We wanted to experience the culture and beauty of Vietnam, Cambodia and the Mekong Delta; and what better way than on a beautiful river boat. The Jayavarman is just that. The staff was excellent and we were spoiled for the entire week. Nim, Panny and Makara were delightful. The cabin decor was elegant with adequate space, and a veranda with wonderful views. Amazing sunrises and sunsets. The ship's atmosphere was relaxing with a large open air deck to view the river and surrounding land. There areas to lounge or to socialize on the top 2 decks. The upper deck had chaise lounge chairs and a small pool. There were Tai Chi classes on the upper deck every morning. There is also a spa available for messages, manicures, pedicures, etc. WiFi was available at no extra charge, which was unexpected but nice to have. The food was excellent and abundant. Without previous notice, the chef catered to my husband's dietary needs of gluten free meals. He even prepared individual pastries and cakes. The dining hall was stylish and classically decorated. Service was great. The chef hosted a culinary class where the guest participated and learned several dishes including spring rolls. It was a lot of fun. Excursions were really interesting and very personal. We visited floating markets and small villages where we interacted with the local people; and learned about their way of life. The cultural experience was unforgettable. We visited the Killing Fields and the S21 Prison in Phnom Penh, an experience that won't soon be forgotten. We visited the Green School and the children were so excited and fun. Local families shared their homes and stories. I would definitely recommend the Heritage Line's Jayavarman cruise. Read Less

We have travelled with Scenic for 10 years and have completed 5 river cruises with them in addition to many land tours. We love the fact that everything is included, itineraries are varied and staff are so well-trained. The Scenic spirit is a truly luxurious ship and we were fortunate to be upgraded to one of the Royal Panorama Suites. Luxuriating in our own jacuzzi with a glass of wine at the end of each day's shore excursion was sheer bliss. I also highly recommend Shretty's massages in the Wellness centre. Twenty-four of the 60 passengers had already travelled together from Hanoi for 12 days on a land tour and had formed a tight knit "Sticky Rice" group with our fabulous Vietnamese tour director, Nghia. This meant we were together for most of the shore excursions with him and Dara, a local Cambodian tour guide. One afternoon Dara gave us a lesson on how to tie the Khmer (Cambodian scarf) which had us laughing for days. Paula, Joyce and Eric run the cruise smoothly, like a well-oiled machine. Everything happened exactly as they said and their staff are super organised, friendly and capable.The Captain and his crew had to dock in some 'interesting' places and were very creative in making sure we were able to step ashore safely for our excursions. Ario and his team never let us go hungry and introduced us to lots of local delicacies and the friendly, happy waiters were a bonus. Our gorgeous Cambodian butler, Sithat, anticipated our every need and brought us fruit after lunch and chocolates after dinner. Thanks to her we were able to have several pre-dinner drinks and canape evenings with some of our new friends in our cabin. An added bonus with our cabin allocation was being able to send bags of laundry to be done every day. With the high humidity we certainly took advantage of this. All shore excursions were interesting and educational, some such as tasting snake wine and holding a python more challenging than others and the Killing Fields were really confronting. Scenic are to be congratulated for their support of local communities and children's charities. It was such a wonderful week we were all sad to have to leave the ship. Read Less

We arrived 2 days early to not be jet lagged. The Viking staff arranged a room. We stayed at the Hotel Sofitel which was modern and has a wonderful buffet. We paid for the expensive breakfast buffet at the hotel and we're extremely glad we did. You really don't need lunch if you do. I strongly recommend the high tea in the bar. I also suggest you pick up some small toys and candy to give to children on the rural parts of the tour. The Viking tour director Mr. Ut was incredibly knowledgeable about Saigon. The river boat was immaculate. The teak decks beautiful. I loved the open deck on top with the bar for coffee before breakfast and drinks after dinner. The rooms are small but the bath area was larger than i expected. The staff could not have been better. The wait staff knew our names by the 2nd day and we did not have assigned seating. The food was excellent with unlimited drinks with meals on board. The spa staff was so good my husband and i each had 3 massages.Every day but one we had 2 excursions such as the silversmith village, silk weaving village, floating fish farms, ect. This was all incredible. The stay in Siem Repp was great. The Hotel Sofitel there was gorgeous. The staff arranged an elephant ride early morning around one of the temples. Spectacular. We viewed a local circus, no animals. That was fun. A group of us went to the fish pedicure spa. $4 for a beer and as long as you liked the minnows nibbled your toes. What fun. Bring plenty of small American dollars to buy trinkets. Cambodia uses dollars more than local currency. The people were wonderful. Bring bug spray! Treated clothes are best (we had only 1-2 bites). Sunscreen is a must. They provide local head gear which works very well. The staff constantly provides bottles of water. Arm cover is needed for some temples. No tank tops on those days. An umbrella for shade is a good idea. It is very hot and moist. Expect to shower 2-3 times a day. Hanoi was more rushed than the rest of the trip. Lots to see. If you can stay longer see the water puppet show. Less people speak English in Hanoi than the rest of the trip. However the staff at the Hotel Continental were top notch. I recommend a walk by the nearby lake with tea or drinks at one of the local tea shops. Our trip was beyond what we expected and i would do it again in a minute. We did travel at the least crowded time of the year which was worthwhile because Angkor Wat was not crowded. Our group included some younger members but most were 50-70 years old and well travelled. Read Less

