Our first full day on the Cambodian river cruise with CF Mekong by CroisiEurope started early with a hearty buffet lunch before heading out on our first excursion. We are stopping at Kampong Chhnang, a place where clay pots were discovered 1500BC. We will visit three houses there that produce a range of items from clay pots, ovens and palm sugar and palm wine. Back on board, the day ends with cocktails, introductions from the crew and a dinner as the ship carried us further along the Mekong River.
After our first night on the cruise I am awoken from a deep slumber by the sound of loud cranking and grinding. That's the anchor being lifted as the boat starts moving from the dock at 8am. Our room #2 is near the front so it's louder than in other rooms. I decide to skip breakfast which starts at 8am and stay in bed and Mr NQN orders me a coffee which is brought to our room. I do some work, try and do a bit of exercise before we are expected in the restaurant for the muster drill with our life jackets at 10am. After that I help myself to an iced tea on the sun deck before returning for a general embarkation briefing which goes into detail about the ship (even how to use sink plugs!).
Each day's activities are posted in the restaurant and today's activity starts with lunch. This is served buffet style and there's a range of freshly made salads, chicken, fish and plenty of vegetables and rice as well as fruit and a dessert of candied sweet potato. I help myself to a little of everything from the poached red snapper fish fillet with soy sauce & ginger, grilled chicken, Russian salad, chef's salad and a chicken and ginger soup. Everything is very tasty and different from each other and while I don't usually enjoy everything at a buffet, I find myself really enjoying the food on board.
For dessert I help myself to peeled rambutans, sliced mango and a sweet potato dessert made with palm sugar and coconut. After lunch it's time to head out to the first excursion of the cruise. We are headed to Kampong Chhnang village where they are known for making clay pots. Our guide Tierney tells us that during excavations, they found clay pots from as far back as 1500BC here.
We take a tender boat to shore and then a colourful tuk tuk while Mr NQN and a small group ride bikes for the 10km/6.2mile round trip. We pass stalls with sausages drying in the sun and many groups of children wave at us. And it's not just the kids that wave but adults too. Constructions workers toiling under the hot sun stop, wave and smile. A rain shower sends everybody looking for shelter as they roll down the plastic sides of our tuk tuk. After 10 minutes of heavy rain, everything emerges freshly washed, sparkling and bathed in sunshine.
Kampong Chhnang is one of 7 provinces around Tong Le Sap Lake and we are visiting three houses in this village. Kids run around, dogs loiter around the periphery and there are ghost white cattle munching on grass or drinking water in the steamy heat. The cattle in Cambodia are Zebu breed, a cross breed of Hariana breed was introduced in the 1950s and crossed with Brahman cattle. Zebu cattle do particularly well in hot climates as they have 4 times as many sweat glands as other cattle breeds. Cattle are used for meat but also to work so the local Cambodian beef tends to be a bit tougher and more sinewy.
Many artisans here at Ondoung Rusey village earn a modest living making clay pottery but their pots are made with a marked difference: they don't use pottery wheels to make vases or pots. Instead they walk around the stand themselves. They purchase the clay from suppliers that procure it from the nearby mountains. We watch as artisan Alpha skilfully shapes a pot in front of our eyes walking around the stand to shape it with wooden tools. Currently she makes 30 pots a day but before she had kids she made 50 a day. These are used to store charcoal or for cooking.
We watch another artisan making the oven on which the pot stands. These are at first made in a mould but then are cut by hand. Here, all of these artisans sell their own hand made trinkets for $1-$3USD and the profits of these go directly to their families as opposed to the 25c that they receive per pot.
At the third house we visit a palm tree farmer that uses palm juice to make palm sugar, palm wine and rum. They explain that there are both female and male trees and the female tree is used for both the fruit and the juice while the male palm tree is used for the juice. The male juice can make palm juice and wine but both are mixed together to make palm sugar.
The farmer needs to massage male and female fruit female using different tools. The female fruit takes longer time to massage the juice from but the juice lasts longer at four months instead of one month for the male palm juice. He ends the demonstration by climbing up an incredibly high palm tree to the top where he will milk the juice from the fruit into three wooden canisters.
Our return ride is flanked by rice paddies on each side and then a floating village where we wave back at the friendly people that we pass. I was hoping that we would get to visit the floating village as it was detailed in the itinerary but we don't stop the waving and smiling people the only memory we have of this.
Once back on board, we retreat to the cabin to shower and relax before the pre dinner intro presentation of each member of staff over tequila sunrises and spicy peanuts.
This is followed by dinner at 7pm. Tonight's meal is a Western set menu and starts with a vegetable and cheese tart which is absolutely delicious.
Then it is followed by a tasty cream of pumpkin soup with warm bread rolls and butter.
The main is a choice between potato gnocchi, pork or fish. I go for the pork fillet with gravy, mashed potatoes and vegetables which is tasty. The pork is tender and I just wish there was a bit more sauce.
I try some of Mr NQN's pan fried Tonle sap fish fillet with lemon butter sauce. It's served with brown rice and the fish is well cooked and still moist in the centre. While this meal was nice, the Cambodian food nights are where the chef's skills really shine.
Dessert is an unbaked cheesecake with strawberry style sauce. And then we are off to bed to rest up for our next day's excursion, learning all about the role of Buddhism for the Cambodian people in Kampong Tralach and visiting a stunning palace.
So tell me Dear Reader, have you ever visited a village or community where artisans still make things entirely by hand?
NQN and Mr NQN were guests of CroisiEurope but all opinions remain her own.
CroisiEurope
To celebrate 25 years of cruising the Mekong, CF Mekong and CroisiEurope are offering a 25% discount code for tours departing October-December 2025 on a first come first booked basis.
25% discount prices begin at AUD$2,371 (US$1,559)
October 2025 Departures
Upper deck price per person in a shared cabin: USD$2,279 (25% discount USD$1,709)
Lower deck price per person in a shared cabin: USD$2,079 (25% discount USD$1,559)
November to December 2025 Departures
Upper deck price per person in a shared cabin: USD$2,569 (25% discount USD$1,926.80)
Lower deck price per person in a shared cabin: USD$2,369 (25% discount USD$1,776.80)
https://cfmekong.com/cruise-types/discovery-cruise/
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