A Sa Dec shore excursion puts you ashore on the Tien River in Dong Thap Province, in one of the delta’s old merchant towns. You can walk the old quarter, visit the rice-flour kilns at dawn, or tour the flower gardens. Each stop takes 75 minutes to 2 hours. The house opens at 08:30, the kilns start around 04:00, and the flower crop peaks in the three months before Tet. Match the stop to the clock.

What does a Sa Dec shore excursion include?

A Sa Dec shore excursion is a guided shore visit of two hours or less during a river cruise call. The town offers three stops: a walk through the old quarter, a dawn visit to the rice-flour kilns, and a circuit of the Tan Quy Dong flower gardens. Few calls fit all three.

Since 2025, Sa Dec (Sa Đéc in Vietnamese) is a single ward. Older sources write Sa Dec City, Ward 2, or Ward 4.

What does the Sa Dec old-quarter walk cover?

The Sa Dec old-quarter walk links the market, the Huynh Thuy Le house, and Kien An Cung along the Sa Giang bank. The three sights stand close enough to walk, and a guided visit takes about 2 hours. Reach the house before 17:30, when it closes.

What is the Sa Dec market on the Sa Giang bank?

The Sa Dec market sits on the Sa Giang bank in front of the Huynh Thuy Le house, about 164 ft (50 m) from the water. Dried rice noodles lie along the bank and point toward the kilns that work before dawn.

What is the Huynh Thuy Le house?

The Huynh Thuy Le house is a three-chamber merchant villa on the Sa Giang bank, built in 1895, rebuilt in 1917, and listed as a national monument in 2009. The exterior follows a French villa plan and the interior a Chinese one. It opens daily from 08:30 to 17:30, including weekends, public holidays, and Tet.

What is Kien An Cung, the Fujian temple?

Kien An Cung is a Chinese temple built between 1924 and 1927 by Sa Dec’s Fujian community and dedicated to Ong Quach. It has been a national monument since April 1990. Cover your shoulders and knees, and ask before photographing worshippers.

What are the Sa Dec rice-flour kilns, and why do they work at dawn?

The Sa Dec rice-flour kilns are family workshops that turn broken rice into flour. The trade joined the national intangible heritage list on February 21, 2024. Kilns start from about 04:00, so the visit belongs to the early morning. A visit at 06:00 finds the kilns two hours into their day.

The trade is more than 100 years old. Kiln owners buy broken rice, clean it, and process it into flour. Reports give more than 160 households and 1,000 workers, while another state paper gives almost 350 households and 2,000 workers.

What do you see at the Tan Quy Dong flower gardens?

The Tan Quy Dong flower gardens grow ornamental flowers, roses, and bonsai—small trees trained in pots—on raised frames above water beside the Tien River. The trade is more than 100 years old, and the gardens hold about 2,000 species.

Sources give an area of 500 to about 1,000 ha (1,236 to 2,471 acres). Households run from 2,000 to about 4,000. The raised frames let growers water plants and move between beds by boat. From July to November, growers tend flooded gardens by boat.

When should you go, and what does each season show?

Visit in any month: the market and kilns work all year, the gardens peak in the three months before Tet, and growers tend flooded beds by boat from July to November.

The wet season runs from May to November and the dry season from December to April. The kilns and the house keep their hours in every season.

How does your arrival hour decide what you see?

Arrive before 08:30 for the market and kilns, between 08:30 and 17:30 for the house and temple, and after 17:30 plan on the morning after because the house closes at 17:30.

What should you carry, and how should you behave, in Sa Dec?

Carry a hat, water, and small banknotes, wear closed shoes for wet kiln floors, cover your shoulders and knees at the temple, and ask before photographing people.

How can you visit Sa Dec on a Mekong river cruise?

On a Mekong river cruise, Sa Dec is an overnight anchorage on the Tien River. The Calypso Mekong programme uses one power catamaran, 44 ft 1 in (13.44 m) long, with three cabins and up to six guests. It anchors at Sa Dec on all three lengths—8, 11, and 15 nights—in both directions. The overnight stay puts the dawn kilns within reach.

For routes, seasons, and vessel choice, read the Mekong River Cruise Guide.

What else do readers ask about the Sa Dec shore excursion?

What does the name Sa Dec mean?

Most researchers read Sa Dec as the Vietnamized form of the Khmer Phsar Dek, “Iron Market”; others trace it to a Khmer goddess or a Vietnamese phrase. The land joined Vietnam in 1757.

What do Sa Dec workshops and gardens sell?

Sa Dec sells three groups of goods: flour and dried rice noodles from the kilns, potted flowers and bonsai from the gardens, and snacks, chiefly shrimp crackers, from small workshops.

Can you see the kilns and the market on every call?

No. Kilns start from about 04:00, so a call after midday can show finished flour and the market’s later hours, not the work. The house and gardens keep their hours all day.

Cruise shore excursion or land day tour from Can Tho?

Choose a shore excursion for a stop between two nights aboard; choose a land day tour to add the Xeo Quyt forest near Cao Lanh, which a cruise stop does not reach.

What does Sa Dec show about the river it grew beside?

Sa Dec grew as a river market, and its three trades still keep the river’s calendar: merchants’ houses facing the water, flour kilns that wake before dawn, and flowers lifted above the flood. See each at the hour it works.

A Kampong Chhnang shore excursion takes you from the Tonle Sap River port through rice paddies to Andong Russei, where women shape terracotta pots with a wooden paddle and anvil, often beneath their stilted houses. A shore visit usually takes 2–4 hours, ride included. Red clay from the hills beside the village feeds the work, and carts carry the pots across Cambodia. The clay moves from hill to hand to fire.

What happens on a Kampong Chhnang shore excursion to the pottery village?

A Kampong Chhnang shore excursion lands you at the Tonle Sap River port, carries you 10–20 minutes by tuk-tuk to Andong Russei, and gives you time to watch potters work beneath their houses before you ride back. Here a village means a lane of family houses, some with a pottery space beneath the floor, not one site with a gate.

Kampong Chhnang lies on the Tonle Sap River, about 50–59 mi (80–95 km) north of Phnom Penh. The village appears in print as Andong Russei, Andoung Russei, Andong Russey, and Ondong Rossey.

What is Andong Russei, and why does it make pots?

Andong Russei is a village in Sre Thmei commune, Rolea B’ier district, west of Kampong Chhnang town. Several hundred families live beside the clay hills of Phnom Krang Dei Meas, and a minority make pottery their main trade. The commune is known for high-quality clay.

The counts run from the whole village to the working potters to the tourism group. Pots leave the village by cart and truck, and the men travel with them.

