Balcony

Suite

AmaWaterways

River Cruises

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Hanoi

Asia River

Vietnam River

Cambodia

Asia

Vietnam

Excellent

Very Good

Poor

AmaCerto

AmaPrima

AmaSonata

AmaSerena

AmaLyra

AmaDolce

AmaCello

AmaViola

AmaKristina

AmaStella

AmaMagna

AmaDante

AmaDara

AmaLea

AmaVida

AmaMora

AmaDouro

AmaBella

AmaSiena

AmaLucia

AmaDahlia

AmaVerde

Zambezi Queen

Amazing experience!

This is a cruise like no other .

The Amadara is a stunning boat ,all wood and Asian ,absolutetly prefect for the Mekong ,unlike the other big name cruise boats that were just European boats floating in Asia.

From the first minute on  board the staff were friendly and there to help .

The food is incredible every meal and the themed nights amazing .

The shore excursions were all we organized and we were taken to places and saw things only Ama could arrange. 

Tung the cruise director made sure seemed to be everywhere making sure we were getting the best out of the tours .

Seeing through a 100 year old local house , the school visit  the tuk tik rides thru villages to name a few. 

The tour guides are genuine locals ,especially Sean from Cambodia who lived through the Pol Pot regime and told  harrowing story of his life .

The pool and sundeck are fantastic with plenty of comfortable seats .

The Mekong is a cruise that everyone should have on their list and with  Amawaterways at the top

Coordinator, Social Media

Absolutely 5 star 

We previously sailed on the AmaBella and loved it so this was an easy choice.  The entire crew and staff of the AmaDara were so pleasant and their smiles each and every day made us enjoy the cruise even more. All of the tour guides were professional and yet very approachable, as was the cruise manager and hotel manager. We learned so much about the culture and traditions of Vietnam and Cambodia, experienced rides on scooters, Tuk Tuks, Ox Carts. Onboard lectures were great additions to the off-ship excursions.  Entertainment was so much fun.  We were well taken care of with plenty of water supplied in the hot and humid climate.  Transportation was top notch with comfortable busses or tenders by water. Laundry was inexpensive with a quick turnaround time. We also took advantage of pre and post trip add ons and can say the accommodations, tours, and guides were excellent.  They called us Ama Family and by the trips end were certainly were, and friends as well!

La Romana (Casa de Campo)

This was our second cruise with Ama Waterways (after an amazing Danube experience) and we weren't sure if they could maintain the standard.  Not only did they meet, but they far exceeded all our expectations. We had booked airport transfers, the pre and post cruise portions along with the 7 day "Riches of the  Mekong".  If you don't take advantage of the land portions, you're missing out.  We felt safe and pampered from start to finish and would recommend doing the whole thing.

The trip consisted of a 7 Night Cruise With 2 Nights in Hanoi, 1 Night on board a boat in Ha Long Bay, 3 Nights in Siem Reap before the cruise, a 7 night cruise on the Mekong followed by 2 Nights in Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon Post-Cruise.

What sets the trip apart from all others was the service provided by the cruise manager Tung, the ships crew, shore excursion guides and even the drivers (of all kinds - buses, tuk-tuks, ox carts, trishaw...). We were met by Ama staff outside the airport and got onto buses with no hassles.  Arriving at the Sofitel Metropole Hotel we were greeted by Tung our cruise manager who was with us with us the entire time before saying good bye as we loaded onto the shuttle to the airport.  Tung was amazing.  From holding our hands crossing crazy streets (stay together like "sticky rice"), to providing us with amazing recommendations of places to see, eat and visit in our free time, to letting us to know what to expect every day, he never failed to ensure we were taken care of.  We've never had this great a service and his level of knowledge answered every question we could pose.

I can't say enough about the Sofitel hotels that Ama booked us into.  From the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, to the Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort they were both above and beyond in quality, cleanliness, service, staff and fantastic food options. The Sofitel Saigon Plaza was a bit less so, but likely only due to reduced staff over the Tet (New years) holiday.

The tour guide Lily who guided us in our pre-cruise trips in Vietnam was great.  She took us on our city tour, visit to the “Hanoi Hilton”, several temples, and Ha Long bay. 

We flew from Hanoi, Vietnam to Siem Reap, Cambodia and had an amazing travel experience.  This was all booked by Ama and Tung made the trip flawless by collecting passports to apply for our Cambodian visa’s, checking into our flights and clearing us for customs so we could walk right through to security with no lines (AMAZING!).