We chose this cruise and land excursion to get a good understanding of the culture of SE Asia. Unlike others I found the ship quaint and it fit the area we were traveling in. While the stairs were steep and there were some tall banks to climb. The itinerary stated that this trip was for people that could climb stairs and navigate uneven terrain. Viking went out of their way to accommodate people that were physically challenged. The food was excellent on the ship. There were two meals that were served away from the hotel and the ship that were less than spectacular. I would suggest that Viking revisit those locations. Excursions were excellent. The only excursion that I would do away with is the one to the lacquer factory. It turned out to be a shopping stop a a cheap souvenir shop. All of the rest of the stops were extremely interesting. We also found our tour guide Lee to go out of his way to insure that we having a good time. He was well trained and very knowledgeable about all the areas and history of the region. Viking also brought in secondary guides in parts of Vietnam and Cambodia. The tour included a visit to a school and a orphanage. Most of the people on the tour only went to the orphanage. I would suggest that one of these tours be replaced with an alternate excursion. Vikings plan to include all excursions as part of the tour makes it easier for planning and keeping the group together. Read Less

We loved this cruise. The staff friendly and helpful. The guides (Ut and Tony) were outstanding, very helpful and gave us interesting insights into the two countries we visited (Vietnam and Cambodia). We visited out of the way places we would never have done on our own. The local guides were all very good too and shared their love for the places we saw and their special knowledge. The city tours and Angor Wat temples were wonderful and well organized. We took the extended tour to Halong Bay and it was worth the extra time and cost. What a beautiful sight! We got the chance to visit a couple of schools during the trip and talk with the children and teachers. It was very heartening to see the efforts made by the new generation to overcome the hardships caused by the country's recent history. We liked being able to contribute something to these efforts. The ship was a nice size, about 50 passengers, and we were happy to get to know the others in the group. The food was varied and very good.The cabins were lovely and comfortable -- wood paneled like the boat itself. We loved the old-timey feel -- but appreciated the air-conditioning! The weather, even in January, is pretty hot and humid, so pack accordingly. We enjoyed the pre-breakfast tai-chi lessons on the top deck each morning, watching the sunrise and seeing the fishing boats making their way along the river. We enjoyed the cocktail hour on the top deck every evening, watching the sun set on the Mekong. Beautiful photos! All the hotel stays were luxurious. The hotel in Siem Riep (near the Angor temples) was heavenly. I'd go on this cruise again in a heartbeat! Read Less

I had read very good reviews about this boat but found I was a little disappointed. It could possibly be that we went at the wrong time of year as the Mekong was very low and getting on and off the boat was an ordeal at times. The crew had to dig out steps in the muddy banks or put cardboard on the damp mud (an accident waiting to happen, gladly I didn't hear of anyone having one). During one excursion we had to disembark from the boat into a sampan and then up a very steep path to shore where unfortunately I pulled a muscle in my calf and was unable to walk. I remained on the sampan until the excursion finished and we returned to the boat. When I mentioned this to the hotel manager she promptly got me an elastic bandage and arranged for me to have a massage at the ships expense, which greatly helped but I was unable to join any excursions the following day. In the brochure free drinks and cocktails were advertised but unfortunately the cocktails were only available on special occasions (Captains Dinner, New Years Eve and final Good bye dinner). The cabins offer a balcony but none of the cabins had one, there was a door which opened onto a shelf which housed the air conditioning unit - there was no room to even get outside. The cabins were extremely dark and the lights had to be on all the time in order for you see around ok. The restaurant catered for all tastes and the staff were always extremely pleasant. The most disappointing for us was that there was no entertainment/quiz/lecture etc after dinner so most people just went to bed out of boredom. Read Less

Our Mekong cruise with Pandaw exceeded our expectations. This ship was very comfortable, the food was very good and quite plentiful, the guides were knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and the staff was just superlative. I left my coat on the van that took us from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, and Pandaw tracked it down and sent it to me, with excellent communication. This would be a surprise from many companies, but after the wonderful service we experienced on our cruise, I wasn't a bit surprised. Weve been on top cruise lines, especially Seabourn, so our standards have been raised considerably. Pandaw suited us just fine. Book with confidence that you made a good choice. Read Less

As we worked more than 30 years for international organizations, we have been frequent travelers all our life, but this travel was really a highlight. This travel started at Ho Chi Minh city and ended at Siem Rep in Cambodia. The entire cruise included daily shore excursions with small boat tours, great buses to reach other places, horses and cows carts,etc., and always excellent guides explaining absolutely everything you wanted to know. Entertainment was fantastic too: local traditional music and dances shows in the evening, marionettes spectacle, local musicians, etc. Disembarkation in every place (including spontaneous spots discovered on the way) was really amazing: in minutes, an absolute secure bridge to the coast was built, including side protections, hand rails, and a row of staff helping gently to safely walk down. The boat is so nice, well equipped, comfortable. The food exceptionally good (we are expert cooks ourselves...and we learned a lot!!). The staff in the boat, ALL, were really exceptionally good, friendly, efficient… and any good thing additionally you can think about!! SUMMARY: All in all, just perfect!!! There is absolutely nothing that we could criticize negatively. The contrary, just congratulations to Pandaw for a fantastic cruise!!! Every day was a new enjoyable journey, and we were sad to leave the boat at the end of our travel... Read Less

Recently we participated in what was advertised as an 8 day river cruise, for people with a "good level of fitness", up the Mekong from Saigon to Siem Reap. It promised active excursions that required a good level of fitness. It was the promise of the days spent on the river on the luxurious AmaLotus, along with the opportunity to enjoy active excursions, that sold us on the trip. We arrived at the given time at the Sheraton Hotel in Saigon to register. As we watched other participants gather, we wondered if we were in the right place, as very few of the people gathering looked to be of a "good level of fitness". A number needed canes and walking sticks to aid in their mobility. It turns out that this was the right group and the right cruise. Our excursions were limited by the lowest common denominator, where our guides were apologizing if the distance we needed to walk was longer than 15 minutes. This could hardly be called "active". The cruise was billed as an "8 day river cruise", with fine print stating that the itinerary would be subject to change depending on weather and conditions. That's fair enough. What was not made clear is the fact that it is only for a scant 2 months out of the year that the ship is actually able to navigate up the Tonle Sap all the way to the port nearest to Siem Reap. The fact is that the trip really was a 7 day river cruise and one day on the bus, having back-tracked to Phnom Phen. The bus trip was over 6 hours long and all the was provided was the cost for the use of the toilets on the two toilet stops along the way. On arrival to Siem Reap, those of us who were not continuing with APT, were basically ushered off the bus and left to fend for ourselves, without even refreshments or a basic lunch provided after a less than comfortable bus ride. On the positive side, the ship was beautifully appointed and the crew were helpful and friendly. The food was abundant and deliciously prepared. Sadly the wines were questionable. The saving features of the cruise were the local guides. While the excursions were disappointing overall, the guides made up for it with their generous sharing of their passion for their respective countries and their perspective on both historical events and how they continue to impact and influence the current social and political climate. Tim in Vietnam and Wanti in Cambodia in particular deserve a special mention. Thanks to them a trip that would have been a major disappointment, was redeemed to a great degree. Read Less

