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Avalon Angkor


jacalyker
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Before leaving on my Avalon trip (its only Day 3), i desperately searched high and low for a review. Unfortunately, since its a brand new tour on a brand new ship that only has 16 cabins, there were none. So, i thought i'd assist future travelers with some feedback during our journey.

 

Our adventure was supposed to start Sunday night/Monday morning via JFK. Due to Hurricane Sandy, i did not want to risk getting stranded at JFK for a matter of days. I notified Cathay Pacific that we would not be traveling, and grudgingly passed. To our amazement, the flight actually took off, which jeopardized any real shot at an insurance recovery, but safety was the priority, and i was ok with that.

 

Avalon came through, big time, hats off to them! Michelle, in their Traveler Services department, contacted Cathay, arranged for a refund, and put us on a flight to Bangkok within 48 hours! Ok, we missed out on the pre-trip Hanoi extension, but we had a great day in Bangkok, a total surprise, and, more importantly, we were back on the trip. Avalon tried to add on a private Hanoi trip, but couldn't finalize plans during the short window, so we decided to pass. We greatly appreciate our agent at cruise quick, and the people at Avalon for their incredible support.

 

The flights took forever, Ft Lauderdale to San Fran to Taipei to Bangkok, but the Bangkok Intercontinental was awesome. Since it was a rest day, after an incredible breakfast, we made our own plans via the concierge, had a great private tour with Num (085-0617444) who took us to the incredible Palace, the two great temples, the Flower Market, and a shopping expedition that resulted in some tailor-made dress shirts and pants!

 

Yesterday, we flew to Siem Reap, where we enjoyed a restful afternoon by the pool at the Victoria Angkor, a lovely hotel. We would have preferred an earlier flight but no big deal. We met the rest of the group, along with our leader Phiem, who is a terrific guy and will take great care of us. We had a nice private dinner/show at a local venue, and got ready for our trip to Angkor Wat, which was terrific.

 

After another great breakfast spread, we were off to Angkor Wat. Its really really really hot, sweating through our clothes, but an incredible destination, with solid tour guides. After around 4 hours, we had an excellent lunch, and have the rest of the day to ourselves. Tomorrow, its off to see some great temples, shopping, etc., and then its off to the boat.

 

I will keep those of you who care apprised, but we are thrilled we made it, and grateful to the team at Avalon!

Edited by jacalyker
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Angkor Wat was terrific, where we spent half a day on a guided tour exploring followed by a visit to Angkor Thom, the land of 216 faces in the temples. After that, it was a great lunch, with the rest of the day on our own. Quite a few people went back for the sunsets and/or sunrises, though we opted out. I sort of regret our opting out, having heard that it was a great experience, but no biggie. Dinner was on our own, and Phiem recommended an excellent local restaurant, Khmer Kitchen, which we enjoyed, followed by shopping in the Night Market.

 

The following day was another half day tour to the Angkor Wat temples if Bayon and Bantay Sreai, which were also. Ok, i might be mixing up some names, but high quality tours, terrific sites where Tomb Raiders and Indiana Jones were filmed. A number of us went out to lunch on our own, with the afternoon free, and we had dinner at a really nice outdoor restaurant.

 

Folks, bring your bug spray to Cambodia, and keep an eye on your food and drink, unless you don't mind critters in your goodies. Unfortunately, i do, but thats life in This part of the world!

 

The following morning, while many went to sunrise at Angkor, we went to an art gallery, Theams House, which had some very unique items, mostly wood sculptures, that were gorgeous, and several will find a new home soon in our house! We then headed to the bus for our embarkation on the Avalon Angkor.

 

The boat is lovely, intimate is the right word. You are not going to find a grand staircase or a ballroom, however. There are only 16 cabins, so it took us about a half hour rather than 6 hours to reach the dock, and we will arrive in downtown Ho Chi Minh City next week, rather than 5-hour bus ride away. That alone us worth the price of admission.

