Depart the USA on your transpacific flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Sous Sdei and Welcome to Cambodia. You will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel in Siem Reap. This evening, meet your tour manager to learn more about the days ahead. Meals: D Today, start with a visit to Angkor Thom. As the last capital of the Khmer Empire, it was a fortified city, home to priests, officials of the palace and military, as well as buildings for administering the kingdom. The city was established in the late twelfth century by King Jayavarman VII and covers an area of 9 square kilometres.

Afterwards, visit the sacred Temple of Ta Prohm. Still overgrown by jungle trees, it has been the backdrop for many Hollywood movies. This evening, attend Phare, The Cambodian Circus, and enjoy an evening of acrobatics, music and dance. Phare is an NGO founded by Cambodian refugees to assist disadvantaged young people by teaching them performing arts. Meals: B, L

EmeraldPLUS Phare Cambodian Circus performance

DiscoverMORE Vespa tour of Siem Reap (additional expense)

Rise early and embark on a fascinating journey to Angkor Wat. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is known for its elaborate decorations and intricate carvings throughout.

Enjoy sunrise views and take the opportunity to capture quintessential pictures of this amazing site. Return to the hotel and enjoy the day at leisure or join the DiscoverMORE excursion. Meals: B, D

DiscoverMORE Visit to Banteay Srei or visit Tonle Sap or Culinary Cambodia tour (additional expense)

DiscoverMORE Evening - Champagne Sunset Gondola Boat at Angkor or Dinner the Rice Field or Cambodian Street Food Discovery Tour (additional expense)

Depart Siem Reap and venture to the town of Prek’Kdam to embark your awardwinning Emerald Cruises Star-Ship. Enroute to the ship, stop in Kampong Kdei to see the impressive Angkor Bridge and have lunch at a local restaurant.

Upon arrival in Prek’Kdam, a warm welcome awaits from the captain and crew as you embark the vessel. This evening, set sail and enjoy your first dinner onboard with your fellow travelers. Meals: B, L, D Start your day with a visit to the Oudong Monastery and Temples. Located North of Phnom Penh, Oudong is the former royal capital of Cambodia until it moved to Phnom Penh in the 1800s. Important remnants on the temple sight include the burial sites of Khmer kings as well as religious artifacts dating back more than a hundred years. In one of the Oudong Temples there was a known large Buddha statue which was damaged during skirmishes with the Khmer Rouge which had the hill as one of their last strongholds.

Receive a traditional Buddhist Blessing from the resident monks of the temple as part of EmeraldPLUS. The afternoon is yours to continue exploring or simply relax onboard. After dinner, enjoy a Phnom Penh by City Lights Tuk Tuk tour. Meals: B, L, D

EmeraldPLUS Traditional Buddhist Monk blessing

EmeraldPLUS Phnom Penh by night Tuk Tuk

DiscoverMORE Silk farm tour at Koh Oknha Tei or High Tea at Raffles or Craft beer adventure by remork or visit to Koh Chen silversmith village (additional expense)

Wake up in Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh. The city was once known as the ‘Pearl of Asia’, but it was almost entirely evacuated by the Khmer Rouge in 1975. This morning, learn more about the Khmer Rouge and the darkest days of Cambodian history.

A short drive will take you to the Killing Fields at Choeung Ek, where you have the opportunity to walk through the fields, visit the small museum, and learn about this sad chapter in history. Afterwards, visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (also known as S-21), a former school that was converted to the main prison and torture headquarters of the Khmer Rouge. Back on board Emerald Harmony, enjoy a Cambodian Street Fair lunch, before visiting the majestic Royal Palace with its French-inspired gardens, followed by a shopping trip at the Central Market located in the heart of the city.

This evening, enjoy a cultural performance by the Cambodian Student and Children’s Organisation, before setting sail to the border. Celebrate crossing the border with a Cambodian-style family dinner. Meals: B, L, D

EmeraldPLUS Cultural performance by the Cambodian Student and Children’s Organization

In Tan Chau, you are invited inside a traditional Cao Dai temple to discover the unique Vietnamese religion, or board a sampan to Evergreen Island for a walk through a local village.

This afternoon, visit Long Khanh Island, known for its scarf weaving and Hoa Hao Buddhist pagoda. After anchoring for the night near An long, you’ll be delighted by an EmeraldPLUS traditional LionDance performance on board. Meals: B, L, D

EmeraldPLUS Lion Dance performance on board

Relax onboard this morning, or join the DiscoverMORE tour to the Ramsar Bird Sanctuary. This afternoon, enjoy a visit to My An Hung village as part of our EmeraldPLUS program.

This small village in rural Vietnam specializes in red-hot chili and peppers. Experience local folk singing during the visit, wander through coconut farms, meet the locals and learn about life in the village. This evening, enjoy a Vietnamese family-style dinner. Meals: B, L, D

EmeraldPLUS visit to My An Hung village

DiscoverMORE Ramsar Bird Sanctuary (additional expense)

Embark on a walking tour with stops at the Chinese Congregational House in Kien An Cung, the home of Mr. Huynh Thuy Le who inspired Marguerite Duras’ novel L’Amant, and enjoy a walk through the central market to peruse its varied produce.

After lunch onboard, arrive in Cai Be where you travel via sampan and visit a coconut candy workshop. Learn how coconut candy and other local sweets are made, then visit a local French colonial heritage villa. Meals: B, L, D Sit back and relax with a full day of sailing along the magnificent Mekong River. As the ship departs early this morning, watch as life along the Mekong awakens for another day. Begin crossing the Cho Gao Canal before meeting the Mekong Delta, known as the ‘rice bowl’ of Vietnam.

This is the perfect opportunity to enjoy the ever-changing vistas from the pool, to enjoy a treatment in the Wellness Area (additional expense), or to read a book and chat with new friends. Cruise past mangroves, narrow canals, fish farms, busy cargo barges and local fishing boats alike. Tonight, dock in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City with views of the city lights. Meals: B, L, D Drive away from Ho Chi Minh City, watching the city skyline fade into the distance as the road winds through rice paddies and villages. Spend a couple of hours exploring the Cu Chi Tunnels with a local guide. Hear how the residents constructed an intricate, underground network of tunnels during the French and American Wars.

Once above ground, see the other ingenious items they used to defend themselves, such as bamboo traps and camouflaged pits. Upon your return to Ho Chi Minh City, check into your hotel for your included two-night stay, and enjoy a free afternoon. Meals: B, L

DiscoverMORE Evening Saigon street food tour or One Night in Saigon (additional expense)

 

 

 

Enjoy a guided tour of Ho Chi Minh City, starting with a visit to the city’s most iconic building, the Reunification, or Independence Palace. Formerly the South Vietnamese Presidential Palace, images of the building were seen around the world on 30th April 1975 when tanks stormed the gates as Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese.

Then, stroll through Ho Chi Minh City’s colonial quarter, walking past scenes of everyday life on the way. Admire the beautiful architecture of the Opera House, Notre Dame Cathedral, City Hall and the old Saigon Post Office and listen to the stories about the glory days of French Indochina and how that era continues to influence aspects of modern Vietnamese culture. Tonight, enjoy your farewell dinner with your fellow guests. Meals: B, D Transfer from your hotel to the airport and return home with memories of life enriching experiences of your amazing adventure through Cambodia and Vietnam. Meal: B

 

Itinerary is subject to change.

 

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