Can Tho (VNA) - Victoria Mekong cruise ship began its servicebetween Vietnam’s Mekong Delta city of Can Tho and Cambodia’s Phnom Penhcapital on December 11.
The first luxury four-star cruise ship to connect the two cities is a four-deckcruise ship equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.
The ship with 33 deluxe cabins and two VIP suites features a restaurant with a360-degree view on the upper deck as well as shopping stores, spas, librariesand cinemas.
During the tour, passengers will enjoy circus performances, lion dances,traditional Khmer dances and folk music performances of the Mekong Deltaregion.
Passengers departing from Ho Chi Minh City will be transported by vehicles to CanTho.
Vo Xuan Thu, General Director of Victoria Can Tho Resort, a member of Thien MinhGroup, said that a Mekong cruise from Vietnam to the upstream of the river inCambodia is the best way to see the cultural diversity between the two regions.
Prices start from 21 million VND (906 USD) for the tour (three to four nights),including meals and beverages on board.
Prices of river cruises are often more expensive than land tours, but they arepopular with foreign tourists, according travel agencies.
Can Tho is major tourist hotspot in the region, with direct local andinternational flights to Hanoi, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Da Lat, Vinh, Thanh Hoa, PhuQuoc and Con Dao islands, and Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok.
The 4,800km-long Mekong River flows through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand,Cambodia and Vietnam. Its basin spreads over 795.000 square kilometres with 65million people in the four countries of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.
Many cruise lines that operate between Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penhcurrently provide shore excursions to explore rural villages along rivers. Somecruise vessels embark on trips in Tien Giang province and cruise along theMekong River and sail into Cambodia.
The Victoria Mekong cruise ship, which was launched on August 31, is operatedby Victoria Mekong Cruises Company, a joint venture between Thien Minh Group andWendy Wu Tours, the UK’s leading Asia tour specialist./.