Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap
October 2025

Arriving in Ho Chi Minh City was a sensory overload! People, scooters, smells and the heat! I had one night in Ho Chi Minh City to explore this very busy cosmopolitan city. The following day we checked in with APT at the Park Hyatt Hotel. Our bags were tagged and not seen again until embarkation. The hour journey from Ho Chi Minh City to the port was in an air-conditioned coach and had great commentary from the Cruise Director.

The Mekong Serenity is a beautiful ship. She has 44 suites with a maximum occupancy of 88 passengers. All the public spaces have luxury furnishings and are spotlessly clean. On our sailing, there were 53 passengers and 44 crew members. We were well looked after! The cabins are spacious with both a French and step-out balcony. Enough storage to unpack for the week and store your luggage.

Onboard you can enjoy the main restaurant (The Serenity), open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Or you can also enjoy one night at the IndoChina specialty restaurant – an intimate dining experience with many courses to sample. If you felt like a casual lunch, you can head to the pool deck and have burgers, chips, and sandwiches. The Harmony lounge is also a hub for pre-tour meetings, evening entertainment (with bar), and insight into what to expect the following day. As on most cruise ships, the food and variety did not disappoint. Exquisite cuisine with local flavours, western favourites, and catering for all dietary requirements.

As well as the Sky Deck with pool and loungers, you can also experience a full-service Spa on the lower level.

Every day we explored somewhere new, seeing life in the villages and learning so much about history and customs. All activities are included. We had a choice of one activity in Phnom Penh. All other places had either one excursion in the morning or afternoon, or both. Activities ranged from walking tours through local markets, tuk-tuk tours, temples, Buddha blessings, and silk weaving traditions. Lots of opportunities to purchase gifts too. Local guides from each country were exceptionally knowledgeable and shared invaluable insight, especially with their own individual experiences.

On the last day, it was a 5-hour coach journey to Siem Reap. Beautiful, air-conditioned coach which made several rest stops along the way. I also extended my stay for 2 nights so I could enjoy the sunrise at Angkor Wat Temples.

I would highly recommend this journey to anyone. You can also incorporate APT land tours before or after to complement the Mekong River Cruise.