The Jahan Cruise – Downstream 5 Days

Meals: Lunch, Dinner

Your journey begins at the Heritage Line welcome lounge in Siem Reap, where the team greets you before the transfer to the ship moored on the Mekong River. Enjoy a coffee before departure, then board the vessel and settle into your stateroom. The crew will introduce you to the cabin facilities before lunch is served in the onboard restaurant.

After lunch, meet the cruise director for a welcome and safety briefing in the lobby lounge. As the ship begins sailing along the Mekong, spend the afternoon relaxing on deck and watching the riverside scenery unfold.

Towards sunset, join a gathering hosted by the cruise director, with canapés and prosecco providing a pleasant opportunity to meet fellow passengers and share the excitement of the journey ahead.

Dinner is served on board, and later in the evening you may enjoy a film screening in the air-conditioned indoor lounge.

Overnight on board near Angkor Ban.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Start the morning with an optional Tai Chi session on the sundeck before breakfast. Today's programme begins with a visit to Angkor Ban, a traditional Cambodian village where community life and religious traditions remain closely connected.

Morning Excursion: Angkor Ban Village

Visit the village monastery and meet monks during their morning lessons, where opportunities may arise to learn about their daily routines and spiritual practices. Continue on foot through the surrounding community, discovering traditional houses and observing everyday activities.

The visit offers a glimpse into rural Cambodian life, with opportunities to interact with residents and photograph the village's distinctive character.

Optional Morning Excursion

Culinary Experience – Available on Jayavarman only

In addition to a shorter visit to Angkor Ban, join a local family for a cooking experience at the home of Mr. B, a former chef aboard the Jayavarman. Together with his wife and mother-in-law, learn to prepare Samlor Korko, a traditional Cambodian soup made with fish, vegetables, herbs, spices, and roasted rice. The meal is accompanied by a duck egg omelette.

Cycling Excursion – Available on any ship at an additional cost

Explore the countryside by bicycle, passing seasonal vegetable fields and traditional houses that reflect Cambodia's rural heritage. Stop to observe local blacksmiths working with traditional tools and techniques. The ride concludes with a refreshing break featuring a cold local beer or freshly pressed sugarcane juice.

• Distance: Approximately 10 km

• Duration: Approximately 120 minutes

• Terrain: Flat concrete paths

Return to the ship and continue sailing downstream towards Phnom Penh. Before reaching the capital, stop at Prek Bangkong, a village renowned for its traditional silk-weaving community.

Afternoon Excursion: Prek Bangkong

Discover a village with strong historical ties to Cambodia's royal family, who once lived in the area before relocating to the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh.

Meet local silk artisans and learn how silk is produced and transformed into textiles through traditional techniques. The visit offers an opportunity to appreciate the craftsmanship and knowledge passed down through generations.

Continue to the heritage residence of H.E. Sam-El, a historic house associated with a former architect who worked for the royal family.

Optional Afternoon Excursion

Culinary Experience – Jayavarman only

No optional culinary excursion is available during the afternoon programme.

Cycling Excursion – Available on any ship at an additional cost

Cycle through the countryside around Lavea Em, the site of a former royal palace dating from 1601 to 1618. Follow quiet roads through scenic rural landscapes, stopping at historic pagodas, silk-weaving workshops, and local markets.

A tea break at the residence of H.E. Sam-El provides a relaxing pause during the ride.

• Distance: Approximately 14 km

• Duration: Approximately 120 minutes

• Terrain: Flat concrete paths

Back on board, enjoy dinner as the ship sails past Phnom Penh's skyline and enters the Tonle River heading north. The evening concludes with an onboard film screening.

Overnight on board on the Tonle River.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today's excursions introduce you to the rural communities and traditional crafts of the Tonle River region. From pottery-making villages to rice-growing landscapes, discover a quieter side of Cambodia before returning to Phnom Penh.

Morning Excursion: Kampong Laeng

Visit Kampong Laeng, a small settlement across the river from Kampong Chhnang, a town well known for its pottery traditions. After going ashore, travel by tuk-tuk through the surrounding countryside to explore local communities and observe traditional pottery-making techniques.

