Luxury Mekong River cruise, Vietnam and Cambodia
This trip can be tailormade to create a unique holiday for your individual requirements by travel experts with intimate knowledge of the destination. It is a more luxurious trip that will suit those who enjoy immersing themselves in new cultures and environments before relaxing in comfort in some of the best and most characterful local accommodation! Quality and value are the hallmark of these trips.
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
Water is a fundamental theme of this voyage and the RV La Marguerite is extremely conscious of the way water is used and recycled throughout the journey. All water is taken from the river and given back cleanly. On-board treatment plants for desalination, desedimentation and purification using the non-contaminating methods of UV and osmosis have been installed to make water potable, and wastewater is processed by micro-biotic treatment facilities before being released back into the environment.
Our clients are invited to follow our firm’s Responsible Tourism guidelines at all stages of their journey. These guidelines include an attention to waste disposal, a preference for low-carbon emission forms of transport on land, and the patronising of sustainable businesses. All clients are encouraged to familiarise themselves with our policies prior to taking this tour, allowing them to take personal responsibility for the task of preserving the local environment. This is not a policy we lay on the shoulders of our customers alone; we observe a through set of conservation guidelines in our own offices as well as on our travel for official purposes.
Community
RV La Marguerite is a replica of a colonial-period vessel designed to celebrate the cultural heritage of the French colonists while being mindful of the sovereignty and dignity of the Vietnamese people – and of the responsibilities and courtesies Western travellers must adopt in response to the open-hearted welcome of the locals, and for their willingness to share their unique way of life with sympathetic onlookers.
Passengers aboard the RV La Marguerite are encouraged to participate in the Just a Book programme by donating their favourite novels and children’s books (in English or, if possible, in the Cambodian language) to the communities and schools that they visit, to help encourage literacy and human aspiration in the region. Guests may present their books to the schools personally or to the cabin crew upon embarkation. All guests are encouraged to pen a personal note of encouragement inside the cover of their donations. School children in Cai Be, Sadec, Tan Chau, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Cham, and Cheung Kok Village will benefit from this program.
The ports of call have been carefully selected for the purposes of maximising the positive impact of the journey in terms of conservation awareness and of natural and cultural heritage. Travellers are able to play an important role in preserving and shaping the world’s diversity as they show the host communities how the values of preserving and teaching ethnic traditions encourages greater understanding between differing cultures.
Travellers visit various local crafts workshops and travel on local rickshaws to gain authentic experiences of local cultures. Local guides, facilities, and services are employed wherever possible to generate greater economic benefits for the local people and to generate meaningful human connections. Travellers play direct roles in building local pride and confidence, thus enhancing the local lifestyles and opportunities.
All guests on this cruise will be contributing to charity whether they choose to make additional donations or not – we give a proportion of all profits to community projects in Indochina on our passengers’ behalf. Through our partner NGO Compassion Hearts, we directly assist the poor, sick, and elderly in remote communities.
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