Upon reaching Siem Reap we met our next fantastic guide Vanna (like Nirvana ) who stayed with us for our entire Cambodian portion of the trip (pre and during the cruise). Vanna was amazing, from his commentary on each of the day trips, to the personal stories he shared, he MADE the trips interesting, moving and at times funny. There were times he’d show us something and we’d think Wow, and a moment later we’d hear him say WOW, like it was his first time seeing it too. 

One of the most memorable parts was our excursion to see the sunrise over Angkor Wat.  It takes a lot to get me up at 4 am, hop on a bus, hike into the temple (not far), but his description basically said there was no missing this and we didn’t…and I was so glad we did it.  This is one of those “Once in a lifetime moments” that you’ll never forget. The other sad, but “must see” was visiting S-21 Detention centre where Vanna introduced us to one of only 7 people that left there alive (out of 17,000 that entered)). We followed with a tour of the killing fields where Vanna shared his own family's story of the Khmer Rouge.   A terrible reminder of what man can do, but great to see how people survived and are overcoming the atrocities incurred.

The staff on the Ama Dara were amazing.  We had about 50 people on board (they are getting up to normal numbers post Covid)  and almost the same number of staff, so someone was always around to help with anything you needed. Staff that went above and beyond in taking care of us included Det in the bar, Jenny, Jacky Chan and Nop who took care of us in the dining room, the great staff at the desk and reception as well as the piano player who kept us entertained.   They also offered a variety of yoga and other light fitness classes.  The staff made the trip, from remembering our names by the 2nd day, to our drinks, likes and dislikes etc. No one else has compared.  They all deserve high praise for a service level I’m not sure we’ll see again (but Ama does keep surprising us).

All in all an absolutely fantastic experience.  We would highly recommend!

Trip of a lifetime on the Mekong River with Ama Waterways  (and with the pre and post cruise land portions)

New York (Manhattan)

We have just returned from a holiday of a life time thanks to AmaWaterways. We travelled on the AmaDara a beautiful ship. We sailed the Mekong through Vietnam and Cambodia, a most beautiful part of the world with such friendly people. This was our first river cruise so we were not sure what to expect, but we were made to feel special throughout.

The welcome we had at Saigon airport when we first landed was amazing. Tuan, one of the brilliant guides met us and taught us our first words of Vietnamese.  This friendliness was to continue throughout the holiday.  We had a land tour either end of the cruise, 2 days in Saigon pre cruise and 2 days in Siem Reap post cruise. The level of service was top notch throughout.   The hotels were amazing nothing was too much trouble.

AK our tour manager met us at our hotel in Saigon and was with us right through the holiday until our last day in Siem Reap.  He briefed us every day on the upcoming excursions and was very professional in all aspects of his job.  The excursions were well planned, and pitched at levels that all could enjoy. The guides were local and very knowledgeable and even showed us where to get the best photographs.  Every need was provided for from water to drink to rainproof ponchos to wear. What we really enjoyed about the excursions was getting a feel of how local people lived and worked along the Mekong.  We did also see the well known land marks such as Angkor Wat which was amazing, but it was places like Evergreen Island and Sa Dec Market that will stay with us.

The Amadara and her crew made our cruise unforgettable. Thuy,in the Spa provided a wonderful pedicure, Vy provided great support and encouragement to help me make the 500 steps to the Stupa at Oudong. I am so grateful because the views at the top were spectacular. Clarice on reception always greeted us with a smile and was always interested in our day. Phallin in the restaurant made us feel so welcome with her friendly manner. The food on board was delicious with so much choice of both western and Asian cuisines.  They even baked a birthday cake for my husband on his birthday! The waiters and waitresses in the restaurant were so friendly but professional. After dinner it was nice to have a drink in the Saigon lounge where there would be game shows which were fun.  We particularly enjoyed the traditional dancers in Cambodia.

We cannot recommend AmaWaterways and this cruise in particular enough.  We were called “Family” throughout the cruise and that is exactly how we felt, like part of a lovely family.

Amazing Amadara

We wanted to see a part of the world that was completely new to us and we had never been to Asia.  Previous reviews and my desire to visit where my brother served during the Vietnam War led us to choose the Charms of the Mekong on the AmaDara. We did the complete program with pre-cruise in Saigon and post-cruise in Siem Reap, Hanoi and HaLong Bay.  It was first class all the way.

I loved that the itinerary was not all about temples and tourist sites.  We got wonderful glimpses into the lives of the people and got to experience visiting homes and schools which was probably our favorite part of the trip.

