The four-star Victoria Mekong cruise ship yesterday began serving the Cần Thơ-Phnom Penh route. Photo Phong Nguyễn

CẦN THƠ — Victoria Mekong cruise ship yesterday (December 11) began its service between Việt Nam’s Mekong Delta city of Cần Thơ and Cambodia’s Phnom Penh capital.

The first luxury four-star cruise ship to connect the two cities is a four-deck cruise ship equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. 

The ship with 33 deluxe cabins and two VIP suites features a restaurant with a 360-degree view on the upper deck as well as shopping stores, spas, libraries and cinemas.

During the tour, passengers will enjoy circus performances, lion dances, traditional Khmer dances and folk music performances of the Mekong Delta region. 

Passengers departing from HCM City will be transported by vehicles to Cần Thơ.

Võ Xuân Thu, general director of Victoria Cần Thơ Resort, a member of Thiên Minh Group, said that a Mekong cruise from Việt Nam to the upstream of the river in Cambodia is the best way to see the cultural diversity between the two regions.

Prices start from VNĐ21 million (US$906) for the tour (three to four nights), including meals and beverages on board.

Prices of river cruises are often more expensive than land tours, but they are popular with foreign tourists, according travel agencies.  

Cần Thơ is major tourist hotspot in the region, with direct local and international flights to Hà Nội, Đà Nẵng, Nha Trang, Đà Lạt, Vinh, Thanh Hóa, Phú Quốc and Côn Đảo islands, and Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok.

The Mekong River, orriginating from Tibet, extends more than 3,000 miles through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia before reaching Việt Nam and the East Sea. 

The river has throughout history fed some 60 million of people along its path. The river has enriched various kingdoms and fostered the cultural diversity that exists in Southeast Asia.

Many cruise lines that operate between HCM City and Phnom Penh currently provide shore excursions to explore rural villages along rivers. Some cruise vessels embark on trips in Tiền Giang Province and cruise along the Mekong River and sail into Cambodia.

The Victoria Mekong cruise ship, which was launched on August 31, is operated by Victoria Mekong Cruises Company, a joint venture between Thiên Minh Group and Wendy Wu Tours, the UK’s leading Asia tour specialist. — VNS