Just back from Avalon's "Siem Reap" on the Mekong river...

I returned a few days ago from a fabulous trip on Avalon's "Siem Reap" river boat on the Mekong River through Vietnam and Cambodia. It included the land portions in Saigon and Siem Reap. Our trip began in Saigon and I recommend that direction as it saves the best for last -Angkor Wat.

There are so many details that make Avalon superior to other ship lines we saw on the river. First of all, the small size enables it to dock directly in Saigon and also to sail directly into Siem Reap when the water is high enough in the Tonle Sap. When it isn't high enough, Avalon is the only ship line that flies you into Siem Reap, which is less than an hour long flight. With the other cruise lines, passengers must endure a 6-hour bus ride, instead. For us, unfortunately the water was not high enough. We cruised as far up as possible, then turned around and sailed back to Phnom Penh where we flew to Siem Reap. Very little sailing time was lost and no excursion time was lost.

The rooms are all exactly the same, enabling all guests to enjoy the same experience, and it doesn't matter which deck you're on. The rooms are large, well appointed, very clean and comfortable, with a spacious bathroom. The wall to wall, ceiling to floor windows are fabulous and can be fully opened, turning your whole room into an open air space. I was glad to have a lower deck room. What a cool and serene experience to sit in the chair or on the couch and watch the scenery go by with the water flowing by practically at my feet!

But my favourite thing about the ship layout is that it is the only one with a lounge deck, with enough seating for everyone, at the front of the boat instead of the back, with full panoramic views to the sides as well. Right behind it is the inside lounge and bar, with the same views. Having experienced that forward view, I cannot imagine being on the other ship lines where your only view is from the side or a rear facing lounge deck. My very favourite spot quickly became the lounge chair at the very front of the bow.

The food was exceptional and the staff and service beyond excellent. They are super friendly and knew all passengers by name by the end of the first day. Both the Vietnamese and Cambodian tour guides (Thienh and Pharrot) were excellent, spoke very good English, were very knowledgeable and were clearly passionate about their countries and what they were showing us. Excursions were well planned and timed for the coolest (relatively speaking) parts of the day. My only wish would be that an extra day be provided in Siem Reap, as that was my favourite stop and more time there would have been great. The Avalon guide that was with us the whole trip, Ha Do, was superb as well. It was so nice to come back from an excursion to be greeted by the crew saying a cheerful "welcome home", followed by a cool, damp towlette, a refreshing drink, and fruit tray. Plus, after those excursions that required going up and down a dusty riverbank, the crew would take your shoes and clean them for you.

Everything about Avalon was 5-star pampered treatment, including the beautiful hotels for the land portions at both ends of the trip. If you want to see the Mekong, do it on the "Siem Reap"! My next river cruise will be somewhere in Europe and I will definitely be looking to Avalon for that trip.

Thanks for a great review. We've done Avalon from Paris to Amsterdam, and we're booked for Nice to Paris this spring. I think you'll like their European product.

I'm a little bit jealous that you got to spend some time with Pharrot! He was our tour guide on our trip with Uniworld. And you're right, he was excellent.

Thanks for a great review. We've done Avalon from Paris to Amsterdam, and we're booked for Nice to Paris this spring. I think you'll like their European product.

 

Hi

Which of the river cruise lines did you like best?

There are so many details that make Avalon superior to other ship lines we saw on the river. First of all, the small size enables it to dock directly in Saigon and also to sail directly into Siem Reap when the water is high enough in the Tonle Sap. When it isn't high enough, Avalon is the only ship line that flies you into Siem Reap, which is less than an hour long flight. With the other cruise lines, passengers must endure a 6-hour bus ride, instead.

 

Just a small alternative view... :)

 

We used one of the 'other ship lines' and our bus journey did not take '6 hours' nor was it something to be 'endured' and frankly we thought it was preferable to seeing another airport...

 

We got to see a lot more of the countryside and towns which was after all why we were there. We made two stops along the way, one for a comfort break and one to allow our guide to show how the locals worked with the rubber trees we had seen along the road.

 

It was about 4 hours of driving time and the bus was perfectly comfortable.

 

If anyone does really want to cruise across the lake as well, and intends to book with that in mind then do ask Avalon just how many times they actually did manage to get all the way to Siem Reap last year, or the year before that?

