From golden kimonos to a stunning outdoor pool: inside one of the world’s most luxurious river cruises

Super stylish huts, sexy golden kimonos and extra pampering.

Welcome aboard the Mekong Serenity, a new 88-passenger luxury river cruise ship from Australian family tour group APT. The ship’s small size allows it to stop at some of the most beautiful remote destinations.

APT has been offering cruises along the 4,300-kilometer Mekong River for many years, but the Mekong Serenity is the very first river ship that APT owns and builds entirely in-house.

This five-deck ship has only recently entered service and I couldn’t wait to step aboard near Vietnam’s capital, Ho Chi Minh City, and capture the cruise on camera.

The video opens with an exploration of the upper decks of the Mekong Serenity, where the beautiful outdoor pool, unusually for a river ship, is large enough to swim in: swimming 100 laps takes half an hour.

Jo Kessel boards the new 88-passenger, five-deck Mekong Serenity for a sailing trip from Vietnam to Cambodia — and captures the cruise on camera. The photo above shows the ship after a recent paint job that transformed it from gray to white

Jo is pictured here with two of the ship’s cocktails – the signature ‘Rusty Nail’ (right) and an espresso martini (left)

There is also a spacious sun deck with a jogging track all around and seating areas where you can relax after a visit to the ship’s fitness room.

Speaking of relaxing… drinks are included and one of the signature cocktails is a ‘Rusty Nail’. Not a very appetizing name, but what would it taste like? Delicious, that’s how! Turns out brandy mixed with lemon and orange juice is a winner.

At 92 metres, the ship has an elongated look that is difficult to capture in a single shot. But in contrast to the angular exterior, the interior is elegant and stylish, with wide staircases, teak panelling and beautifully appointed cabins.

Jo says: ‘Unusually for a river ship is the beautiful outdoor swimming pool [above] is big enough to swim – swimming 100 laps takes half an hour’

Jo describes the interior of Mekong Serenity as ‘chic and stylish, with wide staircases, teak panelling and beautifully appointed cabins’

Above is Jo’s suite on the Mekong Serenity. There are 44 in total, all with balconies and river views

There are 44 in total, all ‘suites’ with balconies and river views. Even better, the huts come with sexy gold kimonos instead of bathrobes and a bonus that really makes a difference: two free washes a day!

The emphasis then shifts to excursions, with each activity offering something exciting and unique.

In Vietnam, Tuk Tuks whisk guests to markets and villages where locals live in stilt houses by the river – we’re even invited into their homes. And two days later, we cross the border into Cambodia, where we discover giant golden Buddhas, cheeky macaques and monks showering us with flower petals in an exclusive Buddhist blessing ceremony.

We will spend the night in the capital Phnom Penh, which is close to the country’s Killing Fields. This is where Khmer Rouge dictator Pol Pot slaughtered a quarter of his own country’s population (two million people) in a horrific genocide in the late 1970s.

This is an emotionally intense visit – there are still bones sticking out of the ground – but it is the best way to fully understand the horrors this country has endured and how it is now recovering.

Jo is pictured above in the ‘sexy gold kimono’ that comes with her hut

The ship has a ‘spacious sun deck with a surrounding jogging track and seating areas for relaxing’

Jo describes every meal on the ship as a ‘fine dining experience with both Asian and Western dishes on the menu’. Above is the specialty restaurant Indochine

“Every meal is a fine dining experience,” Jo writes. The buffet at Lemongrass restaurant is pictured above

Yum’s the word: Mekong Serenity meals

Mekong Serenity offers a welcome refuge, and the film goes on to explore the many delights it offers, from nuts (the wasabi peas are dangerously addictive) to massages (at $45 an hour these are a steal) to cooking.

Every meal is a fine dining experience with both Asian and Western dishes on the menu, with one dinner dedicated to Cambodian specialties. The fish fillet in coconut milk (seen in the video) and Taro ice cream with fried banana chips (Taro is a local potato) are superb.

There is even a specialty restaurant called Indochine that serves a five-course menu once per trip, including roast pork belly and tea-smoked duck.

Occasionally we are treated to local dance performances, cooking demonstrations and fruit tastings. Green mangoes are in season and the chef prepares slices with a salt and chilli dip. The combination of sweet with savoury and spicy is an unexpected hit.

It is sad to say goodbye to Mekong Serenity, but soon it will be time for our last boat excursion in Kampong Cham, home to the longest bamboo bridge in the world. This is an incredible structure that, despite being made of natural fibers, spans the river and can support the weight of hundreds of people and even cars.

The Mekong Serenity is pictured here docked in Kampong Cham, Cambodia

Jo says every excursion on the ship offers ‘something exciting and unique’. Pictured here are stilt houses along the Mekong River in Vietnam that she visited

Jo is pictured at the Killing Fields during a tour from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, which she describes as an ’emotionally intense visit’ but the ‘best way to fully understand the horrors this country has endured’

Jo says most travelers “book their cruise and finish it off with stays before and after the country.” She is pictured here at the Ta Promh ruins in Siem Reap, Cambodia

For most travelers, however, this is not the end of the journey. That is because they combine their cruise with pre- and post-cruise stays.

My trip started with a few nights in Vietnam, where a Tai Chi class in Ho Chi Minh City was a highlight.

The trip then ends in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

This is the gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Angkor Wat, a Hindu temple built in the 11th century that is considered the 8th wonder of the world. The most evocative ruins are Ta Promh, where tree roots have gripped the ancient remains – Angelina Jolie famously filmed scenes from Tomb Raider here.

For an extraordinary journey from start to finish, this is a huge blow. Even the Asian sun plays its part, rising and setting with fiery intensity.

It was an adventurous cruise like no other.