Escape the busy roads and enjoy Asia's cool breeze

One of the best ways to experience a more intimate side of Asia is to travel by water. Whether you’re sailing the waters of Halong Bay in a luxuriously converted traditional junk; navigating a section of the Mekong River aboard a converted rice barge; or cruising along the Chao Phraya River through the metropolis of Bangkok at sunset whilst enjoying a sumptuous meal; you can be sure of one thing – a cooling breeze!
At Selective Asia we create tailor-made holidays and honeymoons to your specifications. Our experienced team of Asia specialists have made these journeys, amongst many others, and after much debate we’ve come up with our top three waterway experiences in Asia - so welcome aboard, come and travel the real Asia

Phnom Penh to Siem Reap

The Tonlé Sap connects the two major Cambodian cities of Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, the gateway to the Angkor Temples. The journey is a great alternative to flying and can be completed in just a few hours, an entire day or on a more sedate three day cruise on board boats such as the Toum Tiou
or the Tonlé Pandaw
Whichever option you choose, for much of the journey you will travel the length of Cambodia’s ‘Great Lake’. The Tonlé Sap Lake
plays a hugely important role in Cambodia for several reasons - not only is it the major source of fish for the population but the lake also provides a flood control system during the rainy season.

Huay Xai to Luang Prabang

For us, this is the daddy of them all – start your journey in the North East Thai city of Chiang Rai before crossing the border into Laos at Chiang Kong - Huay Xai. You’ll cruise along a stunning section of the Mekong River, passing through North West Laos before arriving at the magnificent temple city of Luang Prabang.
You’ll travel aboard a converted rice barge ensuring you are comfortable whatever the weather and you will break the journey overnight in Pakbeng, a sleepy riverside town six hours upstream from Luang Prabang.
En route you will pass through areas of outstanding beauty, stopping to visit riverside minority villages, and as you near Luang Prabang there’s also time to visit the Pak Ou Caves.

Perfume Pagoda, Hanoi

We know that you may be surprised not to find a cruise on the magical waters of Halong Bay featured here, however we wanted to give another of Vietnam’s waterway a look in.
Travel just a few hours by road from Hanoi and you will soon find yourself a world away from the constant beeping and screeching of the hundreds of the thousands mopeds that fill the city’s streets from dawn to dusk. Upon arrival in the town of My Duc you will board a small sampan and journey through a peaceful rural landscape of flooded rice fields. During the journey your craft is likely to be rowed by women who belong to a ‘martyr’s family’ – their husbands or fathers having been killed or injured during the war. It’s then a 90 minute walk up to the stunning Perfume Pagoda set high into the cliffs.