Avalon Waterways

Daily Itinerary

1. Day 1

   Ho Chi Minh City

   Vietnam

   

   Still whispered as Saigon by its ten million residents, Ho Chi Minh City pulses with an energy that outlasted every empire and every war. The French colonial grandeur of Notre-Dame Cathedral and Gustave Eiffel's Central Post Office stands in vivid counterpoint to the city's kinetic street life — an endless river of motorbikes, fragrant with pho broth and charcoal-grilled meats. Do not miss the Reunification Palace, a time capsule of Cold War modernism, or a dawn bowl of bánh mì from a sidewalk vendor. The dry season, November through April, offers the most comfortable conditions for exploration.

2. Day 2

   Vinh Long

   Vietnam

   

   Vinh Long is a river town at the heart of Vietnam's Mekong Delta, renowned for its bustling Cai Be floating market, lush fruit orchards on river islands, and the delta's distinctive cuisine. Must-dos include a dawn sampan visit to the floating market, tasting crispy elephant ear fish wrapped in rice paper, and visiting island orchards and coconut candy workshops. November through April's dry season offers the best weather for delta exploration.

3. Day 3

   Chau Doc

   Vietnam

   

   Châu Đốc is a mystical border town where the Mekong meets Cambodia, combining Vietnamese, Cham Muslim, and Khmer Buddhist cultures around the pilgrimage mountain of Sam (Núi Sam). Must-do experiences include visiting Sam Mountain's pagodas, touring floating fish farms, and tasting the town's famous bún cá turmeric fish noodle soup. November through April's dry season is most comfortable; the flood season reveals the delta's full hydraulic drama.

4. Day 4

   Phnom Penh

   Cambodia

   

   Phnom Penh rises from the confluence of the Mekong, Tonlé Sap, and Bassac rivers with a resilience that makes it one of Southeast Asia's most affecting capitals — a city that endured the Khmer Rouge's "Year Zero" and has re-emerged as a place of broad riverfront boulevards, excellent Khmer cuisine, and a cultural energy that feels earned rather than manufactured. The Royal Palace and its Silver Pagoda, housing a life-size gold Buddha studded with 9,584 diamonds, is the city's architectural centrepiece; the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a former high school converted to a prison by the Khmer Rouge, is sobering but essential history. November through February offers the most comfortable climate for extended exploration.

5. Day 5

   Phnom Penh

   Cambodia

   

   Phnom Penh rises from the confluence of the Mekong, Tonlé Sap, and Bassac rivers with a resilience that makes it one of Southeast Asia's most affecting capitals — a city that endured the Khmer Rouge's "Year Zero" and has re-emerged as a place of broad riverfront boulevards, excellent Khmer cuisine, and a cultural energy that feels earned rather than manufactured. The Royal Palace and its Silver Pagoda, housing a life-size gold Buddha studded with 9,584 diamonds, is the city's architectural centrepiece; the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a former high school converted to a prison by the Khmer Rouge, is sobering but essential history. November through February offers the most comfortable climate for extended exploration.

6. Day 6

   Angkor

   Cambodia

   

   Angkor is the monumental capital of the medieval Khmer Empire in Cambodia, home to Angkor Wat — the world's largest religious monument — and hundreds of temples spanning five centuries of artistic achievement. Must-dos include a dawn visit to Angkor Wat, exploring the tree-entwined ruins of Ta Prohm, and sampling amok fish curry in Siem Reap. Visit November through March for cooler temperatures and clear skies after the monsoon.

7. Day 7

   Kampong Cham

   Cambodia

   

   Kampong Cham unfolds along the Mekong's western bank in a languid rhythm far removed from Cambodia's tourist circuit — a provincial capital where saffron-robed monks cross bamboo bridges at dawn and French colonial villas drowse behind frangipani trees. The highlight is Wat Nokor, a twelfth-century Angkorian temple whose moss-covered sandstone galleries envelop a functioning Buddhist sanctuary in a haunting conversation between centuries. The nearby rubber plantations, a legacy of French Indochina, offer a window into the region's complex history. Kampong Cham is best visited November through February, when the dry season transforms the Mekong into a serene silver expanse.

8. Day 8

   Phnom Penh

   Cambodia

   

   Phnom Penh rises from the confluence of the Mekong, Tonlé Sap, and Bassac rivers with a resilience that makes it one of Southeast Asia's most affecting capitals — a city that endured the Khmer Rouge's "Year Zero" and has re-emerged as a place of broad riverfront boulevards, excellent Khmer cuisine, and a cultural energy that feels earned rather than manufactured. The Royal Palace and its Silver Pagoda, housing a life-size gold Buddha studded with 9,584 diamonds, is the city's architectural centrepiece; the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a former high school converted to a prison by the Khmer Rouge, is sobering but essential history. November through February offers the most comfortable climate for extended exploration.

Cabin Categories

Mekong Deck - Panorama Suite

Suite

245 sq ftMax 2B

Stateroom Features: Comfort Collection Beds Egyptian super-combed cotton linens Soft & firm pillows Choice of bed configuration Nightly turn-down service Bedside tables with reading lamps 14' Wall-to-Wall Panoramic window measuring that opens to create a large Open-Air Balcony Large private bathroom featuring full shower with glass door, hairdryer, and premium L'Occitane bath amenities Spacious closets with shelves for ample storage Easy under-bed luggage storage Alarm clock Writing desk/vanity with mirror & comfortable chair In-house telephone Bathrobes & slippers Complimentary filtered water In-room safe Individual climate control One King-Sized Bed or Two Twins USB Ports

King or Twin ConfigurationShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableMini Bar (Additional Cost)Safe+5

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Tonle Deck - Panorama Suite

Suite

245 sq ftMax 2A

Stateroom Features: Comfort Collection Beds Egyptian super-combed cotton linens Soft & firm pillows Choice of bed configuration Nightly turn-down service Bedside tables with reading lamps 14' Wall-to-Wall Panoramic window measuring that opens to create a large Open-Air Balcony Large private bathroom featuring full shower with glass door, hairdryer, and premium L'Occitane bath amenities Spacious closets with shelves for ample storage Easy under-bed luggage storage Alarm clock Writing desk/vanity with mirror & comfortable chair In-house telephone Bathrobes & slippers Complimentary filtered water In-room safe Individual climate control One King-Sized Bed or Two Twins USB Ports

King or Twin ConfigurationShowerToiletries ProvidedRoom Service AvailableMini Bar (Additional Cost)TV+6

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