Flowing With Joy On A River Cruise Through Cambodia And Vietnam

Lunchtime is here and I am looking around a market in Cambodia.
'They are fried tarantulas,' says Nyphea, my guide, pointing to a pile of blackened bodies which unmistakably hail from the arachnid family.
'And that,' he adds, pointing to some other insects, 'is KFC'.
In Cambodia, he explains, this stands for 'Khmer Fried Cricket'.
Far Eastern fantasy: Vietnam is a glorious place for a holiday - and Halong Bay is utterly stunning
For some reason, I've just lost my appetite.
We have set off this morning from Siem Reap, the city on the doorstep of the famous temple of Angkor Wat, for a six-hour drive alongside Tonle Sap Lake to Prek K'dam.
We are going to find our home for a one-week cruise along the Tonle and Mekong Rivers to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam (the extended trip with Halong Bay will have to wait for another time).
It is a long, but interesting drive, past lush, green paddy fields, dusty markets covered in plastic and canvas, and locals driving carts pulled by oxen. At times the road turns into a track filled with potholes that our driver skilfully avoids - mostly.
It proves to be a fascinating journey, but I have to admit that a cold beer and late lunch (not a tarantula in sight) is more than welcome when I finally board the boat.
AmaWaterways was not the first company to sail the Mekong, but it was the first to put the river on the cruise map in the UK. AmaDara, which holds 124 passengers, is one of two vessels it operates there, and is a neat blend of Asian style and latest features on Europe's newest river vessels.
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The floors are solid wood from the tropical cam xe tree, the furniture is mahogany and the crew are charming Vietnamese and Cambodians.
As in Europe, the cabins have proper outdoor balconies, and there is a Chef's Table restaurant. Even the menus straddle the two continents, with the likes of Cambodian noodles and stir-fried vegetables sizzling alongside grilled chicken, burgers and gnocchi.
Once everyone is on board, the skipper casts off and we embark on our adventure.
'Adventure' is not a word one usually associates with river cruising, but it is no exaggeration when it comes to the Mekong.
Over the next week, we visit small villages and markets, ride in ox carts, and on tuk-tuks and rickshaws, and are blessed by chanting Buddhist monks.
On a boat tour hạ long 2 ngày 1 đêm around Kampong Chhnang, we learn its Vietnamese inhabitants fled to Cambodia when Saigon fell to the Communists in 1975, and never returned.
On a visit to an airless schoolroom in Koh Chen village, we join in when the children sing, 'If you're happy and you know it', then treat them to a rendition of Incy Wincy Spider.
All of this is a world away from Phnom Penh, the buzzing capital of Cambodia, where we dock for a two-night stay.
Its roads are packed with cars and scooters; its Central Market is a blur of people buying and selling everything from 'genuine fake' designer watches to live chickens.
The waterfront has restaurants, bars and spas. I decide to try a foot massage. It proves to be not only the best that I've ever had, but, at £4 for one hour, also the cheapest.
This energy somewhat masks the appalling brutality of the Khmer Rouge, who took power in Cambodia in 1975 and, over the next four years, murdered millions of their own people.
I hear about their horrific crimes on a visit to Tuol Sleng detention centre - now a museum and memorial. 'We have to forgive, but we will never forget,' Nyphea says.
All smiles: A cruise through Cambodia and Vietnam means a chance for local encounters
After each excursion, we are greeted back onto AmaDara with cold towels - a welcome sight given the high humidity and temperatures of 30c or more. A cold Angkor beer also hits the right spot -especially as it is included in the price.
In fact, all local beers, spirits and soft drinks on AmaDara are included, and with free wine with lunch and dinner, complimentary wifi and kynghidongduong.vn no charge for excursions, there is little on which to spend money during the trip (other than tips and souvenirs).
We leave Phnom Penh and sail downstream, over the border into Vietnam. And, over the next couple of days we are back on the excursion trail, visiting villages.
I crawl through underground tunnels in Xeo Quyt, where Viet Cong generals hid from American bombs during the Vietnam War.
In the town of Cai Be, about 65 miles south-west of Ho Chi Minh City — from where we would fly home next day — a few brave souls tried snake wine, 42 per cent alcohol and infused with eau d'cobra. 'Tastes like whisky,' says one of my fe



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