Réf : 16R_PP

Cruise : Cruise on the Mekong from the Temples of Angkor to Hanoi plus 4-daypost-cruise program Hanoi and Halong Bay

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 - HANOI - HALONG BAY

Reasons to book with us

14-day/ 13-night Cruise♦

Personalized service from yourCroisiVoyages cruise director

♦Colonial-style ship combining

charm and comfort♦

Magnificent passage through theCho Gao Canal

♦All excursions included

♦DRINKS INCLUDED with meals :Beer, soda, mineral water + coffeeor tea Unlimited water, coffee and

tea during cruise♦

Tips for the crew membersincluded

Tips included during stay in SiemReap♦

Discover Ho Chi Minh City and theTemples of Angkor

♦Performance of classical Khmer

dancing in Siem Reap♦

Headsets are included for cruiseexcursions

♦Discover Hanoi, the historic heart

of the nation♦

Cruise across Halong Bay on ajunk, and discover its extraordinary

scenery

From the heights of the Himalayas to the southern coasts of the South ChinaSea, winding over 2,700 miles, the Mekong is much more than just irrigation forIndochina - everywhere it flows, it fascinates men and shapes their lives. Cruiseup this great and generous "water snake" beginning in the French-influencedHo Chi Minh City, taking you through Phnom Penh and the Tonle Sap Lake andRiver, and following the footsteps of legendary explorer Henri Mouhot to theruins in Angkor. We offer a meditative 9-day journey, allowing you to experiencethe rhythm of the Mekong River eight days aboard a ship combining charm andcomfort. You’ll end your vacation visiting Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, followedby a romantic cruise on a junk across the legendary Halong Bay - between theislands, through the coves, and around the karstic peaks.

DAY 1 : SIEM REAP - ANGKOR

Transfer to the hotel with your guide. Lunch at the Lotus Blanc Hotel or similar ac-commodations. You’ll be able to check into your rooms at 2 :00 p.m. This afternoonwe’ll visit the Senteurs d’Angkor : a diverse collection of silk and carvings, as well asa superb range of traditional beauty products and spices, all made locally. We’ll alsovisit the workshop and see how many of their products are made. We’ll have dinnerin the city, and spend the night at the hotel.

DAY 2 : SIEM REAP - ANGKOR

Enjoy breakfast before leaving early this morning to visit Banteay Srei, a 10th-centuryCambodian temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva - widely praised as the “Jewel ofKhmer Art”. Rediscovered among the vines of the forest in 1914, it is the only templecarved in hard pink sandstone in the Angkor region. We’ll then visit the temple of Ta

Prohm, built in the late 12th century and still as it was found centuries later with trees growing out of the ruins. We’ll have lunch intown. In the afternoon, we’ll explore Angkor Thom, a vast architectural complex which can be accessed through five gates. At itscenter, the monumental temple of Bayon - famous for its towers and 172 faces of Avalokitesvara. Stroll through the grounds of the

former Royal Palace, where the Phimeanakas Sanctuary is found. Discover the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of theLeper King. We’ll enjoy dinner while watching classical Khmer dancing. Afterwards, you can join us for a stroll through the “AngkorNight Market”and enjoy the night air and local crafts. We’ll spend the night at the hotel.

DAY 3 : SIEM REAP - TONLE SAP

Enjoy breakfast before visiting the Angkor Wat temple : the epitome of Khmer architectural art. It is the largest religious monumentin the world and an architectural masterpiece. Lunch will be served at the hotel. In the early afternoon, transfer from the hotel tothe RV INDOCHINE. After comfortably settling into your cabins, we’ll introduce our crew at a welcome cocktail and have dinner onboard.

DAY 4 : TONLE SAP - KAMPONG CHHNANG - KAMPONG TRALACH

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast this morning while we cross the lake. Located about 90 kilometers from Phnom Penh, KampongChhnang is one of the largest fishing ports on the Tonle Sap. Fish farming is abundant here. The region is best known for itsparticularly archaic pottery that can be found throughout the country and which gave the town its name (Kampong Chhnangmeans "port of pottery" in Khmer). We’ll taste the palm sugar harvested from the Thnot - a sugar palm that is also a nationalsymbol, and visit the floating village on small boats. We’ll return back on board and depart for Kampong Tralach. We’ll have dinneron board this evening.

DAY 5 : KAMPONG TRALACH - KOH CHEN - PHNOM PENH

Enjoy breakfast before visiting the beautiful Vihara at the Wat Kampong Tralach Leu pagoda. We access the Vihara by crossingthrough the village of Kompong Tralach in ox wagons and using a small road running perpendicular to the river, amid the beautifullylandscaped paddy fields. The Vihara dates from the beginning of the last century and still retains its magnificent murals - althoughthey are beginning to suffer from the ravages of time. Totally hidden within the rice fields, it is a modest pagoda attracting fewvisitors, and its isolation makes the site more enticing. We’ll return on board for lunch and cast off once again. Once we arrive inKoh Chen, you can explore this small village where craftspeople specialize in silver and copper work and where ornaments usedin traditional ceremonies at the pagoda or for marriages are fashioned. We’ll visit a local private school, and then return onboardto cruise towards Phnom Penh, arriving in the late afternoon. Join us for a "Tuk-tuk" ride : a motorized three-wheel cycle andtraditional means of transportation in Phnom Penh. We’ll return to the ship and enjoy a performance of classical Khmer dancingand music. We’ll have dinner and remain in port overnight. The evening is free to do as you please.