 

The guides work across various lines including Avalon and they were having problems remembering the last time it has actually happened. The lake moves from 'too low' to 'too high' and back again very quickly in the wet season so there is a very small window of time where the ships Captain will feel confident in his ability to sail up and get back down again safely, so as a rule it doesn't tend to happen.

 

So plan on flying if you sail with Avalon and treat it as good fortune if you are able to avoid it...

We completed this trip in September 2014 on one of the other lines (Heritage - RV Jahan).

 

Agree about sailing from Saigon to Siem Reap as we were lucky enough to be able to travel across the Tonle Sap Lake. Doing the trip this way meant that our last full day on board was relaxing on the top deck while we sailed across the lake.(Our crew had to remove the funnel from the boat to be able to sail under a bridge).

 

We arranged our own hotel accommodation & tours in both Saigon & Siem Reap where we spent 4 nights in each place.

 

Agree that you should choose a smaller boat both for the ability to travel to more places and crew getting to know you(ours had max of 52 but only 42 on board). There were a number of larger boats when we sailed that could take around 70-80.

Appreciate from puzzums in Canada so much your excellent review and details. We are scheduled and booked on this same ship going from Ho Chi Minh City north towards Angkor Wat. Glad you agree that doing it in this order works best. Very good reporting!!

 

Less than a year away for our "adventure" that departs to sail the Mekong on Feb. 1, 2018. We will fly to Hong Kong on Jan. 22, spend time there before going to Hanoi, then to Ho Chi Minh City, etc. Will do northern Laos and Bangkok visits after this river cruise.

 

What did you do pre and post cruise? Other tips and insights for these cities? What shore visits/stops stood out the most? Was the best loved and most unique? What to avoid and/or skip? Tell us more!! Can't get enough information and background for this part of the world!! Keep it coming.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 169,571 views for this posting.

Edited February 8, 2017 by TLCOhio

Will be on the same tour in July so would also love to hear more.

Can you comment on how you obtained visas for Vietnam and Cambodia?

 

 

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If you have the opportunity make sure to see HaLong Bay. It was a highlight and very mystical for sunrise!

 

I would encourage you to do some research into the Khmer Rouge and the Killing Fields before deciding to visit that area. We chose to stay on the ship during that excursion. (but I dont visit concentration camps either).

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/11/angelina-jolie-cambodia-first-they-killed-my-father?CMP=share_btn_link ( this is a film that is being produced)

 

While in Saigon, we did visit the ChiChi tunnels and would not do them again either. My husband was a Naval officier during the VietNam war and was not bothered however I can not imagine spending time in the jungle area if I had been in the army. Imagining walking through the jungle ( it was a hot, humid, drizzly day) or seeing the Mekong with large areas of floating plants certainly made me appreciate the horrific war that we sent very young men to fight!

 

The Cambodian and VietNamese people were so very welcoming and kind. This was a wonderful trip!!

 

You will be totally awed in Siem Reap......the different Wats are totally different but breathtaking like Machu Picchu.

Visas

we used genvisa for VietNam ( they were suggested by Vantage) could not do the airport on entry online because of the need for multi-entry.

 

Cambodian visa was obtained for us on the ship ...we were asked to bring 2 passport pictures and $40.

Regarding Vietnam visas, obtaining a visa on entry letter is so much less expensive than a visa in advance. I will be flying into Hanoi, then flying to Saigon where I start the river cruise which ends in Cambodia. Then flying on to Laos and Bangkok. Anyone know if this constitutes multi-entry into Vietnam, or whether a visa on entry letter will suffice?

 

 

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Regarding Vietnam visas, obtaining a visa on entry letter is so much less expensive than a visa in advance. I will be flying into Hanoi, then flying to Saigon where I start the river cruise which ends in Cambodia. Then flying on to Laos and Bangkok. Anyone know if this constitutes multi-entry into Vietnam, or whether a visa on entry letter will suffice?

 

 

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If you are flying from Hanoi to Saigon that isn't an international flight, so it isn't an entry.

 

I on the other hand, fly into Hanoi, fly to Siem Riep, and then will cross back into Vietnam on the cruise, so I will need a multi-entry visa.

