Uniworld Mekong Jewel River Cruise - March 8

Home away from home for a week

March 8, 2025 after we boarded we sailed from Kampong Cham to Wat Hanchey over night.

Sun rise pictures from Priscilla! The early bird that was up every morning for the "stretching"!

March 9, 2025 We went on an excursion to the temple complex in Wat Hanchey. The climb up from the boat and then the stairs to the temple was quite a trek.

Cambodia and Vietnam are not very handicap accessible.

Wat Hanchey Monastery

Wat Hanchey, which is considered a thriving religious site is a complex of both Hindu and Buddhist temples. The oldest part in this complex dates from 7th or 8th century. Since there are no mountains in this are temples were built on the hill which modeled the cosmic mountain to worship gods. When Cambodia was under the reign of Chenla Empire, Wat Hanchey was an important place for those who were on the journeys between the pre-Angkor cities to take a rest. Under the rule of Khmer Rouge, the buildings in Wat Hanchey complex were damaged and they have been restored recently.

A line of statues depicting the year of all the animals. I was born in the year of the Water Dragon as seen below!

While we were there we all got a water blessing from the local monks. There are many "novice monks" here. We were told by Rhy that you can become a monk as young as 7 years old.

Receiving my water blessing.

Rhy had these novice monks show how they dress in the robes. It was very complicated and it is amazing they can dress themselves!

The School in Wat Hanchey

Dining area for the monks getting ready for lunch.

Back on the boat to sail to Angkor Ban. Angkor Ban is a khum, meaning commune, of Sampov Loun District in north-western Cambodia. Unlike most of the infrastructure in Cambodia, Angkor Ban's century-year-old wooden houses still exist because under the rule of Khmer Rouge they used Angkor Ban as their billet.

Here are some of the wooden houses in the village that are still residences.

These water caldrons are used to catch rain water for the residents use. The more water jugs a person has signifies their wealth.

We had the wonderful opportunity to go in one of the houses here. Uniworld supports the town and school so we were generously welcomed in by the owner.

Top pictures are of her and her husband.

The house is on stilts because of the rainy season. You walk up stairs into the home and this is the large room you enter. The bed is on the right as you walk in and to the left is a small TV and a hammock.

The Kitchen

Bathroom is behind the pink curtain.

Family picture

Animals are in pens behind the houses.

Or just around the town.....

We had the pure joy of visiting a school in the village that teaches the children English. They paired up us visitors with students while the students read books to us. Unfortunately my group was the last to arrive at the school and all the students had been paired up. But is was so wonderful seeing the how excited the kids were to have us there. One of the first question asked by a student was "are you married?"

Below is Kathy with her student.

Pat with her student below

We all sang" if you're happy and you know it clap your hands"

This little guy really touched my heart. All the children were so precious and sweet.

Each evening before dinner one of the guides would talk about the next days adventure while we all drank yummy cocktails. There was always a "special" daily drink but mostly I stuck to gin and tonic and wine.....and beer....and cosmos.....

The food on board was fabulous. You could pick from Asian dishes of all kinds and western dishes. I especially loved the soups!! and the fruit!!! and everything!!!! That evening we sailed to Phnom Penh.

March 10, 2025: Once known as the Pearl of the Orient, Phnom Penh today is a dynamic city, full of contrasts. Vibrant, colorful markets operate next to modern designer boutiques. You can find local specialties like amok (fish cooked in coconut milk) served in a cafe next to elegant contemporary restaurants known for their international cuisine. There are beautiful buildings in French Colonial Style, Royal Palace and street vendors! Phnom Penh has been Cambodia's capital since 1865.

Founded in 1372, Phnom Penh succeeded Angkor Thom as the national capital in 1434 following the fall of Angkor, and remained so until 1497. It regained it's capital status during the French colonial era.

In the morning we visit Independence monument, King Statue and the Royal Palace with silver pagoda.

Above is "Independence Monument" for Cambodia's independence from France in 1953

Above is Norodom Sihanouk Memorial, also called the Statue of King Father Norodom Sihanouk. The bronze statue is in the park just east of the Independence Monument which you can see behind on the right side.

