A Holistic & Creative Downstream Journey (Updated 4 Aug 2009) 
Perfect for connoisseurs, a soul-enriching cruise along the Mekong Delta with RV La Marguerite stimulates the mind and enriches the physical well-being. Cruising the Mekong with this unique concept sets it apart from the rest. This week long cruise offers a distinctive way of experiencing the Mekong as seen through the passionate French Novelist Marguerite Duras, who glamorized the Mekong with a unique cross cultural love epic “The Lover”. The guided tours to historic and cultural sites, local attractions, museums and galleries are developed with personal enrichment in mind.

High Water Level

Day 1, Siem Reap – Kampong Chhnang
Level of Difficulty: 0

Summary of Excursion
Register between 11:00 to 12:00 at Le Meridien Angkor. At 12:00, transfer by motor coach or bus to the local jetty and embark RV La Marguerite at 13:00. Iced mineral water and cold towels will be served. At 13:30, enjoy a light lunch as captain moors towards Kampong Chhnang. Along the way, enjoy a scenic view of the wild lives while passing through the sleepy yet inspirational river villages. Cabins are ready at around 15:00 for checking in. Join the hotel manager and purser at Saigon Bar for briefing. Dinner will be served at 19:30, just while the boat arrives into Tonle Sap Lake.  Enjoy the first gourmet dinner onboard with fellow travelers. Anchor at Tonle Sap Lake for the night.

What you will see:
Wild lives, river villages

Day 2, Kampong Chhnang – Phnom Penh
Time of Excursion: 9:30 to 11:30
Length of Tour: 2 hours 00 minutes
Level of Difficulty: 1

Summary of Excursion
At 5:00, the boat will sail towards Kampong Chhnang. Breakfast will be served at the Mekong restaurant from 7:00. At 9:30, arrive at Kampong Chhnang. Transfer to Kampong Chhnang onboard local boats. Enjoy a quintessential river excursion through the floating houses to get a glimpse of the local lifestyles in the Tonle Sap River. The boats will moor safely along the banks, go ashore and enjoy a leisurely walk through the city and perhaps find a good bargain at the market.  At 11:30, go back to the boat and cast off towards Kampong Cham. Lunch is served between 13:00 to 14:00. At 17:30, arrive at Phnom Penh and continue towards Kampong Cham. Join guide from 15:30 to 16:15 for a cultural briefing at the Saigon Lounge. Enjoy a wonderful paired gourmet dinner from 19:30 to 21:00. Arrive Kampong Cham at 2:00.

What you will see:
Khmer civilizations, weaving villages

Low Water Level

Day 1, Siem Reap – Kampong Chhnang
Level of Difficulty: 0

Registration opens at 11:00 to 12:00 at Le Meridien Angkor. At 12:15, Transfer by motor coach or bus to Prek Kdam. Arriving Prek Kdam around 17:00. Lunch box will be served en-route. Embark the wonderful La Marguerite at 18:30 and check into your cabins. Iced mineral water and cold towels will be served from 18:30 to 17:30. Dinner will be served at 19:30. Enjoy the first gourmet dinner onboard with fellow travelers. Anchor at Kampong Sat for the night.

What you will see:
Wild lives, rural villages

Day 2, Kampong Chhnang – Chong Koh
Time of Excursion: 8:30 to 10:15, 16:30 to 17:30
Length of Tour: 2 hours 30 minutes
Level of Difficulty: 1

Summary of Excursion
At 7:00, the boat will sail towards Kampong Chhnang. Breakfast will be served at the Mekong restaurant from 7:00 to 8:45. At 8:30, arrive at Kampong Chhnang. Transfer to Kampong Chhnang onboard local boats. Enjoy a quintessential river excursion through the floating houses to get a glimpse of the local lifestyles in the Tonle Sap River. The boats will moor safely along the banks, go ashore and enjoy a leisurely walk through the city and perhaps find a good bargain at the market. At 10:15, return to boat and cast off towards Kampong Cham. Lunch is served between 12:30 to 14:00. At 15:30, arrive at Phnom Penh and continue towards Kampong Cham. Cultural briefing on Cambodia from 15:30 to 16:15 at Saigon Lounge. At 16:30, arrive at Chong Koh. Go ashore and visit traditional silk weaving factory and simply stroll around this charming village. At 17:45, return to boat. Thereafter, enjoy a wonderful paired gourmet a la Carte dinner from 19:30 to 21:00.

