2024 Vietnam Anniversary Cruise Aboard The Jahan

Ship overview

As we boarded The Jahan, the thing that struck me was that we were greeted by name without the use of an iPad or manifest. The Jahan is a 5-star British-Indian-designed, colonial-style riverboat. The riverboat is beautifully designed and decorated, adding to the ambiance of the cruise. The Deluxe Stateroom was comfortable and there was plenty of time to enjoy a cup of coffee on the balcony.

The cabin steward made sure we had everything we needed the entire trip. We were provided with metal water bottles, filtered water filling stations, hats, and scarves. Umbrellas were available in the event of rain.

Anniversary celebration.

The journey

We started in My Tho. We usually had two excursions daily, each lasting 2–3 hours. We would return to the ship, the crew would clean our shoes while we ate an amazing lunch, and then I would cool off topside in the pool, taking in the sites while cruising to our next destination. Alternatively, other guests retreated to their rooms to cool off in the A/C and take a nap.

(Note: While the two countries are beautiful, regrettably plastic pollution is present.)

Amazing food.

The afternoon trip was similar. The guides would prepare us for the destination and answer any questions beforehand. There was usually an additional ship crew member that took pictures and kept an additional eye on the passengers.

Evenings were relaxing as we sat topside and talked with the other passengers.

Farewell dinner.

We had a Vietnamese guide for the first half of the visit and a Cambodian guide for the second half who gave personal insight into the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and Khmer Rouge. There was so much to experience that I couldn’t possibly go into detail without writing a book.

Boat ride.

We had speakers, musicians, dancers, and a culinary experience on the riverboat. We were introduced to making rice paper, rice noodles, rice fields, candy, pottery, silk, lotus ponds, markets, fish hatcheries, more temples than I could count, and a local school that teaches the kids English, which is critical for them to further their education and learn a trade.

The King and Queen.

We finished by crossing the Tonle Sap and disembarked by boat to shore in Siem Reap.

More amazing food!

Farewell to the crew.

• As with any large city, before embarkation and after disembarkation, watch for thieves. One of the passengers had their purse stolen from the back of their chair at a hotel bar.

• Know your visas! My wife got us a single-use visa for Vietnam. The boat processed the visa for Cambodia, but when we got to the ticket counter preparing for our flight back through Vietnam, we learned we had already used the Vietnam visa. We were able to get on the plane in Cambodia only because we said we would not leave the airport in Vietnam.

• Dress comfortably—no formal nights here. Temperatures were pretty warm during the day, mid 90's.

• Plenty of English is spoken in Saigon and Siem Reap throughout the cities, not so much in the smaller communities.

• Tip freely! Transportation while on The Jahan is included, but the people outside of the cities are so appreciative of $1–2. Your dollars go a long way towards food, massages, etc!

For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our Vietnam and Cambodia pages.