15 nights · Vietnam · River and intracoastal cruise · Departs Hanoi (Vietnam) · Visiting Halong Bay, Siem Reap, Kampong Cham, Angkor Ban, Phnom Penh, Oudong, Tan Chau, Sa Dec, Cai Be, My Tho, Saigon · Aboard AmaWaterways on the AmaDara
Image courtesy of AmaWaterways ©
This river and intracoastal cruise sails the Tonle Sap and Mekong with Ha Long Bay, departing Hanoi.
| Cruise line | AmaWaterways |
|---|---|
| Ship | AmaDara |
| Duration | 15 nights |
| Port calls | 12 |
| Departures | 4 sailings |
| Year built | 2015 |
| Guests | 124 |
| Cabins | 62 |
| Crew | 50 |
| Length | 92 m |
| Beam | 14 m |
| Cruising speed | 9.0 kn |
Hanoi rewards travelers who look beyond its traffic. In the Old Quarter, narrow streets brim with family shops, temples, and bowls of pho. Around Hoan Kiem Lake, early-morning tai chi gives way to café terraces and the bustle of the day. French-era boulevards and the Temple of Literature reveal a city shaped by layered histories. Hanoi lies inland; cruise visitors usually reach it from Ha Long Bay, roughly three hours away.
Hạ Long opens onto a singular seascape: thousands of limestone islands rise from the Gulf of Tonkin. From the modern cruise port, boat trips lead into sheltered coves and dramatic grottoes. Some itineraries visit a floating fishing village, where families once made their living from the bay. Back ashore, Bai Chay has cafés and seafood restaurants. Choose a longer cruise for the best perspective: the karsts are most striking from the water.
Hanoi rewards travelers who look beyond its traffic. In the Old Quarter, narrow streets brim with family shops, temples, and bowls of pho. Around Hoan Kiem Lake, early-morning tai chi gives way to café terraces and the bustle of the day. French-era boulevards and the Temple of Literature reveal a city shaped by layered histories. Hanoi lies inland; cruise visitors usually reach it from Ha Long Bay, roughly three hours away.
Siem Reap is the gateway to Angkor, where Cambodia’s Khmer kings left one of Asia’s great archaeological landscapes. At Angkor Wat, galleries of carved stone surround a temple begun in the early 12th century. Beyond it, the vast Angkor Archaeological Park holds the jungle-embraced towers of Bayon and Ta Prohm. Allow time for Siem Reap itself: a lively Cambodian city with markets, cafés, and access to Tonlé Sap’s floating communities.
Kampong Cham brings you close to Mekong life, French-era streets and a gentler pace than Cambodia’s major cities. Cross to Koh Paen, an island of orchards and villages linked to town by a bridge. At Wat Nokor, an 11th-century sandstone temple encloses a later Buddhist shrine. Beyond town, rubber plantations and the twin hills of Phnom Pros and Phnom Srei offer a different view of Cambodia.
Angkor Ban is one of the Mekong’s rare villages where traditional wooden homes still shape daily life. Raised on stilts, many houses date back generations, their weathered boards offering a glimpse of rural Cambodia beyond the cities. Visit the Buddhist monastery and meet residents whose routines follow the river and rice fields. Here, the Mekong is not a backdrop; it is the village’s working road and enduring source of connection.
Phnom Penh rewards a day spent looking beyond its riverfront. Cambodia’s capital pairs the Royal Palace’s gilded roofs and the Silver Pagoda’s silver-tiled floor with the broad Mekong. At Tuol Sleng and the Killing Fields, the Khmer Rouge years become painfully tangible. Leave time for the Central Market, where art deco architecture shelters stalls selling silver, silk, and local produce.
Oudong, also written Udong, lies in Kandal Province, not Kampong Thom. For more than two centuries, it served as Cambodia’s royal capital, until the court moved to Phnom Penh in 1866. Hilltop stupas and royal memorials mark the former capital, with wide views across rice fields and the Tonle Sap plain. Visit for a quieter, historically rich counterpoint to Phnom Penh’s busy streets.
Phnom Penh rewards a day spent looking beyond its riverfront. Cambodia’s capital pairs the Royal Palace’s gilded roofs and the Silver Pagoda’s silver-tiled floor with the broad Mekong. At Tuol Sleng and the Killing Fields, the Khmer Rouge years become painfully tangible. Leave time for the Central Market, where art deco architecture shelters stalls selling silver, silk, and local produce.
Tân Châu lies on the Tiền River in An Giang Province, near Vietnam’s border with Cambodia. This upper-delta town is known for Lãnh Mỹ A, its lustrous black silk. Weavers traditionally dye the cloth with fruit from the mặc nưa tree. Here, river traffic, markets and modest streets offer a direct view of life in the delta. Come ashore to see silk-making and the daily trade that still follows the water.
Sa Dec rewards travelers who look beyond the Mekong Delta’s better-known stops. This working river town in Dong Thap Province is famed for its flower village. Nurseries line canals and supply markets across southern Vietnam. At the Huynh Thuy Le Ancient House, carved wood and French-era details evoke Marguerite Duras’s *The Lover*. Follow the riverfront to Sa Dec Market, where produce, flowers and fish reveal the delta’s daily trade.
Cái Bè sits beside the Tiền River, where ferries, cargo boats and sampans share the waterway. Take a small boat through narrow canals to see fruit orchards and villages shaped by life on the Mekong. The town’s landmark Catholic church offers a striking pause on shore. At dawn, the once-famous floating market is quieter than its reputation suggests, but river trade remains part of daily life.
Mỹ Tho offers the Mekong Delta at an inviting, human scale. Along the broad Tiền River, this working city opens onto orchards, canals and villages shaped by water. Take a small boat beneath coconut palms or sample tropical fruit. At Vĩnh Tràng Pagoda, Vietnamese, Chinese and European influences meet in striking form. For a taste of southern Vietnam beyond the city, Mỹ Tho makes a rewarding first encounter.
Ho Chi Minh City rewards curious travellers with a vivid collision of old Saigon and modern Vietnam. French-colonial landmarks, busy markets and motorbike-filled streets make the centre a study in contrasts. The War Remnants Museum offers a sobering account of the conflict, while local cafés invite a slower pause. For a deeper look at Vietnam’s wartime history, the Cu Chi tunnels make a memorable excursion beyond the city.
Published August 21, 2026
Last updated October 3, 2026
Author: J. Richard
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