AmaDara

The 2015-built RV AmaDara cruises on the Mekong River in Vietnam and Cambodia, departing from homeports Hanoi, Saigon, and Kampong Cham. AmaDara shares the same itinerary with the fleetmates AmaKaia (2026-launched sistership) and AmaLotus (2011).

These vessels are owned by Indochina Sails (a subsidiary of Huong Hai Junks) and operated under charter by AmaWaterways, one of the world's largest river cruise companies.

Among the newest Mekong cruisers, AmaDara offers modern comforts, all-outside cabins with Twin Balconies, spacious public areas, and premium hotel-style amenities.

Cabins

All AmaDara's staterooms (62 total) are outside (riverview) cabins, each fitted with a Twin Balcony that combines a French Balcony (sliding glass door with a railing) and a full-size, step-out veranda.

Cabin amenities include hotel-style beds, individual air-conditioning, a small table with two chairs on the balcony, ample wardrobe space, a writing desk, and a seating area. Each stateroom features a private bathroom with a glass-door shower, luxury bath amenities, and a hairdryer, along with a vanity area, onboard phone, mini-bar, and personal safe. Complimentary fresh fruit and bottled water are replenished daily.

AmaDara's staterooms include 48 Twin Balcony cabins and 14 Suites (including 2 Luxury Owner’s Suites) across 5 categories.

Cabin Types/Categories (number, location), from highest to lowest:

• Suites - Luxury/LS (x2, Deck 3, 450 ft² / 42 m²) and Suite/SU (x12, Deck 3, 330 ft² / 30 m²)
• Balcony Staterooms - A (x18, Deck 2), B (x26, Decks 1-2-3), and C (x4, Deck 1) - all 226 ft² / 21 m²
• All staterooms include a full-size step-out balcony combined with a French balcony window.

Shipboard Facilities

The ship's dining venues include the Mekong Restaurant (main dining room) and the Tarantula Grill (specialty restaurant). AmaDara offers both Asian and Western cuisine, all prepared by local chefs. Breakfast is buffet-style, lunch includes salads, hot entrées, soups, and desserts, and dinner is a multi-course meal with entrée selections. Complimentary beer and wine are served with lunch and dinner, and soft drinks and house-brand spirits are also included.

AmaDara's facilities also include the Saigon Lounge (with shows, enrichment programs, a library, and a bar), Panoramic Lounge (forward-facing), Kaia Lobby (embarkation area, gift shop), wellness facilities (Gym/fitness center, Spa/massage rooms, Beauty Salon) and a top deck sundeck with a swimming pool, bar, and shaded seating/observation area.

On the Service Deck (Mekong Deck) are all staff/crew cabins, the crew lounge/dining room, storage areas (water, food supplies), the boat's Infirmary/Medical Facility.

On Tonle Deck are the Mekong Restaurant/Main Dining Room (connected to an open-air terrace with comfortable seating), the 2-deck-high, open-floor designed Atrium Lobby (Reception Desk, Cruise Director's Desk, Gift Shop) and the boat's embarkation area (with entryways on both starboard and portside).

On Saigon Deck are the Saigon Lounge/Show Lounge & Bar, the Library (inside the Saigon Lounge), the Tarantula Grill (aft restaurant/specialty dining venue), the full-service Spa Massage Rooms (served by certified masseuses).

On Sadec Deck are the Gym/Fitness Room and the Hair Salon. They are both aft-facing and have panoramic floor-ceiling windows for enjoying the riverside scenery views. Forward on Sadec Deck is the Sun Deck/Pool Deck housing the swimming pool (heated-water pool) surrounded by a large shaded seating area and smaller sunbathing areas with loungers and chairs. The pool deck area is served by its own Bar offering complimentary refreshing drinks and snacks. In front of the Pool Deck is the Navigation Bridge/Wheelhouse.

Itineraries

MS AmaDara operates luxury Mekong Delta cruises in Vietnam and Cambodia on one-way routes, with year-round departures from Hanoi and Siem Reap. Below are the themed itineraries:

• "VIETNAM, CAMBODIA AND RICHES OF THE MEKONG" – a 15-day journey (7-day cruise segment) from Hanoi to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), embarking in Siem Reap, and the reverse. It includes 22 complimentary excursions, 2-night stays in Hanoi and Saigon, and a 1-night Ha Long Bay boat cruise.
• 7-night/8-day Mekong cruise segment – sailing from Siem Reap to Saigon or vice versa. Includes 14 complimentary excursions but no hotel stays in Vietnam or Cambodia.
• Vietnam departures include a flight transfer from Hanoi to Siem Reap.

Additional itinerary details:

• Spend 2 nights in Hanoi, overnight in Ha Long Bay. Travel to Siem Reap for a 3-night stay before the Mekong cruise. End the journey with a 2-night stay in Saigon.
• 16-day itinerary includes visits to Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Siem Reap, Tonle Sap Lake, Kampong-Chhnang, Koh Chen, Kampong-Tralach, Phnom Penh, Tan Chau, Sa Dec, Xeo Quyt, and Cai Be.
• Countries visited: Cambodia and Vietnam

The following table shows AmaDara's 7-night/8-day itinerary (2019-introduced) between Saigon and Kampong Cham, with prices starting from ~USD 1800 per person (double occupancy):

AmaDara cruise fares include house-brand alcohol (wine, beer, spirits), water and soft drinks, Wi-Fi, land tours and excursions, all transfers, live evening entertainment (performed by local musicians and dancers), as well as daily enrichment lectures and cultural discussions.

Prices are per person, based on double occupancy. Listed rates are indicative and may vary based on travel agency promotions, group bookings, special offers, or last-minute deals. AmaWaterways also offers discount airfare packages on major airlines with no additional charges for flight deviations.

• The APT AmaDara boat is one of two AmaWaterways ships offering luxury Mekong Delta cruises in Vietnam and Cambodia. The other vessel is the AmaLotus. Both ships are operated by AmaWaterways’ "AmaVoyages" division in partnership with the river touring company Indochina Sails (a subsidiary of Huong Hai Junks). Also sailing in Southeast Asia is the AmaPura, which operates Irrawaddy River cruises in Myanmar (Burma).
• The RV AmaDara is a new APT riverboat design concept, customized for Mekong River cruising in the southwestern Vietnam-Cambodia region. In terms of length, the Mekong is the world’s 12th longest river and Asia’s 7th. It also serves as a vital trade route linking Yunnan (China) with Southeast Asian countries including Laos, Myanmar (Burma), and Thailand.
• Combining traditional and modern design, MS AmaDara offers all Twin Balcony cabins (a mix of French and step-out balconies) with Colonial-style interior décor. The vessel also features spacious public areas and a professionally trained crew and service staff, primarily of Vietnamese and Cambodian nationality.
• Other major cruise lines operating Mekong River cruises in Vietnam include Viking Mekong, Avalon Siem Reap, Uniworld's River Orchid, Scenic Spirit, CroisiEurope’s Indochine and Indochine II, and Travelmarvel’s La Marguerite.

Note: You can view CruiseMapper’s full list of river cruise ships and riverboats in the "itinerary" section of our River Cruises hub, which includes all companies and their fleets.