Stylish cabins, sensual golden kimonos and pampering amenities.
Welcome aboard Mekong Serenity, a new 88-passenger luxury riverboat from Australian family-owned travel group APT, which can dock in fabulously remote destinations thanks to its small size.
APT has been offering cruises along the 2,700-mile-long Mekong River for many years, but the Mekong Serenity is the first riverboat it owns and custom-builds from scratch.
This five-deck ship recently started sailing and I was excited to climb aboard near Vietnam’s capital, Ho Chi Minh City, and capture the cruise with my camera.
The video begins by exploring the upper decks of the Mekong Serenity, where, unusually for a riverboat, the impressive outdoor pool is big enough to swim laps (100 lengths takes half an hour).
Jo Kessel boards the new five-deck, 88-passenger Mekong Serenity on a voyage from Vietnam to Cambodia and captures the cruise on camera. The image above shows the ship after a recent coat of paint that transformed it from grey to white.
Pictured here, Jo is holding two of the ship’s cocktails: the signature ‘Rusty Nail’ (right) and an espresso martini (left).
There is also a spacious sundeck featuring a wraparound jogging track and seating for relaxing after a visit to the ship’s gym.
Speaking of relaxing… drinks are included and one of the signature cocktails is a “Rusty Nail.” It’s not a very appetizing name, but what does it taste like? Delicious, that’s right! Turns out brandy mixed with lemon and orange juice is a winner.
The 92-metre-long ship has an elongated appearance that is difficult to capture in a single photograph. But in contrast to its boxy exterior, the interior is elegant and sophisticated, with wide staircases, teak panelling and beautifully appointed cabins.
Jo says: ‘Unusually for a riverboat, the impressive outdoor pool (above) is big enough to swim in – doing 100 lengths takes half an hour.’
Jo describes Mekong Serenity’s interior as “elegant and stylish, with sweeping staircases, teak panelling and beautifully appointed cabins.”
Above is Jo’s suite at the Mekong Serenity. There are 44 suites in total, all of which feature balconies and river views.
There are 44 in total, all of them “suites” with balconies and river views. Even better, the cabins come with sexy gold kimonos instead of bathrobes and a perk that makes all the difference: two free washes per day!
The video then focuses on the excursions, with each activity offering something exciting and unique.
In Vietnam, tuk tuks transport visitors to markets and villages where locals live on stilt houses by the river; they even invite us into their homes. And two days later we cross the border into Cambodia, where we discover giant golden Buddhas, cheeky macaques and monks who shower us with petals in an exclusive Buddhist blessing ceremony.
We spent the night in the capital, Phnom Penh, which is close to the country’s Killing Fields. There, in the late 1970s, Khmer Rouge dictator Pol Pot massacred a quarter of his own country’s population (two million people) in a horrific genocide.
It’s an emotionally intense visit (there are still bones to be discovered in the ground), but it’s the best way to fully understand the horrors this country has endured and how it is now rising again.
Jo is pictured above wearing the “sexy golden kimono” that comes with her cabin.
The ship features a spacious sundeck that features a wraparound jogging track and seating for relaxing.
Jo describes every meal on the ship as a “luxury dining experience with both Asian and Western dishes on the menu.” Pictured above is the Indochine specialty restaurant
“Every meal is a luxury dining experience,” writes Jo. The Lemongrass restaurant buffet is pictured above.
Mmm! Keyword: Mekong Serenity meals
Mekong Serenity offers a welcoming sanctuary, and the film moves on to its many pleasures, from nuts (the wasabi peas are dangerously addictive) to massages (at $45 an hour, they’re a bargain) to gastronomy.
Each meal is a luxury dining experience with Asian and Western dishes on the menu and a dinner dedicated to Cambodian specialties. The fish fillet in coconut milk (featured in the video) and taro ice cream with fried banana chips (taro is a local potato) are excellent.
There’s even a specialty restaurant called Indochine that serves a five-course menu per trip that includes roast pork belly and tea-smoked duck.
From time to time, we attend local dance recitals, cooking demonstrations and fruit tastings. Green mangoes are in season and the chef prepares slices accompanied by a salt and chili sauce. The combination of sweet, salty and spicy is an unexpected success.
It is sad to say goodbye to Mekong Serenity, but soon it will be time for our last boat trip to Kampong Cham, home to the world’s longest bamboo bridge. This is an incredible structure that, despite being made of natural fibres, spans both sides of the river and can support the weight of hundreds of people and even cars.
The Mekong Serenity is pictured docked in Kampong Cham, Cambodia.
Jo says each boat trip offers “something exciting and unique.” Pictured are stilt houses along the Mekong River in Vietnam, which she visited.
Jo is pictured at the Killing Fields during a trip from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, which she describes as an “emotionally intense visit” but the “best way to fully understand the horrors this country has endured.”
Jo says most travellers “combine their cruise with stays on land before and after.” She is pictured at the Ta Promh ruins in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
For most travelers, however, this is not the end of the trip, as they have already booked their cruise with stays on land before and after.
My trip began with a couple of nights in Vietnam, where the highlight was a Tai Chi lesson in Ho Chi Minh City.
Next, the end of the trip will come in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
This is the gateway to the Unesco World Heritage site of Angkor Wat, a Hindu temple built in the 11th century that is considered the eighth wonder of the world. Its most evocative ruins are Ta Promh, where tree roots have taken over the ancient remains (Angelina Jolie filmed scenes for Tomb Raider here).
For an extraordinary journey from start to finish, this book packs a huge punch. Even the Asian sun plays its part, rising and setting with a fiery intensity.
It has been an adventure cruise like no other.