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Travel + Leisure

The Mekong's Moment: Why Cruise Lines Have Embraced Southeast Asia

Ever Since my first visit to Thailand 30 years ago, when I was a budget backpacker lured by the bargains and the beaches, I've been enamored with Southeast Asia. The region has become my happy place. So it was something of a shock, shortly after arriving in the riverside town of Kâmpóng Cham, Cambodia, to come face-to-face with one of history's ugliest moments. On an excursion to a site known as the Twin Mountains, my guide Tek Leng explained the horrific history of this place, today a peaceful park filled with pagodas and Buddha statues. As we walked past scampering monkeys and teenage monks in orange robes, it was difficult to believe that this was one of the Killing Fields during the reign of the Khmer Rouge, which perpetrated a genocide that resulted in the deaths of an estimated 2 million people. A visitor at Angkor Wat, the temple complex in Cambodia. Cambodia does not hide its scars. But I have found no place more unconditionally welcoming. And while the glorious ruins of Angkor Wat form what is undoubtedly the nation's marquee attraction, many travelers don't explore much beyond it. I wanted to go deeper—to visit rural communities and farms, to see more of everyday life in Cambodia and its neighbor Vietnam. And so I boarded the AmaDara, a beautiful 62-stateroom ship that plies the Mekong River between Kâmpóng Cham and Ho Chi Minh City. My eight-day cruise, operated by AmaWaterways , would make it comfortable and convenient to navigate this still-rural part of Southeast Asia. Each day, I'd have a choice of excursions: a monastery visit, a tour of a silk factory, a rickshaw ride, a market tour. After exploring, I'd return to the ship to cool off in the plunge pool, get a massage, enjoy my spacious cabin, with its French-colonial décor, and have healthful meals—though I'll admit to occasionally ordering the smashburger. After a major pandemic slowdown, the Mekong is booming again, with brands including Aqua Expeditions, Emerald Cruises, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, and Viking all operating on the river. A cabin on Anouvong, a Heritage Line ship that sails the Mekong River. In the face of this competition, cruise lines have been building new ships, refreshing older ones, and augmenting their itineraries. 'We always look for hidden treasures, new things to do,' says Rudi Schreiner, cofounder of AmaWaterways, which has been operating on the river since 2009. Last year, for example, the company added an excursion to the 2,100-acre Tra Su Cajuput Forest in Vietnam. This wetland sanctuary is home to more than 70 bird species, and its waterways, which visitors explore by paddle-driven sampans, are carpeted in water lilies and elephant-ear plants. By the end of next year, AmaWaterways will launch a second ship, AmaMaya, which will be similar in size to the AmaDara . It must be said that these peaceful moments are only a part of the story on the busy lower portion of the river. Particularly in Vietnam, the Mekong is filled with barges hauling petroleum, cement, steel, and coal. But when we got near Cambodia, the traffic lightened. (For this reason, I think sailing upstream is the better way, leaving the drama of Angkor Wat for the journey's end.) Unsurprisingly, given the bustle, lines are increasingly pushing deeper into the upper Mekong, which roughly follows the border of Laos and Thailand up toward the Golden Triangle. Last December, Mekong Kingdoms launched the 13-suite Bohème, which makes five-night journeys between the Lao capital, Vientiane, and the UNESCO-listed town of Luang Prabang. Heritage Line operates the 10-stateroom Anouvong, a luxury ship that blends traditional Lao and French-colonial styling. It sails seven- and nine-night itineraries between Vientiane and Huay Xai, a town not far from where Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand meet. It's proof that in this fascinating part of the world, there's always more to discover. Siem Reap, Cambodia, isn't located on the banks of the Mekong, but it has become a natural start or end point for trips on the river—and not just because it's home to Angkor Wat. In late 2023, a $1.1 billion airport opened, allowing connections to the mega-hubs of Bangkok, Seoul, and Singapore, among other destinations. Typically, travelers embarking in Kâmpóng Cham fly in to Phnom Penh International, which is a 2½-hour drive from the cruise port. While the new Siem Reap–Angkor International is a 4½-hour drive, its contemporary facilities have made it an intriguing alternative. ABERCROMBIE & KENT The company runs trips aboard the 14-cabin Mekong Princess, a smaller ship that can access places larger vessels can't, like the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. AMAWATERWAYS Its Soulful Experience departure in October 2026, which includes both river-ship and land touring, will spotlight Black history in Southeast Asia. AQUA EXPEDITIONS The firm's 20-suite Aqua Mekong is equipped with kayaks, motorized skiffs, and all-terrain bikes for off-ship touring. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC-LINDBLAD EXPEDITIONS It charters ships such as the Jahan, a chic 26-stateroom vessel, for two-week tours that include stops in both Ho Chi Minh City and Siem Reap, Cambodia. PANDAW CRUISES The pioneer of leisure trips on the river, this operator has off-the-beaten-path itineraries in Cambodia. UNIWORLD BOUTIQUE RIVER CRUISES This brand operates the Mekong Jewel, a 34-stateroom ship designed to feel like a luxury hotel, with a sizable swimming pool, a spa, and a library. VIKING Its latest 40-cabin ship, Viking Tonle, will arrive later this year with the line's signature Scandinavian design and itineraries that include overnights in Ho Chi Minh City, Siem Reap, and Hanoi, Vietnam. A version of this story first appeared in the July 2025 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline 'The Mekong's Moment.'