The Smartest Border Crossing in Asia
If you read Part 1 of our Indochina series, you know we have just finished an 8-day exploration of Vietnam from Hanoi down to Ho Chi Minh City.
Now, we must cross into Cambodia. Most travelers waste an entire day navigating airport security for a short regional flight. We do something entirely different. We use the Mekong River.
Here is how the second half of our signature 15-Day Vietnam & Cambodia Journey – across the Mekong river unfolds.
1. Deep into the Delta (Days 9-10)
We drive south from Saigon into Ben Tre, trading highways for waterways.
You will take a rowing sampan under the shade of water coconut palms and visit hidden brick kilns. The next morning, you eat breakfast on a boat floating through the Cai Rang Floating Market in Can Tho.
As we near the Cambodian border, we venture into the Tra Su Melaleuca Forest—taking a small rowboat through a flooded cajuput forest blanketed in bright green duckweed. You sleep in the border town of Chau Doc.
2. The Speedboat to Phnom Penh (Day 11)
At 7:00 AM, you board a fast, comfortable speedboat. For five hours, you cruise up the mighty Mekong River.
We handle all the border logistics while you watch the landscape transition from the dense trade of Vietnam to the quiet, palm-lined shores of Cambodia. You step off the boat directly in Phnom Penh, ready to explore the Royal Palace and the sobering history of the Tuol Sleng Museum.
3. The Grand Finale: Angkor (Days 12-15)
We leave the capital and drive overland to Siem Reap, stopping to explore the 7th-century pre-Angkorian ruins of Sambor Prei Kuk.
Then, the climax of your journey begins. Over three days, a private historian guides you through the greatest architectural achievement in Southeast Asia.
You will walk through the root-strangled doorways of Ta Prohm.
You will stand beneath the 200 serene stone faces of the Bayon temple.
You will watch the sunrise over the massive lotus ponds of Angkor Wat.
We conclude the trip with a boat ride on Tonle Sap Lake, observing the fascinating stilt-house communities of Kampong Phluk, before transferring you to the Siem Reap airport for your flight home.
Ta Prohm temple
Stop Dreaming, Start Building
This 15-day sequence is not a generic group tour. It is a private, meticulously managed blueprint designed to give you the absolute best of both countries with zero logistical friction.
Contact the Tonkin Travel team today. Ask for the “15-Day Vietnam & Cambodia Journey,” and let’s start customizing these dates to fit your 2026 calendar.
Angkor sunrise – a must try experience
