APT MEKONG SERENITY NEW LUXURY RIVER CRUISE SHIP - WHOLE SHIP & CRUISE TOUR, VIETNAM TO CAMBODIA

Wow, what can I say? This brand new APT luxury river cruise ship is AMAZING. The Mekong Serenity is Australian luxury tour operator APT's first own river ship and it is a deluxe beauty. It carries 88 passengers, has five decks and this video shows exactly what it's like to sail on their 7-day Mekong River cruise from Vietnam to Cambodia. In actual fact I extended my cruise by booking the 15 day Vietnam and Cambodia highlights tour, with two days in Ho Chi Minh City at the beginning and 3 nights in Siem Reap, Cambodia at the end. So, as well as getting a glimpse into what the land stay hotels/activities are like (a Tai Chi lesson in Vietnam was brilliant) this video will show you the WHOLE SHIP, from top to bottom, from the sun deck to the pool deck to the restaurants and cabins. I've done another whole video which concentrates on just my luxury deluxe balcony cabin - you can watch that after this one. The facilities are amazing - there's a good outdoor pool, walking track and spa which offers divine and great value massages - and most of the drinks are free, including some cocktails. I try a 'Rusty Nail' cocktail in the video. The ship is very stylish with stunning decor and the river views from everywhere (including my cabin balcony) are fabulous. This video also shows the activities we enjoy on the daily excursions which are things like Tuk Tuk rides, visits to villages, markets, local stilt houses and, once we've crossed the border from Vietnam into Cambodia we see monasteries, giant gold Buddhas, macaque monkeys and are even blessed by monks in a special ceremony. During the voyage we enjoyed an overnight stay in Phnom Penh (the capital of Cambodia) and visited the Killing Fields. This is an optional and emotionally intense excursion (the Khmer Rouge's dictator Pol Pot massacred 2 million of his own people in the late 1970s) but it's an important visit to understand what this country has been through and how it is now reemerging. On a lighter note, I loved the bamboo bridge in the last stop of Kampong Cham, the world's longest bridge made from bamboo. This video also takes a look at the superb cuisine on board and the entertainment. We did a mouthwatering fruit-tasting too and I was introduced to a fantastic combination - green mango served with a salt and chili dip. Entertainment-wise we enjoyed dance recitals from locals who came on board as well as cooking demonstrations. The video ends in Siem Reap, Cambodia, from where you can visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Angkor Wat, an 11th century Hindu Temple. This is a must-see in Cambodia... All in all, this cruise is an amazing adventure from start to finish and I highly recommend it!!