13 Tips for Cruising the Mekong with Emerald Cruises

This is an excursion-led cruise. The river is the transport and the scenery; the trip is what happens once you step off. Emerald Harmony was built specifically for these waters and carries a maximum of 84 guests, so you go ashore in small groups with guides who grew up nearby, rather than filing off a ship with two thousand other people and finding the temple already full. 

It also crosses a border. The standard itinerary runs between Ho Chi Minh City and Siem Reap, taking in Mekong Delta villages like Ben Tre and My An Hung, the Cao Dai temple at Tan Chau, Phnom Penh, and the temple complex at Angkor. Two countries, two currencies, two languages, and a fairly demanding daily rhythm in tropical heat. 

Almost everything on this list follows from those two facts. Pack for heat and walking, say yes to the touring, and give yourself time at both ends. 

Luggage on a river ship is a fixed quantity and the cabins are not enormous. What matters is bringing the right small things and leaving behind the things that only look useful from a New Zealand winter.

Not in your suitcase. In your day bag. The humidity brings the bugs out, and Angkor Wat is where you'll get chewed the most. Pack more than you think you need and reapply once you've been sweating. 

• Buy it before you leave rather than hunting for it between excursions 

• Reapply after temple visits, not just before. The first coat sweats off within the hour 

• Light long sleeves at dawn and dusk do as much work as another layer of spray 

Temples and palaces come with a dress code, which means covered shoulders and knees in serious heat. A little handheld fan turns those visits from an endurance test into a good morning out. A small speaker is worth the space too, for the slow hours watching the riverbank slide past. 

• Pack a light scarf or shawl that covers your shoulders quickly at temple entrances 

• Charge the fan overnight. Excursion days run longer than the printed schedule suggests 

• The speaker gets used on deck more than you'd expect, particularly on sailing days 

A sport jacket will sit on its hanger all week and eat half your bag. Too hot, no occasion for it. Something smart and lightweight covers the dressier nights onboard. What you'll use every day is a pair of shoes you can walk kilometres in, because the days are spent on foot through temples, villages and markets. 

• Closed shoes with grip. Temple steps are steep, uneven and often wet 

• Two pairs if you have the room, so one can dry out overnight 

• Smart and lightweight covers every dressier night onboard. Nothing on this ship needs a blazer  

The excursion programme is the reason to book this cruise rather than a beach. Included touring runs at most stops, with optional add-ons offered alongside. These five tips are about choosing well and turning up.

The excursions are where this trip earns its money. Working markets, local villages, temples, guides who grew up down the road. There'll be a morning you're tempted to stay onboard with a coffee instead, and that's the one you'll hear about at dinner. Go to everything. 

• Touring is included in the fare, so a morning skipped is money left on the table 

• Guides are local to each stop and the conversation is often better than the sight itself 

• If you need a slower day, take it on a sailing day rather than an excursion day  

Riding pillion on a vintage Vespa after dark shows you a completely different city to the one you walked around at lunchtime. Street food, back lanes, traffic that somehow works. If it's offered on your sailing, take it over the Jeep tour or the hotel buffet. 

• Book it early. Numbers are limited by the number of bikes and riders 

• Wear closed shoes and trousers, and leave the good camera behind 

• Eat lightly beforehand. The food stops are the point 

Buses roll out around 5am, so yes, it's brutal. It's also the bit people are still talking about months later. The catch is that it falls the morning after the group dinner, so pace yourself. Pub Street will still be there tomorrow night.

• Set out your clothes, repellent and water the night before. There is no time to think at 4:30am
• Take a torch. The walk in happens in the dark
• A cardigan or light layer helps. Pre-dawn is the one cool hour of the day

The Phnom Penh day comes with a choice of excursions, and Choeung Ek and Tuol Sleng are the heaviest option on the list. They're also the most affecting few hours of the itinerary and the ones that give you the most to think about afterwards. It won't suit everyone, particularly younger travellers. It gives you context for modern Cambodia that no temple visit can. 

• Decide as a group before the day. Splitting up for the morning is completely normal 
• Use the audio guide and take the time it asks for 
• Leave the afternoon light. Most people don't want to go straight into another activity 

A change of pace from sightseeing, and you come out understanding how the stuff is actually made. Grab it as an add-on if it's running while you're there.  

• This one sits outside the included programme, so check availability and cost onboard  

• It pairs well with the Killing Fields morning if you want a lighter afternoon  

Eighty-four guests is small enough that the social side of the week either works or it doesn't, and that's mostly decided in the first 48 hours. 

