Travelkunst presents an Exploration by Collette
The Invitation
Drift from the electric pulse of Saigon to the jungle-wrapped stones of Angkor. Along the way: French colonial salons, floating markets at dawn, saffron-robed monks, and villages where the century seems to stand still.
The world's largest religious structure, entered through its quiet eastern gate.
Explored by sampan at dawn. Part of UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Home to Cambodia's Emerald Buddha and a dazzling diamond-encrusted Maitreya.
Roll up to the Royal Palace in a traditional three-wheeled cyclo.
Descend into the legendary underground maze used by the Viet Cong.
Where jungle and stone are one: Bayon, Baphuon, and the Terrace of the Leper King.
Khmer scarf weavers, conical hat makers, and sampan builders welcome you in.
Coconut candy, fresh coconut water aboard a sampan, and local cuisine nightly on your cruise.
Day By Day
Thirteen days of quiet crossings, dawn light on ancient stones, and dinners under lantern-lit rigging. Tap any day to open.
Depart from Los Angeles or your preferred gateway on an evening flight bound for Southeast Asia. Somewhere over the Pacific, the journey begins.
Once known as Saigon, this dynamic metropolis blends the echoes of its storied past with the vibrant pulse of modern Vietnam. Colonial boulevards, tamarind-lined streets, and a food scene that spills from bustling markets onto every corner. Settle into the legendary Caravelle Saigon on Lam Son Square. The evening is yours.
Descend into the labyrinth of Cu Chi, passageways that echo the resilience and ingenuity of the Viet Cong during the war. Back in the city, taste Vietnamese coffee: strong and bold, balanced with sweet condensed milk. This evening, gather with your fellow travelers for a warm welcome dinner where the flavors of Vietnam set the tone for the days ahead.
Transition from the bustle of Ho Chi Minh City to the tranquil waters of the Mekong. Step aboard the award-winning Mekong Princess, your home for the next seven nights. As she departs Saigon Port, watch the skyline dissolve into emerald-green rice paddies and winding waterways. By evening the Princess glows like a lantern on the water.
Glide through narrow waterways on a sampan and pass stilted homes and lush vegetation. In Ben Tre, visit a family-run coconut candy workshop where generations have perfected the craft. Ride a vintage xe lam through Can Tho to the Zihuang Pagoda for a traditional unicorn dance, a joyful celebration of local heritage.
Before breakfast, experience the bustling energy of Cai Rang's floating market, where boats laden with fresh produce create a kaleidoscope of colors on the water. Later in Hoa An village, learn how rice is cultivated and meet a family who crafts the iconic conical hats. Then try your hand at making one.
Visit a village where sampans are meticulously built by hand. Ride a xe loi to the serene Phanxico Monastery for a moment of quiet reflection. In Hong Ngu, the rhythmic weaving of Khmer scarves tells stories of heritage, and at a nearby Hoa Hao temple you can feel the spiritual heartbeat of the community.
The Mekong carries you across the border. Explore the city on a cyclo, a traditional three-wheeled bicycle taxi, and feel the lively rhythm of the riverfront as you approach the Royal Palace. Within its golden gates, wander manicured gardens and marvel at the Silver Pagoda, where the Emerald Buddha and a dazzling Maitreya reflect Cambodia's rich spiritual heritage. Continue to the National Museum for pre-Angkorian treasures.
A morning of quiet reflection. Walk the grounds of the Killing Fields, visit the small museum, and pause at the Memorial Stupa. Continue to Tuol Sleng, a school transformed into the notorious S-21 prison, for deeper insight into a painful chapter of Cambodian history. Return for an afternoon at leisure among the city's cafes and markets.
Sail deeper into Cambodia as riverside life drifts past your balcony. In Angkor Ban, wooden homes hundreds of years old still stand along shaded lanes, and the village temple glows gold in the afternoon light. Listen as saffron-robed monks chant soft blessings, then meet a local family and hear their story over tea. Continue upriver to dock at Kampong Cham.
Your journey shifts from river to road as you transfer to Siem Reap and check into the Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra. Here, French colonial charm meets a vibrant urban scene: bustling markets and innovative cuisine reflecting the city's dynamic spirit. This evening, consider Phare, the Cambodian Circus, where acrobatics and storytelling celebrate the resilience of Cambodia's youth.
