpiece of Kmhmer architecture. It is the most famous and most important of all monuments in Angkor. The 5 towers became a symbol of the country as they are emblazoned on the national flag. After lunch in the hotel, transfer from the hotel to the mooring point at Phnom Krom where we board small local boats to take us to the RV INDOCHINE (1). Welcome on board and cocktail. Introduction to the crew. Settle into our cabins, then a we have dinner. We drop anchor and moor for the night close to the flooded forest. Day 4 : Tonle Sap - Kampong Chhnang - Kampong Tralach Breakfast on board and spend the morning cruising to take advantage of the lake crossing(1). 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. Drop anchor and moor for the night. Day 5 : 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 on an ox cart to reach the pagoda on a small path running perpendicular to the river amidst 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 Mr thom Umson s private school, a bright mathematics teacher, speaking Fench, but always in need of pens, pencils and copybooks for the children. We return on board and cruise to Phnom Penh where we arrive late in the afternoon.free time in the capital. We return on board and enjoy an Aspara dance show and dinner on board.take a tuk tuk trip, a motorised tricycle which is the traditional mode of transport in Phnom Penh. Moor for the night in the port of Phnom Penh.

3 Day 6 : Phnom Penh Founded in 1434, the capital of Cambodia retaines much of its French colonial charm, thanks to the rehabilitation of part of its architectural heritage. Visit 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 the Royal palace, symbolic heart of the nation and one of the finest examples of Cambodian architecture in classical Khmer style. Then we visit the National museum housing the Fine Arts museum, built in 1917 by the French in traditional Khmer architectural style. Beautiful lapidary museam, 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 we visit the Tuol Svay Prey school S21, former centre of detention, torture and execution used by the Khmer Rouge during the War. There is free time in the Russian 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 7 : 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 transfer by small boat to visit a Cham village, a village of silk weavers and fish farms. We then set off by minibus and visit the top of the Sam hill, an important place of pilgrimage for the Vietnamese where it overlooks the vastness of the Delta and its rice feilds. We return on board and continue our cruise towards Sa Dec. Dinner and overnight stop on the river bank. Day 8 : 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 marketand 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 organised 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. Day 9 : 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. Along the maze that makes up the network of small canals, pretty country villages appear and we see the local craftsmen at work.on the largest of the islands, (Thoi Son) we will visit a beekeeping farm where we will taste honey tea and exotic fruits. We return on board for lunch and continue with our magnificent cruise, taking the narrow Chao Gao canal and heading for Ho Chi Minh City. Dinner and overnight on board in the port of Ho Chi Minh City. After dinner the evening is at leisure. Day 10 : 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

4 the beginning of French colonial times and the principal port of Vietnam. Take a tour of the city : Reunification palace, Notre Dame cathedral and Central Post office. We have lunch in town and in the afternoon, we visit the National History museum then a traditional lacquer-ware factory. Free time to stroll around the 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. After dinner the evening is at leisure. Day 11 : Ho Chi Minh City After breakfast, we disembark our ship and devote our morning to visiting Cholon, the major centre of Chinese trade in the capital city. After lunch the afternoon is free. End of our journey.

5 TRANSPORTATION Formula port/port without transfer. FORMULA This offer includes : cruise in the cabin category of your choice - double-occupancy accommodations in a first-class hotel in Siem Reap - all meals - visits and excursions mentioned in the program - French-speaking Vietnamese and Cambodian tour guides for the visits to Ho Chi Minh City and Angkor - local tour guides during the cruise - the services of our onboard CroisiEurope tour director - drinks at all meals (1 soft drink or 1 beer or 1 mineral water + 1 tea or coffee per person for each meal) - unlimited tea, coffee and mineral water during the cruise - travel assistance and repatriation insurance - tips (for the crew during the cruise, and the guide and the driver in Siem Reap). This offer does not include : Flights between Paris and Siem Reap and Ho Chi Minh City and Paris (or inversely) - transfers between the airport and hotel and the ship and airport - Airport taxes for economy class travel (currently e460) - drinks other than those mentioned - personal expenses - cancellation and baggage insurance (4.5% of the cost of the trip ; per person) - Cambodian visa for European Union citizens (currently e70 ; add e100 per person for express visa service) - tips for local guides, bus drivers and boat captains during the 9-day cruise (approximately e30 per person). 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. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FORMALITIES Non-EU nationals are requested to consult their embassy or consulate.

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.