THE JAHAN

The mighty Mekong rolls inexorably on through timeless countryside, past fishermen throwing huge hoops of net from dugout canoes, past ornate temples half glimpsed in blue-green jungle on the skyline, past tiny clusters of houses standing with their feet in the waters of this entrancing river. From your elevated position at the ship’s rail you watch – and, of course, photograph – the life of the river. The curious fish that walk on their fins, on the mud banks at the water’s edge. The ancient, rickety-looking trading vessels that ply the river. The families cooking over open fires on the backs of their houseboats.

The Jahan gives you a luxurious vantage point to experience it all. The cruiser itself is built in the style of the opulent liners of the British Indian era – complete with classic wood interiors decorated with locally-produced artwork – and named after Shah Jahan. There is even an East India Club on board, as well as a Viceroy Dining Hall. Yet for all its Indian appeal, the Jahan does not seem out of place on the river. Perhaps because the influence of Indian art and architecture can be readily seen in the Khmer and Cham culture of the Mekong Delta.