The Mekong reborn with Aqua Expeditions
Some might say Francesco Galli Zugaro, CEO of Aqua Expeditions, is the luxury cruise pioneer of the globe’s esteemed rivers. A few years ago he added Vietnam and Cambodia’s Mekong as his next plunge after the rouse of the Amazon (which let me tell you was amazing). And this year Aqua Expeditions said it will begin sailing the Seychelles and Zanzibar in December on a new ship.
Now! Let’s talk Mekong where I first hopped on with Zugaro.
The boat itself is designed by Saigon-based architects Noor Design and is the first of its kind to hit the Mekong River between the Mekong Delta and the Kingdom of Cambodia. But not only does the boat encompass all luxuries one can imagine, from fitness center, to library to perfect spa it is made entirely of local sustainable materials.
The boat, measuring 205 feet with 20 design suites, incorporates “natural fibers of the surrounding environment” and brings what Zugaro calls a “David Hodkinson’s Indochine influenced aesthetic” to the fore. “The Aqua Mekong embodies the clean contemporary lines indicative of Asian design but with warm earthy elegant tones and matte black in the hull,” says Zugaro. The teak and woods are evident everywhere but are combined with modern elements. The philosophy according to Zugaro was that he wanted guests on board to feel they are staying in a “world class boutique design hotel in Asia.” And when I went on the Aqua Mekong their executive chef on board, was none other than Michelin-starred David Thompson - Asia's top-ranked chef on “San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants” with his Bangkok fame.
In terms of design and décor, all the boat’s elements are sourced within the regions of Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia and Malaysia according to Zugaro. “We wanted a vessel that leaves no traces of where it has been - we have complete autonomy for two weeks and thus do not create a dependency on any of the villages we visit.” This is just one of the ways that Aqua Mekong gives back and commits to not disrupting the daily normal lives of locals with their presence. All in all part of the new eco tourism total holistic way of looking at the world and of course travel.
With regards to physical sustainability the vision of Aqua Mekong is utterly conspicuous - from all 100% composite RESYSTA decking exteriors made of rice husk and vegetable oil to the engineering systems onboard. “We went above and beyond to install state of the art Reverse Osmosis Water treatment plants from Holland to vacuum toilets from the world's leader in Norway” says Zugaro. Even down to the last detail invisible to guests - all the engines are the lowest in emissions and so fully compliant with EPA Tier 3 Emission certification.
Zugaro selected the route carefully and as he says he personally became an expert on the region. “I explored every nook and cranny myself on speedboats and with River Pilots and even with my photographer – from the Vietnamese side to the Cambodian side of the Mekong. And now I want our guests to fall in love with it the way I have.”
Trips ranging from three, four or seven nights are offered from for instance Siem Reap to Phnom Penh in Cambodia or from Saigon in Vietnam to Phnom Penh in Cambodia. Both these countries have recently become more gay friendly and have successfully hosted Pride festivals. Now, with superb gay friendly hotels and gay focused local websites the countries are becoming more sought after as gay vacation spots. Same sex sexual activity here is also legal and getting less and less frowned upon. In fact Siem Reap was featured in the New York Times as totally gay friendly and actually inviting gays to the city with a global campaign “Adore Cambodia” – the Ministry of Tourism welcomed this initiative and said "We have no policy to discriminate on sex, national and religious grounds. We really support them.”
But truly what makes the Aqua Mekong trip so remarkable is the cultural components that Aqua Aria and Amazon in Peru cannot offer – from temples, to locals living on the shores. “We have several non-negotiables with our guests: small group sizes and customized excursions on land and on water” says Zugaro. In fact they have their own fleet of comfortable aluminum expedition skiffs for these private water-based excursions. Imagine cruising down the river and watching life just drifting by.
For more information: http://www.aquaexpeditions.com/
How to get there: From Los Angeles and New York (including Newark) Cathay Pacific flies to Hong Kong with short hops to Siem Reap or Saigon. Visit http://www.cathaypacific.com for their latest Business class cabin. Aria Suite sounds good right?
