Emerald Cruises has opened bookings on the 2024-2025 Mekong River cruise season through Cambodia and Vietnam aboard Emerald Harmony. The river ship allows travellers to experience small villages, historic capitals, and the local culture. Emerald Cruises has expanded the sailing season for 2024-2025, offering more options in the Mekong region.
New this season, the 10-day Meandering Majestic Mekong itinerary between Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh sails exclusively in AUG, SEPT, and OCT, during the region’s less crowded “green season.” This longer sailing adds extra time in Cambodia, continuing northeast past the capital city. An additional port of call in Angkor Ban reveals a remote village with hundred-year-old wooden houses that survived the Khmer Rouge and received a blessing from the local Monastery. The itinerary also includes more daytime sailing, allowing time to take in the sights on daily excursions and from onboard the Emerald Harmony. Travellers looking to sail the Mekong between mid-OCT and mid-MAY can opt for the eight-day Majestic Mekong, sailing between Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh.
Most travellers from Canada to Southeast Asia book Emerald Cruises' combined cruise-and-land tours to maximize their trip. Depending on the season, these journeys combine the eight- or 10-day river cruise with a land tour itinerary. The 13- or 15-day Wonders of Vietnam, Cambodia & the Mekong adds three days in Siem Reap, Cambodia, with an opportunity to visit the ancient temples of Angkor Tom and Angkor Wat; take a Vespa tour of the city or a boat tour of nearby Tonle Sap lake; take in an Aspara dance show and traditional Cambodian dinner; and embark on an evening street food tour.
The 17- or 19-day Treasures & Temples of Vietnam & Cambodia adds tours in Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi and a two-night cruise onboard a traditional-style junk boat on Halong Bay as well as the Siem Reap program. The 21- or 23-day Grand Tour of Vietnam & Cambodia itinerary adds tours in Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam, and Hoi An, known for its architecture, as well as the tour program in Hanoi, Halong Bay, and Siem Reap. Each itinerary offers an upstream and downstream option.
Vietnam War reminders are found in the Cu Chi Tunnels, a network of underground passageways, or the War Remnants Museum. In the Mekong Delta region, highlights include visiting a family-owned silk-producing factory and the My An Hung village. A visit to Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, contrasts the Royal Palace complex with the tragic reminders of the Khmer Rouge regime at the Killing Fields. A night tour of Cambodia’s capital on traditional tuk-tuks offers a different take on the city.
Emerald Harmony offers an intimate Mekong River cruise experience with 84 guests, a pool at the back of the ship, an Asian-themed Horizon Bar & Lounge, and a 2:1 guest-to-crew ratio. It's designed for easy access to the center of Ho Chi Minh City, allowing travellers to disembark right in the heart of the city.
More information can be found on Emerald Cruises’ website.
