Our day started early at 6:30 am with a sunrise Vietnamese longboat ride through a wholesale floating market on the Mekong River just outside Chau Doc. On way into town we stopped at a floating fish farm. Once in Chau Doc we climbed into trishaws for a ride through the busy city streets and ended at a market where we spent time experiencing a hectic Vietnamese market. Later on board Jahan we attended a talk on the biodiversity of the Mekong and then a talk on photo composition. The day was topped off with a visit to a small village to sample local fruits and vegetables and the walk on a monkey bridge.
2/14/2025
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The Jahan
Angkor Ban and Kampong Cham
We started our final day on The Jahan visiting the remote village of Angkor Ban, which is one of only a handful of villages with traditional wooden houses dating back over 100 years. These types of homes are a rarity due to neglect and the decades of conflict in the country. We entered the village through a large pagoda complex before walking around the narrow streets to see the homes. Afterward, two local monks came on board to chant and preform a blessing for the ship and guests. Guests were also able to get individual blessings and red string bracelets, a Buddhist tradition for luck and protection. National Geographic Archeologist Fabio Esteban gave a talk on, “Parallel Civilizations and Sacred Landscapes between the Maya and Angkor”. In the afternoon, we visited Wat Nokor, our first Angkor period temple that featured a colorful monastery built inside a 12th-century enclosure. Then, we stopped at a famous bamboo bridge in the provincial capital of Kampong Cham. Guests had the option of walking on a portion of the bridge or walking along the riverside back to the ship. To conclude our voyage, we celebrated with a farewell party on the terrace deck at sunset and enjoyed the world premiere of the guest slideshow.