How do the potters of Andong Russei shape a pot without a wheel?

A potter holds a rounded wooden anvil inside the clay, strikes the outside with a flat wooden paddle to thin the wall, and walks around the still pot as it grows. Together, the anvil and paddle thin and round a wall without a spinning table.

The stages run from digging the clay to firing the pot. Reports differ on the number of pots in one fire, and no source states the peak temperature or time. Newer workshops may use kilns.

Do all Andong Russei potters work without a wheel?

No. Many potters use the paddle and anvil, and others use a wheel. Foot-kicked wheels arrived in the late 1990s, and later training added wheels, glazes, and large kilns. Young girls master the paddle and anvil before they learn the wheel.

What do the potters make, and where do the pots go?

The potters make cooking pots, braziers, water jars, and small figures, and village men sell them by cart and truck across Cambodia. Women make the pots; husbands and brothers carry them on selling trips.

How old is the pottery of Kampong Chhnang, and how did it change?

Kampong Chhnang has made earthenware for centuries, and its Khmer name, “port of pots”, records the trade. Aid organisations introduced foot-kicked wheels in the late 1990s, and Japanese-funded training later added wheels, glazes, and large kilns. Imported ceramics and garment-factory jobs now compete with the craft.

When should you go, and what will you see by season?

Visit in the dry months, about November to April, when roads stay firm and potters have time away from the paddies. Ask which stage you are watching, because clay dries faster in the dry-season sun. March–April runs hottest, at about 95°F (35°C).

How do you buy pottery and visit a workshop with confidence?

Ask before you photograph or enter a home, watch the potter work, choose from the maker’s hands, and pack each piece carefully.

What should you plan for on the ride and in the village?

Plan for heat, uneven ground, a language gap, and small notes of cash.

What pairs with the pottery village on a Tonle Sap day?

Pair the pottery village with the silversmiths of Koh Chen or with the hill at Oudong.

How can you visit Andong Russei on a Mekong river cruise?

A Mekong river cruise with Calypso Mekong reaches Andong Russei by water. The programme uses one power catamaran, 44 ft 1 in (13.44 m) long, with three cabins and up to six guests. It calls at Kampong Chhnang on the 8-, 11-, and 15-night sailings, in both directions, and visits Andong Russei on each call.

For routes, seasons, and vessel choice, read the Mekong River Cruise Guide. The river cruise sails from about mid-August to December.

What else do readers ask about the pottery village?

What does Kampong Chhnang mean?

Kampong Chhnang means “port of pots”: chhnang is the Khmer word for a clay pot. The town sits on the Tonle Sap River, where the stream widens toward the lake.

Can you try making a pot in Andong Russei?

Yes, in some workshops, though not at every house. Ask your guide to arrange a short class before the visit.

Andong Russei or the Mang Thit brick kilns?

Andong Russei shapes household vessels by hand and fires them in the open; Mang Thit fires machine-shaped bricks in domed kilns. The crafts differ in product, fire, and scale.

Which crafts can you see along the Tonle Sap route?

The Tonle Sap route groups two crafts by material: clay shaped in the village lane at Andong Russei, and metal hammered and engraved on the river road at Koh Chen.

What does the port of pots keep alive in Andong Russei?

Andong Russei keeps two methods alive: the paddle and anvil that let a potter circle a still pot, and the wheel that speeds the work. Its braziers, jars, and figures still serve Cambodian homes. Each pot passes through three places: the hill that supplies the clay, the potter’s hands, and the fire.

A Tan Chau shore excursion lands you on the Tien River, in An Giang Province, and takes you to a family silk workshop. You watch weavers work Lanh My A, the black silk dyed with mac nua fruit and dried in the sun. A visit runs 60–90 minutes. The river gave the town its mulberry banks and its trade, and the sun finishes the cloth. Follow the cloth from fruit to sun to loom.

What happens on a Tan Chau shore excursion to the silk village?

A Tan Chau shore excursion lands you on the Tien River bank, takes you a short ride to a family silk workshop, and gives you 60–90 minutes to watch weavers at work, often with a walk through the town market. The silk village is a cluster of family workshops, not one site behind a gate.

Tan Chau lies on the Tien River near the Cambodian border, about 118–129 mi (190–208 km) north-west of Ho Chi Minh City. Since 2025, the old Tan Chau town has two wards, Tan Chau and Long Phu, and three communes. The old silk quarter of Long Hung lies in Long Phu ward.

What is Lanh My A, the black silk of Tan Chau?

Lanh My A (Lãnh Mỹ A) is jet-black silk made from 100 per cent natural silk, woven in satin-8 weave and dyed with the juice of mac nua fruit. It comes from Tan Chau, where makers call it the queen of silks. The name depends on three conditions.

Mulberry leaves feed silkworms, but the black comes from mac nua (Diospyros mollis), a different tree.

How many Tan Chau workshops still make Lanh My A?

Reports from 2017 and 2018 describe one family or “a few people” dyeing genuine Lanh My A. No source reviewed for this page counts the makers today.

How is Lanh My A made, from cocoon to black cloth?

Weavers reel thread from silkworm cocoons, weave it on a wooden loom, then dip the cloth in mac nua juice and dry it in the sun, repeating the dip 80–100 times until it turns jet black.

The sun sets the pace. A 66 ft (20 m) bolt, 35 in (90 cm) wide, takes 176–220 lb (80–100 kg) of fruit. Sources quote 20 days to four months; this page uses about 45 days of sun-drying and up to two months of dyeing for a long run in dry weather.

Why does Lanh My A dry in the sun on grass, not in an oven?

The sun finishes the dye, so makers set the cloth out on grass and dip it again. Artificial heat does not give the same deep black. Sun-drying takes place from morning to noon, and each session gives 3–4 dips.

How did Tan Chau become a silk town?

Tan Chau became a silk town through sericulture on its river banks: households reared silkworms in the 19th century, most of Long Hung village lived by silk by 1920, and by the 1940s Tan Chau ranked as the largest silk centre of the south. The town itself formed in 1757.

The peak came in 1950–1960, when almost every house wove Lanh My A. By about 1960 the silk travelled to Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia.

Why did Lanh My A almost disappear?

Synthetic cloth and a shrinking supply of mac nua fruit nearly ended Lanh My A. From the 1970s most families switched from pure silk to synthetics, and many mac nua trees were felled for food crops. A tree takes 3–5 years to bear fruit, few people plant it, and the juice must go on the cloth within one or two days of picking.