 

Like the other Pandaw boats, its all teak, the bottom level 10 cabins from one end to the other; and the upper level with a small sitting area with 8 recliners up front, followed by 6 more cabins, then a bar and reception area with seating for at least 20, 25 people, or more, followed by a nice dining room that also doubles as a movie theater/briefing room. Like the Pandaw ships, there are no private balconies (no big deal). Also, no exercise room though there is an exercise bike on the top level, nor is there a massage room. We actually passed the AmaLotus and two bigger Pandaw ships, and remain really pleased with our choice

 

We boarded yesterday around noon, found our rooms, which are more than adequate in terms of size of room as well as bathroom, and had lunch. We relaxed all afternoon, enjoyed cocktail hour, dinner, and a movie describing the history of Angkor Wat. It was an excellent film that - suggestion - should have been sent out in DVD format prior to the cruise to create excitement.

 

We woke up this morning to the sound of little kids outside of our window on shore. I threw little packs of crayons to them, and immediately made friends. We went ashore and took oxcarts to our bus. They would prefer our cash, but school supplies make so much more sense. Their attitude and demeanor was priceless. We then went to the monastery at Udong, which is fabulous, with a short Q & A with a clergyman arranged by our guide.

 

We are very pleased with the tours, our guides, our accommodations, and the quality of the food as well as the menus. Drinks, alcoholic or otherwise, are free at all times unless you want imported liquor (no reason). We are fortunate to have a really really nice group of people from all over the world!

 

I tend to be picky, and have no complaints.

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Thanks for the information. I am at present looking at booking this tour so it is great to hear from someone actually doing it. Are the meals all Asian or is there a choice. A brief summary of meals would be greatly appreciated. I love Asian food and I am hoping to get some authentic food. Looking forward to hearing about the rest of the tour.

Thanks

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I will continue my in depth comments later, but I wanted to respond to the question re meals. On land, typical incredible breakfast buffets at great hotels, and either lunch or dinner, sometimes both, are included and the choices are very good. On board, its great. The staff was from Myanamar. The regular menu was asian, typically 3 choices, plus old reliables like burger, steak or pasta if desired.

 

The food was classy, menus wre really good. Soups were great. One night, i asked if they could make some Tom KaKai soup. It was brought to me within 30 minutes, and they changed the menu the following day for lunch so everyone could enjoy the soup selection.

 

This is an intimate cruise, we only have 21 people as 4 couples apparently cancelled, and our group is terrific. We are extremely lucky. After today's tour, our guide took my wife and i shopping. I cant say enough!

Edited by jacalyker
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We got back from the HCMC - Bangkok trip from Oct. 12. Went over three days in advance on our own and stayed at the lovely Hotel Majestic.

 

All accommodations arranged by Avalon were excellent. Intercontinental buffet breakfasts are very extensive offerings of Asian and Western foods, nothing lacking. Special restaurants chosen by Avalon for meals not on the ship were just lovely, delicious food, ambience.

 

Onboard there's a buffet breakfast. Croissants/rolls invariably very dry but baguettes were good. Omelets/eggs made to order plus bacon, sausage, potatoes, beans, etc. depending on the day. Cereals, yogurt, juices and good coffee. Many days we were on deck by 6 am and had early risers coffee.

 

All soft drinks included & excellent refreshing drinks when you come back from shorex. Plenty of water in cabin. Cocktail of the day is fun and sometimes funny with the names and concoctions they come up with. Wine and beer available, local was fine with us.

 

Lunch had very good salads and they recently started having a few western choices (baguettes with this or that), chicken burger, club sandwich plus Asian choices. Dinner pretty much Asian (Vietnamese, Burmese, Khmer with subtle differences) with one night "Colonial Dinner" where a steak and a few western choices were offered. Some grumbled about too much Asian food (with white steamed rice) at dinner but considering where you are and what's available, we think they tried their best. Can't offer too many choices with such a small group.

 

We had thirty in our group as 2 solos each had their own cabin. Had major issues with our forward-most cabin as did the couple on the other side of the ship due to noise from the anchor and what appeared to be a bilge pump. Avalon documented the problems encountered but not much that can be done. We were encouraged to follow through.

 

Quality of all guides was excellent and the itinerary was amazing. We were busy all day with a welcome respite for lunch and freshening up in the tremendous heat & humidity. Very intensive and intense trip and requires pretty good level of fitness with all the climbing and walking on steep steps, narrow, uneven paths and that's not even taking into account trying to cross the streets in Saigon.:eek:

 

We think Avalon gets high marks all around. Mark, our tour/CD, from NZ, was fantastic (he does the upstream runs). We loved starting out in Saigon and building up to Angkor.

