Luxury cruises in Asia are an undisputed treat. ‘Throw off the bowlines’ as the Mark Twain quote urges – cast away your ties to ordinary travel and embrace the timeless enchantment of the overwater journey.
Cruising is one of our favorite ways to see a country – all the more when it’s aboard an elegant old-world riverboat, a private yacht or a traditional junk ship, refurbished for two.
To help you narrow down the best luxury cruises in Asia, we asked our local specialists to provide their top picks, from sunset trips in Luang Prabang to an oversea odyssey through the Myeik Archipelago.
Read on for many luxury cruises in Asia inspiration…
1. Luxury Cruises in Asia on Myanmar’s Irrawaddy River
The pace of life on a riverboat cruise lets you really relax into vacation mode, giving you the opportunity to feel completely immersed in your surroundings. This is especially true of a river cruise in laidback Myanmar, aboard a luxury riverboat drifting lazily down the Irrawaddy River. A two-night cruise from Bagan to Mandalay on a handsome Paukan vessel is the perfect way to see the country’s picturesque terrain from a fresh perspective, all the while ensconcing you in the old-world style and grandeur of a traditional wooden riverboat.
Why you’ll love this luxury cruiseÂ
Far from simply basking on the timber deck or enjoying gourmet cuisine in the elegant dining room, as a passenger on this cruise you’ll have the opportunity to explore along the Irrawaddy’s banks. You’ll moor on the first morning to visit the village of Yandabo, a renowned pottery town, to delve into the local pot-making process and learn about the rituals of local monastic life. Yandabo played a significant role in the end of the Anglo-Burmese war of 1826, and at times along this cruise, watching long boats packed with clay pots ply the waters, and passing farmers driving ox carts along the banks, you’ll feel as if nothing much has changed since then.
While you’re on board, you’ll be in the lap of the luxury cruises in Asia. The RV Paukan 2012 offers private rooms and suites, all beautifully appointed and sumptuously decorated. Each room has its own en-suite and a picture window overlooking the river, some with private balcony.
2. Eastward ho to Halong Bay
It’s no surprise that Vietnam’s most famous archipelago is best enjoyed from the water. Taking an overnight luxury cruise around Halong Bay is the most luxurious way to see this iconic World Heritage Site, allowing you to drift free of the day cruises and find a quiet area to claim all for yourself. A private luxury junk boat cruise is the ultimate in Halong Bay experiences – enjoy dinner under the stars, moored between towering limestone cliffs, then drift off to sleep to the sound of waves lapping the hull.
Why you’ll love this luxury cruise
Traditional Chinese junks have been, in use in Vietnam for millennia, so a cruise aboard a converted junk gives you a taste of local history and tradition. You’ll have your own private quarters, a dining room and a sundeck where you can relax as your captain steers you on a scenic path between the bay’s towering ancient karsts. Meals are served onboard and the crew are at hand 24/7 to deliver discreet service, giving you plenty of space and privacy as you soak up the views and the blissful serenity while in one of the best luxury cruises in Asia.
3. Drifting through the Mekong Delta
Lush, verdant rice fields, meandering rivers, colorful floating markets – the Mekong River Delta provides a rich cultural experience for travelers who journey across its waterways. A luxury overnight cruise through the delta lets you sink into the serene stillness of life on the water, falling asleep to the lilt of the boat and waking up to catch dawn’s rays shimmer off the Mekong. Cruising from quaint Cai Be to Ho Chi Minh City, you’ll drift between fishing boats, and past old rice barges and traditional shipyards, catching glimpses of local life along the way.
Why you’ll love this luxury cruise
The ultimate in relaxed exploration, a luxury Mekong Delta cruise treats you to old-world Indochine elegance as you traverse one of Asia’s most iconic river networks. From Ho Chi Minh City, you’ll drive to Cai Be, where you’ll have the chance to visit a local coconut candy manufacturer before setting sail back to Saigon. You’ll enjoy gourmet dining in the intimate restaurant on board your riverboat, and lounge on the deck as you get to know a side of the country land-lubbing travelers never get a chance to see.
4. Casting off the bowlines to Bai Tu Long Bay
If getting off the beaten path is more your style, you’ll love this three-day, two-night cruise around the idyllic, lesser-traveled Bai Tu Long National Park. These stunning waters are just beyond Halong Bay as you cruise north along the coastline – with fewer tourist boats the farther up you go. Sailing between limestone formations in a luxurious private junk boat, you’ll enjoy your meals on board with your travel partner and alight only to explore the remote island villages of Cap La and Tra San.
