For the past six years, he’s been on the vanguard of the Peruvian-Amazon guest experience with his uniquely styled double-decker riverboats. And now, Francesco Galli Zugara is taking Mekong cruising to new heights.
On his floating boutique hotel’s inaugural voyage down the mighty river, with Zugara and his new team, we learn of the painstaking attention to detail that went into the creation of the striking 62.4-metre vessel. Conceived by Zugara and designed by Saigon-based, Noor Design, the Aqua Mekong was by all accounts, an incredibly quick and efficient build. (Zugara and his family actually moved to the region so that he could manage the process. Watch their day-to-day progress at youtube.com/watch?v=I2YjFo_xMC4.
Depending on the itinerary, the elaborate river cruiser will pamper guests in five-star comforts as they head up or down stream along selected stretches of the Mekong River in Cambodia and Vietnam. Zugara plans to host passengers for over 40 weeks of the year despite sultry tropical temperatures and the legendary afternoon downpours that last but an hour in the “rainy season.”
Onboard, the spacious exterior and interior spaces come together to create an almost seamless living experience. 20 generously sized and efficiently designed guest suites are on two levels, each with air conditioning and river-facing panoramic windows. More than half of the suites feature balconies as well, and all boast sizable bathrooms with walk-in rainforest showers. There’s also a sunlit indoor/outdoor observation deck with an indoor/outdoor bar and a shimmering plunge pool on the bow side.
Our curated journey is full of extraordinary slices of river life. One day we toured up and down the waterways of transient floating villages at high tide, past basic cellphone shops on stilts, portable vegetable markets, ice making factories and of course, local’s homes. Another morning brings flooded emerald forests, a water excursion along the fascinating tributaries of Cambodia’s Tonlé Sap Lake where armed park rangers patrol night and day protecting the coveted eggs laid by returning flocks of painted storks and spot billed pelicans. A visit to a village where young children go to school while traditional silversmiths work to create pieces that are gifted to dignitaries worldwide. Funnily enough, the locals seemed as interested in us and our oddly shaped boat as we were in them and their way of life.
Mouthwatering five-star Southeast Asian Cuisine by Executive Chef David Thompson, complimentary fine wines, an onboard spa and a library/games room, make our four-day excursion an even more delightful experience.
