CULTURAL EXPERIENCE

Embark on a cultural experience of a lifetime on a luxury Mekong river small ship.

This experience places you in the footsteps of the legendary King Jayavarman VII, who sailed the Mekong in the late 12th century to build the grand Khmer empire. Aboard the luxury Aqua Mekong, the whole narrative of the regionís mysteries and wonders unravel before your eyes. Follow our expert guides and discover magnificent carved temples, lush landscapes and rural villages where culture and craft flourishes ó leaving no stone unturned.

Aqua Mekongís itineraries depart from Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) and, depending on the month of the year, from Phnom Penh (Cambodia) and Siem Reap (Cambodia).    

EXPLORE

Contemporary Vietnamese art is a mixture of Eastern techniques and European influences. Meet with an art curator for a glimpse on how artists integrate the traditional into the modern to express themselves in new ways. Start at the Hanoi Fine Arts University for an overview of where future artists learn their craft before heading to the Fine Arts Museum for a discovery of Vietnamese art and its development. Visit modern galleries including Apricot Gallery and Salon Natasha.

EXPLORE

We show off the Cambodian capital to our passengers by motorized tuk-tuk, the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and the National Museum of Cambodia, home to the worldís largest collection of Khmer art. For those who wish, we visit the Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocide or shopping at Russian Market.

In the silversmith village of Koh Chen, witness artisans produce magnificent royal Khmer silverware. Keep an eye out for their famous silver bowls, regularly chosen by Cambodiaís king as gifts for visiting dignitaries. Continuing onwards to Udong, the royal capital from the 17th to 19th century, learn about the life of Buddhist monks and interact with them at the Vipassana Dhura Mandala meditation center. In the afternoon, a walking tour of Kampong Prasat offers an intimate look at local ways of life and their riverside habitat.

As the sun rises on the lush countryside, we head to the residence of traditional potters and palm-sugar producers, whose age-old techniques are still valuable today. On a bicycle or chauffeured tuk-tuk, head into the rice paddies to watch wizened masters scale sky-high palm trees to harvest their fruit. towering over us. Cruise across the glassy water and disembark among the lotuses for an ox-cart ride along the Tonle Sap riverbanks, past lacquered wooden houses where during these dry months residents take refuge in the relative cool of these impromptu outdoor living rooms.