We also did only the river cruise as part of a broader package that APT travel provides. The trip was advertised as requiring a "good level of fitness" to participate in the excursions. "Good level of fitness" included passengers who required a good level of assistance simply to get on and off the boat. We were expecting an active holiday. It was definitely more sedentary than what we expected from the advertising. The trip was advertised as an "8 day river cruise". In small print it did say that the itinerary would be subject to change dependent on conditions and weather. The truth of the matter is that the conditions for cruising all the way up the Mekong and Tonle Sap waterways from Saigon to Siem Reap are right for a short two months of the year, during the rainy season. For the rest of the year the water levels are too low, to allow for the passage of the ship. Instead we had to endure a 6 1/2 hour bus ride from Phnom Phen to Siem Riep, with two rest stops where APT generously covered the cost for the use of the toilets. On arrival to Siem Reap, those of us who were not part of the ongoing land tour, were basically ignored and left to our own devices. Not even refreshments were provided. On the plus side, the ship, the AmaLotus, was beautifully appointed, with highly capable and professional staff. The food was outstanding, though the wines served with the meals were pretty mediocre. The saving feature on the cruise were the guides. We were provided with local guides both in Vietnam and then in Cambodia. They shared freely of their abundant knowledge about their countries, both from an historical perspective, as well as the a forward-looking cultural perspective. Read Less

Joined the ship in Saigon for a 3 night / 4 day cruise to Phnom Penh. Cost was approximately £500 (GBP) per night for a double cabin. Passengers met for registration at the Intercontinental Asiana in Saigon. It was disappointing that Pandaw did not arrange for coffee to be available during what turned out to be a 2 hour wait for transport to the ship. Not a good first impression. That said, instead of the expected 2 hour bus ride to My Tho on the Mekong delta to meet the ship we had a 10 minute ride to Saigon Port and the bonus of an extra half day on the water as we proceeded down the Saigon River to the Mekong delta from there. This included a spectacular sunset. The ship itself is very beautiful and well maintained. There are 16 double cabins - and our cruise had 28 passengers. All were middle aged (or older) Europeans, Australians or Canadians. The atmosphere was friendly and enjoyable throughout with free seating at meals and all local beers and spirits included. Cabins are spacious and the bathrooms amazingly large and functional with an excellent shower. Without exception, the staff are wonderful. On the downside, the excursions and the food were slightly disappointing, especially given the price paid for what is classed as a "top of the range" cruise. The fact that the cruise took place during the lunar New Year (Tet) meant that the river was not its normal bustling self and the floating market had everything except any floating markets!! The excursions ashore were not particularly interesting (and not as advertised) - again maybe due to Tet - though it was always good to get off the ship and stretch ones legs for a couple of hours. The food was OK but nothing to write home about - interestingly we had much better on a 1 night cruise in Halong Bay (which cost half as much per night). We also thought it slightly mean that a "house wine" could not be provide for dinner. All-in-all a very enjoyable experience, though a little expensive for what it was. For us, 3 nights was certainly enough. Read Less

Before booking this kind of holiday please make sure it is for you. If it is what you want it is great, if not you could very well be disappointed. My husband and I cruised on La Marguerite 9-16 September 2014. Our first disappointment was that we in our mid 50s were the youngest on board. On booking we had asked about ages and told it was mixed, but most were 70+. The ship is very nice, but not a lot of space to move about. Food was excellent but the lack of activity made it hard to enjoy it, as I never felt that hungry. All the staff were sweet and attentive - faultless in every way, and the boat was immaculately clean. The Vietnamese cruise director was incredible - Son - he could sell you anything - each day raising our hopes about the 'beautiful' things we were going to see, and though on each trip we were disappointed, we still believed him again next time. Without his lead there may well have been dissatisfied voices, but no-one wanted to upset him I think! the local guides who travelled with us had excellent English and tried hard, but they had little to show us. The real problem was the excursions. There really is nothing to see along the way, in Vietnam the river is wide and brown, the shore the same old farming land or village slums and rubbish, and most of the other boats you pass are large dredgers. In Cambodia it is slightly better, no dredgers. I didn't find anything beautiful to look out at. the sky is cloudy all the time, creating oppressive heat, then at some point each day there is a torrential down pour which can last hours. If you are on an excursion at the time, bad luck, put on a mac and get on with it. Mud everywhere! The daily excursions are to villages and to look at the homes of the people - so poor and full of rubbish - schools, markets (with some quite unpleasant sights) and temples, that are neither ancient or attractive. By the end of the week about half of the party had given up getting off the boat! If you want to see the real life of the local people, can face the dirt, smells and rubbish, and like sitting around chatting on the boat with free drinks and good food, and amateur evening entertainment - including poor copies of dvds - then this is for you. If you are expecting luxury, 5*, freedom to walk around on lovely excursions (during the briefing each night Son told us that the excursion would involve about 500 mtrs walking and 10 or so steps to climb - you get the idea - not meant for those with energy or no walking issues) then choose something else. As I said before - if this is what you are looking for you will love it. I felt we had been missold - or maybe I should have done more research before booking rather than relying on the travel agent and glossy brochure. Read Less