Depart in the dark for sunrise at Angkor Wat, the perfect example of classic Khmer architecture. Enter through the quieter eastern gate, a less-traveled path that offers a sense of exclusivity, and exit to the west as sunlight dances along the ancient stones. Experience an Impact Moment at APOPO's Visitor Center, where hero rats are trained to save lives in minefields. Later, visit Ta Prohm, the sprawling monastic complex overgrown with jungle, and Angkor Thom, the last capital of the Khmers, home to the Terrace of the Leper King and the temples of Baphuon and Bayon. Tonight, toast to the end of your adventure.
Board your flight to Ho Chi Minh City, where you'll spend one last night before your onward flight home. The Mekong sits with you a while longer.
Your Home on the River
Fourteen suites. Just 24 guests. An award-winning French Colonial river yacht built in the tradition of Indochina.
Small By Design
Filigreed iron balconies, hand-laid teak, and a hull that draws so little water she reaches villages the big ships never see.
Launched in 2015 and finished in brass and teak, the Princess feels less like a cruise ship and more like a private villa gliding through the delta. Handcrafted furnishings and carefully selected artworks celebrate the heritage of Vietnam and Cambodia. Every suite opens to the river. An expert Collette Tour Manager travels with you the entire way, and a gifted head chef turns each morning's market haul into French-Indochine dinners. With the crew nearly matching the guests one-to-one, everyone aboard knows how you take your coffee by the second day.
Choose Your Suite
Every accommodation aboard the Mekong Princess is a suite, each with river views and hand-crafted teak. From there, each category adds its own indulgences: French balconies, private verandas, deep soaking tubs.
Old-Saigon charm: antique black-and-white portraits of Queen Nam Phuong, and floor-to-ceiling doors onto a French balcony over the river. A generous entry point, and no small thing.
Per person · Includes air from LAX or your preferred gateway
Forty more square feet than the Junior, with sliding floor-to-ceiling doors, Bat Trang ceramic lamps, and a hand-painted Queen Nam Phuong headboard. A distinctly Vietnamese soul.
Per person · Includes air from LAX or your preferred gateway
Up on the Bassac Deck, where the light is better and the river runs wider. Named for the celestial dancers of Angkor, with Khmer artwork throughout. Our most-requested category.
Per person · Includes air from LAX or your preferred gateway
Named for the great lake that feeds the Mekong. A spacious sitting area and, best of all, a deep soaking tub set beneath an arched window over the river.
Per person · Includes air from LAX or your preferred gateway
Just two aboard the entire ship. French doors open to a private veranda with seating, floor-to-ceiling glass frames the passing delta, and a soaking tub awaits at day's end. The grandest rooms on the river.
Per person · Includes air from LAX or your preferred gateway
All fares include round-trip air from LAX or your preferred gateway. Airfare pricing varies by departure gateway.
Ashore
Before and after the river, you sleep at the two most storied addresses in Indochina.
Ho Chi Minh City · Days 2, 3 & 13
Sixty-six years of legacy on Lam Son Square, opposite the Opera House.
When it opened in 1959, the Caravelle was one of the tallest, most modern buildings in Vietnam, and the unofficial press club of a defining era. Today the address remains what it always was: a graceful, five-star anchor in the heart of District 1, moments from Notre Dame Cathedral and Dong Khoi Street.
Siem Reap · Days 11 & 12
French sophistication meets Cambodian craftsmanship, ten minutes from Angkor Wat.
Set within lush tropical gardens, this five-star resort is a study in contrasts: colonial-era grandeur, orchid-lined walkways, a championship golf course, and a spa built around Khmer wellness traditions. After dawn at Angkor, you return here to a pool the color of the Mekong at dusk.
Everything Handled
A Private Preview
Join Nora and Collette for a closer look at the trip: the ship, the itinerary, the suites, and answers to all your questions.
Reserve Your Place
Space is genuinely limited: just 24 travelers, and the suites are first come, first served. Ready to claim your place? Share your details below and Nora will personally reach out with the next steps. No payment is required now.
Your details are in, and Nora will be in touch personally with the next steps for Treasures of the Mekong. Keep an eye on your inbox.
