Cruisin'WithMom

Although this recently posted information is essentially correct, I would caution that those with mobility issues may have problems traversing some of the single board dock walkways from the ship to the shore. Also Angkor Wat tours require quite a bit of physical agility. There are few hand holds and the steps in the structure are large. Some elderly people on our tour accepted their limitations and just sat outside the temple.

Thanks for adding that Buff, it's absolutely correct! Angkor Wat is a huge complex, the stairs on the actual temple are really steep and there are no hand rails except on the very top. We had a few on our tour that decided to just stay on the grounds, (in the shade of a tree,) or on one of the first levels.

Even just sitting on the grounds of Angkor Wat and viewing it from that angle is incredible.

Some of the temples-or areas of the temples-have not been cleared or had ramps and handrails installed like we're used to. The great thing is that you get to see a pile of stone where the wall collapsed and has been resting for hundreds of years.

Some of the temples had a large slab of stone to separate the rooms at the entry ways. Some had stairs built--two to three steps--over the stone, some you took a big strp over it, or sat on the stone, swung your legs over and got to the next room that way.

Like Buff said, some folks opted to hang out instead of climbing. Use your judgement on your ability! We had one lady that just hung out on the bus at most of the temples. She still got a great view and saw somethings she always wanted to see. It didn't hold anyone else up and we showed her pictures if there was something we thought she'd like to see inside. She still got the feeling of being on this grand adventure while staying safe and healthy for her abilities.

Wanted to add that Mom and I opted out of taking the malaria pills and instead brought mosquito repellent cloths to wipe ourselves with every day. There are several brands available. I ordered the wipes from Avon. They were small, light, packed well, smelled OK and we never got bit once.

Have a wonderful time and I hope you report when you come back. :)

HI PP!

My mother and I took the Viking Mekong in Aug 2012 and had an absolutely wonderful time.

I’ll paste your questions in and answer what I know. I’m sure other members of this site will have more or elaborate answers for you.

1)Can you elaborate on the tricky transfers to small skiffs? Is this because the cruise ship has to anchor away from shore?

A1) Have you ever been to Disneyland and gone on the Jungle Cruise? The boats that collect you from the big boat feel and smell just like them. There are ramps from the main boat to the water taxi. If you can get down a small flight of stairs, you shouldn’t have a problem. Many of the villages have no dock, so the main boat will rope-tie to the shore, then the deck hands build a small rope bridge with a plank base to get to shore. I was the second youngest on the boat (at age 41,) and no one “above” me had any trouble with the transfer from boat to land.

The stairs are quite steep on the main boat—no elevator—but even the most delicate among the group were able to get up and down the stairs…it just took a little longer at times.  Think of the boat like those in the movies African Queen or Death on the Nile, comfortable, but not a “cruise ship” like Carnival, etc... I really enjoyed the vintage feel of the ship, having a gin and tonic on the roof-top deck and watching the world go by.

2)What is the longest time a person should expect to be walking or standing around without a place to sit?

A2) There was only one village with a long walk and that was about an hour. Everywhere else had at least benches every 15 min or so, or you were in tuk-tuks, or motorized taxis. The tour guides we insanely accommodating for everyone and there is no problem opting out of a scheduled tour and going on your own, (as long as it’s not going to interfere with the other guests’ tour.)

For example, in Siem Reap, there was a group tour to an orphanage one day. My mother, and other couple and I opted out of that, hired a tuk-tuk driver for the day (total $17 for 5 hours!) and went to a few of the other ruins in the area.

3)Also, the five hour bus ride, is the terrain windy or mountainous?

A3) I remember the long bus ride as being along the Tonle Sap lake, so no mountains, just the occasional water buffalo in the road.

4)The rooms appear to be identical in size and features, the only difference appears to be the location. Do you have recommendations about that?

A4) Yes, except for the singles, the rooms are identical. Mom and I were in 313. The only disadvantage of that was that there was a support bar in front of our deck chairs. (Big deal! ) Our friends had a cabin at the rear, over the engine and they were awakened any time there was a shift in engine speed. If at all possible, avoid the rear of the ship.

5)Any idea what foods to avoid that might cause the revenge?

A5) Honestly, the food on the boat was western fare—yogurt, granola, fruit, egg station—and the food at all the hotels (Sofitel,) was French based. I had read—and followed through—on other travel blogs that taking a pepto bismol pill everyday would prevent “the revenge.” I don’t know about the scientific evidence of it, but neither my mother nor I had any problems. Again, most of the food provided by Viking is westernized. Use basic travelers’ sense, like bringing a water bottle (provided for you daily,) on excursions and if you’re at a local market and your food looks or smells funky, just say thanks and don’t eat it. My Mom and I ate fruit from the markets a lot and had no problems. Saigon and Hanoi are huge cities, all with KFC and even Gloria Jean’s Coffee, and Siem Reap is a bustling tourist town that has Mexican Fusion and even an Irish Pub.

Enjoy your trip! For me it fulfilled many life-long travel dreams.

Thank you so much for this great review. My mom and I are booked on this and are so excited. Yours is one of the only detailed reviews I've found online.

Happy Travels!