We went on the 12 day vietnam Cambodia tour including 7 nights river cruising. Started in Saigon at Sheraton, had a wonderful Luke Nguyen inspired degustation at Xu, absolutely faultless! Went to the Tunnels which was an eye opener, especially when one person at the tunnels told us he had lived in the tunnels for 12 years during the vietnam war...unbeleivable!!!!! Did an amazing cookery class in Saigon. Breakfast at Sheraton was brilliant, our guide in Saigon was great. After 2 days we got on the boat, which was in good condition, aparently only a couple of years old, I believe. The staff on the cruise were very good and tried to learn our names and what we liked to have, they tried hard to please. The food was okay, and the steak was excellent although sometimes a little rare. The salads became a bit boring and the menu was a bit limiting. The wine was often off or undrinkable, however each time we complained of this, which was often, they would replace with a slightly better wine that was not off. This was a bit tiresome and would have preferred that APT supply at least bottled wine of a better quality so often we purchased bottles wine. My husband complained, but it still kept happening. Vietnam and Cambodia was an eye opener, as to the amount of poverty, but the people seemed to be happy and clean. We were shocked by how the war had affected so many and cruising along you get to see the poverty which was very sad. The tour guides and cruise director had great sense of humour and spoke pretty good english. Some of the tours were too drawn out and could have been done in half the time, which often made it boring.i.e. In Siem Reap, we got up at 4.00 am to meet at 4.45 to go to Angkor Wat to take photos, which was a few minutes drive away, after getting tickets and after a short walk in, although the day was cloudy I still managed to get some nice shots. We then stood around doing nothing, and some wandered over to have a coffee or champagne and at 7.00 oclock , I was too bored by the waiting and went back to the hotel on a tuk tuk and advised the tour organiser of this. Whilst I was having breakfast I noticed several other people also did the same as me. The bus ride to Siem Reap was supposed to be 5 hrs, and we were told a few days before that they had been working on the bridge for the past couple of years and we could not go upstream any further and the trip could be perhaps 5.5 hrs. It was a very unconfortable 6.5 hrs, the road had been damaged by flooding some time previously and the road was extremely bumpy and dusty. We stopped twice for a toilet stop and were not given any lunch even though we started off at 8.00am but were told to purchase a snack at the WC stop, which consisted of chippies, biscuits etc. We got to the hotel and were told a club sandwhich with beer or softdrink had been organised but at our cost I thought this was not well handled by APT. A 6.5 hr bumpy dusty bus trip should have at least had a meal supplied by APT during the ride, especially when they had known the length of time it would take and what the road was like, as the floods had happened several months ago. .After the long and dusty bus ride some of our luggage was completely covered in dust and when at the hotel we put a back pack on the bed, which left a filthy brown mark, as it did on my clothes. The Sofitel in Siem Reap was very very nice in a beautiful setting. I had a cookery class, except they cancelled, even though there were 8 people wanting to do it and was booked in for a massage as a 2nd choice. APT later arranged a cooking class, at our cost, and we had to cancel the massage as it was at the same time, and could not make another time. The cooking class was nice and we had a lovely meal there. We were unable to get a return flight from Siem Reap and had to stay an extra night so we chose not to take the APT included flights and got a $500 rebate and purchased business class, although we cld not get a connecting flight from Singapore to home and also had to stay extra time there. We had been met at the airport in Saigon by APT, but we were only 1 couple out of 3 couples that were not given a delivery to the airport by APT as were leaving, but fortunately Sofitel,( as we chose to stay in a suite), kindly offered to take us there in their hotel car. Although we are avid small ship cruisers, and had not done any river cruising before, we have thought a lot about the trip since leaving and will probably try a river cruise in Europe at some stage, as we had met a lot of wonderful people on board Amalotus which made for an amazing time.   Read Less