Cannonball tree

The Royal Palace

Above is the Silver Pagoda which is on the right side of the Royal Palace. We got to go in but could not take pictures inside. It was inlaid with more than 5,329 silver tiles and holds many national treasures, the most significant being a crystal emerald Buddha known as "The Emerald Buddha of Cambodia".

Views below are around the Royal Palace complex. The left side entrance to the complex was the entrance for the concubines.

This is a memorial for King Norodom Sihanouk's (father king) daughter, Norodom Kantha Bopha (nicknamed "Flower") who died at age 4 from leukemia in 1953.

This is called the traveler's palm because it's fronds point north and south.

Priscilla and Phil hanging out at the Royal Palace!

Artifacts in one of the buildings we could take pictures inside.

Below is a picture of the Royal Regalia that was stolen

The afternoon was free to explore the Central Market in Phenom Penh. This place was crazy!! They had everything imaginable - all fake or knock offs! There were narrow walkways and it was huge. There is a big center round with aisle jetting out from the center. Luckily they gave us a landmark so we could find our way out. It was ridiculously overwhelming. Cannot believe I do not have pictures of it.

That evening back on the boat we had a dance performance from kids of the orphanage that Uniworld supports.

Priscilla, Phil and me with the dancers.

March 11, 2025 was visiting the Killing Fields and Genocide Museum. I am doing this day as a separate post since it is extremely heavy and not everyone will want to see the atrocities.

It was very sad saying good bye to our Cambodian guide, Rhy since we were sailing back to Vietnam and would get a Vietnamese guide. Rhy was an amazing man!! We were all so sad to say good bye.

The evening of March 11, 2025 we cruised to the Cambodia / Vietnam border.

March 12, 2025 waiting at the Cambodia / Vietnam border for custom clearance. It was wild with all of the boats floating waiting to clear customs.

Binh, the director of our entire trip, collected all our passports when we first got to Vietnam. A crew member took all our passports / visas and got them stamped and clearance for us. We did not interact with any custom agent at this border and nobody boarded the boat but our passports got stamped and we were able to continue on into Vietnam.

In the morning we got a cooking demonstration on making Vietnamese spring rolls. Mine were not as pretty as the chefs.

In the afternoon we met our Vietnamese guide, Chung, and we took Sampans to Long Khanh island to visit a local weaving house and a home in the village we could go into.

One of our Sampans

We traveled through small channels to get to the village. There was beautiful vegetation on the sides of the channels.

Entering the village.

We were invited to enter a family home in this village. Six people live in this home. In Vietnam the wife usually moves into the husbands family home. In Cambodia it is the opposite. In Vietnam family is very important and very closely knit.

This kitchen table is only used for special guests. The family eats on top of a low wooden table sitting crossed legs on their butts. Note the fermented rice wine / whiskey above. Families in Cambodia and Vietnam all seem to have their own concoctions of wine/ whiskey made of fruits, roots and snakes! This house is unusual in that it has 2 bathrooms. Also it has a refrigerator.

This home owner also had a small pharmacy in the front of his house for general over the counter items.

I am intrigued with cemeteries around the world. Here the families in villages are buried in family plots on their land.

Above is a little alter that the village installed to bless this area where it is like a Y in the road. The alter "keeps the villages safe here" as the motor bikes whiz by in all directions. Below is a papaya tree.

Below is a jack fruit tree and below that is a banana tree flower.

Most of the houses in the Village were adorn with flowers.

We visited the blow family of weavers. It is common that families pass down the skills from generation to generation.

Above was the old way to weave and below is the new type machine they use.

Weaving family

Back to the boat to sail to Gieng Island.

Evening on the river.

March 13, 2025 off on our Sampan to "Mango Island"

Our fun vehicles on the Island. (Priscilla in green and Phil in blue above)

We visited a Franciscan Catholic church and got to explore the beautiful grounds around the church.

The priest who first came to the island and started the church is buried here. Below are the beautiful grounds of the church.

Priests burial ground

Mango

Riding through the village to our next stop where they make the traditional Vietnamese hats.

Above Sheri with her new black and white hat (she needs my bag to match:}), Andre, Carolyn and Jim behind Carolyn arriving at the hat place.

