Mekong Journey

Combine 4 countries in one on this immersive journey along the Mekong River from Saigon as far as Chiang Rai in the north of Thailand.

Begin in Saigon and head to the Mekong Delta where you will get up close to life in the Delta.

Travel by speedboat to Phnom Penh the lively capital of Cambodia with 2 nights to discover this French influenced city.

Head into the Cambodia countryside at Kampong Thom and go in search of Irrawaddy Dolphins in Kratie.

Cross in to Southern Laos and discover a different aspect of the Mekong with its waterfalls and islands around the Pakse area.

Heading north through Laos travel via the majestic landscape of Vang Vieng and visit some of the many cave temples in this region.

Continue to Luang Prabang, the cultural capital of Laos to discover this charming town by the Mekong River in the mountains of northern Laos.

Board the Luang Say for a 2-day cruise upriver from Luang Prabang as far as the border with Thailand, where you will be met and transferred to Chiang Rai, in Thailand's Golden Triangle.

As with all of our holidays, this one can be tailored to suit you so just let us know if you would like to alter this itinerary to suit your interests and budget.

Day 1: Fly UK – Saigon

Overnight flight from UK to Saigon, Vietnam.

Day 2: Saigon

On arrival in Saigon you will be met and transferred to your chosen hotel. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Overnight Saigon.

Day 3: Saigon

Enjoy a full day tour of Saigon and the Cu Chi Tunnels, including the markets, Reunification Palace and the War Remnants Museum.

The rest of the day is at leisure for your own explorations of Saigon. Alternatively add an afternoon trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels if you wish.

Overnight Saigon. Breakfast included.

Day 4: Saigon - Mekong Delta

This morning is an early start. Transfer by private car from Saigon to Cai Be in the Mekong Delta.

From Cai Be, enjoy a boat trip from Cai Be along the Mekong and through some of the many small canals of the Mekong Delta.

Make a stop at local workshops and learn how rice paper, coconut candy, pop-rice and pop-corn are made.

Delve deeper into the countryside by rowing boat and witness the daily life of local people.

Explore village paths by bike, visit some local farms and experience the ancestral lifestyle of the people of the Delta.

Head to Vinh Long afterwards.

Overnight Can Tho. Breakfast included.

Day 5: Can Tho

Today enjoy a short cycling excursion to the countryside in Can Tho with a boat trip to Cai Rang floating market.

From Can Tho, take a boat trip to visit the floating market in Cai Rang.

Enjoy the sights and sounds of the bustling market. Get off the boat and hop on bicycles for a ride through local villages.

Enjoy lunch and stop at a local family house to enjoy some seasonal fruits.

This is a great way to really experience the Mekong Delta and you will feel quite immersed in local life here.

Overnight Can Tho. Breakfast & lunch included.

Day 6: Chau Doc

Embark by boat to explore the bustling river life around Chau Doc; visit the Floating Villages, whose inhabitants live and work all their lives on the river.

Stop at one of the typical houses, and see how they raise fish in nets directly under the house itself.

Continue to a distinctive Cham Village, on the other side of the river, with its thriving Muslim community.

After returning to town, continue by vehicle to Sam Mountain, which rises sharply from the surrounding rice paddies.

Considered one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Vietnam, the mountain is dotted with pagodas and temples, many of them inside caves.

Visit Lady Chua Xu Pagoda at the base and continue up shallow stairways along the mountain, visiting other pagodas while ascending.

Overnight Chau Doc. Breakfast included.

Day 7: Chau Doc - Phnom Penh

Travel by speedboat from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Explore Wat Phnom, the birthplace of the capital before paying a visit to Tuol Sleng.

Learn about a chapter from Cambodia's more recent, tragic, past at the Tuol Sleng Museum (Museum of Genocide).

Formerly the Tuol Svay Prey High School, in 1975, this became the interrogation and torture facility for the Khmer Rouge regime

Kept largely unchanged, this prison now showcases photographs and exhibits about the thousands of victims that passed through these doors only seven of whom came out alive.

Take a sunset Cruise aboard a luxury boat and enjoy views of Phnom Penh while enjoying the sunset over the Mekong.

Overnight Phnom Penh. Breakfast included.

Day 8: Phnom Penh

Explore Phnom Penh, a chaotic, energetic and always fascinating city.

Graceful tree-lined boulevards and riverfront promenades are reminders of bygone eras; today they teem with life and activity, as motorcycles weave in and out of traffic, vendors hawk their wares, and pedestrians go about their business.

Start the tour with an insight into Cambodia's cultural heritage with a visit to the Royal Palace, still the official residence of King Norodom Sihamoi and the adjacent Silver Pagoda, also known as the Pagoda of the Emerald Buddha.

