ROLLIN' DOWN THE RIVER

A journey by a deluxe ship down the Mekong River from Cambodia to Vietnam.

- Words: DAVID BOWDEN

Depending upon the season, the flight path into Siem Reap Airport in central Cambodia reveals either lush greenery around the vast expanse of the inland waterway known as Tonle Sap (Great Lake) or a dusty, dry plain with a vastly reduced lake.

Siem Reap is the gateway to the legendary temples of Angkor and a civilisation that, from the 9th to the 15th centuries, was one of Asia's most powerful. Angkor was then the most densely settled area in the world, with an estimated population of one million. The sheer size and regional influence of Angkor have fascinated archaeologists for centuries.

While people have lived and travelled along Asia's rivers for centuries, the introduction of luxury cruise ships now provides a comfortable and relaxed way to discover the beauty along this river of life. My fascination with the Mekong River goes back a few decades, so when the opportunity to travel on the RV Toum Tiou 11 arose, I jumped at the opportunity.

GRAND D'ANGKOR

Few visitors travel to Siem Reap to cruise down Cambodia's rivers without first visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Angkor. Best known for the iconic temple of Angkor Wat, the world's largest religious site, there are hundreds of other temples located across the surrounding plains.

Being an indulgent journey, it only seemed natural that I should first check into Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor, as fellow adventurers have done for decades. While the temples of Angkor never disappeared, the Western world became reacquainted with them when French archaeologists first visited the temples in 1860.