Chung explaining how they make the hats.

Leaving the village we encounter adorable children.

Walk down to our Sampan

Onward cruising on our Sampans to the Island of Sampan builder

Below is a boat with the "eyes" in the front of the boat. Superstition is that the eyes on your boat have to be kept above the water so water demons don't get you.

Arrived in the village, Cho Moi to visit Sampan maker.

This man has made Sampans his entire life - skill is passed down generations. He is the last to do it in his family as his son is not interested in doing it. It is hard work and not much income from it. He only makes them now if they are commissioned since the demands for this type of boat are no longer as plentiful. But it was a comfy fun ride in them for our tours around to villiages. They got us in small channels that bigger boats would not fit.

Bridge that connects two communities.

Onward to Sa Dec to see "Lover's House" and the "wet market"

When the French writer Margueite Duras was 15 years old in the 1930's she lived in Sa Dec where her French mother taught school. For her education she went to Saigon, getting there by ferry down the Mekong River. One day she met a handsome, wealthy Chinese man who was 27 years old. They had an affair, and 50 years later Duras wrote a novel, "The Lover" about it. It was also made into a movie and this was where it was filmed in this house.

Huynh Thuy Le Ancient House, "The Lover's House", traces its history back to its construction in 1895 by Huynh Cam Thuan, a prosperous Chinese-Vietnamese trader. The house stands as a testament to the architectural synthesis prevalent in the region, featuring a distinctive blend of Chinese, Vietnamese, and French influences. This door was made to allow air in while napping but still secure the home. It rolled across the top of the bar.

Beautiful pieces of inlay furniture was throughout the house.

On to "the wet market" which has it's name because you can buy fish, vegetables, fruit, meats, as opposed to a "dry market" that sells clothing, household items, etc. This market was huge and so busy.

All kinds of mushrooms!

Shoppers in motor bikes weaving in and out all over the market

From the wet market we walked around the town of Sa Dec. Check out the crazy wiring below!!

Bamboo fishing rods and fishing nets for sale. Sorry Benjamin, I could not get one in my suitcase for you.

All different types of rice. Vietnamese only use the "sticky rice" for desserts and prefer the plain white rice over brown and black rice.

We ended up in town having a performance of a New Years celebration .

I just enamoured by the adorable children we saw on this trip! Janelle told me "do not bring any home with you!"

We got back in the Sampan for one more stop: a Thanh That Church. It was very colorful and reminded me of a circus. Men enter the church on the left and the women on the right. When Chung ask us why we thought they did this, I immediately answered "because women are always right"! But I was wrong:} It has to do with the Yin and the Yang but I still think I am right!

Below is what they use for a hearse.

Back on the Sampan to go back to the ship and Chung gave us all coconut water that was supposed to make us younger! Liar Liar pants on fire!!

On the way back to the ship we passed this interesting looking boat that Chung told us was a "honeymoon boat". It just carries the bride and groom, a captain and a cook.

The evening of March 13 we had a fabulous performance from a musical group from Ho Chi Minh City. They were so talented and had very unusual instruments.

March 14, 2025 we visited Vinh Long and went to a family business that showed us how to make rice paper wraps. Phil gave it a try and almost got it right! Also whoever was brave enough got to taste plan rice whiskey and snake rice whiskey.

Brave souls that gave it a try. Phil and Andre both said that the snake whiskey was smoother!

Below are demonstrations of making rice cakes and rice candy. The candy was very chewy - not great for people with crowns!!

Wrapping the individual candies

This family business had a big gift shop. One of the things for sale was jars of snake wine and whiskey. Do you think that would pass customs?

Onward to Chau Thanh to see a woman who makes fishing traps.

It is very ingenious way to trap fish. Bait is put in the trap and the fish swim in but cannot get out.

From there we walked through a farming area where they grow bonsai trees and also jack fruit trees.

At the end of this village we got to a small channel where we enjoyed a ride on wooden canoes.

Sherri and Andre

Phil and Priscilla

Back on the ship we sailed to My Tho where we will get off the boat. This will be our last night on the Mekong Jewel and what an incredible journey it was!!