Why you will love this luxury cruise
Bai Tu Long Bay is as stunningly beautiful as Halong Bay, but with noticeably fewer fellow travelers. You’ll feel as if you’re one of the only boats on the water as you weave in between karsts and toast to a beautiful evening with not another living soul around. Apart from your private crew, that is – you’ve got your own captain who will commandeer you through the most beautiful parts of the bay and find somewhere simply spectacular for you to welcome the dawn.
On day two, you’ll stop at the shores of Cong Dam Island, where you can kayak on hidden lagoons and reach deserted beaches. After a beach barbecue, it’s onwards to Hon Co Island, with its stunning natural cave, Thien Canh Son. On day three, you’ll visit an idyllic bay on Vung Ha Island, and hop on a rowboat to explore the vibrant Vung Vieng, a floating fishing village nestled in between giant karsts. A trip you won’t forget in a lifetime.
5. A languid luxury cruise in Luang Prabang
If ever there were a laidback destination, it’s Luang Prabang. Serenely sleepy, it’s the perfect setting for a truly relaxing luxury cruise experience – you’ll feel worlds away from care just drifting down the mighty Mekong with jungle-covered mountains rising up beyond. An indulgent sunset cruise lets you revel in the scenery as you enjoy gourmet dining onboard and a traditional dance performance in a local village, where you’ll moor along the way.
Why you will love one of the best luxury cruises in Asia
You’ll experience pure tranquility as the sun drops below the ranges on this unhurried cruise through some of Laos’ most scenic countryside. You’ll get to meet local villagers and enjoy Laos music and dance, plus have the chance to taste authentic Laotian food paired with French wine as you float gently down the Mekong.
6. Meandering through the Mergui Archipelago
Tropical island lovers will find this cruise irresistible. Off the Andaman coastline of Myanmar, the Mergui Islands were closed to tourism up until recently, and authorities keep a close eye on the number of travelers are allowed in. The result is some of Asia’s most ‘deserted’ and exclusive territory, with waterways largely untraversed by humankind. Inhabited only by the Moken nomadic ‘sea gypsies’ for the last 4,000 years, the Mergui Archipelago’s 800 or so islands still feel undiscovered and remain completely undeveloped.
Why you will love this luxury cruise
What’s not to love about chartering your own private 25m luxury yacht around an island paradise? Crystal-clear waters, empty bays, white-sand beaches and reefs glimmering just below the surface, with undisturbed marine life in abundance. During the days, you visit unbelievably beautiful islands, exploring their pristine jungles and lazing on their power-fine sands, while at night you moor in protected natural harbors, and enjoy freshly caught fish and produce bought from the Moken. Far from modern distractions, you’ll feel completely in tune with the elements, where life is but a dream.
7. In love with Indochina
Why confine your cruises to a single country when you can explore the waterways of an entire region aboard a luxury craft? The Indochina area is the perfect area to journey over water, crossed by a network of arterial rivers on the banks of which great cities have been built for millennia. On a multi-stop journey across two countries, you’ll see spectacular sights, both from the deck and on local explorations in traditional villages and vibrant river communities.
Why you will love this luxury cruise
The only way to properly explore the great Tonle Sap Lake is by boat. Aboard the luxurious Toum Tiou II riverboat, you have the privileged opportunity to do this in nostalgic style. You’ll make your way to the floating village of Chnok Trou, where you’ll ply the waters by local boat to catch a rare glimpse of a floating school, a floating pig sty, a floating police station and a floating ice factory (and more).
You’ll stop at scenic Kampong Chhnang, a bucolic country town famous for its fish farms and pottery. After that, you’ll arrive in the charming Phnom Penh, where you’ll have the chance to explore the capital on the back of a cyclo before getting two wheels of your own and bicycling along the bank of the Mekong. After making a river transfer to Vietnam, you’ll spend time exploring Sa Dec, before setting off on a day cruise on the Ham Luong River, stopping off for a sumptuous 5-course lunch.
If one or many luxury cruises in Asia sounds like your ideal way of exploring the region, or if you have a luxury cruise experience you’d like to share, let us know by email or in the comments. We’d love to hear from you. And if you’re inspired to plan your next luxury tour, contact us and our Travel Specialists will customize it for you.