A French buyer revived orders in the 1990s, with exports to France and Hong Kong, and a Vietnamese designer showed the silk at Tokyo Fashion Week in 2016. Lanh My A still exists in small quantity.

When should you go, and what will you see by season?

Visit in dry weather, when sun-drying runs, and ask the workshop which stage the dyeing has reached. The dry season runs December–April, the wet season May–November, and March–April is hottest, about 95°F (35°C).

How do you buy silk and visit a workshop with confidence?

Ask three questions before you buy: is it 100 per cent natural silk, is it satin-8 woven, and was it dyed with mac nua. Ask permission before entering a work area or photographing a weaver.

Cream, grey, bronze, red, and pink silks come from plant dyes and are silks of good make. One maker reserves the name Lanh My A for jet black.

What should you plan for at a Tan Chau workshop?

Plan for heat, steady footing, sun and water, and small dong notes. Ask your guide about steps at the landing and at the workshop before you commit.

What pairs with the silk village on a Mekong Delta day?

Pair the silk village with the town market, the Cham brocade village of Chau Phong across the Hau River from Chau Doc, or a sedge-mat workshop or floating fish farm.

At the Mubarak mosque in Chau Phong, cover your shoulders and knees, and stay outside during prayer.

How can you visit the Tan Chau silk village on a Mekong river cruise?

The Calypso Mekong river cruise programme uses one power catamaran, 44 ft 1 in (13.44 m) long, with three cabins and up to six guests. It calls at Tan Chau on all three lengths—8, 11, and 15 nights—in both directions. The vessel sails by day and anchors each night, so the silk village fits an afternoon ashore.

The route between Chau Doc and Tan Chau uses the Xang canal, a channel dredged in the French period that links the Tien and Hau rivers. For routes, seasons, and vessel choice, read the Mekong River Cruise Guide.

What else do readers ask about the Tan Chau silk village?

What is mac nua?

Mac nua is the fruit of Diospyros mollis, a tree of the ebony genus. Its juice dyes silk jet black and stays good for one or two days after picking. Few trees remain because many were felled for crops, and a tree takes 3–5 years to bear fruit.

What does a Tan Chau workshop sell?

Silk goods fall into four groups: cloth by the length, clothing, accessories such as scarves and ties, and small gifts such as hand fans.

Can you watch the black dyeing on every visit?

No. Dyeing depends on mac nua stock and dry weather, so a visit in rain or out of season can show looms and finished cloth with little dyeing. Ask which stage the cloth has reached.

Tan Chau silk village or Tra Su cajuput forest: which suits your outing?

Choose Tan Chau to watch a hand craft and learn the history of one cloth; choose Tra Su for a flooded cajuput forest by water.

What does the Tan Chau silk village show about the river it grew beside?

The Tien River gave Tan Chau its mulberry banks and its trade, and the sun finishes each length of Lanh My A. What remains depends on makers who still wait for the fruit and on visitors who ask what they are watching: the fruit, the sun, and the loom.

Mekong river cruise routes fall into five families: Delta cruises of 2 to 4 days, Saigon to Phnom Penh stretches, the full path from Saigon to Siem Reap, Upper Mekong cruises in Laos, and extended programmes of 12 to 20 days. A sailing path is the ordered list of waterways, border posts, and overnight anchorages between the start and the end of a cruise. This page follows the full path waterway by waterway, shows where water level changes it, and ends with a table that matches days to a route.

Which Mekong River Cruise Routes Exist, and How Long Is Each?

Five route families run on the Mekong, from Delta cruises of 2 days to extended programmes of 20 days. A route is the sequence of ports and waterways between the boarding point and the end point of a cruise.

Boarding ports differ by operator, so confirm yours before booking. The full path here starts at Tân Cảng in Saigon and ends at Chong Khneas near Siem Reap.

Why Does No Single Cruise Follow the Whole River?

The Khone Falls, on the Lao–Cambodian border, block vessels from sailing between Laos and Cambodia, so cruises run in separate sections: the Delta and Cambodia below the falls, and Laos above them. The drop measures 45 ft (14 m), and the falls form the principal impediment to navigation of the river. A traveller who wants both Laos and Vietnam books two cruises and a flight or a road stage between them.

What Is the Full Sailing Path from Saigon to Siem Reap?

The full path links Saigon and Siem Reap by the Tiền and Hậu rivers, a river border post, the Mekong to Phnom Penh, and the Tonle Sap River and Lake.

Which Waterways Does the Path Follow, in Order?

Seven stages make the full path, and each follows a named waterway.

Rows run in the Saigon to Siem Reap direction, and the return reverses them. Stage 3 offers two links between the Tiền and Hậu rivers, and each sailing uses one. Chaktomuk is the junction where the Mekong, the Tonle Sap, and the Bassac rivers meet at Phnom Penh.

How Does the Path Cross the Vietnam–Cambodia Border?

The path crosses by river at the Vĩnh Xương gate in Vietnam and the Kaam Samnor gate in Cambodia. Both open from 07:00 to 18:00 and clearance takes about 1.5 to 2.5 hours. Vĩnh Xương lies in Tân Châu, An Giang Province, and Kaam Samnor in Leuk Daek District, Kandal Province. Clearance runs in three steps.

A vessel that arrives after 17:30 anchors on its own side until the gate opens at 07:00. The designed schedule leaves Tân Châu at dawn and keeps guests aboard while the master handles clearance.

How Does the Path Cross the Tonle Sap Lake?

The path crosses the lake in two parts: the southern part, from the lake mouth to Kampong Luong, where the vessel anchors for the night, and the northern part, from Kampong Luong to Chong Khneas, the next morning. The return reverses the order.

At 04:30 the captain reads wind and visibility, with a local pilot aboard. The crossing waits when wind passes 15 knots (17.3 mph, 27.8 km/h) or visibility falls below 1.2 mi (2 km). The schedule runs only while the lake holds at least 7 ft 3 in (2.2 m). The standard Aquila 44 draws 3 ft 3 in (1.0 m), or 3 ft 10 in (1.17 m) with sacrificial skegs or at full load.

The vessel anchors off Kampong Luong with no berth, and the nearest hospital lies more than 1 hour away.

How Many Nights Does the Full Path Need?

The full path takes 8, 11, or 15 nights on the schedule designed for it. The extra nights add rest days, side waterways, and shorter sailing days.

The vessel cruises at 8–9 knots (9–10 mph, 15–17 km/h) by day only, and most sailing days run under 6 hours. The final schedule should be confirmed by the operator.

How Does the Water Season Change a Sailing Path?

