China
Sparing the Change: The New Travel Money Realities
“I have a friend who just returned from a month in Thailand, China and Vietnam and she dealt exclusively with cash. Brought a wad of C-notes and paid on the spot. Used safes in the […]
Vietnam
Asia
The Next River Cruise Frontier: North Vietnam
Pandaw Cruises is building a new ship to expand its roster of ten-day river expeditions through North Vietnam’s Red River and Halong Bay region. Pandaw says it is seeing increasing interest in the Red River […]
Asia
Ponant Conquers the World with Surprise Move
In an unexpected but very strategic move, Ponant Explorations Group, is buying majority stake in small adventure ship line Aqua Expeditions to expand its range to South America and Asia. Aqua Expeditions operates small ships […]
Asia
Hue: The Many Hues of a Venerable Royal City in Vietnam
While we wait patiently for the chance to sail off to new cruise adventures, it’s an opportunity to reminisce about favorite past shore excursions. A tour to Hue is a highlight of any visit to […]
10 Best Lists
A World of New River Ships in 2019: Expanding Sizes, Options and Routes
The Garonne, the Ganges, the Mississippi, the Mekong. Twin balconies and a double- wide. Leave it to river cruise companies to find new ways to tweak and broaden experiences and keep expanding what can be […]
Africa
River Ships Target New Audiences and Cruise Less-Known Routes
From ships designed specifically for Millennials to new cruises on the Nile, the upper Mekong and the Zambezi River, there are no cookie cutter arrivals this year as the choices in river cruising keep expanding. […]
AmaWaterways
Why a Smile is a Better Response to Street Begging than a Handout
A tale of two cities: In one village, the children are wide-eyed and innocent, wearing broad smiles and playing with seemingly boundless energy. They wave, cheer and mug for tourist cameras. They take your hand […]
10 Best Lists
5 Treats and 1 Left Unsampled on an AmaWaterways Mekong Cruise
I should have known something unusual was in store as we visited the bustling food market known as Tarantula Village on a tour from our AmaWaterways Mekong River cruise in Cambodia. Tables were piled high […]
AmaWaterways
Many Moods of the Mekong River Revealed on AmaWaterways’ New Star
The ancient Mekong is a fascinatingly changeable river. Sometimes, the water looks as blue as the intense tropical sky. At other times it’s the muddy brown of the load of silt it carries from as […]
AmaWaterways
A Boom in Europe River Cruising Has Cruise Lines Seeking New Routes
River cruises in Europe have certainly matured in the past few years, offering the kind of amenities, luxury and cuisine once only found on ocean-going ships. As their popularity increases, all the river fleets are […]