Forget vast ocean liners the size of apartment blocks that turf thousands of people out into port towns. In Southeast Asia, cruising is about travelling by a country's waterways or exploring stunning bays, heading through areas that are only accessible by river, often in wild and remote corners that are far from the beaten path. Cruise itineraries typically include plenty of stops to visit villages, temples and islands, and will often include a programme of cultural lectures and demonstrations to help you better understand the places you’re visiting.

The cruises we recommend are those that take you away from touristed areas and into otherwise inaccessible parts of Asia. Boats will be traditional wooden riverboats (on rivers), yachts (on the sea), or Chinese-style junks (at Halong & Lan Ha Bay). Sizes range from five to about 30 cabins, depending on the route and vessel.

All meals are included while you cruise, and ships vary in their offerings from informal buffets to top-of-the-range fine dining — though we’ll never recommend a cruise where the food isn’t delicious! At both ends of the spectrum, expect a range of local dishes, as well as the occasional Western classic. Ships can cater to dietary requirements with prior notice.

Cruising is highly season-dependent, and the best time to go depends on which cruise you’re looking at. In Vietnam, Halong and Lan Ha Bay (in the north) and the Mekong Delta (in the south) cruises run throughout the year. River vessels, by contrast, have very fixed schedules. Some routes can run year-round, with tweaks between the high and low water seasons, but some run during the high water season alone. If you’re interested in including a cruise in your itinerary, chat to your consultant and they’ll be able to discuss specific dates.

Cruises can vary from overnight (in Halong and Lan Ha Bay or the Mekong Delta, for instance) to much longer, multi-day routes. The classic Mekong cruise from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap takes seven nights, and some of the expedition cruising in Laos and Myanmar can run to 14 nights. Most cruising areas have a good range of shorter and longer cruises, and we can advise you on the best boats and itineraries for your particular needs.