2020/2021 Siem Reap > Yangon

Two rivers, one lifetime

Undertake one of the most inspiring trips of your life. A captivating mix combining the vitality of the Mekong and the mysticism of the Irrawaddy that will entrance and delight for years to come.

Featuring the very best elements of South East Asia with the ultimate in luxury all-inclusive river cruising, you begin in Cambodia, taking in the wonders of Angkor Wat before moving into sparkling Vietnam, along the mighty Mekong. From vibrant Ho Chi Minh City you’ll fly to Yangon to explore mystical Myanmar. As you journey along the spectacular Irrawaddy, jaw-dropping doesn’t even begin to cover it.

Tour Code:: VIMI
Duration:: 26 days
Departure City:: Siem Reap
Return City:: Yangon

Selected Itinerary

26 Day Itinerary

Day 1 - Siem Reap

Arrive at your hotel, your stylish home for a three night Special Stay located in the heart of Siem Reap.

Meals Included: Dinner
Day 2 - Siem Reap

Freechoice

Discover Banteay Srei and visit the Landmine Museum or admire the skills on display at Artisans D’Angkor. Alternatively, cruise on Tonle Sap (seasonal), take a tuk tuk ride to the markets, or take a tethered balloon ride above Angkor Wat (weather dependent) before visiting Pouk Silk Farm.

Later visit the colossal Angkor Wat.

Enrich

Take your Premium Reserved seat at the colourful Cambodian Circus, Phare.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 3 - Siem Reap

Enrich

Marvel at sunrise over the magnificent Angkor Wat before moving to a special location for a champagne breakfast with food prepared by an NGO supported local bakery school.

Visit the atmospheric, jungle covered Ta Prohm Temple, before stopping at Angkor Thom and the multi-faced Bayon Temple. The remainder of the afternoon is at leisure.

Enrich

Be wowed by a mystical themed Gala Dinner at an Angkor temple, with included free flow drinks and a show featuring Apsara dancers in front of candlelit temple ruins.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4 - Siem Reap > Mekong Cruise

Drive to Kampong Cham where Scenic Spirit awaits.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 - Wat Hanchey > Kampong Cham

Walk (or drive) to the top of Wat Hanchey, an ancient hilltop pagoda and monastery to meet the resident novice monks. Sail downstream to Kampong Cham.

Freechoice

Learn the history of the area with a visit to Phnom Pros (Man Hill) and then Wat Nokor. Alternatively, explore the ecotourism village of Cheung Kok or spend your time visiting a rubber plantation factory and betel nut village.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 - Angkor Ban > Silk Island > Phnom Penh

Upon arrival in Angkor Ban, explore its historical rural wooden houses, which survived the Khmer Rouge, and visit the local pagoda to observe the lifestyle of the resident monks and nuns

Enrich

Receive a blessing from a monk and learn how to pray in a Buddhist pagoda, before partaking in a ceremony which contributes to the daily meal of the resident nuns and monks.

Later, sail downstream to Koh Dach Island dedicated to the art of silk weaving before continuing your cruise to Phnom Penh.

Sundowners

Enjoy a cocktail reception on the Sun Deck against the backdrop of Phnom Penh’s lights as the ship sails towards the capital at sunset.

Enrich

Later this evening revel in our Phnom Penh by City Lights tour, giving you an insight to the nightlife of the capital before stopping at a distillery for an exclusive tour and tasting behind closed doors.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7 - Phnom Penh

Freechoice

Journey to the Killing Fields and tour Tuol Sleng, or join a hands on Khmer cooking demonstration. Alternatively, explore Phnom Penh’s colonial buildings by tuk tuk, visit the Central Market as well as the city’s modern architecture.

This afternoon is at your leisure.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8 - Phnom Penh > Tan Chau

Marvel at the Royal Palace, featuring the famous Silver Pagoda, on your included visit. The afternoon take advantage of the facilities of the most luxurious ship on the Mekong as you set sail for the Cambodian and Vietnamese border.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9 - Tan Chau

Freechoice

Stay in Tan Chau to visit Evergreen Island and enjoy a ride in a Xe Loi. In Chau Doc visit Vinh Te canal and a family-operated fish farm followed by Tây An Temple at Sam Mountain or visit Tra Su Bird Sanctuary.

Enjoy a free afternoon cruising to Sa Dec.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 10 - Sa Dec > Cai Be

Immerse yourself in the historic town of Sa Dec and explore the lively market. Stop at the home of Mr Huynh Thuy Le who inspired Marguerite Duras’ novel L’Amant.

Freechoice

Visit Cai Be before stopping at local cottage industries and a traditional house in the area. Alternatively, savour afternoon tea at a French colonial house or learn how to make cocktails on board.

Enjoy a farewell dinner on board as you sail to My Tho.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 11 - Mekong Cruise > Ho Chi Minh City

Drive to Ho Chi Minh City and visit the War Museum before an orientation tour around your hotel for the next two nights, the Intercontinental Saigon.

