Grand Vietnam and Cambodia 21 Night Combo Cruise

Transfer from Hanoi to Halong Bay to embark your Pandaw ship followed by lunch on board. Cast off in the afternoon with a welcome cocktail for an evening sail, dropping anchor in a sheltered bay amidst the beautiful island scenery.

Morning sail around Halong Bay and beyond with its 1,500 dramatic limestone islands and extraordinary rock formations, dating back 20 million years.

Stop at Viet Hai Village and explore on mountain bike or electric buggy, visiting the village’s vegetable farm and typical village houses. It is a breath-taking trip along a small road winding its way through the limestone rocks.

Exploration of Halong Bay continues with a visit to the so called “Dark and Bright Cave”. Take a kayak or a local basket boat rowed by fishermen and enter this remarkable cave into an enclosed area similar to a crater. Bats can be heard in the cave and massive stalagmites hang from the ceiling.

Observe the lively and interesting life of the KinhThay river, a key commercial waterway.

Meet your guide in the dining room for a lecture on Vietnam, its history, geography and the boat people.

The day is spent cruising towards Hanoi. Enroute, stop at Bat Trang in the afternoon, a ceramic village. On the way back to the ship watch a traditional unicorn and lion dance at the jetty.

This dance originated in China and spread over Southeast Asia.

Drop anchor in the capital and bustling city of Hanoi to visit some highlights of this Asian metropolis. Must-sees include the notorious Vietnam War prison known as the Hanoi Hilton, temple of literature where Confucius did his thinking, and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.

Morning sail through the day from Hanoi up the Red River to Viet Tri - not the most picturesque of towns, but an excellent base for going deeper into Highland Vietnam.

Go ashore to visit a timeless Arcadian Vietnam with emerald green rice paddies punctuated by limestone rock formations. Of particular interest are the Thay and Tay Phuong Pagodas.

In the morning cruising to Tien Du ferry station to the village of Gia Thanh, makers of the conical hats (known as ‘non la’). Take in the sights and sounds of the bustling river with all kinds of craft and activity.

Day sailing upstream while admiring the unspoilt beauty of the Da River. We stop to visit K9 Ho Chi Minh Memorial House, a small museum newly opened to international visitors introducing the life of President Ho Chi Minh and his contributions to the country’s revolution. We moor overnight mid-river alongside Ba Vi National Park with its rich and diverse tropical and sub-tropical flora and fauna.

Hoa Binh was the site of a major battle with the French in 1951 & 1952 and is home to the Muong ethnic group.

The Hoa Binh Dam at the Black River is the largest hydroelectric dam in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. Take a morning boat ride on the reservoir of Hoa Binh and explore the inner workings of the power station. In the afternoon, visit a museum and local village where villagers still wear traditional dress before being treated to a traditional performance by local hill tribe people.

Disembark after breakfast and transfer to Hanoi. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant, followed by a transfer to Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport for your flight to Saigon. Upon arrival, our guide will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel for the night with the rest of the evening at leisure.

Transfer from your hotel to embark the ship at My Tho Port. Set sail for lunch on board and an afternoon sampan trip to explore the canals and back waters of Ben Tre.

Early sailing and morning sampan visit to the Cai Be floating market with a walk ashore to see workshops and crafts production. Then on to Sa Dec which has an interesting market and the traditional Vietnamese house of Mr Huyn Thuy Le, the 'lover' of Marguerite Duras, a famous French novelist whose book was immortalised in the film L'Indochine. There is a fine catholic church here too.

After a short sail upstream, travel a short distance by coach to the Gao Giong ‘green oasis’ with its bird sanctuary. Here a diverse selection of water birds and egrets that gather in the tens of thousands across the Duong Tharp Muoi or ‘Plain of Reeds’. Rowing boats traverse the canals to visit the principal nesting areas. In the afternoon visit Con Phuoc Island and go ashore to explore by tuk-tuk to see basket production and visit a 100-year old Catholic Church and local carpentry shops.

Explore the labyrinthine canal system around Tan Chau to visit a Taoist temple where the monks will read fortunes. Continue through local villages by Xi Loi stopping off to help locals tend their fields before stopping off to visit a fish farm and earn merit by releasing fish back into the Mekong.

Visit a Moslem Cham tribal village and a catfish farm in Chau Doc with a guide or do your own thing and take one of our mountain bikes and explore the local market or visit the splendid Catholic Church. Return to the ship by boat for lunch and cast off for the Cambodian border for the usual formalities.

After a morning cruise along the Tonle River disembark at Prek Kdam and travel by coach to a former capital, Oudong. On the way visit the Vipassana Dhura Meditation Centre for a morning of relaxation & meditation before taking a drive around the old capital. Continue up the Tonle river to Kampong Chhanang where the river is at its most beautiful and heaving with life. Then explore the wetlands around the lake’s mouth rich in birdlife.

All passengers will be provided with their own private cyclo. The Cyclo Centre Phnom Penh, which provides the cyclos is a charity that provides basic welfare and medical services to cyclo drivers. You will visit the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda and National Museum. In the afternoon we visit the Killing Fields and Genocide museum to learn more about the brutal Khmer Rouge regime.

Morning walk at Angkor Ban a typical Khmer village with a library donated by Pandaw passengers. Continue upstream to Kampong Cham and travel by bus to Chiro Village with an extensive education centre offering vocational training. Other activities here include plastic recycling, bee keeping, farming and handicraft making projects. On to the Wat Nokor Bachey dating back to the Jayarvaman VII period. Built completely from a black sandstone unlike other temples of this period.

Morning walk to explore this former French provincial centre with its many splendid belle epoch mansions and lively market. Overnight on the delightful Koh Trong island where passengers can plant their own trees. Sandbank dinner.

From Kratie travel further upstream by a rustic bus to view the dolphin grounds from local boats in a national park protected area. Return downstream and in late afternoon go ashore to see Wat Hanchey an important centre of worship on top of a hill above the Mekong with good river panoramas. Of great interest are the Chenla Period temples dating from the 8th century, some destroyed by American bombing during the Vietnam War. Overnight Wat Hancheay.

Early morning sail to Kampong Cham and coach transfer to hotels in Siem Reap with a refreshment stop at Kampong Thom along the way. Arrive at Siem Reap early afternoon.

Itineraries are subject to change.