I would definitely recommend AmaWaterways. I have been on one cruise before and I said I would NEVER do it again because I didn't enjoy it at all but I absolutely loved my experience on the AmaDara.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
To be honest I was so tired from the flights getting there, that I really don't remember it.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The dining room was beautiful, the food was wonderful and creative at every meal.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
This is a river cruise so the main attraction is of course your excursions each morning and afternoon. I did use the small fitness center a couple times. It was clean and provided towels and water. There was also a wellness staff Vy who was amazing and taught a bunch of classes like stretching, yoga, pilates, and Quijong movement. There was plenty of time before, in between and after excursions to partake in these classes. There was a couple nights of local entertainment on board that was delightful. Not at all lacking for things to do while on board.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
There were a couple local schools that did music and dancing on board. That was really a treat.
Children's Programs
Not offered on this cruise.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
I don't even know how to describe all the great service other than that, great. Each and every crew member worked tirelessly to make sure everyone on board was well taken care of.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The design was modest in dark wood and intricate wall designs. It was always so clean. They even had us take our shoes off so they could clean them after one of the excursions that left our shoes a bit muddy. They gave us slippers as we took off our shoes. This kept the boat clean as well as our feet. What a thoughtful touch!
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The size was great. 366 square feet but it seemed much roomier than a hotel room. They cleaned/straightened up twice a day so our room was always looking great. The bed was huge and cozy. I always travel with my own pillow but I didn't even have to use it because their pillows were so plush.
Ship tip
The one piece of advice is to pack smart. I overpacked which is just my nature but less is more in this case.
What a fun-filled day. We visited Evergreen island and even got to go inside one of the farmer's homes. Then we went to town and visited a local silk-making and a rattan mat workshop. Their "automation" was quite amazing. To top it off, we rode trishaws through the town.
I enjoyed the central market but it is mostly women's clothing. So neat for the experience of seeing it but not exactly the most riveting excursion. I did not go on the afternoon excursion to the killing fields.
The town was wonderful just like all the others but the monestary, although beautiful, was a bit unsettling for me as a Christian. I basically sat there and prayed the whole time. We didn't do the organized excursion but instead rented our own Tuk-Tuk and visited the city with a local. It was fabulous. Saw the US embassy which was weird seeing the US flag flying high in another country. Visited a the "old" market and the night market. But it was all basically the same stuff sold at the Central Market.
Silk Island was so wonderful. They took you through the process from egg to silk which was super educational. They discussed why their silk is "gold", not the color but the value and showed us many women hard at work and how they make their patterns. Nothing automated here. So amazing. I could kick myself for being such a cheapskate and not buying a scarf.
The absolute highlight of the entire trip was the visit to the school. The kids were so excited to see everyone and we got to work individually with the kids to work on certain English sounds to help them speak better English. Melting hearts!!!
The walk around the village was muddy but another lovely way to experience the local people and visit a woman's home. We of course took our shoes off before going in. The slatted bamboo floor for air flow was pretty cool. After getting back to the boat, we were greeted with new slippers in exchange for our muddy shoes, which they then cleaned up and had ready for us later in the day. What an amazing touch.
Ok so at this point I was getting a bit tired of temple visits but this one offered a bit of uniqueness as it is more of a ruins at this point. I did not go inside the newer temple they made on the inside but investigated what seemed to be a maze within the outside walls, checking out all the old carvings and stones.
It was wonderful and somewhat sad walking through the lines of staff to say goodbye. At this point we all knew each other by name and had shared personal stories. Just lovely people. Then we got on a bus for the 5 hour bus ride to Siem Reap. I slept the whole way so I can only assume it was good since i was able to sleep the whole time.
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