My wife and I just returned from our Feb/Mar AMA Lotus cruise, south to north, a few weeks ago. My wife and I were very happy with this cruise. The “Con” remarks below are meant as constructive and hopefully would not lead anyone to think that they should not take this trip. This trip is a little different from AMA Waterways North to South tours. The main thing is that on the North to South version, you spend a night in Hanoi and the next day you are bused to Ha Long Bay for an overnight on a Junk. The next day, you are taken directly to the airport for a flight to Siem Reap. Your port of entry into Cambodia is via the Siem Reap Airport and you can do a Visa-On-Entry. On the South to North version, you cruise up the Mekong Delta and enter Cambodia via one of several river stops. You cannot do a Visa-On-Entry this way and must have a Visa Stamp in your Passport. I actually requested both of the required Visa’s directly from the Vietnam and Cambodia in Washington, D.C. You will save a hundred dollars or more this way and the applications can be found on their websites. It was very easy to do. Be sure to request a Multi-Entry for Vietnam. I’ve reviewed many restaurants in both Saigon and Hanoi on TripAdvisor (Semi-OldTraveler). There are some great places to eat in both cities. After our tour with AMA Waterways, we stayed on for several days in Hanoi. There we toured with Hanoi Eco Tours. Another very good group. They also can be found on TripAdvisor. A small note, AMA Waterway only gives you about 1 day each in Saigon and Hanoi. This is normal with most companies. It is not enough time to see these cities. So I would recommend that you plan on arriving a few days early and also stay a few days after to really get the most out of this tour. Pro: 1. AMA Waterways provided very good transport between airport/hotel and vise verse if you are arriving outside normally scheduled transfer periods, if you book it through them. In both Saigon and Hanoi, the airports are about a 55 – 60 minute drive either way and taxis’ needs to be researched before you get to Vietnam if you are planning on going that route. AMA charged us $60 each way for special transfer which is about what taxis’ will charge, so I’ve been told. Worth the money. 2. Hotel section in Saigon, Siem Reap, and Hanoi are all 4 – 5 Star properties. Siem Reap is to die for and most of our group would have liked to spend the balance of the trip there. 3. AMA Waterways only gives you a couple of hours at each of the temples in Siem Reap. As it turned out, this is more than enough time. 4. Rooms and other facilities on the AMA Lotus were all pretty good (except for the two front cabins which are next to the anchor chain locker.) No major complaints there as they warned us before dropping/raising the anchor. 5. Food in the hotels was what you would expect from these types of properties, i.e. very good. Food on the AMA Lotus was pretty good and you get a good International menu with each meal. 6. The cruise director and all of our guides were very good. On day one, you are broke up into smaller groups to accommodate the smaller buses and you will normally stay with that group throughout the tour. We heard a complaint about only one guide outside of our group. 7. AMA Waterways tries hard to make it easy during the many transfers on/off the boat, hotel check-ins, and border crossings. Con: 1. Being notified of a last minute change to the schedule (arrived with our final package/tickets days before departing) was not necessary as AMA knew about the changes for weeks prior. It could have presented a problem with Visa’s had we not been persistent in determining our Cambodia entry point. See #3. below. 2. The drink policy on-board the boat was not as AMA advertised including our Welcome Letter on the boat. Wine and beer are only free during lunch/dinner in the dining room (not in the lounge) and other liquor (whiskey, vodka, gin, and rum) are free only as long as you drink their local brand and don’t mix any other alcohol with it, i.e. no free martinis. When brought to the Hotel Manger’s attention on the boat he said that the letter was incorrect and would need to be changed. There website posted the same information. 3. There was too much confusion over the point of the Cambodian border crossing on the south to north bound trip prior to getting our Visa. The company that AMA recommended to process the paperwork for us assumed we were going into Cambodia via the Siem Reap Airport which was wrong. I and my TA got two different answers directly from AMA before getting the correct entry point. As a side point, it is very easy to apply for the Visa’s yourself (multi-entrance for Vietnam and single for Cambodia) and you will save a couple hundred in additional processing fees. 4. The Wi-Fi on the boat left much to be desired. There was absolutely nothing on the TV. They did have some old movie DVDs if you wanted them. It would have been nice if they would have maybe had some news feeds. We saw satellite and other TV antenna’s in most places we sailed so it should not have been a problem. 5. At the Wat Hanchey stop, many of us felt that we were scammed by the locals and AMA should have forewarned us. Ladies were selling packages of 10 children’s books in a clear wrapper for $5.00. If you buy them and distribute to the children standing around, the children take the books back to other women where they are rewrapped and sold again. Even the Buddhist priests were turning them back in for resale. 6. Final bill on the boat was provided in Vietnam Dong vice US currency. This resulted in another transaction/conversion fee by my credit card company. In all my years of traveling with US based cruise companies, the final bill has always been in US dollars. Two of the hotels, Saigon and Siem Reap quoted the final bill in both currencies and even the Junk in Ha Long Bay billed us in US dollars. 7. The tour director made a pretty big deal out of providing sandwiches for us at the Siem Reap Airport prior to our flight. They were horrible and we got a small meal on the airplane which would have been adequate. 8. On the flight between Siem Reap and Hanoi, some couples could not sit together (think rows different). There really didn’t appear to be any excuse for this as AMA knows far enough in advance of the flight to book your seats together. 9. This last one and I’m not sure it is AMA’s fault but ultimately, they are in charge. All one morning our guide had bad audio equipment to contend with. I belief that all of the land portions of the tour is subcontracted by AMA and the subcontractor provides the equipment. It was only the one morning and the guide was on the phone constantly trying to get better equipment (it was her transmitting unit). After 3 replacements, she finally was given a working unit after lunch.   Read Less

If you re interested in a combination land cruise in Vietnam and Cambodia along with Halong Bay Junk cruise and 7 day river cruise on MeKong,this was a great option. Hanoi is starting point and all hotels were 5 star here and in Seim Reip and HoChiMinh city.Bus used in each town very nice with great tour guides,drivers,etc. Halong Bay junk was only mediocre with small cabin,poor lighting,and so so food The cool,cloudy weather didnt help,but still glad we went and area was beautiful. Flight to Seim Reip short and Cambodia visa could be taken care of before hand with cruise manager($20 ea.plus passport photo).We did get our own Vietnam visa ahead of time. Tours to Anghor Wat and other temples can be a challange to those not in good physical condition,,very hot,lots of climbing,uneven ground and loads of tourists.Wonderful to see and explore but was tired after am tours and took pm tours off to rest by pool.Do take tuk tuk to town and explore.We ate in 2 good restaurants recommended by our guides(do ask). Loved visiting the small towns along river banks and seeing the friendly kids and kind adults who tolerated us wandering thru their villages.Do bring some small gifts for kids(not money). We took small boats to floating villages,toured market areas,visited pagodas,monastery.Most days had both am and pm tours,so you are kept very busy. Amalotus is a great ship,fantastic crew,nice rooms,good food.We parked next to the Pandaw(Viking ship) and ours was much newer with outside balconies.I wish they had screens on balcony door to keep open at nite(but unable to now due to bugs coming in). The ship had 4 major groups onboard and they tended to stick together for both tours and dinner.This can be a little difficult if your group isn t cohesive.It was difficult to mingle since others spoke different languages(with different guides and sometimes different meeting places for lectures,etc).This was very different from other river cruises I ve been on.For me,a little to structured. HoChiMInh city and Pnem Penh were both great to visit and very crowded too.Hard to wander around due to traffic,especially the motorbikes.We took taxis or tuk tuks. I would recommend AMA for Vietnam and Cambodia,but do a lot of online research,look at videos,read reviews,etc.This would not be my choice for first cruise,appeals more to the well traveled cruiser not overwhelmed with visitng a 3rd world country. Read Less

