Vietnam & Cambodia Expeditions Aboard The Jahan

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A river route through history and two cultures

Rivers are the heart and soul of countries and cultures, a pulsating lifeline. And no river teems with more life than the mighty Mekong, which winds its way through the lush lowlands of Cambodia and Vietnam. Embark on a journey to discover the ways of life along the river, where traditions are deeply respected even as modern influences grow. Explore sublime temples at Angkor in the light of early dawn. Walk through the jungle-choked temples at Ta Prohm, and gaze into the stone faces carved into Bayon temple. Experience the bustle and unique city life of Saigon and Phnom Penh.

Vietnam & Cambodia aboard The Jahan

Special Ships

Vietnam and Cambodia: Along The Mekong River, including Angkor and Saigon

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Duration

12 days

Jan
Feb

From

$12,990

Prices are per person

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Highlights

Vietnam & Cambodia aboard The Jahan

Special Ships

Vietnam and Cambodia: Along The Mekong River, including Angkor and Saigon

Duration

12 days

Jan
Feb

From

$12,990

Top Highlights

Spend two days exploring the legendary religious sites of Angkor in the company of our experts and local guides
Visit communities and learn the ways of life along the Mekong River, including subsistence fishing and small industries
Explore Phnom Penh and Saigon, touring sites important to the cities’ 20th-century histories
Travel in extraordinary comfort and see many of the countries’ cultural highpoints

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Special Offers

FREE BAR TAB AND CREW TIPS INCLUDED

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Expedition Highlights

Experience two countries with turbulent 20th-century histories that are rapidly blossoming. Stroll sublime temples, shop colorful markets, and, in the cities of Saigon and Phnom Penh, visit important museums. Learn the way of life in small villages along the river. Visit the temple Ta Prohm, where the jungle has been allowed to slowly engulf the site, giving you an idea of what archaeologists encountered when their work began. And, at the day’s end, relax on your private balcony aboard the luxurious riverboat The Jahan and watch life along this great river.

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Life Aboard

Traveling on our Vietnam and Cambodia riverboat along the Mekong River, with its beautiful sites and deep cultural experiences, will give you a spiritual lift. To compound this healthful effect, we add the luxury of comfort to the privilege of being on our Vietnam and Cambodia expedition—with a quality of shipboard life and a philosophy of wellness designed to relax and rejuvenate body, mind, and spirit.

Ready for the adventure of a lifetime?

1.800.397.3348

1.800.397.3348

Discover

Discover Vietnam & Cambodia

Expedition Leader

Sail with a veteran expedition leader—the orchestrator of your experience. Many have advanced degrees and have conducted research or taught for years. They have achieved expedition leader status because they possess the skills, the experience, and the depth of knowledge necessary to continually craft the best expedition possible for our guests.

Navigator

Our captain’s river-navigation skill is a voyage hallmark. The captain, who is in constant communication with the expedition leader, navigates toward one bank or the other, giving you a view of life along the river. Since we're frequently underway during the golden hour of light for photography, our captain notifies the expedition leader of upcoming photo ops in plenty of time for you to get your camera and get the shot.

Naturalist

Our naturalists who are passionate about the geographies they explore (and return to regularly), illuminate each facet through their enthusiasm and knowledge. Our guests consistently cite the expertise and engaging company of our staff as key reasons to repeatedly travel with us.

Historian

One cannot understand the Khmer Rouge tragedy, the Vietnam War, or even the influence of China today without putting it in the context of French Indochina and the role of the West since the early 19th century. Our historian is the key to understanding the complexity of the past and the future outlook.

The ship staff was always very attentive and greeted you by name. Ship staff was always polite and helpful. The Jahan is a beautiful ship. The variety of modes of travel and the variety of excursions were obviously well planned out. I came away from the trip with a greater understanding of Cambodia and Vietnam.

Ellen N.

Making a Difference

Along with a group of our passionate guests, Expedition Leader Tom O’Brien launched a grassroots project to build a library in one of the Cambodian villages we regularly visit. The Kampong Tralach English Language Library has since been constructed, offering hundreds of local people classes and open resources for learning English language skills.

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Daily Expedition Reports

Daily Expedition Reports

3/1/2023

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The Jahan

Tonle Sap River/Kampong Leaeng

We kicked off the day with a sunrise photo walk in Phnom Penh for the shutterbugs. After a short tuk-tuk ride to Wat Ounalom, we explored the area and the Angkor period temple in the back of the complex. Jean Michel Filippi from the University of Phnom Penh came abroad for an in-depth presentation on Cambodian modern history. His hour-and-fifteen-minute talk covered the complexities of the interventions and government transitions leading up to the U.S. Vietnam War and the Khmer Rouge. Afterwards, we took a short break to enjoy coconuts on the terrace deck before a question-and-answer session with Jean Michel. Shortly before lunch, we went on deck to watch the ship navigate the narrowest stretch of the Tonle Sap River with a 90-degree "dog leg" turn. In the afternoon, we took a scenic tuk-tuk ride to the village of Kampong Leaeng to visit local artisans making pottery and palm leaf baskets. There were three options for the afternoon. Some guests took a short ride to return to the ship after the pottery and palm leaf demonstrations. Others enjoyed a scenic return trip, and the third group chose a longer route that included a visit to a pre-Angkorian 7th century temple, Prasat Srey. The second and third options provided glimpses of rural Cambodian life with views of rice fields, traditional houses, and other beautiful scenery on the return tuk-tuk trip.

