Traveling To Vietnam and Cambodia

Travel to Vietnam and Cambodia in Southeast Asia has never been easier, especially on board the Aqua Mekong. While this region is known for monsoonal conditions with high heat and humidity, traveling aboard the Aqua Mekong extends the optimal time to visit Cambodia and Vietnam comfortably from the very limited dry season between November and February to almost anytime you desire.

Around 60 million people live and work on the Mekong River, including nearly 100 different ethnic groups co-existing harmoniously in the lower Mekong basin where we cruise. This makes river travel an exceptionally relaxing yet enthralling way to access such a vibrant, living kaleidoscope.

Cambodia and Vietnam are renowned for their genuinely warm, hospitable people. However both are also known for the atrocities that occurred in each country during the 20th century. Estimates place the number of Vietnam War (1955-1975) casualties as high as 5 million and in Cambodia, 2 million people died during the reign of the Khmer Rouge (1975-1979), according to the Documentation Center of Cambodia. These two countries are still recovering, Vietnam with the lingering effects of Agent Orange among their population and Cambodia with rebuilding after losing nearly a quarter of their population including many of their most highly educated citizens. Yet each has embraced tourism as a means of economic development and social engagement with the world beyond their borders.

For travelers, this means that you will find good tourist infrastructure and constantly improving roads, signage in English and French at most major tourist sights, an array of quality hotel options in the cities and even in more remote locales, and plenty of excellent cuisine that is safe to eat. Many young Vietnamese and Khmer speak English very well and are eager for the chance to practice, making them excellent ambassadors for the 21st century.