The Amalotus was new so no excuses in most areas of comment. The ships hold approx 126 people however for the second time this season there was only 26. What an absolute blessing, when it is full the restaurants and lounge areas would have been extremely uncomfortable. You would think with so few people on board that there might have been a friendly atmosphere for travelling however stubborn, older people of any nationality always makes for a challenge. The company APT has many strict rules about how to board the ship and disembark for excursions etc, however the old people we travelled with arrogantly and dangerously refused to wear their life jackets because "I have a boat at home and never wear one "etc etc what they failed to realise with all their wisdom and life experience that they then place others at risk and would in an emergency expect other to come to their safety in a risk situation. Not acceptable the rules are their for everyone know and accept this before you go or don't go! APT also sells these cruises to any one over the age of 40, this is a myth, if you are under 55 you will feel like you have made a huge mistake and also you will not be made to feel welcome, old people are bullies and treat other adults as children to get their own way -- it's a sad fact that left us wondering at what age do old people become so nasty and manipulative The ship looks new as it still should, the first lunch on arrival was a buffet and a la carte, salads, fruit feature as the best options, the desserts as mentioned in some other reviews are not worth looking forward to, small selection, unimaginative there was obviously no pastry chef on board, fresh fruit and poor quality pastries are the best you can hope for kind of like cheap supermarket fare. Knowing this we took chocolate and our own goodies for deserts The lobby shop is a waste of time, loads of rubbish that you can pick up anywhere at markets, nothing to provide a memory of your trip and nothing of any value APT has failed on the sundeck, it is furnished with old crabby cane furniture, it is already mouldy, there is no music no atmosphere and bad decor and the bar area is not what they presented in their brochure photographs -- misleading but that's the way that operate! We had a suite, very dark they have not incorporated the colours and fabrics of the Vietnam/ Cambodian culture, a missed opportunity there The bar has a drink each night for everyone that is complimentary, it was about 50/50 as to whether this is drinkable, mostly very strong made of local spirits, however drinks were cheap anyway approx $6-$8 for a cocktail The aircon in our suite was terrific and much needed, due to their being less people on board getting access to the DVD library and the interest was not too much of a problem The balcony area had 2 chairs in the suite but only one for other cabins- what a stupid thing to do, a romantic cruise down the Mekong and only one of you and sit outside for the view- another example of cost cutting and bad planning, the amenities in the suites were cheap rubbish, in an effort to appear ECO friendly the 5 star extras you are paying for have been sacrificed. The bathroom was great wood panelling a huge bath with jets and spacious shower the linen was good quality the bed comfortable The chefs are Indonesian and from the Philippines, so no flair to food simple only. Breakfast is also a simple meal so special choices here pretty much less than you would have in your own home, the restaurant has no atmosphere no music just a silent room - another missed opportunity The floors in the rooms are fake wood and due to the extreme heat are already starting to warp and buckle, every small every simple hut along the Mekong has cable TV and satellite service however APT cannot get an antenna or dish to provide this service We did our own thing on excursions which made it possible to fit in more and get a better feel for where ever we were, if you are capable of only shuffling along stay with the guide, again this was not a trip for people who were not physically active, but again like so many of these trips old sick people with less mobility provide challenges and delays for staff and other travellers- please do not do this, some trips state that you need to be mobile for a reason and climbing off and on small rocky boats is precarious. The evacuation procedure was not done until the afternoon of the second day so just lucky we did not sink on the first?? What is with cruise ships their first priority should always be safety -- you are on your own anyway as only a handful of staff speak any English The breakfast buffet has kid's cereals on it -- why? There were no kids on board thank goodness -- please cruise companies cater to the adults who are paying 5 star prices The sheets in your cabin are not changed daily you would need to request this- and don't forget this cruise is sold as a 5 star experience, if this is what you want you will have to ask for it They ran out of tea bags lucky that I had brought some of my own????? Again great planning- who is thinking of what the guests need We bought bunches of flowers at the local markets and put them in our cabin as the cruise will not do this for you even though you are in a suite, and you will have to fight to get a vase to put them in- good luck The seafood was for the most part excellent and all of the fresh fruit- no rich food at all so great for a diet plan when you remember the absence of dessert temptations. Because most of the places you are visiting both in Vietnam and Cambodia have no differences in terms of attractions and scenery you will visit 3 silk weaving places and several identical markets and 3 floating villages, - hard to maintain the same enthusiasm but that's where you are in the world and that is all there is to see , the small villages are a massive step back in time, no electricity some of them and horse and cart for transport but all the people are friendly and there is a percentage that want a piece of you -- you are a wealthy tourist right? The guides provide an Ok service, they really need to be able to communicate properly one of ours would tell different groups of people different times for departure so some would be stressed out and some relaxed- they would sometimes change the times for breakfast and not tell you- hopeless, if you question these confusing practices you could be accused of being racist and well we know how defensive that response is and how unnecessary The ship docks midstream every night except at phom penh The Cambodian guide straight out lied about his countries history in an attempt to hide his kings' actions during their very famous genocide, now why would a guide do that you have to ask yourself, the guides have their hands out for tips frequently and they don't always deserve it Despite all being poor they have a university education are well travelled and would be quite happy for you to sponsor them. Because you are travelling with geriatrics you will miss out on the most special places for example, Oudong one of the ancient capital city in Cambodia, we decided to go here and give a miss the visit to yet another newly built temple What a great decision thanks to our own research a special amazing place don't miss it if you have the chance we walked around as much as we could -- beautiful APT changed our free choice dinners in both destinations to inferior restaurant options leaving us very disappointed -- no explanation of course just suck it up The ship may be new but is badly built in Vietnam and they are famous for their poor quality build and it is furnished with dated examples of Asian furniture sale stock, it will age and deteriorate quickly The scenery remains unchanged for the whole trip so I guess the idea of doing this trip is to enjoy the cruise which you will have trouble doing when it is full, the public areas like many river cruise ships do not cater for all on board so your cabin takes on a higher importance. Also having seen hours and hours and hours of Cambodia by bus I can tell you that there is nothing of any interest there, bad roads, no facilities, no infrastructure you are better off spending a week in Siem reap and doing day trips around there and also spend a few days at least in phnon penh it's a great fun city with easy access to museums and the killing fields and do a Mekong river cruise from there for the day -- its easy, plenty of good quality, affordable river cruise ships, they provide meals and then you have seen all there is to see. This cruise is touted as the thing you must do after European river cruising however -- think very hard about what you expect and measure that against what you are going to get, you do your cruising mostly at night anyway when its pitch black and there are no views. Honestly if I had my time over I would do what I have suggested above.   Read Less

