Depart the USA on your transpacific flight to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Welcome to Vietnam and step foot into a world of luxury starting with airport transfer en-route to your hotel, located downtown in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City. Meet your Tour Director and fellow guests at your welcome dinner. Meal: D After breakfast, travel to the Cu Chi Tunnels and spend the morning learning about the development and establishment of this hidden covered tunnel network that the Viet Cong soldiers hid in for months on end. Return to the city for lunch and the remainder of the afternoon at leisure.

Freechoice Dining: Tonight, choose your dining option from an exhilarating Vespa ride at night as your experienced driver stops at the best local spots for the most scrumptious Vietnamese cuisine. Sample the best authentic street food and free flow drinks. OR, dine at Secret Garden restaurant, a themed Vietnamese restaurant that is in a quintessentially Vietnamese house.

OR, try international fare at Nineteen Restaurant at your hotel OR SHRI Restaurant and Lounge, which is set atop the new Centec Tower offering unparalleled panoramic views from nearly every table in the restaurant. Meals: B, L, D Visit the War Museum and Reunification Palace. The former Presidential House of South Vietnam become famous in 1975 with images of tanks crashing through its gates leading to the South’s surrender and end of the War of Independence.

After lunch, a coach will transfer you to My Tho where the luxurious Scenic Spirit awaits. Start with a cocktail reception hosted by your Hotel and Cruise Director. Take a stroll around the decks to orientate yourself as to where all the amenities are. After your welcome dinner, settle into your private suite. At any time, your dedicated personal butler is available to assist with a nightcap and delivery of your preferred pillows. A calm 4-hour sail brings you to halt off Cai Be where the ship will anchor overnight. Meals: B, L, D Freechoice: Choose to board a sampan, gliding through a floating market and soaking in the local life on your way to visit Cai Be before stopping at local cottage industries and a French colonial or traditional Vietnamese house. OR, take a sampan to savour a delicious morning tea at the Le Longanier, a French colonial house restaurant, where staff will welcome you with tea, coffee and a range of local fruit and snacks for your tasting.

Enjoy a band playing music and performing traditional Vietnamese songs OR, our highly skilled bar team is ready to welcome you for a hands-on cocktail/mocktail making class featuring fresh local ingredients.

After your morning activity, head back to the ship for lunch whilst sailing to Sa Dec. Upon arrival, re-board your sampan to explore and interact with the sellers in the lively wet market where you will see live fish, frogs and even snakes. This 2-hour exploration is a deep dive into the local lifestyle. You can also visit the home of Mr. Huynh Thuy Le who inspired Marguerite Duras novel L’Amant, a story of tragic love, as told by your entertaining local expert. Meals: B, L, D Freechoice: A prime example of leaving the city life behind will be found at Tra Su Bird Sanctuary in Tra Su Forest where you travel by sampan through endless waterways flanked by mangroves and lush greenery. OR, experience the community side of Vietnam at Evergreen Island for a morning of discovery about the local farmers. Enjoy the stunning and tranquil views of Monkey Bridge, orchards and traditional homes.

Back in Tan Chau, experience a ride in a Xe Loi. This commonly used form of transportation in rural Vietnam will take you to the recently renovated Cao Dai temple. The religion of Cao Dai is a syncretic, monotheistic religion established in southern Vietnam in the city of Tây Ninh in 1926. Here, you will learn more about the mix of ideas that form the basis of this fascinating religion. OR, board a speedboat to visit Chau Doc, a major city in the Mekong Delta.

Continue on board a coach to visit Tay An temple, which is a mixture of Indian and Islamic style architecture located at the foot of Sam Mountain. Then board another sampan to visit Vinh Te canal and view life along the riverfront of Chau Doc, stop at a family-operated fish farm and then return to the Scenic Spirit. Meals: B, L, D Welcome to Cambodia, arriving into the capital of Phnom Penh early this morning. Freechoice: Journey to the Killing Fields and tour Tuol Sleng Prison. These locations are a sobering reminder of the terrors unleashed by the Khmer Rouge regime. Although not a delightful tour, visiting these monuments unlocks the keys to understanding the development of this country.

OR, try a hands-on cooking class. Take a trip to the local market with a local chef to purchase your ingredients. Head back to the kitchen to cook your own lunch, testing out the styles and flavours of the Cambodian cuisine. OR, travel by remork, a local style of tuk tuk, to view the French architecture and history of Phnom Penh. Finish this tour with a stop at the uniquely designed Central Market for some shopping. Stop for lunch at a local Non Government Office (NGO) sponsored restaurant supporting street kids get a start in the hospitality industry.

The remainder of the afternoon is at your leisure or you may wish to join an afternoon Freechoice excursion: Travel to the silversmith village of Kho Chen. The village is known for their silver and copper smithing arts, a craft which has been passed on for generations within the village.