Wow, TLCOhio, so many wonderful memories, it's hard to pick the favourites, lol! Definitely Angkor Wat stands out. Sitting on deck watching the endlessly fascinating landscape and people, and river traffic. The Killing Fields is another. While sad and emotionally draining, it's important to see as a testament to how NOT to treat your fellow man and to keep the memory alive of those who were killed. You gain an empathy for, and understanding of, the Cambodian people.

Similarly, the Cu Chi Tunnels near Saigon were very interesting. Read The Tunnels of Cu Chi by Tom Mangold before you go. Very informative book told in a neutral way from both sides.

Also in Saigon we had a blast at the Artinus 3D Art Museum.

The ox cart ride in Kampong Tralach was a unique experience. Super touristy, but fun.

Holding a Burmese python on the Vinh Long Excursion.

Getting a pedicure by fish in Siem Reap - just make sure you choose a tank with clean, clear water. And be warned, it really tickles at first.

I know there's a lot more but we did so many things, this post would get too long!

Regarding visas, my trip was a bit unique in that it was a group tour led by our awesome travel agent and we had the entire ship booked. Our TA procured the Vietnam visas for all of us before we left. Avalon takes care of the Cambodian visas for you. You just need to bring two passport pictures and $50 in US cash.

Deec - Thanks so very much for the link to "The Guardian" article on Angelina Jolie's new film. I read "When Broken Glass Floats" and we also saw "The Killing Fields" in preparation for our AMA Waterways tour which starts in Hanoi March 7. The article provides still another perspective on how the country is recovering from this terrible tragedy.

...We used one of the 'other ship lines' and our bus journey did not take '6 hours' nor was it something to be 'endured' and frankly we thought it was preferable to seeing another airport...

While I'm glad the OP was happy with their flight, I'm with Mark on this one. I traveled in Nov 2016 with Vantage and our bus ride was on a bus nicer than any I've seen in the US - seating was 1 + 2 and equivalent to US domestic 1st class air. We made three stops during the ride (to see rice pounding, for a hot lunch and to see rubber trees seeping latex) and got to see Pol Pot's home town etc. Far more interesting to me than another flight, and probably not longer than a bus to the airport, check-in, security, flight, baggage, and a then a bus to the hotel. I'd have loved to have cruised across Tonle Sap Lake, but I don't think that is guaranteed by anyone - river boats are always at the mercy of water level.

 

Thom

So much helpful information ya'll! I've already starting reading Tom Mangold's book on the tunnels on my Nook. Our one free morning we're taking the Les Rives trip by speed boat to the tunnels.Have also added the Artinus 3D Art Museum to our list for Saigon. Sure hope we're able to get there. Looks very unique and lots of fun! Wonder if they have these anywhere in the U.S.

We had narrowed our choices for Vietnam and Cambodia down to AMA and Avalon. Hard decision but choose AMA because they include an overnight on Ha Long Bay in a junk rather than at a hotel. Also thought we might like a bit larger ship and preferred the hotels. Maybe not room for absolutely everyone, but the AMADara does have a large lounge at the front of the ship.

One of our concerns was the bus trip around Tonle Sap and you have really put my mind at ease.

Starting to pack - only 3 weeks out - and just a few more questions.

I'm bringing small washable Crayola magic markers for the school children. Should we hand out individually or give to our guide?

Did anyone use Hanoi Kids for a tour? Trying to decide what to bring them as a gift as they don't accept tips. Since they are university students practicing their English, I had thought of Doris Kearn Goodwin's biographies - perhaps "Team of Rivals" (Lincoln). Heavy to carry, but then that would leave room for shopping.:) Other ideas for something lighter?

I'm bringing small washable Crayola magic markers for the school children. Should we hand out individually or give to our guide?

 

I would ask your cruise/trip director. Sometimes they include a stop at schools, and for those they like to donate things in bulk. However, if you don't have that stop, or your particular donation isn't want the school needs right now, you may be able to take them to another site and hand them out individually to kids. Our director had us do both, depending on what items we had.

So much helpful information ya'll! I've already starting reading Tom Mangold's book on the tunnels on my Nook. Our one free morning we're taking the Les Rives trip by speed boat to the tunnels.Have also added the Artinus 3D Art Museum to our list for Saigon. Sure hope we're able to get there. Looks very unique and lots of fun! Wonder if they have these anywhere in the U.S.

