The best luxury Mekong river cruises

With its evocative mix of colourful cultures and rich history, the Mekong River was a key trigger that helped to catapult South East Asia on to the river cruising map.

The most popular sailings are between Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and Siem Reap in Cambodia, with hotel stays in both cities often topping and tailing cruises.

However, the Upper Mekong, which stretches from Laos's capital Vientiane into Thailand and China offers a more remote alternative of spectacular unspoilt lush landscapes and rustic riverside settlements.

Colonial Gallic charms

Cruise along the Mekong in French colonial comfort amid the lavish surroundings of Uniworld's 68-passenger all-suite Mekong Navigator that promises timeless elegance on its voyage between frenetic Ho Chi Minh City and the Cambodian metropolis of Siem Reap. Guests spend three nights here to explore the ancient wonders of the Unesco protected royal temples at Angkor, spread magically through the jungle-clad interior.

A 14-night Timeless Wonders of Vietnam, Cambodia & the Mekong package, including the seven-night cruise plus stays in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Siem Reap, sails from Ho Chi Minh city. From ￡4,620pp, including flights, departing December 13, 2019 (0808 281 1125; uniworld.com).

Buddhist blessings and bustling villages

Throw yourself into local life on this voyage with Aqua Expeditions whose luxurious 40-guest ship Aqua Mekong takes guests into a typical village in the Mekong Delta where traditional folk songs and dances are performed for visitors. Explore colourful markets, swap stories with Khmer farmers and watch Buddhist blessing ceremonies. Then visit the remote communities around Cambodia’s Tonle Sap Lake where floating villages boast schools, churches, pagodas and even a karaoke bar and police station that all sit on the water.

A seven-night Aqua Mekong Expedition cruise sails from My Tho, Vietnam to Prek Toal near Siem Reap, Cambodia. From ￡5,234pp ($6,615), departing July 19 (0065 6270 4002; aquaexpeditions.com).

Explore the Upper Mekong

Enjoy an alternative experience of the Mekong as it flows through Laos, past verdant jungle and tiny villages perched on the riverbanks. The rustic Laos Pandaw takes you into a peaceful world where few tourists venture to visit dramatic waterfalls and mysterious caves, but the jewel in the crown is the atmospheric town of Luang Prabang where the roots of its colonial French past run deep. Don’t miss the night market and magical early-morning alms giving.

A 10-night Laos Mekong cruise sails from Vientiane to Chiang Saen. From ￡3,105pp ($3,924), departing December 19, 2019 (020 8396 7320; pandaw.com).

Bartering in floating markets

Pull back the curtain on a way of life virtually unchanged for centuries in the floating markets and fishing villages along the Mekong in Vietnam and Cambodia aboard Viking cruises' rustic 56-passenger Viking Mekong. The landscape is dotted with ancient temples, while the region’s more torrid past is evident at the Killing Fields near Phnom Penh and underground in the Cu Chi tunnels, near Ho Chi Minh City, used by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War.

A 14-night Magnificent Mekong package, comprises a one-week cruise and stays in Hanoi, Siem Reap and Ho Chi Minh City. From ￡4,635pp, departing November 25, 2019 (0800 319 6660; vikingrivercruises.co.uk).

From tuk tuks to trishaws

Absorb the exotic sights and sounds of Indo-China and its Khmer and Angkor cultures aboard AmaWaterways’ AmaDara as you stop at riverside hamlets and go exploring on ox carts and tuk tuk rides. In Angkor Ban, one of the few Cambodian villages not destroyed by the Khmer Rouge, stroll past stilted houses to watch silk weavers at work, and jump aboard a trishaw to roam the Vietnamese riverside town of Tan Chau.

A seven-night Riches of the Mekong sails from Kampong Cham to My Tho. From ￡1,307pp, departing August 26, 2019 (0800 320 2335; amawaterways.co.uk).

Discover the Killing Fields

The sumptuous surroundings of Lotus Cruises’ 34-suite Mekong Navigator evoke the spirit of 1930s France with the plush furnishings of the Le Salon lounge making a perfect place from which to admire passing river views. Visit schools and village temples where resident monks dispense water blessings, and discover the darkest days of Khmer history in the Killing Fields near Phnom Penh. The city’s ornate palaces offer a lighter diversion with ornate Buddha statues encrusted with diamonds.

A seven-night cruise starts in Kampong Cham near Siem Reap and finishes in My Tho near Ho Chi Minh City. From ￡1,281pp ($1,619pp), departing September 22, 2019 (0084 8541 01163; lotuscruises.com).

Mouth-watering Mekong

Savour the flavours of Vietnamese cuisine on this cruise with APT in the company of its brand ambassador, Vietnamese-Australian celebrity chef Luke Nguyen who takes passengers on a walking tour of Old Saigon where his parents were raised.

Tuck into a special degustation dinner at Vietnam House, his restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, before embarking on the cruise to Siem Reap. The trip ends on high with the chance to watch the sunrise amid the atmospheric temples of Angkor.

A 15-night package includes a one-week cruise and stays in Ho Chi Minh City and Siem Reap. From ￡5,590pp, departing November 28, 2019 (0800 012 6683; aptouring.co.uk).