Water level changes the path at five places: the tidal Delta, the Thầy Cai canal, the Vĩnh Tế canal, the Tonle Sap River, and the Tonle Sap Lake. The lake sets the season, which the design places at about mid-August to December.

The Tonle Sap River reverses in the rainy season and again at about mid-November, and the lake grows to six or seven times its dry-season extent. Month-by-month data belong on the sibling best-time page.

How Do the Delta, Phnom Penh, and Laos Routes Differ from the Full Path?

Three routes sit outside the full path: Delta cruises that stay in Vietnam, Saigon to Phnom Penh stretches that end in the Cambodian capital, and Upper Mekong cruises in Laos.

Which Mekong River Cruise Route Should You Choose?

Choose the route by the days you have and the end point you want. Each route trades length for reach.

How Do Calypso Mekong’s Three Sailings Sit on the Full Path?

Calypso Mekong runs one Aquila 44 power catamaran, 44 ft 1 in (13.44 m) long, with three cabins and up to six guests, on the full path in the flood season. The three sailings below are a design and estimates should be confirmed before launch.

Which Anchorage Does Each Sailing Use, Night by Night?

All three sailings use one set of anchorages from Tân Cảng to Chong Khneas, and each skips the ones it does not need.

A dash means no stop, and the last night is a resort night in Siem Reap. Rows run in the Saigon to Siem Reap direction, and the return reverses them.

What Does Each Sailing Add to the Shared Path?

The 8N covers every stage at the quickest pace. The 11N adds the Hậu River stretch through Cần Thơ and Long Xuyên, one rest day in Phnom Penh, and the climb to Oudong hill. The 15N adds a night among the Mang Thít kilns, the Hồng Ngự fish farms, the Tràm Chim wetland, and three rest days. The Cambodian section is broadly the same on all three, apart from rest days and Oudong.

Questions About Mekong River Cruise Sailing Paths

Does the direction of travel change a sailing path?

Yes, in timing and not in stops: the return runs the same anchorages in reverse order. The 8N reaches Phnom Penh in the evening outbound and in mid-afternoon on the return.

What is a rest day on a sailing path?

A rest day is a day on which the vessel stays at its anchorage, apart from a short sunrise loop of up to 1 hour. The 8N has none, the 11N has one in Phnom Penh, and the 15N has three.

How does the Tiền River section compare with the Hậu River section?

Which anchorages belong to which river and country?

Vietnam holds nine of the 13 anchorages: Mỹ Tho, Sa Đéc, Hồng Ngự, Tân Châu, Cần Thơ, Long Xuyên, Châu Đốc, Mang Thít, and Tân Cảng. Cambodia holds four: Phnom Penh, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Luong, and Chong Khneas.

Where Do the Mekong Sailing Paths Stop, and What Do They Leave Out?

The full path stops at Chong Khneas on the Tonle Sap Lake, 30 minutes by road from a Siem Reap resort, and starts at Tân Cảng in Saigon. It leaves out Angkor, Laos, and any lake night within 1 hour of a hospital.

A sailing path is complete for the days, season, and health conditions it was built for. Cost, visas, and life on board sit in the Mekong River Cruise Guide.

Pack one soft-sided bag of up to 40 lb (18 kg) for a river cruise on the Mekong between August and December: quick-dry clothes, shoes with grip, covered shoulders and knees for temples, a rain jacket, and a small medical kit. The vessel supplies slippers, a laundry service, and a marine medical kit, so the bag stays light. Pack for heat, rain, and three shore settings—village paths, small boats, and temples—then fit the bag to what the vessel already holds.

What luggage does a river cruise cabin accept?

Calypso Mekong accepts soft-sided bags only: duffels, canvas bags, and collapsible backpacks, up to 40 lb (18 kg) per person. A soft-sided bag has no rigid frame and flattens when empty. Hard-shell suitcases and rigid-frame bags stay ashore because they cannot flex into curved hull lockers and an empty case blocks a walkway.

Follow the lower of 40 lb and your airline’s checked-bag allowance. Carry one outfit, medicines, and chargers in a soft hand bag, so a delayed bag does not leave you without essentials.

What storage does each cabin offer?

Each of the three cabins has an ensuite bathroom, air conditioning, and storage lockers, and soft bags tuck under the berths. The layout follows the Aquila 44 catamaran model; Calypso Mekong will publish measurements of its own cabins after the survey.

Is there a dress code on a Mekong river cruise?

No formal dress code applies, and clean casual clothes suit the whole route, which runs through village paths, small boats, and temples. Formal wear has no use aboard.

What clothes should you pack for an 8-night cruise?

Pack 12 garments, 5 pairs of underwear, and 5 pairs of socks for 8 nights—7 aboard and 1 resort night on the outbound sailing. Tops change daily and bottoms every 2–3 days, so one outfit lasts about 2–2.5 days. A capsule wardrobe, a small set of garments that combine into many outfits, holds the count at 12.

Keep the same counts on 11-night and 15-night sailings and use the onshore laundry service; add one pair of trousers for 15 nights.

Which fabrics suit 75–91°F (24–33°C) and high humidity?

Choose quick-dry synthetics or blends, thin cotton, or a linen blend, and leave heavy denim at home because it dries slowly. Humidity slows drying in the water season, and items still dry on board between laundry pickups.

What does the weather from August to December mean for your bag?

Heat changes little from August to December, and rain changes a lot. September brings 10.7 in (273 mm) in Ho Chi Minh City and 10.0 in (253 mm) in Phnom Penh, so a rain jacket is a core item. Daily highs stay at 89–91°F (32–33°C) through the season.

Normals are 30-year averages, so one year can differ. Sources: the Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration (Ho Chi Minh City, 1991–2020) and Cambodia’s Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology (Phnom Penh, 1982–2024).

How do you layer for rain, wind, sun, and air-conditioned cabins?

Layer a loose long-sleeve shirt for sun, a packable rain jacket for showers and wind, and one thin layer for evenings, the lake crossing, and air-conditioned cabins. A jacket frees your hands, which an umbrella does not. On lake days the captain checks wind at 04:30 and moves the crossing when wind passes 15 knots (17.3 mph, 27.8 km/h).

What do you wear to temples and the Royal Palace?

Cover your shoulders and knees at temples, pagodas, and the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, and take off your shoes at temple doors. Covered means a sleeve past the shoulder and a hem at or below the knee; each site publishes its own rules.

Carry a large scarf or sarong in your day bag.

Which shoes suit shore visits, small-boat landings, and life aboard?

Pack two pairs: closed trainers with grip for village paths, kiln sites, and markets, and strapped sandals for small-boat landings and temple doors. Non-slip EVA slippers wait in each cabin and guests switch to them aboard, so easy-off shoes save time at boarding.