We had narrowed our choices for Vietnam and Cambodia down to AMA and Avalon. Hard decision but choose AMA because they include an overnight on Ha Long Bay in a junk rather than at a hotel. Also thought we might like a bit larger ship and preferred the hotels. Maybe not room for absolutely everyone, but the AMADara does have a large lounge at the front of the ship.

One of our concerns was the bus trip around Tonle Sap and you have really put my mind at ease.

Starting to pack - only 3 weeks out - and just a few more questions.

I'm bringing small washable Crayola magic markers for the school children. Should we hand out individually or give to our guide?

Did anyone use Hanoi Kids for a tour? Trying to decide what to bring them as a gift as they don't accept tips. Since they are university students practicing their English, I had thought of Doris Kearn Goodwin's biographies - perhaps "Team of Rivals" (Lincoln). Heavy to carry, but then that would leave room for shopping.:) Other ideas for something lighter?

I also plan on taking the Les Rives speedboat. I will have 2 full days in Ho Chi Minh City at the end of my Ama cruise, and think that I will do a full day including either Hidden Ho Chi Minh City or the Cao Dai temple. Please let us know how it goes. Will I need some anti-nausea medication for the speedboat?

While I'm glad the OP was happy with their flight, I'm with Mark on this one. I traveled in Nov 2016 with Vantage and our bus ride was on a bus nicer than any I've seen in the US - seating was 1 + 2 and equivalent to US domestic 1st class air. We made three stops during the ride (to see rice pounding, for a hot lunch and to see rubber trees seeping latex) and got to see Pol Pot's home town etc. Far more interesting to me than another flight, and probably not longer than a bus to the airport, check-in, security, flight, baggage, and a then a bus to the hotel. I'd have loved to have cruised across Tonle Sap Lake, but I don't think that is guaranteed by anyone - river boats are always at the mercy of water level.

 

Thom

I have to agree here as well. We took the Scenic Spirit on our Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam trip. The 68 passenger Spirit was very well designed and Scenic did a first class job all the way through. The bus ride was comfortable, the stops interesting and we had a fabulous lunch midway through. We also took a nap on the bus, which frankly was welcome considering how busy the touring had been.

I found this very recent info by "Tabber" posted on a "Roll Call". Evidently they sailed on January 10 so just back. Took a lot of digging so I thought I'd copy it here in case it helps others. This thread seems to be fairly active re Vietnam and Mekong cruises and is including other than Avalon.

 

Thanks to "Tabber" -

 

Get ready to hit the ground running! We enjoyed almost everything about our AMA land/cruise trip in Vietnam and Cambodia and it exceeded our hopes. We even loved the long flights over and back! If I have not already said it, take a good rain coat (but my wishes for you is that it stays in your suitcase).

 

One thing that surprised us was wifi availability. You have free wifi at all three hotels and on the ship. Sometimes even on the bus. You will not have wifi on the luxury junk, but we all had such a great time in Halong Bay, not having wifi did not bother us. I was able to send many emails with pics to my whole group of family and friends, so they could travel vicariously with us. Tip--If you exceed your capacity on the SIM card on the Amadara, the local telecommunications company screen will be the only thing that comes up on your device. All you have to do is tell the front desk or unplug the router and take it to the front desk (ours was plugged in behind the tv) and they will put a new SIM card in for you to be connected once again.

 

Clothing: You are on excursions during the day, so dress for the weather and wear comfortable shoes that you do not mind getting muddy or dirty. Bring a good rain coat (and hope you do not need it!) and definitely a hat. Hanoi and Halong Bay will be cooler, but once you hit Siem Reap, expect 90s F and if the sun is out, scorching heat. Your tour director will let you know when the next day will have a dress code. Dress code=no bare shoulders or bare knees. And that is whenever you go to temples.

 

Evening attire runs the gamut from dressier clothing to "this is what I am wearing on tomorrow's excursions". T shirts, blouses and silks appeared on fellow travelers once we started buying things at the markets and at the silk factory in Tan Chau. And the elephant pants! You will see hundreds of tourists, men and women, wearing those funky, flowy, colorful elephant pants mostly starting in Siem Reap and throughout the rest of the trip. A lot of your AMA family will be wearing those in the daytime and the evening! Maybe even you!

