Welcome to Southeast Asia on the Equator, a sultry world of sunshine, heat and humidity. Fortunately, traveling aboard the comfortable Aqua Mekong extends the optimal time to visit Cambodia and Vietnam from the very limited dry season (between November and February) to almost anytime of year.

Tropical temperatures across Southeast Asia generally fluctuate between 26°C (78°F) and 32°C (86°F). In the warmest months of March and April, this figure may climb as high as 38°C (100°F) but Mekong River waters flow from the icy Tibetan Plateau, taking the edge off this equatorial swelter and making river travel the ideal way to experience this captivating region.

Even when it rains, as it does throughout the year, the Aqua Mekong’s luxury tenders (skiffs) used for our water-based excursions remain extremely comfortable during these usually short cloudbursts. The rainy season arrives with the southwest monsoon in May and lasts through October. This actually creates the high water conditions that allow our Aqua Mekong tenders to cruise deeper into Vietnam’s emerald flooded forest, to Cambodia’s Tonle Sap Lake and along otherwise inaccessible yet fascinating tributaries.

Despite the “rainy season” name, rain only falls around an hour each day on the Mekong and usually in the afternoon. Excursions from the Aqua Mekong are timed so that cocktail in hand, our guests may soak up the timeless romance of rain on the river while comfortably under cover.