We are an Australian retired couple who in recent years have travelled extensively in Europe including a number of ocean and river cruises. Our standards and expectations are high. In selecting a trip we are looking for good food, stylish cabin and a port/tour intensive itinerary .. we rarely use on board ship facilities such as spa, pool or go to entertainment. The trip on Amalotus exceeded our expectations and is more highly rated than our two recent luxury river cruises in Europe. All aspects of the tour were exceptionally well organised and executed from embarkation in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to dis-embarkation for Siem Reap. Tours ran like clock work. Dining on Amalotus was very good. Travel in Asia is an opportunity to explore new things. There was a wide variety of western and asian selections. At lunch there was an 'activity station' where meals were cooked on order ...this provided an opportunity to try new noodle dishes and other local specialities. The only area where there was mild disappointment was deserts where pastries and tarts tended to be a little dry. The included beer and wines are perfectly acceptable (like an Australian table/cask wine) and there is a small varied wine list. Only a small number of people on our trip seemed to be using the wine list. Cabins are well appointed. There is no satellite TV but a comprehensive DVD movie collection is available. Critically the air conditioning worked really well. The most outstanding aspect of the trip is the tours. The variety is really good with just the right amount of time being spent in each place. Other reviews of Amalotus and the sister ship La Margeurite describe the tours in detail so I will not repeat the same information. The tour guides English was excellent and they very much engaged with their groups with a great sense of humour and fun. Passengers were divided into groups at check in for embarkation and these were the tour groups. However unlike a previous reviewer we did not find these groups were rigid and saw some people changing groups without any issues. Many unique experiences were available from ox cart rides thru a small village and the paddy fields to visiting markets, seeing Buddhist monks seeking alms , a Buddhist blessing and understanding some of the terrible conflicts people have endured. Aside from the actual tours on most days there was exceptional sight seeing from the boat as it moved along. Technology .. there is free wifi in the lounge(no option for cabin). We found this worked really well in general with only a couple of black spots. TIPS .. Take something for the children but not sweets (dentists are expensive) ...school items, pens, paper and toiletries such as toothpaste, toothbrushes are very welcome. Travel from Saigon to Siem Reap if there is a choice ...in this direction the river sight seeing just gets better and better each day. If you plan to travel extensively it is worth investing in some secure luggage such as a back pack, camera strap, ladies carry bag and wallet. This will ensure you feel secure in markets and crowded areas as your personal possessions will not be easily slashed or pick pocketed. Take some insect repellent for the room .... there were one or two bugs that found their way in at night. Also take personal insect repellent including a small spray for the backpack on outings. Read Less