 

Food: To us, the food was wonderful. We had pho every morning and tried every different fruit we could find. I had to ask how to peel and eat one spiky piece of deliciousness! At the hotels, breakfast and lunch are buffets. Supper is on your own, and the guides will recommend places to try. On the ship, breakfast is buffet and action station. The action station has eggs cooked to order and incredible pho. Lunch is buffet and menu. The action station is some sort of noodle dish. Dinner is off the menu, and everything was good. We are from Kansas-beef is in our DNA!-and the beef in Hanoi did not impress us. But on the ship, they have Australian beef and it is fantastic. I think everyone, from vegan to meat eaters, will find lots of tasty food to eat.

 

The tap water on the Amadara goes through a triple osmosis process and is tested every hour. You can brush your teeth and drink it, if you choose.

 

On the ship you can have burgers and salads on the sun deck for lunch. But here is where AMA gets weird. If you want a glass of wine with your burger on the sun deck at lunch, you have to pay for it. But in the main dining room, it is unlimited wine at lunch. Wine drinkers, prepare to be irritated! In the hotels at lunch, a beer, soda or juice is included. If you want a glass of wine, you pay. I don't get it and we are not beer, soda or juice people. But we did not go to SE Asia for the wine!

 

Just remembered, we wished we had brought our binoculars with us. Sailing down the Tonle Sap and Mekong, we were far enough away from the action on the shores and the other boats, that I would have bought binocs from the gift shop if they had them for sale!

 

Yes, you will most likely go through Vietnamese money purchasing museum tickets and, depending on where you eat, dining at restaurants. Many places do accept credit cards. We were warned in HCMC to make very sure of what amount you are signing for on a credit card receipt in case an unscrupulous vendor adds an extra zero to the amount. It was not brought up in Hanoi, but stay aware! (By the way, even though the weather conditions were rainy and cold, we super enjoyed Hanoi.)

 

There are a lot of zeros in VD. For US currency, $1 is roughly equal to 20,000 VD. A lot of times in restaurants, they leave off the last three zeros on the menu pricing. (So an item for 240,000 VD shows on the menu as 240.). Our flight got into Hanoi near midnight and the currency exchange desk was closed. We exchanged currency at the front desk of the Sofitel the next morning, so if you do not get any in advance, it is nothing to worry about.

 

We took $50 in ones and it would have been better to have $100 in ones if you are going to do any amount of trinket, beer, water or ice cream buying. We also took $50 in fives and $100 in tens, and we still have both denominations in our pockets. We also had several hundred in twenties, and gave those out to the wonderful local guides who were with us for many days in a row, and to our fabulous director who was with us the entire trip.

 

I stressed out a bit about not getting Vietnamese dong before we arrived in Hanoi (not for the lack of trying, I just did not realize how difficult it was going to be to get some in the US or in Japan). We ended up getting $40 in Vietnamese currency at the Sofitel, and turned all of it back in as partial payment for our Amadara bill towards the end of our trip. It seemed like even the Vietnamese vendors we dealt with wanted US dollars.

 

Cambodia uses US currency everywhere. Nobody seemed to care if the bills were new or not.

Thank you all for the wonderful information. We are leaving for Siem Reap this Thursday and then meeting up with the Avalon folks for our cruise a few days later. We selected Avalon because of the smaller ship, newer design and great reviews online. Also, I am not fond of bus rides... that's just me. We also have booked a lower cabin and love the idea of being able to open the entire wall of window. I am a little concerned about the internet as I have some things going on at home and want to be able to keep in touch. So, were you able to connect at least once at day??? Thanks for letting me know.

We did this trip with Viking and yes, we did manage to connect to the net most of the time, and certainly at least once a day.

We were pleasantly surprised by the wifi availability last month on our Amawaterways land/cruise. On the Amadara, the only times we had wifi connectivity issues were when the ship was not near a cell tower or when we had used up the SIM card's available data on the router in our cabin. For the SIM card, we just told the front desk or brought the router to them to replace the card. For the cell tower, eventually we sailed within range of another one. It was never more than an hour without wifi.

Was the Wifi free on AMA Dara?

 

Thanks for switching to this thread.:) As you can see there's lots of recent Q&A for AMA, Avalon, Viking, Vantage - all Mekong cruise/tour related.

Thank you so Tabber and Mark for responding to my internet question - I feel so much better now, I was really concerned about not being able to be in touch with things at home. Now I can leave and not be so concerned! I will write a review when I get back. I think it is going to be a wonderful experience!