TOP 10 River Cruises 2019
THE MEKONG
It’s boom time in Vietnam with more and more cruises on the river that snakes up through age-old scenery – jungle dotted with golden temples, water buffalo tramping the banks and workers in conical hats knee-deep in paddy fields.
There’s a great new cruise here from the summer. Emerald Harmony, a small-scale version of the contemporary Emerald Waterways modernistic Star-Ships that sail Europe’s rivers, takes to the Mekong in August. The craft, discreet and flat-bottomed, is one of few cruise ships that can sail from the heart of Ho Chi Minh City on the Saigon River into the delta and through channels to the Mekong (most cruises start a goodly drive from the city). From here, it’s the classic Mekong sailing, crossing from Vietnam into Cambodia, just short of Siem Reap (and the Ankor Wat temples), where there’s a three-night hotel stay.
The 15-day Majestic Mekong starts from £3,195pp, all-inclusive, with flights, departing regularly September-March (0808 231 5028/ emeraldwaterways.co.uk ).
THE AMAZON
There are, in effect, two Amazons –