What you will see:
Khmer civilizations, weaving villages

Day 3, Kampong Cham – Wat Hanchey
Time of Excursion: 9:15 to 11:30, 14:30 to 18:00
Length of Tour: 5 hours 45 minutes
Level of Difficulty: 2-3

Summary of Excursion
RV La Marguerite will sails towards Wat Hanchey at 6:00. Breakfast from 7:00 to 8:30. At 9:15, explore Wat Hanchey, a hilltop pagoda overlooking the Mekong. At 11:45, return to the boat. At 12:00, the boat cast off for Kampong Cham. Enjoy lunch from 12:30 to 14:00. At 14:00, arrive at Kampong Cham. Go ashore from 14:30 to 18:00. The upland regions near Kampong Cham are rich in timbers, including Ceylon ironwood, rosewood, bean trees, teak, and rubber trees.  We will visit 12th century Angkorian temple of Wat Nokor and Eco village. At 18:15, we depart for Phnom Penh. Briefing will be conducted from 18:30. From 19:30 to 21:00, themed dinner will be served.

What you will see:
Wat Hanchey, 12th century Angkorian temple of Wat Nokor, Eco village

Day 4, Phnom Penh
Time of Excursion: 8:30 to 12:00, 14:30 to 17:30
Length of Tour: 6 hours 30 minutes
Level of Difficulty: 2-3

Summary of Excursion
Dock midstream near to Phnom Penh Port around 0:30. At 6:30, the boat will continue to sail towards Phnom Penh Port. Breakfast will be served from 7:00 to 8:30. At 8:30, visit Phnom Penh city. Transfer on motor coach/bus and visit the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and National Museum. At 12:00, return to the boat for a re-energizing power lunch to prepare for the second part of the excursion today. At 14:30, take motor coach/bus to visit the Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng (S21) detention center.  Excursion ends around 17:30. Shopping is optional. Dinner is served from 19:30 to 21:00. After dinner, a special Cambodia performance awaits at the Saigon Lounge. The performance will starts at 21:15 and ends at 22:00.

What you will see:
Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, National Museum, Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng (S21) detention center

Day 5, Phnom Penh – Tan Chau
Time of Excursion: 10:30 to 12:00
Length of Tour: 1 hour 30 minutes
Level of Difficulty: 2

Summary of Excursion
At 7:00, enjoy a hearty breakfast as the ships departs for border. En route, stop at Preak Dach Village, a jungle village to visit fruit orchards from 10:30 to 12:00. Continue towards the border as lunch buffet is being served from 12:30 to 14:00.  Between 14:00 and 17:30, border formalities are being carried out. The border in Cambodia is Ka Orm Samnor and Vietnam is Song Tien. At 17:45, depart for Tan Chau. Enjoy themed dinner from 19:30 to 21:00.

What you will see:
Jungle village, fruit orchards

Day 6, Tan Chau - Sadec
Time of Excursion: 9:00 to 12:00
Length of Tour: 3 hours
Level of Difficulty: 1-2

Summary of Excursion
Rise and dressed for a wonderful breakfast served from 7:00 to 8:30.  At 9:00, transfers to small boats visit a floating fish farm in Chau Doc and navigates along the tiny tribunals where stilt houses are haphazardly leaning on one another. Go ashore and make a city tours on Xe Loi. Stop and visit silk making factory, rattan mats and slippers making factory. At 11:30, return to the boat and prepare for lunch. At 12:30, cast off for Sadec. Lunch is served from 12:30 to 14:00.  At dinner 16:00 to 16:45, a cultural forum on Vietnam shall be held. Enjoy a culturally enriching ethnic dance performance after dinner. Dinner served from 18:30 to 19:30. At 21:00, arrive in Sadec and moored midstream overnight.

What you will see:
Silk making, stilt houses on canals, floating fish farms, rattan mats and slippers making factory

Day 7, Sadec – Cua Tieu
Time of Excursion: 9:00 to 12:00, 14:45 to 17:15
Length of Tour: 5 hours 30 minutes
Level of Difficulty: 2

Summary of Excursion
Breakfast served from 7:00 to 8:30. At 9:00, follow guides to the hometown of Marguerite Duras’ lover, quaint little city. Visit the old house of Huynh Thuy Le’s "The Lovers Museum", partake in the banterings of local markets along the paved river banks, pagoda and the Fujian Temple, build and donated to the city by Le’s family. You will pass by the homes of Marguerite Duras from across the river banks and also visit the school where Margeurite's mom taught. Back to the boat at 12:00. Lunch served from 12:30 to 14:00. At 12:15, depart for Cai Be and at 15:30, the boat sails towards Cua Tieu. Explore the hidden treasures through the canals on riverboats and partake in afternoon bantering with floating markets vendors before going ashore to visit traditional candies making factory and rice paper mills. Return to the boat for briefing at around 16:30 before adjourning to the restaurant for a grand farewell dinner and drinks from 19:30 to 21:00.

What you will see:
Cai Be Floating market, rice paper village, coconut candies home factory, boat ride in the canals, ancient House, local market, the School, Pagoda, Fujian Temple

Day 8, Saigon
At 2:00, the boat sails towards Saigon. Breakfast served from 7:00 to 8:30. Bid farewells to crew and disembark with guides. Arrive at Sofitel Plaza Saigon around 11:00.