This luxury Mekong River cruise offers a refined, slow-travel journey from southern Vietnam to Cambodia aboard The Jahan Cruise. Traveling upstream from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh, the cruise reveals the Mekong Delta at its most authentic—floating markets, colonial towns, rural villages, and life along the riverbanks—before crossing the border seamlessly into Cambodia.
Designed for travelers who value comfort, culture, and depth, this short yet immersive cruise is ideal as a standalone experience or as a graceful transition between Vietnam and Cambodia.
We bid farewell to the hustle and bustle of Saigon and travel 70 kilometers south overland to My Tho to embark your luxury floating home for your coming journey along the Might Mekong.
Upon boarding our crew warmly welcomes you and you check in to your prepared staterooms. The ship set sail and your fasctinating journey of exploring the Mekong can begin. Lunch buffet is served in the restaurant while the vessel steadily glides upstream to reach the overnight spot. Make yourself familiar with all the ship facilities. Now it is time to become one with one of the largest streams in Asia.
The afternoon allows you pastime at your private balcony or join our tea time at the open air bar as the twilight bathes the land of Mekong Delta into a golden haze.
During the time you savor your dinner the ship reaches Cai Be. Cai Be is a charming small town, famous for its Catholic French church and manufacturing of traditional crafts and food products. The floating market of Cai Be is getting smaller every year, since trading on the water is shifting more and more into modern central markets.
We drop anchor mid-stream and overnight near Cai Be.
Meals :Lunch, Dinner
Everyday, we offer to our guests an invigorating Tai Chi class on the sun deck. Set in your day like many local people do around Asia just as the sun begins its gentle glow.
A sumptuous buffet breakfast is the perfect start in your first exploration day in the Mekong Delta.
The morning tour takes you Cai Be. Cai Be still hosts a small floating market for boat to boat trading of local goods such as fruits and agricultural products. Our guide explains the particularities of this long lasting dealing cutlture. Each boat has a special marker to let buyers know what goods they are selling.
Cai Be is a rustic town criss-crossed by and many water canals. We go on-shore to visit a workshop where we learn about and observe how rice paste, rice paper, rice cookies or rice wine is manufactured. Cai Be and its surrounding areas are covered by palmtrees and hence the region is also famous for the production of coconut candies. With our local boat we continue to cruise through the lush and green canel network and can observe farmers working in the fields.
Back on board lunch is served and you have some time for yourself afterwards to either enjoy a true Vietnamese coffee at the bar or simply watch the life on the riverbanks floating by.
In the afternoon, we reach the area of Sa Dec. We embark a traditional sampan and tour towards Binh Thanh Island. This island is one of the larger ones in the vast stream of the Mekong. Some communities have settled here and make their living by growing water hyazinths. We visit exclusively one of those untouched areas. By wandering through the village we get a deep understanding of the native life. But moreover we can follow the whole process of ratt making. You can even try yourself the weaving which is still done manually. We will meet also an old local people who shares with us their story on this island and they are happy for any chit-chat with you.
Back on board you may like to pamper yourself with a spa treatment or take a dip in our pool on the sun deck. Our expert guides offer a presentation on the “Life on the Mekong Delta” as the ship continues sailing to Chau Doc - near the boarder to Cambodia. We moor mid-stream near Chau Doc.
Dinner is served and afterwards you can join our evening cinema session (offered every night) featuring selected classic movies.
Meals :Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Welcome to the fish sanctuary of Vietnam. Begin your day with a hearty breakfast at the dining hall or in the quiet sanctuary of your balcony.
Brace yourself for a tour around Chau Doc, a pleasant, slow-paced town with a sizeable Chinese, Kinh and Khmer community. Once on-shore we hop on “xelois” to explore Chau Doc. A “xeloi” is a local vehicle which is still used as a taxi in this region. We slowly move around the streets to see all the workshops, houses and domiciles. Get to feel the laid-back vibes of this place. We stop at the colorful local market near one of the town’s temples. This is the best time to interact with the vendors of this friendly town to practice your bargaining skills. We board our local boat and cruise past floating houses and finally reach a floating fish farm. This region is the source of a fish production that is sold all over the world. Here we get a deep insight on how fish farming works.
