PHNOM PENH, 11 November 2019: Pandaw, a river cruise specialist operating in Asia, has introduced twice-weekly sailing through to next March on classic RV Indochina Pandaw following a route on the Mekong River between Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City in southern Vietnam.
In past years the shorter cruise was offered as a segment of the Classic Mekong seven nights between Ho Chi Minh City and Siem Reap (Angkor Wat).
The segments have now been spun off into a three or four-night standalone cruise that concentrates on the Mekong River delta region.
Commenting the move, Pandaw said in a recent media statement: “In view of its growing popularity we decided to deploy a standalone ship for this shorter routing that enables passengers to make their own hotel arrangements in either Ho Chi Minh City or Phnom Penh before and after the river journey.
The colonial-style RV Indochina Pandaw, built in Vietnam in 2014, was operating cruises in Myanmar but has now returned to Vietnam.
The itinerary covers much of the Mekong Delta with sampan trips through the mangroves and bamboo forests, and horsecart rides through idyllic countryside . The cruise highlight is a boat trip through the Gao Giong bird sanctuary.
Phnom Penh the turnaround point has enjoyed something of a renaissance with numerous boutique hotels opening and a ‘foodie paradise’ of bars, bistros and fine dining restaurants. Culturally there is much to see, and the capital is an excellent point from which to visit the Cardamon Hills, deluxe coastal resorts and other attractions in Cambodia.