DAY 6 : PHNOM PENH

Enjoy breakfast before our visit to the capital city. Founded in 1434, Phnom Pehn, after much rehabilitation of part of its architecturalheritage, still retains a good deal of its charm from the French colonial period. Visit the Silver Pagoda and the Royal Palace, oneof the finest examples of Cambodian architecture inspired by the traditional Khmer style. The Silver Pagoda houses many nationaltreasures including gold and jeweled Buddha statues. Most notable is a small 17th-century crystal Buddha and a life-sized goldBuddha decorated with 9,584 diamonds, the largest of which weighs 25 carats. Onward to visit the National Museum, whichhouses the Museum of Fine Arts, built in 1917 by the French but using the traditional Khmer style. The museum houses one ofthe world’s largest collections of Khmer art, including sculptures, ceramics, bronzes, and ethnographic objects and includes over14,000 items from prehistoric times to after the Khmer Empire. We’ll have lunch in town. In the afternoon, tour the Tuol Svay PreySchool, a former detention, torture and execution center run by the Khmer Rouge during the civil war. Afterwards, spend somefree time at the market. We’ll return on board for dinner and the night.

DAY 7 : CHAU DOC - SA DEC

Enjoy breakfast as we spend the morning cruising to the Vietnamese border. We’ll spend the morning taking care of customs

formalities. We’ll have lunch and arrive in Chau Doc in the early afternoon. Chau Doc, on the edge of the Mekong Delta, is thestepping stone between each country. And there are floating farms everywhere ! Now-prosperous Chau Doc has developed aroundfish and fish farming. The town is a busy, lively place with few tourists and several charming colonial buildings. The market is inthe heart of the city, and it has a color scheme to match its ambience : with bright pastel hues of green, blue and purple adorningmany of the newer shop fronts. We’ll set out on small boats to visit a fish farm, and if the weather permits, go up to the top of NuiSam. We’ll return through Chau Doc and visit the temples of Ba Chua Xu and Tay An. We’ll return on board and continue towardsSa Dec. We’ll have dinner and spend the night on board this evening.

DAY 8 : SA DEC - VINH LONG - CAI BE

Enjoy breakfast before continuing to the small sleepy town of Sa Dec. We’ll visit the former house of Huynh Thuy Le, the man whoMarguerite Duras based her book The Lover on. In colonial times, Sa Dec was known as the “Garden of Cochin-China”becauseof its famous floral gardens. We’ll have lunch on board and cruise to Ving Long - located in the middle of the delta, between twodistributaries of the Mekong River. Hundreds of small boats abound between houses built on stilts. We’ll take a boat ride throughthe arroyos and orchards to Cai Be. We’ll discover a brick and pottery factory, a fruit-tree nursery in Binh Hoa Phuoc, puffed ricedand the rice paper wrappers used to make nems, rice alcohol and coconut candies. Afterwards, we’ll return on board and start tocruise once again. We’ll have dinner on board this evening.

DAY 9 : MY THO - HO CHI MINH CITY

Enjoy breakfast on board. The islands near My Tho are well-known for their abundant orchards and fruit garden. The climate iswarm and pleasant all year round. The surrounding countryside is considered one of the most luxurious in Vietnam and aboundsin coconuts, bananas, mangos and longans. On one of the largest islands, Thoi Son, we’ll visit a honey farm and taste their honeytea and exotic fruits. Afterwards, we’ll have a ride in a sampan through the canal bordered with nipa palms and observe the dailylife of the inhabitants. We’ll have lunch on board and begin our magnificent cruise through the very narrow Cho Gao Canal towardsHo Chi Minh City. We’ll have dinner on board and remain in port overnight. The evening is free to do as you please.

DAY 10 : HO CHI MINH CITY

Enjoy breakfast before visiting Ho Chi Minh City. Conquered by the French in 1859, a number of classical Western-style buildingsand French villas in the city still reflect this colonial era. We’ll tour the city to see the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedraland the Saigon Central Post Office. We’ll have lunch on board, and this afternoon we’ll visit a lacquer painting workshop. After-wards, enjoy some free time in the local souvenir market. Tonight, we’ll have a cocktail together followed by dinner. We’ll remain inport overnight. The evening is free to do as you please.

DAY 11 : HO CHI MINH CITY - HANOI

After enjoying breakfast on board, you’ll disembark and spend the morning visiting Cholon, the Chinese-influenced section of thecity. We’ll have lunch in town. After lunch, you’ll be transferred to the airport and board a flight to Hanoi. Once we arrive in Hanoi,you’ll check into the Movenpick Hotel (or similar accommodations). We’ll have dinner at the hotel this evening.