Back on board our “home” we sail towards the Vietnamese-Cambodian border. Get ready for a fascinating and leisurely cruise through the deep Cambodia countryside towards Phnom Penh.
The whole afternoon is at your own arrangements. This is the cruise part when even the last passenger will turn into cruise mode and hopefully experience the therapeutical influence this mighty river radiates. It is time for massages, time for sun bed relaxations, time for private balcony kick-backs - forsooth the time to merge with the river.
A culinary class if offered during the afternoon to sharpen your knowledge and skills on the local cuisine. Some may like to do a flying visit at the bridge - the captain always has a story to share about “his” river. “The Highway Blues” beckons as we float into a state of mild bliss and before you totally drift away join our afternoon high tea for some treats.
Dinner is served before we arrive in the capital of Cambodia around 8 o’clock. The boat docks at the pier of Phnom Penh. You are free to go for your first exploration by yourself. Stroll along the river promenade and watch the locals chit-chating, selling odds and ends or have a drink in one of the numerous bars (kindly inform our crew once you are leaving the ship on your own).
Meals :Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Welome to Phnom Penh - the once called Paris of the East. Despite its rapid development, it has retained a lot of its rustic charm and elegance. It is an amazing town to bespeak centuries of incredible history and culture which can still be felt at many street corners. After breakfast we bid farewell to our passenger of the Pearl of the Orient Cruise
Meals :Breakfast
Yes. We can arrange Fast Track services at selected international airports in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.
This service provides personalized assistance upon arrival or departure, helping travelers complete immigration and airport formalities more quickly while reducing waiting times.
Fast Track is especially recommended for families with children, senior travelers, passengers with tight connections, or anyone seeking a smoother and more comfortable airport experience.
Please contact our travel specialists for availability and pricing based on your itinerary.
It depends on your travel style and experience.
Independent travel offers flexibility and may suit experienced travelers who enjoy planning their own routes and managing logistics.
However, Vietnam can be challenging to navigate for first-time visitors due to distances, transportation options, and language barriers. Traveling with a tour, especially a private, tailor-made itinerary makes the journey more comfortable and efficient, with local guidance, reliable services, and everything arranged in advance.
Many travelers prefer a private tour as it combines flexibility with convenience, allowing them to explore Vietnam with peace of mind.
Yes, we organize customized trips for companies and organizations, including team-building programs, incentive travel, and MICE groups.
Each itinerary is tailored to your objectives, whether it’s rewarding your team, hosting an event, or combining business with leisure. We take care of logistics, coordination, and on-site support to ensure a seamless experience.
Yes, all our tours are fully customizable.
We design each itinerary based on your travel style, interests, and schedule from destinations and hotels to daily activities and pace. This allows you to enjoy a more personalized and flexible travel experience.
No mandatory vaccinations are required for most travelers entering Vietnam.
However, it is recommended to be up to date with routine vaccines such as tetanus, hepatitis A, and typhoid, particularly if you plan to visit rural areas or explore local food.
Health risks in Vietnam are generally low in major tourist destinations. We recommend basic precautions such as drinking bottled water and using insect repellent.
For specific medical advice, please consult your doctor or a travel health professional before your trip.
Vietnamese people are generally friendly and welcoming, and most visitors find it easy to adapt. However, there are a few things to keep in mind:
In general, showing respect, politeness, and a friendly attitude will help you connect easily with local people.
Yes, in most cases it is fine, especially in public places. However, it is considered polite to ask for permission before taking close-up photos of individuals.
In some situations—such as with street vendors carrying goods on a shoulder pole, they may expect you to buy something if you take photos or interact with their items. This is common in tourist areas.
A friendly smile, simple gesture, or asking first will usually make the interaction more comfortable and respectful.