 

From the market visits to the villages to the cooking class to the incredible temples, floating markets - you will have the trip of a lifetime. With a small group, Avalon practices the minimal impact on villages philosophy and it seems to work well. Wait till you pull up to a river bank and watch the hard working crew forge a path up the muddy banks to get you into the villages.

 

jacalyker, hope to hear more. Sounds like you agree on what a great trip Avalon puts together. We had the tom yum soup one day at lunch and the hot chili had turned it quite a deep shade of orange. Some had trouble with that one.:eek: Like you, we enjoyed the soups.

 

Desserts mainly fresh fruit with some sort of local dessert like tapioca or pumpkin. That's OK, no temptations there and left more calories for wine.;):D

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I have very little to add at this point, given my and Barb's comments. We enjoyed the final few days, walking thru villages in the Mekong, attending a school session with kids, having some kids from an orphanage on board for a great performance, and finishing up in Saigon, which we really enjoyed

 

Bring bug soray, be ready to get sweaty, bring things for the kids (crayons, pencils, toothbrushes), footing can be tough but we had two guys in their 80s who were troopers, shopping is good in both places - we bought wood sculptures in cambodia that were stunning, gorgeous lacquerware in Saigon, coffee and teacups with local coffee and tea, a silk robe and ties, tailored clothing.

 

Great sights, very intense, in Camboda courtesy of Pol Pot, and terrible reminders of Vietnam days in Saigon. Great food, we were blessed with great people on the trip, excellent guides and Phiem, who handles the South to North trips. Outstanding!

Edited by jacalyker
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Like jacalyker said, bring the bug spray! We were swathed in sunblock & bug spray pretty much the whole trip. Some kind of stinging ants got me at Angkor Wat but the main target was mosquitoes. Upon the advice of our doctor, we went on the anti-malarial routine and are still on it!

 

Reading several reviews of the AMA Lotus, I was struck by the outbreak of gastro bugs mentioned. Fortunately on Avalon Angkor, nobody in the group came down with anything. We were told even the dishes and pots are washed in purified water.

 

We didn't find a lot of shopping opportunities. We passed on the coconut candy and rice cakes at the "factory" where they were made but found some neat wooden spoons and such. Enjoyed the silk village where we could see the process from larvae to thread. That's where we did quite a bit of shopping from one of the families. When we were walking back to the ship, there was quite a crowd of young girls gathered around me still trying to sell their shawls.

 

The night market in Siem Reap was fun but hot (inside). Other markets along the way (like in Sa Dec) are the local produce, vegetables, meat (even rat!), all kinds of squirming and jumping fish, etc. Great photo ops for sure. Bargaining is the norm. Amazing how 2 sides can start out so far away but in the end strike a deal and all smiles.

 

We also enjoyed going to the Artisans Angkor workplace to see them carve Buddha heads out of stone along with other pieces. The textiles and bamboo goods are all high quality and very nice. At the airport leaving Siem Reap for Bangkok, there is also a branch and I somehow managed to find a few more things.;)

 

Like I mentioned on my roll call, it was a very emotional trip especially the Vietnam War (War Remnants Museum and Cu Chi Tunnels) experience. We were honored to have a gentleman who was career army and had spent over a yr right at Cu Chi. Hearing his perspective (after the Vietcong side) was really moving. I found myself in tears several times that day. Then we went to the torture chambers and Killing Fields, and it was another time filled with emotion. Just hard to imagine the inhumanity and despair. Our guide really brought it to life with his own poignant story of how the Pol Pot regime had affected his (and everyone else's) family.

 

jacalyker, we heard fabulous things from our director Mark about your guy Phiem. Apparently they've worked together for years. You had a much smaller group than we did but Mr. Poly, Leap, Vanny and all the crew did a great job and all of us were very impressed. Our local guides Khanh, Vanty and Leap were all excellent and really added to our understanding of the history, culture and politics in their countries. Mark has a deep passion for Asia and its people and added so much to the trip as well.

 

Any questions, pls ask.

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Gosh, sorry, the jet lag - - Phiem handles the North to South trips!

 

If anyone has questions about any aspect, and you think we can assist, don't be shy.

 

One final point - - nobody got sick. Avalon was very persistent about using disinfectants following every visit on tours, and prior to every meal. We were concerned about this, having read other reports, but everyone remained healthy!