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is an unvarnished subjective review of my recent Viking river cruise on the Mekong on the RV Tonle. Viking is the most recent of a number of tour companies that contract the Pandaw river boats for their vacation packages. We had taken Viking cruises in China and Russia and enjoyed them very much, so we had no qualms about booking this one. We had to work with the Viking travel agent (TA) for several days before we finally obtained a sailing date that fit our schedule, although we put ourselves on a waiting list for several others. At this point communications with our TA ceased, as he no longer returned my phone calls or answered my emails. Other TA's could not, or would not give me any information about the wait lists, so I finally gave up and resigned myself to the March 19 sailing. The Generations visa service was expensive but efficient and I had no complaints. The air booking person was very helpful and made some modifications for me so I could leave Hanoi a day earlier due to a commitment here at home. I was also able to use some frequent flyer miles to upgrade to business class on the trans-pacific flight to and from Tokyo. By the time we landed in Saigon, it was 1030 PM and we were escorted to the hotel by our Viking representative and checked in by midnight. Thus, the first day of the tour was already over. The good news was that the Sofitel Saigon Plaza hotel in Saigon was wonderful, as were all the hotels on this vacation. Viking always does a great job in picking top-notch lodgings. We were escorted to the hotel by one of our two guides (Tom and Kong). Our guides were superb, spoke excellent English and did a good job in looking after our every need. There were 62 of us on the cruise. I would guess that the average age was about 70. Most were well-heeled, well- traveled, and well- educated. There were a few that should not have been on the trip due to mobility issues. Many of the tours require physical dexterity and good balance. The American Disabilities Act standards do not apply in Vietnam and Cambodia. I assume that they either did not read the caveats in the brochures or chose to ignore them. They ended up being a burden for our guides. Potential customers should use some common sense before booking a cruise such as this. My recommendations are as follows: If you use a cane to walk- Don't go. If you can't go at least 2 1/2 hours without going to the toilet-Don't go. If you have balance problems or vertigo-Don't go The Saigon tours were interesting, and included the Reunification Palace, Chinatown, a lacquer factory, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the central market. As expected, there was some force feeding of Communist propaganda during the excursions. The war museum was completely one-sided, as expected and featured some former South Vietnamese Air Force aircraft that had been repainted with USAF insignia. I failed to mention that I was the only Vietnam War combat veteran on the trip, having flown as a navigator in AC-130 Gunships, primarily in Cambodia. Since I had been based in Thailand, I had only seen Cambodia from the air. When we ceased operations in August 1973, we knew it was only a matter if time until the Khmer Rouge took over the country, but we never foresaw the genocide that was to come under Pol Pot. At that time no one even knew about Pol Pot. Our guides tried to tip-toe around the politics, but had to toe the party line, at least in Vietnam. That evening, we were transported to the Rex Hotel for a nice fixed menu dinner and cultural dance presentation. After a sumptuous breakfast, we were transported to the ship via bus and greeted by the friendly crew of the RV Tonle. The accommodations were comfortable, but not luxurious. Bottled water was freely dispensed for drinking and tooth brushing. The dinner and lunch menus varied between quite good to acceptable. The French influence was quite evident in the baguettes and other breads. The most memorable dinners included lamb, salmon and fried chicken. The breakfast buffet was wonderful, with many options. I think they did the best they could with the products that they could obtain. Local beer and well drinks were always free and complimentary South African wine was liberally dispensed at dinner. The Vietnamese and Cambodian beers were quite good, as was the white wine. I thought the red wine was dreadful, but my fellow passengers seemed to like it very much. The house liquors were mainly Philippine products. I only tried the house Vodka once and felt that it would have been more appropriate as a paint thinner. There were also reasonably priced premium beer, wine and liquor options. In the evening, there were history lectures and classic movies that were related to some of the sites we visited. Complimentary Wi-Fi was available once we crossed into Cambodia, but you had to be in the library lounge to connect. I just used my I-pod to get my web mail, rather than bringing a laptop. Regarding tipping, the guides suggested that we pay $100 per couple up front for all the tips for the local guides, bus drivers, small boat operators, etc. so we wouldn't be nickeled and dimed throughout the cruise. Most thought this was a good idea and went along with it. I also gave extra tips to the Cambodian and Vietnamese local guides who were very good. The ship tips come to around $150-170 per couple for the cruise, which you can put on a Visa or Mastercard . AMEX is not accepted onboard. Also I tipped my tour guide (Kong) about $170 at the end of the tour. It's also a good idea to bring 50-100 one dollar bills for souvenirs. High end shops and hotels take all credit cards. The dollar is the preferred currency in Cambodia and Vietnam, so there is no need to ever exchange dollars for local currencies. ATMs even dispense dollars in Cambodia. The bottom line is that you should bring about $500 cash with you. The ship and hotels all have room safes and crime seems to be almost non-existent. The tours along the Mekong were pretty much as advertised in the brochure. We were able to see and appreciate the daily lives of Vietnamese and Cambodian farmers, brick makers and fishermen. These people work very long hours for almost nothing, live in squalor, yet seem to be as happy and dignified as any millionaire on the boat. Smiling, friendly children abound everywhere. Some are looking for a hand-out, some are selling stuff, and some are just curious. Along the way, we were able to experience a variety of transportation methods, including Rickshaws and Tuk-Tuks . Many of the tours required tricky transfers onto small skiffs. During the seven days on the ship, we saw a lot of villages, Wats, orphanages, and markets. Our tour guide had worked at the notorious S-21 torture center in Phnom Penh as a small child after his parents were executed by Pol Pot. Over 2 million Cambodians were killed in the genocide. The visit to the killing fields was powerful and emotional. The bones of victims continue to surface all around the area. We could see them everywhere. I now have no regrets about my role in fighting the Khmer Rouge in 1973, other than the fact that we didn't finish the job. Perhaps, the most poignant moment for me was at Wat Hanchey in Cambodia where I saw a Buddhist monk ring a gong that was made out of the bomb casing of an unexploded US Mark 82, 500 lb bomb. Now I knew the war was really over. After disembarking, we took a five hour bus ride to Siem Reap with only one "happy house" rest stop. Fortunately, we were warned by the guides, so I was able load up on enough Immodium and lomotil to keep my "Ho Chi Minh's revenge" under control for the journey. Quite a few of the passengers had some intestinal distress that seemed to be exacerbated by the anti-malarial medication, which I stopped taking after a few days. Mosquitoes were few and far between and I think that frequent applications of DEET 30 lotion is enough protection against Malaria and Dengue fever for this tour. At Siem Reap, we checked into the stunning Sofitel Phokeetra Royal Angora Golf and Spa resort. This is one of the most beautiful and luxurious hotels I have ever seen. The rooms, service and food were outstanding. Tours of various temples including the famous Angkor Wat were amazing but the tours required quite a bit of agility to complete. Safety is not a high priority here, although the guides did their best to make sure we didn't get hurt. We also saw the mysterious Taprohm Temple which was featured in the Tomb Raider movie. Reluctantly, we finally checked out of the hotel to fly to Hanoi. Unfortunately, the flight didn't arrive in Hanoi until about 1100 PM so we didn't get to the hotel until after midnight. Once again, poor scheduling meant that we only had a few hours of sleep in the Sofitel Metropole hotel before resuming the tours. The Hotel was wonderful and the tours were good, except for the Hanoi Hilton, which was just a propaganda event. We also went to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, but I was the only passenger to decline viewing the long deceased and stuffed dictator. We had a nice farewell dinner the last night, bid adieu to our new group of friends, jumped into a cab the guide procured for us, and headed to the Hanoi airport. This was the trip of a lifetime and we are still trying to process everything that happened. I know that I glossed over a lot of details about the food and tours, and I think I really shortchanged the hardworking crew of the RV Tonle. The only English word they didn't seem to know was "no". I highly recommend this to those who prize adventure over luxury. Despite the minor problems encountered, we remain loyal Viking customers. I'm just getting a different travel agent next time. Read Less