The Mekong with AmaWaterways: A river of history

#expeditioncruising . 

As the Mekong spreads across the horizon, the towers of Phnom Penh signal AmaDara’s approach to the Cambodian capital. I first came here 25 years ago and have been drawn back repeatedly by the city’s peculiar mixture of tragedy, faded glamour and restless reinvention.

Once celebrated as the “Pearl of Asia”, Phnom Penh still reveals fragments of its former self in the Royal Palace, Central Post Office, Raffles Hotel Le Royal and scattered French colonial mansions. Yet these landmarks are increasingly hemmed in by glass towers, electronic billboards and neon-lit developments.

The city has endured an extraordinary history. Established at the confluence of the Mekong, Tonle Sap and Bassac rivers, it became a royal capital before being abandoned in favour of Oudong. Its darkest chapter began in April 1975, when the Khmer Rouge emptied Phnom Penh and imposed a four-year reign of terror that killed an estimated 1.7 million Cambodians.

Through it all, the Mekong endured. Flowing almost 5000 kilometres from China to the Vietnamese delta, the “Mother of Waters” has long sustained kingdoms, merchants, farmers and fishing communities. It also frustrated colonial ambitions with its shifting channels, sandbanks, cataracts and dramatic seasonal rhythms.

My latest passage is aboard AmaWaterways’ AmaDara, a 92-metre riverboat carrying about 120 guests between Cambodia and Vietnam. Its shallow draught suits the unpredictable lower Mekong, while twin-balcony cabins, regional cuisine, a swimming pool and generous public spaces provide a level of comfort unimaginable to earlier travellers.

The ship’s size creates a sociable atmosphere without overwhelming the destinations. Excursions are conducted in small groups, allowing closer encounters with communities along the river.

At Angkor Ban, we walk among century-old timber houses in a village spared destruction during the Khmer Rouge years. On Koh Dach, or Silk Island, artisans demonstrate the traditional process from silkworm cultivation to the weaving of intricate textiles. Such visits may be carefully staged, but tourism provides income while helping preserve vulnerable skills.

AmaDara spends two nights beside Phnom Penh’s Sisowath Quay, now ablaze with advertising screens, bars and brightly illuminated pleasure boats. The dusty, damaged city I remember has become one of Southeast Asia’s most energetic capitals.

As we depart downstream for Vietnam, Phnom Penh’s towers recede behind us. I am left wondering whether this flamboyant new skyline represents Cambodia’s renewal or another layer of history being quietly erased. The city changes, but the river remembers.

Sailing with AmaWaterways
Reservations can be made through guests’ preferred travel advisor or directly with AmaWaterways on 1800 867 126 (AU) or 0800 005 636 (NZ), or by visiting amawaterways.com/au or amawaterways.com/nz.

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