Alpine boots have no use on these paths.

Which gear and documents belong in your day bag?

Carry a 15–20 L (4–5 US gal) day bag holding a passport copy, small notes, a waterproof pouch, sun protection, water, a charged power bank, and offline entertainment on every shore visit.

Calypso Mekong has yet to state socket type or voltage.

What should your medical kit hold on top of the vessel’s kit?

Add what the vessel’s list omits, plus your own prescriptions in original packaging. The vessel carries a marine medical kit and medicine cabinet with bandages, splints, motion-sickness and anti-allergy medication, antiseptics, and oral rehydration salts. The nearest hospital sits more than 1 hour from the lake-night anchorage.

Bring your prescriber’s letter. Vaccines and antimalarials belong to a travel doctor; NHS Fit for Travel and the CDC’s Travelers’ Health pages list current advice. This page gives no medical advice and no doses.

What does the vessel provide, and what must you bring?

Calypso Mekong operates one Aquila 44 power catamaran, 44 ft 1 in (13.44 m) long, with three cabins and up to six guests. It sails by day between Saigon and Siem Reap from about mid-August to December.

Three items remain pending: hot water, AC socket type and voltage, and laundry cost and turnaround. For routes, seasons, and costs, read the Mekong River Cruise Guide. For the vessel, see Aquila 44.

Questions about packing for a river cruise

Three questions come up after you choose the bag.

Can you wash clothes on a river cruise?

Yes, on Calypso Mekong: an onshore laundry service collects and returns items by a logistics vehicle that follows the vessel. Pack quick-dry clothes anyway, as the garment table above shows.

What does quick-dry fabric mean?

Quick-dry fabric absorbs little water, so a washed garment dries faster than cotton. Polyester, nylon, and synthetic-merino blends are three examples.

What should you leave at home?

Leave formal wear, heels, hard-shell suitcases, heavy denim, a full-size umbrella, and house slippers at home. Formal wear and heels have no use, hard-shell cases are refused aboard, heavy denim dries slowly, and the cabins supply slippers. The vessel promises no internet, so skip items that need Wi-Fi.

If your bag holds more than the tables ask for, return to the garment list and cut.

The best time to cruise the Mekong River depends on one choice: cool, dry weather from November to February, or high water that opens the Tonle Sap lake to vessels from mid-August to November. High water lasts about 3.5 to 4 months, and one month, November, sits in both windows. Plan for the days up to mid-November, because some operators end high water near that date and the dates vary each year. This page gives weather, rain, lake level, and crowds for each month, shows how your route changes the answer, and ends with the months to avoid. Choose the month by what you need from the river, then check how your operator handles low water.

Calypso Mekong runs one vessel on the Saigon to Siem Reap route; it appears once, in the section on how a six-guest vessel handles the water season.

When Is the Best Time to Cruise the Mekong River?

The Mekong runs on two calendars. The weather calendar is cool and dry from November to February, and the water calendar is high from mid-August to November. November sits in both, and in high water a vessel can cross the Tonle Sap lake.

High water is the period in which the lake is deep enough for a river vessel to enter, and low water is the period in which it is not. The Mekong River Commission (MRC) reports reverse flow status in its
wet-season bulletins and records the start of reverse flow into the lake between late May and mid-June.
Operators open the lake to vessels from about mid-August, once depth passes their minimum.

The table sets the two calendars side by side.

The rows run from the weather window to the water window to their overlap.

Pick the weather window for comfort, the water window for the lake, and 1–15 November for both. From December
to April, rain stays at 2.5 in (63 mm) or less a month in both Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh (climate normals,
read 6 October 2026).

One claim holds that the dry season suits every Mekong cruise. The dry season suits the weather. Access to the lake
depends on water, and some operators run a road transfer when the lake is low.

What Do Weather, Rain, Lake Level and Crowds Look Like Month by Month?

Heat changes little through the year, while rain, lake level, and fares change a lot. Daily highs in Ho Chi Minh
City stay between 89°F and 95°F (31.6–34.9°C), and rain peaks in September at 10.7 in (273 mm) in
Ho Chi Minh City and 10.0 in (253 mm) in Phnom Penh. "Cool" means nights of 71–75°F
(21–24°C), not a cool day.

Normals are long-term averages, so a single year can differ. Peak season is the set of months in which operators
charge their highest fares. The table gives one row for each month.

The rows run from January to December, and the lake column follows the MRC calendar.

Sources: WMO climatological normals from the Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration (Ho Chi Minh
City, 1991–2020) and Cambodia's Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology (Phnom Penh, 1982–2024),
as supplied ; lake records from the MRC
data portal (read 6 October 2026); peak-season months from operator season calendars . Phnom Penh highs
sit within 4°F (2°C) of the Ho Chi Minh City highs in every month.

What Does Each Season Look Like on the Water?

A traveller meets three seasons on the river: cool and dry from November to February, hot and dry from March to
May, and green with high water from June to October, when the lake opens to vessels from mid-August.

Cool and dry (November to February): nights fall to 74–75°F (23–24°C) in Ho Chi Minh City from
December to February and to 71°F (21–22°C) in Phnom Penh in December and January. Skies stay clear,
and rain stays at 2.5 in (63 mm) or less a month from December to April, so the sundeck stays dry.

Hot and dry (March to May): daily highs reach 92–95°F (33.6–34.9°C) in Ho Chi Minh City, and
the lake sits at its low point in April and May.

Green (June to October): rain falls on 13 to 19 days a month in Ho Chi Minh City from May to October, counting days
of 0.1 mm or more. Showers usually come in the afternoon and last about an hour . Rice fields and banks turn green.

How Does the Tonle Sap Lake Rise and Fall Through the Year?

The Tonle Sap lake fills and empties once a year. From late May to mid-June, the Mekong rises above the lake and
pushes water up the 75 mi (120 km) Tonle Sap River into it. The lake grows five to six times in area and reaches
20–30 ft (6–9 m) deep at its peak.

The Tonle Sap River runs between the lake and the Mekong at Phnom Penh, and the direction of its flow follows the
difference in water level between the two. The table traces the lake through one year.

The rows follow the lake from its dry-season trough through one full cycle.

The MRC records these levels at two stations: Kampong Luong, inside the lake, and Prek
Kdam, on the Tonle Sap River, which publishes daily water levels (MRC, read 6 October 2026). The MRC
data portal holds the validated daily readings, and the wet-season
bulletins track reverse flow status against long-term averages. Timing varies by year: in dry years the
reversal started late, in July or August in 2019, 2020, and 2023, and on time, in late May, in 2022 and 2025 . The
lake is full in September and October, and operators open it to vessels from about mid-August.

