The latest spin in cruising is not complimentary wine at dinner or a super-spa with age-defying facials; this season it’s cruise lines with a heart. Leaving more than tourist dollars between ports, river cruise line AmaWaterways has made arrangements to sponsor the education of young local children in the province of Siem Reap, Cambodia, in conjunction with its 16-day “Vietnam, Cambodia and Riches of the Mekong” river tour, which features a fascinating spin through the Angkor Archaeological Park in Cambodia.
In partnership with the Orphans and Disabled Arts Association (ODA), the company is sponsoring the ODA Free Village English School in Siem Reap. The school aims to teach the local children English-language skills in an effort to improve their lives and facilitate future employment in a region that relies heavily on tourism.
Passengers are invited to visit the school during their excursion through the nearby Angkor Archeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is one of the world’s most impressive remaining archeological sites. The heavily forested area contains the magnificent remains of the capitals of the Khmer Empire, which ruled the region from the 9th to the 15th centuries, according to the UNESCO web site. The capitals were distinguished by spectacular temples that remain largely intact, including the Temple of Angkor Wat and the Bayon Temple with ornate sculptures.
On the AmaWaterways tours, passengers may visit the school while stopping off at the nearby Banteay Srei temple in the Angkor Archeological Park. Sheila Cluff, fitness expert and owner of the spa The Oaks at Ojai, recently boarded the river vessel Amalotus with husband Don in celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary.
The couple shared some intense moments hiking through the jungle on rickety bridges, visiting floating markets in Cai Be and then stepping ashore to visit candy and rice paper workshops. They moored overnight in Dac after a traditional “xe-loi” (trishaw) ride around Tan Chau to explore more of the region before their riverboat docked in My Tho port in Vietnam, where they caught the next transfer by bus to Ho Chi Minh City, which in earlier times was known as Saigon, and continues to be recognized as “the Paris of the Orient.”
Cluff, a veteran of more than 100 cruises she has led for clients or friends at her spa during the last 25 years, is an expert when it comes to selecting the right accommodations in this part of the world.
“I recommend the 640-square-foot luxury suite on either the Amalotus or La Marguerite’s sedec [sun deck]. After a day of jungle treks, challenging hikes, visits to catfish farms, rattan and slipper-making workshops, plus navigating through narrow channels to visit an evergreen island, there’s nothing more rewarding than soaking in a roomy bathtub fragranced with bath salts,” Cluff confides. “The patio is where I read a long-forgotten novel by Somerset Maugham [while] sipping a glass of white wine.”
Now that’s the way to travel.
In addition to AmaWaterways, several companies offer cruises to this region, including Vantage Deluxe World Travel’s seven-night cruise with a three-night stay in Siem Reap, steps from Angor Wat. Passengers cruise on a traditional junk boat, the “RV Tonle Pandaw.” Check both www.vantagetravel.com and www.amawaterways.com for more information, as both cruise lines offer seasonal promotions at reduced rates.
Pam Price is the co-author of “Day Trips from Los Angeles.” www.globepequot.com.