Enrich: Later this evening revel in our Phnom Penh by City Lights tour, giving you an insight to the nightlife of the capital before stopping at a distillery for an exclusive tour and tasting behind closed doors. Meals: B, L, D Board your coach for the short drive to the former capital of Cambodia, Oudong. Witness the life of the monks and nuns who reside at the monastery and if you are lucky, you may be able to join in one of the many festivals and customs often held here. Experience the opulent side of Phnom Penh this afternoon at the Royal Palace with the famous Silver Pagoda, during your included visit to this must-see attraction.

This evening, you may wish to dress up for the Scenic Sunset Drinks cocktail reception on the Sun Deck against the backdrop of Phnom Penh’s lights. Enjoy the passing scenery and panoramic views as the ships sets sail towards Oknha Tey, commonly known as Silk Island. Meals: B, L, D This morning explore the island of Oknha Tey, dedicated to the art of silk weaving. Travel by tuk tuk to the farm and learn about the process of silk production. Return to Scenic Spirit for lunch and some free time. Next port after lunch is Angkor Ban. Explore its historical rural wooden houses, which survived the Khmer Rouge and visit a school that teaches English to the local students after their regular school lessons. Back on board, continue sailing to Kampong Cham. Immerse yourself in local culture with our team by learning how to make and wear the Cambodian scarf. Meals: B, L, D Enrich: Receive a blessing from a monk at at Wat Hanchey and learn how to pray in a Buddhist pagoda before partaking in a ceremony, which contributes to the daily meal of the resident monks.

Freechoice: Learn about the local folklore with stops at Phnom Pros (Man Hill and Wat Nokor). Phnom Pros was part of a traditional local legend but more recently was used as a Killing Field during the Khmer Rouge era. The temple now features a Buddha garden and is home to a local troop of monkeys. Wat Nokor Bachey is a unique architectural experiment blending an Angkorian era temple with a new temple built inside it.

OR, explore Kampong Cham’s history and industry with a drive through past shop houses, remnants of the French colonial era and the large Central Market. Visit a local rubber plantation established by the French, followed by a tour to view the processing of the raw rubber at a rubber factory before stopping at a village known for growing betel nut, a popular item in Cambodian culture. OR, visit a rural village where a French NGO is assisting the residents with education programs around sustainability, sanitation and recycling. Meals: B, L, D Journey to Siem Reap via stops at Kampong Tom and the Angkorian bridge in Kampong Kdei. Siem Reap is a split in time with ancient and traditional architecture weaved between the modern developments. Your hotel, is a step back in time in the definition of luxury and your historical home for the next three nights in Siem Reap. This brilliantly appointed accommodation is styled with a mix of French inspired architecture, local interior furnishings, the attentive staff provide a service beyond expectations, and brilliant amenities fit for royalty.

Enrich: Head to the colourful Cambodian Phare Circus where your VIP premium reserved seating awaits you. Beautifully dressed performers style a stunning show that is more than just a circus. The performers use theatre, music, dance and modern circus arts to tell uniquely Cambodian stories; historical, folk and modern. Meals: B, L Freechoice: Explore the 10th-century Banteay Srei Temple, commonly referred to as the Ladies Temple because of its pinkish sandstone and dedication to the Hindu god Shiva. Afterwards visit the Landmine Museum, founded in 1997 with the aim to make the country safe through the removal of mines. OR, visit Senteurs d’Angkor workshop to try your hand at producing your own local souvenir. Through different hands-on workstations, discover how the artisans make by hand soap with coconut oil, natural cosmetics, subtly scented balms, aromatic candles and local spices in traditional ways.

OR, sail on Tonlé Sap (seasonal), a picturesque UNESCO biosphere reserve and witness the lifestyle of the residents of the famous floating village. OR, take to the sky in a tethered balloon for a bird’s eye view of the contrasting traditional and modern Siem Reap, overlooking Angkor Wat below.

Later this afternoon, all guests will explore Angkor Wat, the world’s largest religious monument. Originally constructed by the Khmer Empire as a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Vishnu, it was gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the 12th century. After the day of adventure, tonight is free to shop away at the night markets of Siem Reap or venture to Pub Street, both in walking distance or a short tuk tuk ride from your hotel. Meals: B, L, D Enrich: Marvel at the sunrise over the magnificent Angkor Wat before moving to a special location near a temple for a scrumptious champagne breakfast with food prepared by an NGO supported local bakery school.

After breakfast, visit the atmospheric, jungle covered Ta Prohm Temple, before stopping at Angkor Thom and the multi-faced Bayon Temple. You have the remainder of the afternoon at leisure.

Enrich: Tonight is truly a special and exclusive evening, one that is best experienced first-hand to fully appreciate its scale. You will be escorted to a private, magical gala themed dinner at Prasat Kravan. This small 10th-century temple consists of five reddish brick towers on a common terrace. Including free flow drinks, Khmer cuisine and a performance featuring Apsara dancers in front of the candle lit temple ruins, this evening brings a most incredible end to your time in Siem Reap. Meals: B, D It is time to bid farewell to your fellow travelers as you get ready to depart Cambodia for your homeland or extended travels. Transfer to the airport and leave with a full camera and stunning memories to treasure. Meals: B

 

Itinerary is subject to change.

*Depending on the flight schedule, you may arrive in the USA on Day 15