The excursion also includes a visit to a pre-Angkorian temple, offering insight into Cambodia's ancient religious heritage. From a scenic viewpoint, admire the expansive floodplains and seasonal rice fields that characterise this part of the Tonle region.

Optional Morning Excursion

Culinary Experience – Available on Jayavarman only

Join a local cooking experience focused on Nom Kruak, a traditional Cambodian rice cake made with white or brown rice. Learn about the preparation of this popular snack, which is cooked on both sides to create its characteristic rounded shape. The dish also has cultural significance and is sometimes offered during local festivals.

Cycling Excursion – Available on any ship at an additional cost

Cycle through rice paddies and traditional villages, passing small businesses producing pottery and palm sugar. The flat route offers an accessible way to explore the countryside and observe the daily activities of local communities.

• Distance: Approximately 17 km

• Duration: Approximately 90 minutes

• Terrain: Flat concrete paths

Return to the ship for lunch while enjoying views of the Tonle River. Afternoon tea is served at the bar before the next shore excursion.

Afternoon Excursion: Kampong Tralach

Travel through the countryside in a traditional ox-pulled cart, following riverside paths and quiet roads bordered by rice paddies. The journey leads to a small village where you can learn about a local NGO-supported school and library project.

Alternatively, visit a nearby historic temple, believed to be approximately 300 years old, together with its Buddha shrine.

Optional Afternoon Excursion

Culinary Experience – Jayavarman only

No optional culinary excursion is available during the afternoon programme.

Cycling Excursion – Available on any ship at an additional cost

Discover more of the Tonle countryside by bicycle, passing peaceful rural landscapes and traditional villages. Along the route, visit the former royal site of Lungvek and the historic Jade Buddha Temple, dating to 1560. You may also observe local fishermen casting their nets in the calm waters of the Tonle.

• Distance: Approximately 14 km

• Duration: Approximately 120 minutes

• Terrain: Flat concrete paths

After returning to the ship, continue sailing downstream towards Phnom Penh. The vessel anchors midstream, offering views of the Cambodian capital's skyline.

Overnight on board in Phnom Penh.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today is dedicated to discovering Phnom Penh, a capital city often associated with its former title, the “Paris of the East”. Despite its modern development, the city retains historic neighbourhoods, cultural landmarks, and traces of its complex past.

Full-Day Phnom Penh City Tour

After breakfast, set out on a cyclo ride through the city before visiting the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, two important landmarks reflecting Cambodia's royal and religious heritage.

Continue to S21, the former prison that stands as a reminder of the atrocities committed during the Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s. The visit offers a sobering perspective on a significant chapter of Cambodian history.

Pause for lunch in town before exploring the country's traditional arts at Champey Academy of Arts, an institution dedicated to preserving Cambodian cultural heritage.

Observe students practising Apsara dance and learn some basic Kbach techniques under their guidance. Alternatively, spend time interacting with students or viewing traditional paintings and drawings created by young local artists.

Later, enjoy a leisurely walk through Phnom Penh's French Quarter before visiting Wat Phnom, one of the city's most recognisable temples.

A Personal Account of Cambodia's History

Return to the ship for a special presentation by Mr. Sum Rithy, a survivor of imprisonment at S21 who later participated in the Khmer Rouge tribunal. His firsthand testimony provides a unique opportunity to hear about this difficult period in Cambodia's history and engage in a discussion with someone who experienced it.

In the evening, enjoy an open-air barbecue and gala dinner accompanied by a traditional Apsara dance performance.

After dinner, you may explore Phnom Penh independently, taking a stroll along the lively riverside promenade or visiting its cafés and bars.

Overnight on board in Phnom Penh.

Meals: Breakfast

Enjoy your final breakfast on board before disembarking in Phnom Penh.

Your 5-day, 4-night Mekong River journey concludes here. Take with you memories of Cambodia's riverside communities, traditional craftsmanship, historic temples, and the cultural encounters experienced along the way.

End of the cruise.