DAY 6: Southeast Asia: Wonders of Cambodia, Vietnam & the Mekong
Chris woke around 5:30 a.m. and headed up to the ship’s Horizon Bar and Lounge, where he sipped coffee and caught up on reading as the day slowly began. Looking back, he was always the first one up on the ship and the staff got to know him. I woke just before 6:30 and watched the sun rise from our room, soft light spilling across the river, breathtaking and worth the early morning.
After getting ready, we headed down to breakfast. The buffet was excellent, complete with an egg station and plenty of fresh options. By 8 a.m., we were ready to set out for our morning excursion.
Our journey began in Kampong Tralach with an ox cart ride through the countryside to a local temple. The pace was slow and peaceful although a bit bumpy. The cruise director jokingly referred to it as the Cambodian massage. We passed villagers going about their daily lives, children waving enthusiastically, animals roaming nearby and motorbikes sharing the road. Life here feels timeless, moving at its own steady rhythm and a mix of rural and modern day.
From there, we boarded the bus and traveled to Oudong, Cambodia’s former royal capital before it relocated to Phnom Penh in 1866. At Oudong Monastery’s main temple, our group received a blessing from two monks. Their chanting echoed through the cavernous space as they thrust flower petals over us. The moment felt ancient and sacred, a quiet, deeply moving experience that lingered long after it ended.
We learned more about monastic life as we walked the grounds. The community includes monks and nuns, both male and female, and even child monks. The youngest monk in Cambodia is only four years old. Nuns wear saffron robes, monks wear orange, and individuals may stay for as long as they feel called — sometimes for a day, sometimes for weeks or years, and sometimes for a lifetime. Many Cambodian boys spend at least some time as monks, a tradition woven deeply into the culture and believed to be a spiritual and emotional growing experience for young boys and men.
After the blessing, we returned to the ship for a delicious lunch buffet and a bit of rest before heading out again for our silk farm adventure.
The afternoon began with a bus ride to a ferry, followed by tuk-tuks weaving through a small island community. Along the way, we stopped to sample local fruit, bananas, oranges and passion fruit, and watched two sisters working at a silk loom, their hands moving with quiet skill and familiarity. At the silk farm, we learned how silk is harvested from cocoons, spun into thread, and woven by hand into scarves, blankets and dresses. The craftsmanship and patience involved were impressive.
Back on board, dinner awaited. I tried the lamb, which was excellent, and we rested briefly before one final adventure for the day.
That evening, we climbed into a caravan of forty remorks (local tuk-tuks) each pulled by a motorbike, for a one-hour nighttime city tour in downtown Phnom Penh. It was exhilarating and chaotic — like a real-life Mario Kart race. It was amazing as we wove through intersections with neither direction stopping or even slowing down (the polar opposite of home where it seems even minor intersections have stop lights with turn arrows controlling every move even during periods with minimal traffic). Streets, parks, and roads were alive with people of all ages, lights glowing, laughter echoing, and energy everywhere. It was thrilling and unforgettable and a highlight of our cruise.
We ended the night perfectly, with a glass of wine on the boat’s rooftop, the river stretching out beneath the stars.
As we continue to learn more about Cambodia, its history weighs quietly alongside its beauty. One sobering reminder stays with us: the Khmer Rouge Genocide (1975-1979) here lasted three years, eight months, and twenty days, leaving lasting scars, and yet met with remarkable resilience by its people. It entailed a brutal genocide that killed nearly 1.5-2 million, one fourth of the population at the time, through execution, forced labor, starvation and disease. This followed immediately after their Civil War (1967/70-1975) which killed some quarter of million people. Our local guide Sam said Cambodia today remains a young country since so many were killed in the 1970s. His own grandparents went missing during the Khmer Rouge area and were never recovered and his name means “Stay Alive” as three of his siblings died during this brutal period.