DAY 12 : HANOI

After breakfast, you’ll spend the day on a guided tour of the capital visiting the outside of the historic Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum onBa Dinh Square, Ho Chi Minh’s humble stilt house behind the mausoleum, and the unique One Pillar Pagoda Buddhist temple.Then, we’ll move on to the Temple of Literature, which was home to Vietnam’s first national university, the Imperial Academy, andis one of several temples in Vietnam dedicated to Confucius. The interior of the temple is divided into five impressive and uniquecourtyards, arranged south to north. The first courtyard is reached through a monumental gate known as the Great Portico. We’llhave lunch in town. Afterwards, we’ll discover the old quarter of the city by pedi-cab or electric car. Also known as the “36 Streets”,

the quarter reflects the different guilds concentrating their businesses along these streets. During our tour, we’ll see many Frenchcolonial buildings and Hoan Kiem Lake. We’ll finish up our day with a traditional water puppetry show, have dinner in the city, andspend the night at the hotel.

DAY 13 : HANOI - HALONG BAY

Enjoy breakfast before leaving early in the morning for Halong Bay (approx. 3.5 hours travel time). We’ll be welcomed aboard ajunk, enjoy a cocktail, and have lunch on board. We’ll begin our cruise to discover the thousands of various limestone islandsdotting the emerald-colored bay, and go on a tour of a floating fishing village. We’ll have dinner on board and spend the night onthe 4-star junk Bahia (or similar accommodations).

DAY 14 : HALONG BAY - HANOI

Rise early with us this morning and participate in a Tai Chi class on deck. We’ll continue our cruise through the bay, discoveringmore of its extraordinary scenery and visiting one of the largest caves. This morning, brunch will be served on board. You’lldisembark at 11 :00 a.m. and begin the trip back to Hanoi. Before arriving, we’ll stop off at the Dinh Bang communal hall, one ofthe largest and finest communal houses in Vietnam. You’ll be served a light dinner. End of our services.

TRANSPORTATIONFormula port port without transfer

FORMULAThis offer includes :

During the cruise : 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 HoChi 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 thecruise - travel assistance and repatriation insurance - tips (for the crew during the cruise, and the guide and the driver in Siem Reap).

During the 4-day extended stay : Domestic flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi (or inversely)- all meals - visits and excursions mentioned in the program - services of local French-speaking tour guides - double-occupancy accom-modations in the listed, or similar, hotels - drinks at all meals (1 soft drink or 1 beer or 1 mineral water + 1 tea or coffee per person foreach meal) - 24-hour cruise across Halong Bay on a junk (not exclusive to CroisiEurope passengers) - travel assistance and repatriationinsurance.

This offer does not include :

During the cruise : Flights between Paris and Siem Reap and Hanoi and Paris (or inversely) - transfers between the airport and hoteland the ship and airport - Airport taxes for economy class travel (currently e460 ) - drinks other than those mentioned - personalexpenses - 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).

During the 4-day extended stay : Personal expenses - tips for guides and drivers (approximately $20 per passenger) - cancellation andbaggage insurance - airport taxes for domestic flights.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

WEATHER : The dry season is from December to April, but the air remains very hot and humid (temperatures between 77° and 95°F).During the rainy season, from May to November, there can be violent, but brief, rainstorms at the end of the afternoon.

CURRENCY : Only US dollars are accepted on board the RV Indochine. You can also register a credit/debit card when boarding andhave your expenses deducted from the card at the end of the cruise. You can pay with US dollars or by using your Visa or MasterCard.

EXCHANGE RATE : For the current exchange rates for the Vietnamese Dong and the Cambodian Riel, please consult websites such aswww.xe.com or www.oanda.com/currency/converter/. It is recommended to have some US dollars in cash with you during your trip.

MEALS : All meals are provided on this tour. Fresh products such as fish, fruits and vegetables are prepared on board the RV Indochine.Buffet service for breakfast and lunch. Dinners are served at your table.Asian and Western cuisine.

TIME DIFFERENCE : You can consult www.worldtimezone.com to see the time difference between your home and your destination.

FORMALITIESPlease consult your competent authorities (consulate/embassy).

These cruises and tours are not recommended for persons with reduced mobility.

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.

The riverbanks throughout this trip can be steep and slippery according to the level of water.

If needed, the route, stops or visits may be changed by the owner and/or our on-site representatives.

The captain is the only person authorized to change the route of the ship for safety and/or navigational reasons.

No mandatory vaccinations. However, it is advisable to be up to date with all vaccinations (tetanus, polio, hepatitis A and B, diphtheria and typhoid fever). Your doctor will prescribe an antimalarial drug if necessary.

For the Halong Bay cruise, the itinerary and visits are defined by the captain each day and are based on tide and weather conditions.

The cruise on Halong Bay can be cancelled in the event of bad conditions.

The junk on the Halong Bay is not under the private ownership of CroisiVoyages.

Alcohol can be harmful to your health. Please drink in moderation.