Freechoice Dining

Enjoy a Vespa foodie tour of Saigon, or a meal in the surroundings of an old French colonial house, or a restaurant specialising in Saigon street food. Alternatively, dine at your hotel’s restaurants – Yu Chu, Basilico or Market 39.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 12 - Ho Chi Minh City

Visit the Cu Chi Tunnels and learn about the underground labyrinth of war-time passageways. After lunch visit the Reunification Palace and War Museum. Reminisce with your fellow travellers during your farewell dinner.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 13 - Ho Chi Minh City > Yangon

Say farewell to Vietnam and fly to Yangon for a two night Special Stay.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 14 - Yangon

Freechoice

Embark a local train for a ride around Yangon’s suburbs. Alternatively, be guided on a tour of Yangon’s thriving art scene, or ride a ferry across the Yangon River to Dhala village.

Later this afternoon visit Chaukhtatgyi Paya, Yangon’s reclining Buddha.

Enrich

As the sun is setting, wander around Shwedagon Pagoda and learn about the ritual of oil lamp lighting before partaking in this tradition.

This evening enjoy the included amenities of your Pacific Club access.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 15 - Yangon > Bagan > Irrawaddy Cruise

Fly to Bagan. On arrival, visit Ananda Temple, then transfer to the luxurious Scenic Aura.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 16 - Sailing > Magwe

Take advantage of a day of cruising as you sail to Magwe. Spend the day relaxing and getting to know the facilities of Scenic Aura. Arrive into Magwe later this afternoon.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 17 - Magwe > Minhla Fort

Explore Magwe by traditional trishaw and take in the views from Mya Tha Lun Pagoda, a mesmerising architectural vision set on Naguttama Hill. Continue cruising downstream to the Italian built Minhla Fort where its capture by the British brought an end to independent Burma. Afterwards sail back upstream towards Salay.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 18 - Sailing > Salay

Make use of the ship’s luxury and take the time to sip a cocktail by the pool or enjoy some solitude on your private balcony during your day sailing upstream along the Irrawaddy to Salay. Arrive late in the afternoon to spend the night alongside this colonial riverside town.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 19 - Salay > Bagan

On your morning walking tour of Salay admire the colonial buildings, the Youqson Kyaung, a beautiful teak monastery now converted to a museum and look inside the largest lacquer Buddha in Myanmar.

Enrich

Soak up the ambience of the river and the colonial feel of the town while enjoying traditional local Burmese tea and snacks in a restored colonial villa dating from 1906.

Continue sailing to Bagan. Relax on the Sun Deck with a cocktail in hand viewing the many temples and pagodas that line the river as you approach the ancient location.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 20 - Bagan

Rise early to attend and partake in morning alms for the local monks.

Freechoice

Venture to Mount Popa, home to Myanmar’s nats or nature spirits, or cross the river to Tant Kyi Tuang to take in the expansive elevated views of Bagan.

Alternatively, wander through the markets at Nyaung U before either exploring the Temple Circuit, or enjoying a visit to Old Bagan.

Enrich

Be wowed by a Scenic exclusive mystical themed dinner, with included free flow drinks and cultural show in front of candlelit Bagan temple ruins.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 21 - Bagan > Pakkoku

Optional Hot Air Balloon Flight - Take a ride in a hot air balloon over the temples of Bagan. Must be purchased prior to your cruise.
Travel by horse and cart through Bagan plain and its temple ruins before learning all about the production of Burmese lacquerware. Depart Bagan and sail to Pakkoku for an overnight visit. Here visit a cheroot cigar workshop, the local market and longyi and blanket factory.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 22 - Yandabo

Arrive in Yandabo where in 1826, the peace treaty ending the First Anglo-Burmese War was signed. Now famous for its pottery, stroll through the village and witness the artisans honing their craft. Continue sailing to Mingun.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 23 - Mingun

Cruise to Mingun to discover the stories behind a huge unfinished brick pagoda. Nearby, admire the un-cracked Mingun Bell and the all-white Hsinbyume Pagoda.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 24 - Sagaing > Mandalay > Amarapura

Enrich

In Sagaing interact with novice monks, nuns and orphans during a visit to a monastic supported school before continuing to a quiet nunnery where you will partake in the ritual and our donation to the resident nuns before their midday meal.

Also take in the views over the Irrawaddy River from Sagaing Hill before sailing to Mandalay to visit Amarapura.

Sundowners

In Amarapura, relax with evening drinks in boats under U-Bein Bridge, to capture that memorable photo of the bridge’s silhouette at sunset.

Back on board enjoy the special farewell by Scenic Aura’s crew.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 25 - Irrawaddy Cruise > Mandalay

Admire Shwenandaw monastery, Kuthodaw Pagoda, home to the ‘World’s Largest Book’ and walk through the rebuilt Mandalay Palace.

Enrich

Learn how to produce gold leaf. At Mahamuni Pagoda, male guests will be able to place the gold leaf on the iconic Buddha statue.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 26 - Mandalay > Yangon

Transfer to the airport and fly to Yangon to connect with your journey home.

Meals Included: Breakfast