First, let me echo all the positive comments from previous reviewers.  The hotels during the land portion are some of the finest we have ever experienced.  We especially loved the Sofitel in SIem Reap.  The AmaDara is a beautiful ship.  Our cruise was not sold out and we were given the option to upgrade our cabin at a tremendously reduced rate, but having looked at the more expensive options decided ours was just fine.  All the cabins are in great shape and beautifully decorated.  Other reviewers commented that there wasn't enough storage, but we didn't have that issue.  We brought collapsible plastic hangars and they helped tremendously.  The food on board was top notch and the staff were warm, friendly and very welcoming.  Our Cruise Director, AK, was with us for the entire 16 days and handled every situation with grace and class.  He made it all look easy, and I'm sure it wasn't.  Markus, the Hotel Director on the ship, missed his calling as a comedian.  It is apparent that the staff respect him and know the meaning of customer service.  

The guides in both Vietnam and Cambodia spoke excellent English and were grateful we chose to visit their countries.  They each had personal stories to tell which brought the recent history of both countries to life, sometimes in very disturbing ways.  Each stop was valuable and offered glimpses into the lives of the people in the regions we visited.  The trip to HaLong Bay was a delight, but we wish it had been two nights.  

The other passengers ranged in age from 40s to 70s.  All were in fairly good shape, which is good because there are lots of stairs to climb and uneven pavement.  Most were from the US, Canada, Australia and England.  They were respectful (mostly) and we enjoyed getting to know them.  

Here are some things I didn't read in previous reviews that would have been helpful to know:

1.  It is really hot and humid!!  I was the envy of all my fellow travelers.because I brought with me a battery operated device that went around my neck and had little fans at either end.  They can be found on Amazon for about $35

2. They tell you that you need to have your shoulders and knees covered when you visit temples.  What I didn't understand was that also applies to sites they consider sacred in any way.  There were very few days when we didn't need to follow "dress code", and I didn't pack appropriately for that.  Also, for women, you have to be careful that your tops are not revealing.  

3.  You need to carefully plan for your tips and bring new dollar bills (or Vietnamese Dong)  for tips and purchases at smaller markets.  They are happy to have dollars in Cambodia, but not Vietnam.  

4.  You will spend a lot of time on buses, and the roads are not always in great condition, so you might want to bring a Kindle or other device where you can increase the font to make up for the bumps.  You will also want snacks.  We bought trail mix packets and protein bars at Costco and were happy we had them.  

I hope you enjoy your Mekong/Vietnam/Cambodia experience as much as we did.

The Trip of a Lifetime!

We have just returned from the most amazing holiday on the Amawaterways AmaDara, Charms of the Mekong river cruise.  We have been lucky and have been on many cruise ships to all parts of the world but have never really fancied a river cruise.  However we were due to go on an Indian tour which regrettably was cancelled and booked this as an alternative and we were certainly not disappointed.  We had 2 days in Ho Chi Ming in  a first class hotel prior to embarkation and had booked an on/off bus tour  not realising that Amawaterways had arranged a couple of tours so did not utilise the bus and instead did their tour around the city in the morning and the chu chu tunnels in the afternoon.  Both excellent with English speaking guides.  Our first impression of the AmaDara was wow, what a delightful  boat with wood panelling everywhere.  Our cabin was beautiful with a Juliet balcony and another balcony with table and chairs to watch the fascinating scenery of Vietnam and Cambodia float past.  The bed was huge and the bathroom was big  with a lovely large shower cubicle. The whole experience was exceptional, the food was delicious with both western and Vietnamese, plenty of free wine and beers with lunch and dinner and the waiters and all the staff could not do enough to ensure the whole holiday came up our expectations knowing all names and likes and dislikes.  The excursions which were all included were very interesting and the guides both in Vietnam and Cambodia were very knowledgeable and made every tour enjoyable and educational. Evening entertainment was varied some good, some not quite so good. On the whole one of the best holidays we have ever undertaken and although we loved  the river cruise, we tend to go on long haul holidays and so will therefore not take another river cruise.but can certainly recommend this one.

Wow, wow and more wow

We wanted to go to Vietnam for a long time and we had traveled with Amawaterways before.  We knew the quality of the product.  After a few days on our own in Hanoi we joined a group of 19 for the pre-cruise, cruise and post-cruise with wonderful cruise manager Mr Thoai.  From the minute we met him, he was totally dedicated and on top of everything because of his continuous hard work.  The 3 Sofitel hôtels (Hanoi, Angor Wat,Saigon were 5 stars all the way.  The cities were overwelming and we were glad to be with a group, no respect for pedestrians, tourists or not but they were worth visiting .  We also had an overnight cruise on Halong Bay and did not expect so many excursions.  We especially enjoyed the visit of the caverns.  On that ship the food was ok but the room and venues were fabulous.