How Does Your Route Change the Best Time?

The route decides which season matters. On the Vietnam leg, water level changes little. On the Cambodian leg, the
Tonle Sap lake decides whether a vessel sails to Siem Reap or hands you to a bus or a flight.

In low water the lake is too shallow for a river vessel, so the Cambodian leg changes and the Vietnam leg does not.
Operators place high water between mid-August and mid-November, and the dates vary each year. Mean lake depth in the
dry season is 1.6–3.3 ft (0.5–1.0 m), against 20–30 ft (6–9 m) at the peak. The table lists
the two low-water plans that operators use on the Saigon to Siem Reap route .

The rows run from the shortest transfer to the longest.

Which Holidays Change the Calendar?

Four holidays move crowds and open hours along the river: Bon Om Touk (23–25 November 2026), Tet (6 February
2027), Khmer New Year (14–16 April 2027), and Bon Om Touk 2027 (date not yet set). The 2027 dates are expected
dates until the Cambodian 2027 sub-decree is read .

Some sites list Bon Om Touk 2026 as 24–26 November. The decree lists 23–25 November, and 24 November,
the full-moon day, falls in the middle.

The rows run in date order.

Which Month Should You Choose?

Choose the month by the one thing you cannot give up: lake access, dry weather, a festival, birds, or green fields.
The table gives a gain and a cost for each goal.

The rows run in calendar order, from January to November.

How Does a Six-Guest Vessel Handle the Water Season?

Calypso Mekong operates one Aquila 44 power catamaran, 44 ft 1 in (13.44 m), with three cabins and up to six
guests, on the Saigon to Siem Reap route only. It sails by day and runs in the flood season, from about mid-August
to December, when the lake is deep enough to cross. Calypso Mekong has a commercial interest in this route, and the
table states each rule beside its status.

The rows run from the season to the daily decision to the lake night.

Questions About the Mekong Cruise Season

The four questions below come up after you choose a month.

Does It Rain All Day in the Green Season?

No. Showers usually come in the afternoon and last about an hour . Ho Chi Minh City records rain on 13 to 19 days a
month from May to October, counting days with 0.1 mm or more, not hours, and the remaining days stay dry. Read What
Does Each Season Look Like on the Water? for each season in turn.

What Does Draught Mean, and Why Does It Matter in Low Water?

Draught is the depth of a vessel below the waterline, measured from the surface to the lowest point of the hull.
The Aquila 44 draws 3 ft 3 in (1.0 m) without skegs and 3 ft 10 in (1.16 m) with them (manufacturer catalogue) , so
a crossing rule of 7 ft 3 in (2.2 m) leaves 3 ft 5 in–3 ft 11 in (1.04–1.20 m) under the hull. The MRC
reports a dry-season mean depth of 1.6–3.3 ft (0.5–1.0 m), so a vessel needs more water than the lake
holds in April; see How
Does a Six-Guest Vessel Handle the Water Season?.

Which Suits a Mekong Cruise Better, High Water or Low Water?

The answer depends on the route: high water opens the lake and Siem Reap by river, while low water brings cooler
nights, drier weather, and, on some lines, a road or air link. Rain runs 9.4–10.7 in (240–273 mm) a
month in September and October, against 2.5 in (63 mm) or less from December to April. Neither wins on every
attribute, and Which
Month Should You Choose? sets each against a goal.

Which Guides Cover Each Part of a Mekong Cruise?

Three groups of pages cover the rest of a Mekong cruise.

The rows run from route planning to the sailings to your data.

When Is the Wrong Time to Cruise the Mekong?

The wrong time is the one that clashes with what you need. Avoid January to mid-August if you want to reach Siem
Reap by river in a vessel that needs high water. Avoid early May to late June if your cruise line pauses. Avoid Tet
week if you want quiet banks and open shops.

The rows run from route to weather to calendar to flights.

Calypso Mekong does not sail in low water. Return to Which
Month Should You Choose? and choose again.

A Mekong river cruise is a voyage of one or more nights on a cabin vessel along the Mekong River, most often
between Saigon and Siem Reap through Vietnam and Cambodia. This Mekong river cruise guide covers five decisions
in turn: route, season, length, cost, and vessel size.

Calypso Mekong operates one vessel on the Saigon to Siem Reap route. This guide includes Calypso Mekong as one
operating option and states its limits beside its facts.

The table gives the short answer to each decision and the section that develops it.

Rows follow the order of your decisions.

The sections below define the product, trace the routes, set the seasons beside the river's water level,
price the fares, compare vessel sizes, describe a day aboard, list the papers you need, and close with seven
questions for any operator. Choose by route, water season, and vessel size, then put those questions to the
operator before you pay.

What is a Mekong river cruise?

A Mekong river cruise is an overnight voyage aboard a vessel with cabins, and it differs from a boat tour that
returns to its pier the same day. Three parameters define the product: the number of nights, the route, and the
number of guests aboard. A river cruise is a voyage on which guests sleep aboard while the vessel moves between
stops.

Five products share the river, listed from the shortest to the longest.

Each range carries its source and date.

Three facts set the Mekong apart from a European river cruise. Water levels change with the seasons: Britannica
records the Tonle Sap Lake at 3 to 10 ft (0.9 to 3 m) deep in the dry season and 30 to 45 ft (9 to 14 m) deep in
the wet season. The route crosses a river border between Vietnam and Cambodia. Tides reach the lower delta, so
departure times on the opening days follow the tide table. 

A Mekong Delta tour is a different product: it covers the lower river around Mỹ Tho and Cần Thơ
in one to three days, while a river cruise follows the water across the border.

One claim recurs, that a cruise to Siem Reap docks at Angkor. It does not. On Calypso Mekong's schedule the
vessel ties up at Chong Khneas on the Tonle Sap Lake, about 30 minutes by road from Siem Reap, and Angkor is a
separate road visit.

If you want an overnight vessel, the Sleeps aboard column separates it from the day tour at a glance. If you want
a day tour, the same column shows you the exit.

Where does a Mekong river cruise go?

Overnight vessels sail three corridors: the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam (1 to 3 days), the cross-border
route from Saigon through Phnom Penh to Siem Reap (3 to 15 nights), and the Upper Mekong in Laos (2 to 11 days).
Three sections follow: the stages of the main route, the choice of direction, and the nights each route needs.

