Recommend January 2011 - (Page 32)

RIVER CRUISING BORNEO, CAMBODIA, CHINA, MYANMAR & VIETNAM continued from page A10 On the Mekong River, the company runs three different programs including the 7-night Mekong Exploration between Saigon and Siem Reap; the 3-night Mekong Delta between Saigon and Phnom Penh, and the 4-night Into the Heart of Cambodia from Angkor Wat to Phonm Penh. All three programs highlight the varied tapestry of river life—the fascinating and striking cultural contrast between the bustling Vietnam delta and the tranquility of Cambodia. The ships pass from the vibrant French colonial port of Saigon, now called Ho Chi Minh City, through the vast delta to the rich countryside of Cambodia. On the company’s 15-day cruise/tour, passengers will discover ancient Khmer monuments and the elegant French colonial capital of Phnom Penh in Cambodia. In Vietnam, they’ll visit the ﬂoating markets of the Mekong delta, experience the intimate charm of Hanoi’s old city and tour dynamic Ho Chi Minh City. In Myanmar, the company operates eight programs ranging from seven to 20 nights through the Chindwin, Irrawaddy and Salween valleys where most of the population live encircled by impenetrable horseshoes of mountains. River life dominates the country and to this day, forms the main system of transportation, irrigation and from its rich ﬁshing grounds, the principal protein source for the majority of the population. Here, too, two millennia of Buddhist art, architecture and archaeology survive, including, of course, the 3,000 standing monuments at Pagan and, according to the company, no other Asian country has so vast and varied a range of cultural sites. Literally everywhere you go there are temples and monasteries, festivals and ceremonies. The Burmese are a deeply pious people and Buddhist activities dominate every aspect of life. VIKING RIVER CRUISES (866-200-5395; vikingrivercruises. com), of course, was one of the ﬁrst international river cruise companies to develop the Yangtze River cruises and today, they offer three land/river cruise programs ranging from 12 to 17 days. The Roof of the World program is a 16-day adventure that highlights the Imperial treasures of Beijing, including the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace, as well as the Terra Cotta Warriors in Xian. Travelers will also explore Shanghai, both ancient and contemporary—the “New York City” of China—in addition to taking a 6-day Yangtze River cruise. Plus, they’ll experience Lhasa on the Tibetan plateau, set high in the Himalayas on “the roof of the world,” where they spend three spiritually enlightening days visiting the Jokhang Temple, the Potala Palace and much more. But now, Viking, too, is heading for the Mekong in 2011, chartering ships from Pandaw and the results are overwhelming. “They just did an incredible job. Being so new in the marketplace and having no product in the market, they partnered with us for 2011 for 18 charters and ﬁlled those in 30 days,” says Pandaw’s Markwell. “It was incredible, over 800 berths in 30 days so it shows the demand for the market. We’re just one little ship company, we can’t take that out to the entire world like Viking can and they’ve just done a great job. So then they came back and said we’d like to have the whole ship for the whole year of 2012, so we gave it to them.” AMAWATERWAYS (800-626-0126; amawaterways.com) has expanded to 12 luxury river cruise ships in Europe, Russia and the Mekong delta. This year, in fact, in Southeast Asia, the brand-new Amalotus will join the La Marguerite, which debuted on the Mekong River in the autumn of 2009 as part of the new Vietnam, Cambodia and the Riches of the Mekong itinerary. The decision to build a new Mekong River ship was a result of the tremendous success of the inaugural season of this program. The new, 124-passenger Amalotus will feature 226-sq.-ft. deluxe staterooms with all the amenities of a ﬁne hotel. All suites and staterooms offer outside accommodations, with more than 82 percent featuring balconies. Junior suites provide an extra spacious 290 sq. ft. of space and suites, at 452 sq. ft. Like La Marguerite, Amalotus will sail 7-night Mekong River cruises from Siem Reap, Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City. Its 16-day Vietnam, Cambodia and the Riches of the Mekong program spends two nights in Hanoi, plus an overnight cruise in Halong Bay before traveling to Siem Reap for three nights and then embarking on a 7-night Mekong River cruise, ending with a 2-night stay in Ho Chi Minh City. On the 8-day Vietnam, Cambodia and the Riches of the Mekong program, travelers spend seven nights cruising through these countries visiting the villages and markets, and enjoying the exotic and unique countryside along the way. AVALON WATERWAYS (877-797-8791; avalonwaterways. com) utilizes its position in the GLOBUS FAMILY OF BRANDS to offer eight different land/river cruise product in China that encompasses a vast array of exotic Asia offerings with stays in Hong Kong, Mongolia and Tibet. For example, on the 14-day Magical China & the Yangtze River with Hong Kong, travelers enjoy the highlights in Beijing, Xian, and Shanghai, with visits to the Forbidden City, Imperial Palace, Great Wall, Sacred Way of the Ming Tombs, the Terra Cotta Warriors, the Dayan Pagoda, the Bund, the Yu Yuan Gardens, and the Children’s Palace. They’ll attend an acrobatic show or visit the Ghost City Temple, and participate in a calligraphy class, lacquer and cloisonne A12 recommend.com http://www.amawaterways.com http://vikingrivercruises.com http://avalonwaterways.com http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend January 2011

Editor's Notes/Agent Speak
Hotel Desk
Tour Talk
A New Look at Ancient Egypt
Celebrity Cruises' Eclipse
Asia Travel Planner
Viking River Cruises' Viking Sky
Discovering Piedmont, Italy
Latin America 2011
The M Resort in Las Vegas Hits its Off-Strip Stride
Gansevoort Miami Beach
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Recommend January 2011