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The ship is similar to the ither Pandaw's. there is a sliding glass door on the inside, with a sliding teak door on the outside, then a public hallway before the railing. There is no veranda. We didnt miss not having a veranda, its such an intimate boat that we could co to the sitting area in the front, or middle, and enjoy our time

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This has been a most helpful trip report--DH really wants no part of Hanoi. Hope to be able to do it in 2014--trying to figure the best time weatherwise. Thanks so much for the review. Pat

 

At the beginning of our trip (Saigon - Bangkok), I kind of regretted not signing up for the Hanoi/Halong Bay extension. I believe there were 8 out of our total group who did. Starting out in Saigon and visiting the War Remnants Museum and Cu Chi Tunnels was quite an emotional experience, particularly for those who served during the war or lived through that time.

 

Another very powerful day is in Phnom Phenh with the detention center and Killing Fields.

 

Once we reached the end of the trip in Siem Reap, my mindset had again changed as we toured the magnificent temples. So as it turns out, DH and I agreed that we were glad we weren't going back into Vietnam and into the whole war experience again. Plus we had had our share of motorbikes going in every direction.

 

Besides the bugspray, we also took seasickness pills along. Sometimes we needed that on the coach or ship. Found it useful to have Pepto chewables along. Earplugs if you're sensitive to noise. In fact, several of us had a good laugh that we had veritable medicine chests of stuff with us. One guy got a boil in his ear and a couple of us even had antibiotic eardrops with us (that's not what he needed though). You are in very primitive areas along the river so if there's things you might need, take them to be safe. BTW, Avalon always had a helper along who carried a first aid kit just in case.

 

Despite our tour guide mentioning several times about the importance of a hat, there were a couple of people in our group who didn't wear or buy one. He kept mentioning opportunities to pick something up. Since we started in HCMC, one of the early tours includes a stop at the coconut candy and rice popping "factories" where there's a shop - some of the gals came out with the bamboo Vietnamese cone hats with a tie under the chin (they pd a dollar). By the time they got to Cambodia, though, nobody was wearing that kind of hat so they stopped as well.

 

Hope this info is helpful for those planning a trip!

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  • 3 months later...
  • 1 month later...

also interested in vaccinations and meds you might have taken prior to your trip. Don't know whether to pursue the malaria shots or not. Did you visit a "travel medicine" office or did your MD have any suggestions? Thanks!

(long time Avalon traveler!)

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm curious about a number of things.

 

What shots and/or medications are required or did you opt for. I've heard malaria medication--is that required or optional?

 

Was getting a visa for Vietnam easy?

 

Local beer and wine are included on the boat, but cocktails aren't, do I have that right?

 

Did you use "industrial grade" repellants or would Off Skintastic or similar be okay (hate this stuff, but know it's necessary.)

 

Last, and asked with some delicacy, how big a deal is the Vietnam War with the passengers? My husband was a draft resister--I think this trip would be very emotional to him since he lost many friends and was involved in the anti-war movement, but I'm wondering if being a dodger would make shipboard life uncomfortable at all.

 

I'm helping plan a business trip for him to Singapore in February and trying to plan some adventures for both of us around this, since flight will be covered.

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I'm curious about a number of things.

 

What shots and/or medications are required or did you opt for. I've heard malaria medication--is that required or optional?

 

Was getting a visa for Vietnam easy?

 

Local beer and wine are included on the boat, but cocktails aren't, do I have that right?

 

Did you use "industrial grade" repellants or would Off Skintastic or similar be okay (hate this stuff, but know it's necessary.)

 

Last, and asked with some delicacy, how big a deal is the Vietnam War with the passengers? My husband was a draft resister--I think this trip would be very emotional to him since he lost many friends and was involved in the anti-war movement, but I'm wondering if being a dodger would make shipboard life uncomfortable at all.

 

I'm helping plan a business trip for him to Singapore in February and trying to plan some adventures for both of us around this, since flight will be covered.

 

For inoculations and medication, you should take the advice of your local travel clinic. I did take malaria tablets for a small portion of the trip, as most of the areas for Mekong Cruises are malaria free. In any event when I was there (Mar-Apr 12) there were very few if any mosquitos--either malaria or dengue carriers. If I am going to use insect repellents, I will use those that work, and that means DEET. But it's well to take professional advice on this.