Saigon to Siem Reap: the cross-border route, stage by stage

The route leaves Saigon, crosses into Cambodia at the Vĩnh Xương–Kaam Samnor border post,
passes Phnom Penh, and ends at Chong Khneas on the Tonle Sap Lake, a floodplain reservoir that Britannica names
the largest freshwater body in Southeast Asia. Start and end points differ by operator: some begin at Mỹ
Tho, and others enter Ho Chi Minh City directly.

The eight rows run in the Saigon to Siem Reap direction. They follow the route Calypso Mekong sails, and other
operators differ at both ends.

Does the direction matter: Saigon to Siem Reap or Siem Reap to Saigon?

Direction matters for timing and not for stops. The two directions call at the same stops in reverse order, and
the direction changes arrival times, the last night, and the light at each stop. This holds for Calypso
Mekong’s schedule, the worked example below; the guide has not yet checked other operators .

Upstream means against the current, and downstream means with it. Saigon to Phnom Penh runs upstream on the
Mekong, while the Tonle Sap River reverses by season, so the word depends on the month there.

Choose the direction by where you want to end, not by the river.

How many nights does each route need?

Saigon to Phnom Penh needs 3 to 4 nights, and Saigon to Siem Reap needs 7 to 15 nights, depending on pace. The
table gives each length with its source and date.

Pace changes with length. On Calypso Mekong's schedule the 8-night voyage has no day at rest, the 11-night
voyage has one in Phnom Penh, and the 15-night voyage has three, in Cần Thơ, Châu
Đốc, and Phnom Penh.

Sources disagree on length: Enjoy Vietnam Travel files Vietnam–Cambodia cruises at 4 to 9 days, while Small
Ship Travel lists programmes of 13 to 15 days that include land days. Fewer than 7 nights covers one section of
the river, and the full route needs 7 nights or more in the sources read

When is the best time for a Mekong river cruise?

This guide uses two calendars. Dry weather runs from about November to April (Small Ship Travel, 3 June 2026),
and the water is highest from about August to November . The right month depends on which calendar matters to
you, because the two do not line up. A season, here, is the period in which a vessel can sail its full route.

Two calendars: weather season and water season

The weather calendar and the water calendar differ, and many guides merge them under the label "dry
season". The table separates them month by month.

Rows run along the calendar, and each row says what changes on board.

Small Ship Travel names November to April the dry season (3 June 2026), VinWonders agrees and recommends November
to January (12 December 2025), and VietnamNet places the peak at October to March (9 May 2024).

These sources describe the weather. The river follows a separate cycle: Britannica places the reversal of the
Tonle Sap River in the June-to-November monsoon. Calypso Mekong's season, about mid-August to December,
falls inside the high-water months and includes rainy months.

How the river's water level sets the season, and what changes in low water

The Mekong rises with the monsoon and falls in the dry season. At Phnom Penh the Tonle Sap River reverses once a
year: it flows into the lake from June to November, according to Britannica, and out of it as the water falls.
The lake draws in the flood each year and returns it in the dry months.

The lake changes size with the river. Britannica records about 1,050 sq mi (2,700 sq km), 3 to 10 ft (0.9 to 3 m)
deep, in the dry season, and about 4,000 sq mi (10,360 sq km), 30 to 45 ft (9 to 14 m) deep, in the wet season.
Britannica records about 1,050 sq mi (2,700 sq km), 3 to 10 ft (0.9 to 3 m) deep, in the dry season, and about
4,000 sq mi (10,360 sq km), 30 to 45 ft (9 to 14 m) deep, in the wet season. The Mekong River Commission holds
the station readings that track this change .

Each operator sets a lake depth threshold, the minimum depth at which it will cross. Calypso Mekong's
threshold is 7 ft 3 in (2.2 m), read against the Mekong River Commission station, with a local pilot aboard on
the lake. Other operators use other thresholds .

Calypso Mekong does not sail in low water, and its season ends on the last day the lake can be crossed. One claim
recurs: the dry season suits every cruise. The dry season suits the weather, a small vessel's lake crossing
depends on depth, and operators handle low water in different ways.

How much does a Mekong river cruise cost?

Starting fares in the dated sources run from USD 239 for a two-day Delta boat (VinWonders, 12 December 2025) to
USD 21,500 for a Saigon to Siem Reap suite (Small Ship Travel, 3 June 2026). A fare depends on nights, vessel
class, and what the fare includes. A starting fare is the lowest price per person, in the lowest cabin grade, on
the date of the source.

This guide does not rank operators by price. Fares change with the season and the departure date, and
side-by-side comparisons suit specialist travel comparison sites, which hold live quotes. The table gives the
range for each type of voyage, so you can read any quote against it.

Rows run from the shortest voyage to the longest. Operator page addresses .

On the Saigon to Siem Reap route, Small Ship Travel lists starting fares from USD 3,694 to USD 21,500, a ratio of
5.8 to 1. Some fares include excursions and drinks, others cover the cabin only, and fares vary with season and
departure date. Treat the figures as reference points, not quotes.

The second table shows what a fare covers.

Rows follow the order of a booking.

Four factors move a fare: the number of nights, the number of guests aboard, the cabin and deck, and the season
and direction. A single-occupancy supplement, fuel cost, or the cost of a waiting day can sit outside the listed
fare. Some sailings reduce or waive the single supplement (Small Ship Travel, 3 June 2026), so ask who pays when
the route changes. Calypso Mekong's policy on a waiting day is .

Which type of vessel suits you?

Vessels on the Mekong come in four size classes, from 6 guests to more than 100. Size decides which channels a
vessel can enter, who shares your dining table, and how large the group is on a shore visit. A vessel class is a
group of vessels by guest count and draught. Choose by size, then by brand.

Four vessel size classes, compared

The class boundaries are this guide's proposal: up to 12 guests, 13 to 40, 41 to 70, and 71 and above . Rows
run from fewest guests to most.

Guest and cabin figures come from Small Ship Travel (3 June 2026), VinWonders (12 December 2025). Draught is a
vessel’s depth below the waterline. Operators use “suite” and “stateroom” as
labels for a cabin, and this guide uses “cabin” for the room you sleep in.

Size changes five things. Those are the channels and bridges a vessel passes, the number of transfers to a small
boat, the size of a shore group, the number of anchorages, and the services aboard, such as a spa, a pool, or a
lift. A vessel in the smallest class can enter narrow canals such as the Chợ Lách and Thầy
Cai, and it carries no spa, pool, or lift .

Matching the vessel to the traveller

You should choose by three questions: how long you want to travel, where you want to sleep, and how large a group
you want. The table gives a gain and a cost for each answer.

A vessel in the up-to-12 class does not suit travellers who need a lift, a spa, or evening entertainment on deck
.