Small ship, same faces for the whole week. The best nights on this trip are shared ones, so break the ice early and sit somewhere new at dinner. Keeping to yourself is the easiest way to have a quieter holiday than you signed up for.  

• Sit with different people at dinner for the first three nights and the rest sorts itself out  

• The welcome briefing and the first sundowner are the easiest moments to start  

Hello and thank you in Vietnamese and Khmer will get you further than you'd expect, especially in the markets. Some of the best moments happen when nobody shares a language, like getting taught dance moves in a bar in Siem Reap by someone who doesn't speak a word of English.  

• Vietnamese: xin chào (hello), cảm ơn (thank you)  

• Khmer: sous sdei (hello), aw kohn (thank you)  

• Ask your guide to correct you. They will, and they'll enjoy it  

It's all-inclusive. A sundowner on the deck as the river goes by is the correct way to finish a day of temples. Just refer back to tip six before your last night in Siem Reap.  

• Sun deck at dusk is the best seat on the ship, and it fills up  

• Drink more water than you think you need. The heat does most of the work before the bar does  

One night in Ho Chi Minh City is exactly enough to work out how much you're missing. Same story with Singapore if you're transiting through. Two or three extra nights either side is the difference between a great cruise and a great trip, and it's the thing people wish they'd booked. 

• Extra nights are usually cheaper booked with the package than added later 
• A Singapore stopover breaks up the flying and costs less than you'd think 
• Siem Reap rewards a spare day. One morning at Angkor never feels like enough 

Nobody comes home regretting a dish they tried. The regret is always the other way round. Fried insects are where most people draw the line, and that's allowed.  

• Market stops are the best place for this, with your guide there to translate  

• Ask what the crew eat. It's rarely what's on the printed menu 

Emerald notes that Mekong itineraries are a guide only and may be amended for operational reasons including high and low water, so the sailed route can differ from the published one. Confirm the current itinerary at time of booking. 

Whether you're looking at the shorter Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh sailing or the full run through to Siem Reap and Angkor, a Flight Centre Travel Expert can line up the cruise, the flights out of Auckland, and the extra nights at both ends that make the difference. We'll tell you which departure suits your dates and which excursions are worth planning around. 

What should I pack for a Mekong River cruise?

Insect repellent in your day bag rather than your suitcase, a handheld fan, and shoes you can walk kilometres in. Temples and palaces require covered shoulders and knees, so pack a light scarf or shawl that goes on quickly. Skip the sport jacket. It's too hot and there's no occasion for it. Something smart and lightweight covers the dressier nights onboard, and a small speaker is worth the space for the slow hours on deck.

Are excursions included on Emerald Cruises' Mekong sailings?

The standard excursion programme is included, covering working markets, riverside villages, temples and city touring with local guides at most stops. Some experiences sit outside that programme as paid add-ons, including the rum distillery in Phnom Penh. Because touring is already in the fare, skipping a morning is money left on the table. Confirm the current inclusions for your specific departure at time of booking.

Is the Angkor Wat sunrise worth the early start?

Yes. Buses roll out around 5am and it's brutal, but it's consistently the part of the trip people are still talking about months later. The catch is that it usually falls the morning after the group dinner, so pace yourself the night before. Pub Street will still be there the following evening.

Do New Zealanders need a visa for Vietnam and Cambodia?

Yes, both. New Zealand is not on Vietnam's visa exemption list, so an e-visa is required for any visit; it's applied for online and allows stays of up to 90 days. Cambodia also requires a visa, available as an e-visa online or on arrival. Passports need at least six months' validity and two blank pages. If your itinerary re-enters Vietnam after Cambodia, check whether you need multiple entry. Confirm current requirements before you book flights.

When is the best time to cruise the Mekong?

November to February is the most comfortable window, with lower humidity, cooler mornings and reliable sunrise conditions at Angkor. It's also the busiest. March to May is the hottest stretch and the most demanding for temple days. June to October brings green season and high water, with fewer crowds and short heavy showers. Itineraries can be amended for high and low water, so the sailed route may differ from the published one.

Should I add extra nights before or after the cruise?

It's the single thing past guests most often say they wish they'd booked. One night in Ho Chi Minh City is exactly enough to work out how much you're missing, and Siem Reap rewards more than one morning at Angkor. Two or three nights at either end, plus a Singapore stopover if you're transiting through, turns a great cruise into a great trip.