 

Getting a visa was very simple for me as I turned in my passport, application and fee at the Vietnamese Embassy in Ottawa and had the visa in two days. It can also be done by mail. I don"t think it is at all necessary to pay an agency to obtain it for you.

 

Re drinks. I can't speak for Avalon, but with Viking, local liquor was free along with beer and wine. It was OK in mixed drinks and cocktails. The Vietnames and Cambodian beer was excellent. In the South, ask for Ba-ba-ba (222) beer!

 

The attitude of passengers towards the war will of course depend on the individuals, but I don't think you need to get involved in those discussions if you don't want to. On our ship, there was little discussion of the Vietnamese war, but certainly much about the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. I did have to walk away when an obnoxious woman declared "I know the war was terrible and all that, but the Vietnamese should be thankful for all the billions of dollars in infrastructure we left them--otherwise they would still be in the stone age." I would have lost it if I hadn't left. She was actually serious.

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For inoculations and medication, you should take the advice of your local travel clinic. I did take malaria tablets for a small portion of the trip, as most of the areas for Mekong Cruises are malaria free. In any event when I was there (Mar-Apr 12) there were very few if any mosquitos--either malaria or dengue carriers. If I am going to use insect repellents, I will use those that work, and that means DEET. But it's well to take professional advice on this.

 

Getting a visa was very simple for me as I turned in my passport, application and fee at the Vietnamese Embassy in Ottawa and had the visa in two days. It can also be done by mail. I don"t think it is at all necessary to pay an agency to obtain it for you.

 

Re drinks. I can't speak for Avalon, but with Viking, local liquor was free along with beer and wine. It was OK in mixed drinks and cocktails. The Vietnames and Cambodian beer was excellent. In the South, ask for Ba-ba-ba (222) beer!

 

The attitude of passengers towards the war will of course depend on the individuals, but I don't think you need to get involved in those discussions if you don't want to. On our ship, there was little discussion of the Vietnamese war, but certainly much about the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. I did have to walk away when an obnoxious woman declared "I know the war was terrible and all that, but the Vietnamese should be thankful for all the billions of dollars in infrastructure we left them--otherwise they would still be in the stone age." I would have lost it if I hadn't left. She was actually serious.

 

Thanks for all the great advice--walking away from that woman would have been tough, and really tough for my husband. Unbelievable attitude.

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  • 1 month later...

Hi everyone. The info on this thread has been VERY helpful. My wife and I will be booking this trip today, traveling north. For those who have traveled this boat, which one of the upper deck cabins would you recommend? I noticed on the pics that the ship has structural cross members near the front. Are the middle or rear uppers better? Thanks in advance. We have a good choice. There's only one other cabin booked right now.

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Thanks for the detailed reviews! Did you happen to learn whether in Jan/Feb this ship has more success navigating the lake etc than, say, La Marguerite?

 

We were on Avalon Angkor in Oct. 2012 and were told that the smaller vessel would do better when the lake waters are not conducive for the larger boats to make it. They would have a long coach ride. I haven't read enough to know if that was, in fact, the case.

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Thanks for these detailed reviews. I have just discovered this cruise line & itinerary and it sounds great. I was wondering what was the average age of the cruisers?

 

 

We did not have any kids or families on our voyage but that could change depending on when you go.

 

For our cruise, we had one guy who was 75 (very physically fit) and one solo guy around 40ish. Others sprinkled in between that range.;):D

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Hi guys, just a quick question. Is there a difference in going up river or down river ? Other than the obvious !

Carol

 

We loved starting in Ho Chi Minh City and ending up with Angkor at the end, the highlight of the trip in many ways. It was also great starting in the big bustling city and ending up in a more "serene" environment. the Victoria Angkor resort is really lovely.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi - Your reviews are great. We have booked the Avalon Angkor for Dec. 2013 and you've answered many of my questions. However, I would like advice on tipping, on the land tour guides, villages and cruise. Any suggestions for the most sought after gift for the children in the villages. I am assuming dinner on the Angkor is"business casual" or is it more casual? - or dressy??

 

We have also booked a 3 night 2 day junk on BaiTuLong Bay on our own, pre-tour and a small boutique hotel in Bangkok for a post-tour on our own.

 

We are so anticipating this river cruise. We will be on the Angkor for Christmas and will celebrate New Years in Laos!

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