Daily Expedition Reports

2/28/2023

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The Jahan

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Arriving in Phnom Penh meant a full day of moving around the city and taking in the city’s breathtaking culture, scenery, and rich traditional history. The morning began with a cyclo around the historic district, ending at the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. With rich interpretation by our incredible local guides, the group visited Wat Phnom. We ascended the stairs to take in views of the surrounding city, and we were greeted by dozens of remarkable great hornbills, a symbol of good fortune for the capital city. Afterwards, guests enjoyed a sumptuous lunch at Topaz, near the international part of Phnom Penh City. In the afternoon, guests split into three groups. Some traveled to the Killing Fields Genocidal Center at Choueng Ek, and another group went to the Central Market with a stop at the famous Elephant Room at Raffles Hotel. The third group visited the National Museum of Cambodia. Returning to the Jahan, guests were treated to a delicious five-course buffet dinner with special guest and inspirational speaker, Arn Chorn-Pond. Chorn-Pond is a Cambodian hero and founder of Cambodian Living Arts. This was followed by masterful performances from the Cambodian Living Arts Apsara Dance Show. It was a truly spectacular day for the guests, staff, and crew aboard the Jahan . Photographers: Patrick MacQuarrie and Anne Mazurek

Daily Expedition Reports

2/27/2023

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The Jahan

Chau Doc

Today, we traveled by sampan to reach the city of Chau Doc, passing through the man-made Tan Chau Canal. Along the way, we observed people living on their boats and tending to their daily activities. A visit to a fish farm helped us understand the challenges of market fluctuation and high costs for fish food, not to mention the labor involved in tending to the underwater constructions. Patrick gave a presentation on the “Ecology of the Mekong River Basin” when we returned to the ship, which helped us put everything into perspective. Visiting the central market was a great experience. Once again, we discovered many products that were new to us, especially tropical fruits, and we felt as if we were blending with the landscape. The trishaw tour sent us back in time, and it was amazing. Sadly, we had to say goodbye to our Vietnamese guides, but the days we have spent with them were very enriching. During the afternoon, it was interesting to discover more about the behind-the-scenes functioning of the Jahan and to cook some typical Mekong Delta dishes with the chef. Julia helped guests understand the many religious components we have seen so far as we prepared for our discovery of Cambodia. Barry’s short but wide-ranging presentation on the functions and types of stupas was also enlightening.

Daily Expedition Reports

2/26/2023

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The Jahan

Cai Be and Binh Thanh Island, Vietnam

We started our morning in Cai Be, a fruit and vegetable hub of the Mekong Delta. We enjoyed a cruise on sampans, which are local passenger boats. We stopped in the small town of Phu An to visit a series of small workshops, where we observed the production of a variety of items ranging from rice paper to rice wine to coconut candies. Everyone was able to sample the treats. Then, we enjoyed a leisurely one-hour boat ride back to the Jahan . After our morning excursion, local guide Tri gave a presentation about the Mekong Delta. After lunch, our photo instructor gave a presentation about iPhone photography. Then, we hopped on sampans again for a cruise to a small village on Binh Thanh Island to walk through local homes and learn about the processes of weaving, drying, and exporting functional mats. At the local community center (which is also a colorful temple), we met with village elders for a short discussion. One of the highlights of the village visit was a little girl with a tiny dog wearing a red-checked dress. After dinner, National Geographic expert Barry Till gave a presentation entitled, “Water Problems in Southeast Asia: the Mekong River and South China Sea.”

Daily Expedition Reports

2/24/2023

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The Jahan

Binh Thanh Island and Cai Be, Vietnam

We have cruised past all manner of rice fields, vegetable crops, orchards, and plantations over the last few days, and we have an appreciation for the productivity of the Mekong Delta. Located at the extreme southern end of the Indochina Peninsula, this region is Vietnam’s rice bowl. With annual exports of rice exceeding three billion USD and seafood at almost nine billion, the delta’s agricultural and aquaculture sectors make up the lion’s share of the country’s food exports. Rice mills and fish processing plants prepare these exports, which we have encountered frequently during our expedition. Today we had the opportunity to visit one of the many farming villages that line the riverbanks. Binh Tanh Island is home to several thousand farmers, and we had the chance to meet some of the community elders who lived through the Vietnam War. They told incredible stories of loss and the hardships they endured; despite this, they are happy and optimistic about the future. In the afternoon, we boarded the sampans once again and cruised into Cai Be, a medium-sized city in the Tien Giang province located in the Mekong Delta. We observed numerous heavily-loaded barges transporting various cargo up and down the river – great heaps of sediment, bales of hay, and bags of fish food. We passed through the city’s main canal and saw that the foreshore is a work in progress with a new concrete road and a sidewalk under construction. The small, family-run workshop we visited specializes in various rice and coconut-based products, and we sampled delightful, freshly made coconut candies flavored with palm sugar. We have enjoyed fresh spring rolls throughout the trip, and we can now appreciate the delicate art of making the rice paper that envelops them. Freshly cooked pop-rice snacks are another tasty treat, and it’s all washed down with a shot of rice whiskey. Yo! In the evening, back on the Jahan, we had a final farewell for the ship’s crew and hospitality staff. We enjoyed another round of music and some dancing to golden oldies and a few regional tunes.

The authenticity of the interactions and experiences, onboard the ship, on the river, in the towns and villages, and with our guides, is the exhilarating discovery I promise you’ll make.

Sven-Olof Lindblad

1.800.397.3348

1.800.397.3348

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Vietnam & Cambodia 2022-23

Vietnam & Cambodia aboard The Jahan

Vietnam & Cambodia 2022-23

Along the Mekong River, Including Angkor and Saigon | 2022-23 Voyages | Expeditions.com

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