Good To Know
Yes. Round-trip international air from LAX or your preferred gateway, plus the internal flight from Siem Reap, and all air taxes, fees, and surcharges. Airport-to-hotel transfers are also included. Airfare pricing varies by departure gateway.
A Business Class upgrade is available for the international portion at $9,990. Elite Air pricing is valid until 8 months prior to departure.
Curious travelers who value depth over checklist: couples, close friends, solo travelers, and multi-generational groups looking for their next milestone journey. If you've already done Europe and are ready for something with real cultural weight, this is that.
Because the Mekong Princess holds just 14 suites and accommodates only 24 guests. This departure belongs to Travelkunst, and when the 24 spots are gone, they're gone. First come, first served.
Level 3. You'll be on your feet 2 to 3 hours at a stretch on uneven cobblestones, temple stairs, and riverbanks. You'll step into low sampans, ride xe lam and cyclos, and climb three flights of stairs comfortably. Not suited for travelers requiring mobility-assistance devices; the Mekong Princess does not have an elevator.
Dry season, the loveliest window on the Mekong. Warm days in the mid-80s, cool early mornings, low humidity, and long golden light. Pack linens, a light layer for dawn temple visits, and one nicer set for the welcome and farewell dinners.
Yes, both Vietnam and Cambodia require visas, and this is where booking with Nora pays off. She personally walks every traveler through the process well before departure: the Vietnam e-visa (about $50) is arranged before you fly, and the Cambodia visa (about $50) is handled on board the ship. Collette also sends complete instructions and supporting documents 60 to 90 days out. Nothing is left to guesswork.
Collette's Travel Protection Plan is available at $769 per person and Nora strongly recommends it. It guarantees a full refund of all payments, including your deposit, if you cancel for any reason prior to the day of departure. The only exception is the plan fee itself. It must be purchased at time of deposit.
Absolutely, and it's the right instinct. Ask Nora about pre-tour nights in Hoi An or Ha Long Bay, or a post-tour stay in Bangkok. Travelkunst handles the entire extension so it feels like one seamless trip.
Register for the Zoom presentation on October 7, 2026, or reach out to Nora directly. A per-person deposit of $898 secures your suite. The Book Now & Save $400 promotion runs through November 7, 2026, and deposits are refundable until that date.
Travelkunst handles booking. Nora is your point of contact from deposit through your return home. Collette operates the tour on the ground, with a dedicated Tour Manager traveling with the group throughout.
Your Host
VTA-CCC-TAEC
Originally from Germany's Black Forest, Nora spent fifteen years in luxury hospitality, including the opening team at The Jefferson in Washington, D.C., before founding Travelkunst. That background shows in the details: an eye for service, an ear for what her clients actually want, and a conviction that travel should be more than an itinerary. It should be a transformative experience filled with unforgettable moments.
She is a certified specialist for Collette, Viking, Virgin Voyages, and Amtrak Vacations/Railbookers, and holds VTA, CCC, and TAEC credentials as an IATA-accredited advisor. Iceland's landscapes, Peru's Sacred Valley, and Tanzania's wildlife fill her own favorite chapters. They are exactly the kinds of journeys she now designs for others.
Nora personally hosts this Mekong sailing. Twenty-four travelers, not one more, because the difference between a trip and a story is who's beside you at the rail when the sun comes up over Angkor.
Warmly, Nora
A Premium Guided Experience
Travelkunst has partnered with Collette, who have been perfecting guided travel for over 100 years, to handle every detail on the ground. From the moment you land to your farewell toast in Siem Reap, you're in expert hands.
A dedicated Collette Tour Manager travels with your group every step, handling the logistics so you can simply enjoy.
Floating markets at dawn, village artisans, and local guides who bring every temple to life. Moments you'd never find on your own.
Beautiful, well-located stays: the legendary Caravelle Saigon and the Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra, with all your transfers included.
Round-trip airfare from LAX or your preferred gateway, all air taxes and fees, plus airport-to-hotel transfers, all part of the package.
Add Collette's optional Travel Protection Plan ($769 per person) and cancel for any reason right up to the day before departure, and receive a full cash refund (less the cost of the plan). Travel with total peace of mind.
Ask Nora about Travel Protection