Aqua Expeditions, one of the world’s leading luxury river cruise lines, has revealed its annual discounted summer rates aboard the award-winning Aqua Mekong expedition river cruise. Launched in 2014 and considered the most elegant cruise on the Mekong, the Aqua Mekong takes travelers on a grand journey along one of the world’s most legendary waterways through Cambodia and Vietnam.
Every summer, the Aqua Mekong discounts its summer rates by 30% on chosen departures, this year from May 3 to August 13, 2019, and May 1 to August 6, 2020. Fares drop to $2,268 for a three-night Discovery Cruise, $3,024 for a four-night Explorer Cruise and $5,292 for a seven-night Expedition Cruise. All rates are per person based on double occupancy and are all-inclusive of meals, wines and shore excursions.
An ideal time for photography and intimate cultural experiences
The timing of the summer rates coincides with the Mekong’s ‘green season,’ when Cambodia and Vietnam’s abundant rice fields turn a rich green color. A combination of sunshine and sporadic 30-minute showers nourish and cool the land without affecting the travel experience. Visually, the ‘green season’ is the best time of the year for photography in the Mekong.
Cycling and kayaking — part of Aqua Mekong‘s varied itineraries — are also ideal this time of the year. With no rice planting or harvesting duties in the countryside, the green season also presents travelers with more opportunities to mingle with locals and fully immerse in the river’s unique, traditional way of life involving first-hand encounters with silversmiths, silk weavers and palm sugar makers.
All-new culinary creations by Michelin-starred chef David ThompsonOn board, the cultural journey is augmented by a new dining menu by the Michelin-starred David Thompson, Aqua Mekong’s consulting chef. Chef Thompson uses seasonal produce to create dishes exclusive to the Aqua Mekong, such as lamb curry with Khmer spices, pepper, cumin and cassia, and chicken salad with Asian pennywort and green mango.”The new menu is designed to suit the flow of the journey along the Mekong River,” says chef Thompson. Once the Aqua Mekong crosses into Vietnam, guests can savor chef Thompson’s rendition of the popular Vietnamese dish banh mi (baguette with pâte, local herbs and sauces) and his personal favorite: sugar cane prawns.For more information on Aqua Mekong, please visit: https://www.aquaexpeditions.com/luxury-cruise-ships/aqua-mekong/
