Asia
Asia's river cruises trade castles and vineyards for temples, floating markets, and some of the most storied waterways on earth. On the Mekong, sailings link the markets of Vietnam's Mekong Delta with the temples of Angkor near Siem Reap. On the sacred Ganges, cruisers explore India's holiest sites between Kolkata and Varanasi. Beyond these, the region's rivers, from the Brahmaputra to the Yangtze, offer a far less-traveled alternative to Europe's rivers for those seeking something more remote.
Both rivers favor smaller, more casual ships than Europe's — generally under 100 passengers — and both run best in the dry season, roughly November through April, when water levels are more predictable and rainfall lighter.
