This morning, after an enormous buffet breakfast (including a great omelette from the cooked-to-order egg station) we headed off on our first shore excursion.
Passengers were placed into three groups and assigned a guide. Three motor launches then pulled alongside La Marguerite and (after we had put on our specially designed mini life vests – worn every time we boarded the launches) took us to Kampong Chhang, our first river village.
On the way, we sailed past floating villages and watched the locals going about their daily life – fish and rice farming was their main occupation.
Arriving at Kampong Chhang, we took a leisurely walk through shops and market stalls.
We then returned for lunch before sailing further down the river to Kampong Tralach where we went on an ox cart ride through rice fields and small villages (one of the highlights of the trip).
Buses then took us to Oudong, the former capital of Cambodia, where we visited the largest Buddhist centre in the country.
Each night on our cruise, La Marguerite moored near our next day’s destination. Sleeping was never a problem. The peaceful environment and calmness of the river was very conducive to a good sleep, which was certainly necessary after our almost non-stop activities.
