Cruise the Southeast Asian waters aboard the Aqua Mekong, where gastronomy and riverbank culture come together in sybaritic ease.
Where luxury travel meets culinary discovery, the result is nothing less than sublime. Enjoy a cruise on the Aqua Mekong, an ultra-luxurious expedition ship that sails along the very backbone of Southeast Asia – with the option of enjoying haute cuisine -style dinner while sailing by pagodas, floating villages, and jade rice paddies along the powerful Mekong River.
From Saigon to Phnom Penh and then Siem Reap, the Aqua Mekong is not so much a river cruise as a walking five-star boutique hotel for sophisticated world travellers. Designed by renowned architect Noor Design, the ship is nothing more than 20 designer suites and floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic views, plunge pools, and a private crew of 40 for a maximum of 40 passengers.
But at the very heart of this odyssey are its dishes — a culinary expedition under the guidance of Chef David Thompson, James Beard award-winning Southeast Asian cuisine expert. It is an adventure for the senses every day as it marries the pungent, spicy, and herbaceous essence of Vietnamese and Khmer fare with modern twists.
Daily menus onboard are inspired by what is seasonal at the riverside markets. Lunch may be Mekong catfish grilled with turmeric and dill, banana blossom salad with lime and fish sauce dressing, or wagyu beef stir-fry with Kampot pepper and wild ginger. Dinners elevate the regional fare to the next level with some of the following: coconut-braised pork belly, lychee and Thai basil-infused duck curry, or freshwater prawns in tamarind caramel.
Yet the indulgence doesn’t stop at your plate. Private cooking classes and market tours with chefs in cities such as Phnom Penh or Chau Doc allow guests to discover how to choose and prepare local ingredients. An onboard herb garden means that dishes feature freshly cut Thai basil, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves.
And for the adventurer, the Aqua Mekong also offers specially crafted shore excursions in private skiffs. Cruising past mangrove forests, temple ruins, or taking dinner in riverside homes with local families who host ancestral dinners over several generations passed down — all masterfully integrated into this refined experience.
Evenings are spent indulging in alfresco canapés and sundowners on the observation deck when the sky is on fire with fuchsia and gold, followed by a tasting menu under lantern-speckled skies. It’s a temporary fusion where high dining and unspoiled grandeur come together and merge in the finest way possible, luxury, comfort, and authenticity hand in hand.
For the adventurer with a penchant for indulgence as much as discovery, the Aqua Mekong presents a feast afloat of epic proportions — where each bite, each view, and each moment is one to be relished.