What is a day on a Mekong river cruise like?

A day has three parts: a walk ashore in the morning, time on deck while the vessel moves, and dinner and rest in
the evening. Calypso Mekong sails by day only. Some other operators sail at night .

The shape of a day on board and ashore

The vessel leaves after breakfast, anchors before the afternoon ends, and rests at its anchorage through the
night. The fixed hour is 04:30 on lake-crossing days, when the captain decides whether to go: wind above 15
knots (17.3 mph, 27.8 km/h) or visibility below 1.2 mi (2 km) moves the crossing. This is a designed procedure,
not a record of past voyages.

A day at rest keeps the vessel in place: on the 15-night voyage, Cần Thơ, Châu Đốc,
and Phnom Penh each hold one. Water Log line .

Food, language, services and what to pack

Four practical questions come up most: what you eat, which language the guide speaks, what the vessel provides,
and what to bring. The table answers each in turn.

Rows follow the order of the four questions.

What should you arrange before you travel?

Three things need doing before departure: visas and border papers, the way you reach and leave the vessel, and
your health and safety plan. Entry rules change, so this guide links to the official portals and does not copy
their terms.

Visas and the river border crossing

A traveller on the Saigon to Siem Reap route needs entry permission for Vietnam and for Cambodia, and clears the
border at a river post. The table gives the rules for British passport holders as GOV.UK states them, checked on
6 October 2026.

Check the official portal for your passport on the day you book; rules change. Other nationalities should read
their own government's travel advice.

Getting to and from the vessel

The vessel starts and ends in Saigon and Siem Reap, so you should book flights after the boarding time and before
the disembarkation time on the published schedule. The boarding pier for Calypso Mekong sits on the voyage pages
.

Health, safety and accessibility

Vaccines and preventive medicines are a decision for a travel doctor or a health agency, and this guide gives no
doses. NHS Fit for Travel (UK) and CDC Travelers' Health (US) publish country advice .

Which seven questions should you put to any operator before booking?

The seven questions below cover the largest differences between operators, and each has an answer you can request
in writing.

1. Confirm the guest count and the vessel's draught. Guest count sets the size of every shore group,
   and draught decides which channels the vessel enters. A good answer gives both in feet and inches with
   metres (see vessel size).
2. Ask what the plan is when the water is low. Low water closes the lake to small vessels. A good answer
   names the depth threshold, the month the season ends, and any road transfer (see water level).
3. List what the fare includes and what it excludes. Excursions, drinks, hotels, and visa fees move a fare
   more than the cabin does. A good answer is dated and itemised (see cost).
4. Find out who decides to change the route, and who pays. A waiting day costs fuel and crew time. A good
   answer names the decision-maker, the trigger, and the payer (see cost).
5. Check the guide's working language and the guest-to-guide ratio. A shared voyage runs in one
   language. A good answer gives both numbers (see food and language).
6. Request the medical cover aboard and the distance to the nearest hospital. A good answer states who
   carries the kit, how far the hospital sits by river and by road, and what insurance covers (see health).
7. Obtain the cancellation terms in writing, with the date of the quote. Fares and terms shift with the
   season. A good answer gives the deposit, the refund dates, and the quote date (see cost).

Suite-class ships sell out the pick of their cabins six to twelve months ahead for the December and January peak,
according to Small Ship Travel (3 June 2026). If an operator cannot answer three of the seven in writing, you
should move to another operator.

How does a six-guest vessel fit these choices?

Calypso Mekong operates one Aquila 44 power catamaran, 44 ft 1 in (13.44 m) long, with three cabins and up to six
guests, sold by the cabin on a published schedule. It sails by day on the Saigon to Siem Reap route. This
section puts the seven questions to that vessel, and Calypso Mekong sells a voyage on this route.

Calypso Mekong answers the seven questions

Each row answers one question, and a row without a published answer says so.

Three of the seven questions have no published answer yet, and the voyage pages will state them once approved.

The six sailings, mapped to the routes in this guide

Calypso Mekong has three lengths, 8, 11, and 15 nights , and each runs both ways: Saigon to Siem Reap and Siem
Reap to Saigon.

Dates, price, and availability live on each page, and this guide lists no departure dates.

Questions about Mekong river cruises

The eight questions below are the ones readers ask after they have chosen a route and a vessel.

Can children and older travellers take a Mekong river cruise?

Yes, if the vessel's boarding steps and cabin layout suit them. Two conditions apply: the steps to the vessel
and the tender, and the minimum age and safety rules, which Calypso Mekong has not yet published . Health
guidance sits in the health section above.

Can you cruise the Mekong all year?

On some stretches and some vessels, yes. A small vessel cannot sail the full Saigon to Siem Reap route across the
lake all year, and Calypso Mekong sails from about mid-August to December. The two calendars above hold the
detail.

What is a shallow-draught vessel?

Draught is the depth from the waterline to the bottom of the hull, and a shallow-draught vessel needs less water
to float. Calypso Mekong's lake threshold is 7 ft 3 in (2.2 m); the vessel's own draught is .

How does a river cruise differ from a land tour of Vietnam and Cambodia?

The two differ in four attributes, and neither is better in every case.

The two do not replace each other, and many travellers combine them.

Which routes other than Saigon to Siem Reap can you cruise?

Four routes run besides the cross-border voyage, and Calypso Mekong sails only Saigon to Siem Reap.

Which Angkor extensions can you add to a Siem Reap voyage?

Three groups of extension sit at Siem Reap: the Angkor temples (Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, and Ta Prohm), the
floating villages on the Tonle Sap, and extra rest days in Siem Reap. Calypso Mekong's land extension policy
is , and the voyage pages hold the detail.

Can the kitchen cater for dietary needs?

State dietary needs (vegetarian, allergy, or religious) at booking and get confirmation in writing. The
galley's capability on Calypso Mekong's vessel is , and no "yes" is given until it is
approved. See the food section and question 3.

Which pages on this site cover each part of a voyage?

The table points to the page for each part.

When is a Mekong river cruise the wrong choice?

A Mekong river cruise does not suit you if your dates have no slack, if you need a hospital close by, if you want
evening entertainment aboard, if you have few days, or if you want to travel outside the small-vessel water
season.

Calypso Mekong does not suit the needs in rows one to three . If this table does not describe you, return to the
seven questions and put them to the operator you picked.

How was this guide compiled, and when was it last reviewed?

This guide combines sourced figures with dates, states where data is missing, and was reviewed before
publication.

Readers can report an error, and the guide records the date of the fix. Calypso Mekong sells a voyage on this
route.