Finally we got to the Amadara : what a beautiful ship ! Hotel manager Markus is in a class of his own.  Everything runs smoothly, the food is fabulous (asian or standard), improvement is needed in the dessert section in my opinion.  We had free drinks of the day at cocktail time and the free specialty restaurant, la table du chef, is not to be missed ( no complaint about desset there !)

Every guide we met spoke English very well and represented Amawaterways with pride. A word of warning : the excursions are not for older people, they are quite active and demand a level of fitness exiting and entering the ship although there is plenty of help. It is a cruise not to be missed and should be on everyone's list!

Perfection

I always had a fascination for Vietnam and Cambodia and wanted to cruise the Mekong river,as I have been very ill my husband treated me for our anniversary. From the minute we left home the whole holiday experience was amazing,the boat,food and the best cabin we have ever had.

The excursions were very different from what we normally do and I enjoyed every one,I loved going around Evergreen village and meeting the locals who were very welcoming.

The ox cart ride was very different,and the tut tut ride a little scary with all the traffic.

I have a special diet and they always made sure I was well catered for.

They have an alternative restaurant called The Captains Table for no extra cost, we had a beautiful meal there for our anniversary,and they made it very special.

All the staff treated you like family and couldn’t do enough for you.

The tour guides were very knowledgeable with a great sense of humour.

I love Tai Chi and even that was available.

I vote this cruise the best I have ever had.

A dream holiday

If you want spectacular scenery and attractions you will need to book the land package that includes Angkor Wat and Harlong Bay. The cruise down the Mekong is more a cultural expose and explanation of historical events in the region. The boat and scenery on the river are still interesting but not spectacular. The cabins are excellent with a small balcony and French doors and the bathroom is clean and of good size with a glass shower screen. Food on the cruise was varied, both western and Asian selections with several selections for every meal. Drinks were available all day with beer and spirits included although they were of limited types , wine was only served with meals in the dining room. I have included photos of the wine list and drink list to give an idea of the extra charges if you wanted to purchase premium wine or spirits.

The passengers are mainly older Americans, Canadians, British or Australians who are able to walk reasonable distances for the excursions.

Excursions were interesting and varied and the guides were well organised.

The staff were a highlight and attentive, friendly and well trained.

Overall an excellent cruise by a professional company with great staff.

excellent cruise on a superb ship

I completed this cruise a week or so ago.  The cruise itself in very nice and relaxing.  The stops along the river are interesting but this is so very different from one of the European sailings.  You really can't explore on your own.  You are assigned group color and a guide for Vietnam and a different one for Cambodia.  Our guide in Vietnam, Sonny, was not good.  It was almost impossible to understand him and he yelled all the time.  Our guide for Cambodia, Peter, was excellent.  AMA Waterways needs to vet the guides a bit better since you are stuck with the same one for several days.  Get a bad one and it affects the whole experience.

Huong, our Cruise Manager was fantastic.  Always there to help.  Very nice and genuinely wanted everyone to have a great experience.

The ship itself is nice, but very different from the European ships.  There are less areas to mingle and the lounge was always set up as a lecture hall rather than a place to talk to fellow guests.

The food was very good and they were excellent at managing dietary restrictions.  Maria, the Restaurant Manager, was really fantastic.  She was always there with a smile and a good word.  She also knows the dining room and menus inside and out, so any questions were answered swiftly and accurately.

The food at the Chef's Table was okay, but both the meals and service were better in the main dining room.

The cabin sizes are similar to the European ships but with less storage.  

Entertainment was a bit lacking.

WiFi is terrible and is something AMA really needs to address.

In addition to the cruise, I also booked the pre cruise package in Ho Chi Minh City and the post cruise packages in both Siem Reap and Hanoi.  I recommend the post cruise package in Siem Reap (with Angkor Wat) wholeheartedly.  It was amazing and Peter, our guide, was teriffic.  The pre cruise package in Ho Chi Minh City is not worth it.  You can easily see the city on our own in two days.  The post cruise package for Hanoi is similarly not worth it, nor is the Ha Long Bay Cruise.  I would recommend booking this privately as you will see more.  Try to find a Ha Long Bay cruise that does not follow all of the other 700 boats to all the same locations.  

AMA Waterways continues to be an excellent company to travel with and this cruise would easily be 5 stars with some minor changes.

Lovely Cruise but avoid the Pre and Post cruise options in Vietnam

Filters

1-10 of 29