Mekong

The Mekong is the lifeblood of Southeast Asia, flowing 4,350 kilometres from the Tibetan Plateau through six countries before fanning out into Vietnam's fertile delta. A river cruise on the lower Mekong — between Cambodia's Phnom Penh and Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City — offers an intimate encounter with cultures and ways of life that have remained largely unchanged for centuries.

The undisputed highlight is Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor — the largest religious monument on earth and capital of the Khmer Empire at its twelfth-century zenith. The scale and artistry of Angkor Wat, Bayon with its serene stone faces, and the jungle-reclaimed Ta Prohm leave a lasting impression. The floating villages of the Tonlé Sap and the Buddhist monasteries of Phnom Penh's Sisowath Quay offer vivid cultural contrasts.

In Vietnam, the Mekong Delta presents a labyrinth of waterways lined with coconut groves and floating markets heaped with tropical fruit. The unhurried pace of life here — sampans laden with rice, monks in saffron robes at riverside temples — makes a Mekong cruise an unforgettable cultural experience.