Continue to the National Museum, which contains a comprehensive collection of Khmer Art.

Finally, explore the modern-day city, visiting one of Phnom Penh's two great markets, the Central Market, located in a distinctive domed Art Deco building or the sprawling Russian Market, a labyrinth of stalls selling all kinds of things.

Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Overnight Phnom Penh. Breakfast included.

Day 9: Phnom Penh - Kampong Cham

Kampong Cham is a lively port on the banks of the Mekong River with some good examples of colonial-era architecture.

After visiting the local market and exploring the town, travel into the countryside to Phnom Pros (Man Hill) and Phnom Srei (Woman Hill).

Continue to Wat Nokor Bachey, a thriving modern-day monastery founded on an 11th century Mahayana Buddhist shrine.

Overnight Kampong Cham. Breakfast included.

Day 10: Kampong Cham - Kratie

The provincial capital of Kratie is a pleasant, small riverside town on the banks of the Mekong River.

Visit the Dolphin Observation Park, located just north of town and enjoy an hour-long boat trip past peaceful rural scenery as you watch out for a rare sighting of one of the 50 endangered Irrawaddy freshwater dolphins that inhabit this stretch of the river.

On the way back, stop at Wat Phnom Sambok. At the top of the hill, visit a small temple and cottages which serve as residencies for Buddhist monks and nuns.

Overnight Kratie. Breakfast included.

Day 11: Kratie - Don Khone

Journey by vehicle from Nong Nokkein (formerly called Dong Kalaw) on the Lao/Cambodian border to Tha Ban Nakasang and cross the river by boat to Don Khone.

Explore Don Khone, one of the islands in Si Phan Don, by tuk tuk.

Saigon

Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh, Cambodia's lively capital has some bustling markets, impressive temples and a great little museum which will elucidate much about the magnificent monuments further north.

On a more sobering note, the Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng are moving testaments to more recent events and important places to visit to really understand modern day Cambodia.

On your Mekong Journey you'' visit the important sites in Phnom Penh, take an evening cruise along the river and learn about the country's turbulent recent past.

Kampong Cham

Kampong Cham is Cambodia's 6th biggest city and a busy port town by the Mekong.

It was here that the first bridge over the Mekong in Cambodia was constructed.

Kampong Cham is named after the Cham people, of whom there are only about 400,000, half of whom live in Cambodia.

The Cham in Cambodia are mostly Muslims (those in Vietnam are largely Hindu).

Southern Laos

Southern Laos is one of the most interesting regions of Laos, with historic sites, ancient temples, the Mekong River, waterfalls, diverse cultures and beguiling landscapes.

With Luang Prabang and the far north grabbing most of the headlines, Southern Laos is only now slowly emerging as an area of great interest to rival the attractions of the north.

Wat Pho offers a World Heritage Temple site dating back 1500 years, Don Khone Island reveals a glimpse of sleepy Lao River life and the Phapheng Waterfalls is the largest cascade on the lower Mekong.

The lively town of Pakse is the main gateway to Southern Laos and is not without it's charms as more and more people are discovering.

Vientiane

Vientiane is one of the sleepiest capital cities in the world, with wide boulevards and little traffic.

The capital of Laos is very accessible by air or overland from Bangkok and is the springboard for travel into the north or south of Laos.

Vientiane has a few attractions including the stunning gilded That Luang Stupa and Laos’ own version of the Arc de Triumph.

Sunsets by the Mekong are always spectacular and most visitors find themselves by the Mekong for sun-down.

Is this a Private Tour or a Group Tour?

All of our tours are private tailor made itineraries, customised for you - we can amend things to entirely suit you.

You will have your own private car, driver and guide on excursions.

What are the departure dates?

Let us know your preferred dates of travel and we will find the best and most suitable flights to fit your itinerary.

As this is a private tour, there are no set departure dates.

Which Airlines do you use?

We work with all the major airlines flying to this part of the world.

Typically for Indochina, Vietnam Airlines, Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines or Cathay Pacific would be airlines we most often use.

However, just let us know your preferred airline if you have one. We can organise flights from any regional destination in the UK.

There are no direct flights from the UK to Cambodia or Laos currently, but Vietnam Airlines fly directly to both Hanoi and Saigon from the UK.

Which Hotels do you use?

We're careful with our choice of hotels, but we're guided by our customers also. If you have some preferred hotels, just let us know.

We specialise in boutique hotels and so we will often suggest some of our favourite smaller hotels where we think these will be suitable.

We keep on top of hotel developments in Indochina from our office in Vietnam and regularly inspect the hotels we use.