Welcomes and wonders on the mighty Mekong
Angkor Wat, then vivid glimpses into daily life in Cambodia and Vietnam
BOATS with ‘eyes’ on the bows glide past us, as buffalo swim close to the bank, their heads bobbing, and children run out from houses raised on stilts, waving and calling ‘hello!’
I’m cruising down the legendary Mekong on a colonial-style river boat, booked through Mercury Holidays, feet up but with far too much to see to contemplate browsing on my phone.
Every bend in the river reveals something new — families hauling in fishing nets to their flimsy river craft, small ferries carrying queuing motorcyclists, floating villages, paddy fields and gilded temples, writes Kate Andrew.
This immersive, meditative and most photogenic journey between Siem Reap and Saigon combines scenic sailing and captivating shore trips — the perfect (and easiest) way to observe daily life in busy Vietnam and unhurried Cambodia.
A tapestry of impressions, it begins, after a relaxing flight with Vietnam Airlines, in the lost world of Angkor Wat, a 12th-century icon matched by few other places on earth.
The symmetrical temple is the heart and soul of Cambodia and seeing it for the first time is a spine-tingling moment. Then there’s Ta Prohm, a Tomb Raider movie location, where tree roots entwine ancient temple walls, while the stone faces of Bayon smile benignly down on us from every angle. Siem Reap is a bucket-list essential in itself, but there’s so much more ahead to leave us wide-eyed.
We join our Mekong river boat at vast Tonle Sap, Asia’s largest freshwater lake — and sail out through a bustling floating village, complete with schools and churches.
Our four-star waterborne home is Croisi Europe’s RV Indochine, where teak decor reflects the French colonial era. And very civilised and convivial it is, too. Meals are delicious, cabins comfortable and quieter moments enhanced by archive films, talks, Cambodian dancing or food demos.
What’s more, with a bilingual French cruise director and a series of three excellent guides for our smaller, English-speaking group, we feel very spoiled — almost experiencing a private tour within a tour. Mercury Holidays provides superb guides, whose personal insights and stories transform holidays.
Here, their most moving accounts concern the legacy of war, as we visit a harrowing genocide museum in Phnom Penh, and the Cu Chi Tunnels, used by the Viet Cong, near Saigon.
But mostly it’s a relaxed joy to be shown around by these local friends as they lead us ashore in motor boats to visit colourful markets and pilgrimage sites, enjoy sampan rides and watch regional produce being made.
One excursion, to the pottery village of Kampong Chhnang, sees us spending time with a welcoming lady potter and then a cheery palm sugar farmer with a gap-toothed grin, who has us dressing in local garb and encourages my partner to scale a palm tree by bamboo ladder.
Being in a smaller group, our tour is more flexible, allowing us then to follow celebratory music to a traditional Cambodian wedding, where we climb the steps of a stilted village house to warm smiles and joinedpalm greetings, a magical experience. Another highlight is a ride in ox carts to a frescoed village temple where a Buddhist monk dispenses blessings.
And the fairytale Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda in Phnom Penh are dazzling edifices — where cultured King Sihamoni, a former ballet dancer, is usually at home.
In the riverside market at Sa Dec, fish are so fresh they are splashing about in their basins, while pink, spiky dragon fruit are piled high and pungent durian fruit challenges us to try.
After a series of hugely rewarding glimpses into daily life all the way down the welcoming Mekong, there’s yet more to see in vibrant Saigon.
One awesome river (and Mercury Holidays) has brought us through laidback Cambodia and into bustllng south Vietnam, providing delights, wonders and memories at every turn.