By 101 Holidays newsdesk

There can be few better ways to explore Vietnam and Cambodia than from the deck of a boat as it meanders along the mighty Mekong River. From November this year, Travel Indochina will offer a luxurious alternative to the usual river boats – The Jayavarman, the region’s first ever boutique-style luxury river cruiser, will ply the route with 2-, 3-, 4- and 7-night itineraries from Saigon and Phnom Penh.

The Jayavarman will have  27 large ensuite staterooms (centre picture) and junior suites, each with a sliding glass door leading on to a private balcony. It will have a restaurant on an open-air upper deck, and offer spa treatments.

Reminiscent of the French colonial era, the boat takes its name from King Jayavarman VII, the King of the Khymers who was responsible for building the Bayon Temple in the Angkor complex. A visit to Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor is included in some of the itineraries.

Sailings will run from November to March 2010 and will recommence in July 2010; prices range from £275 pp for 2 nights up to £945 pp for 7 nights. Meals and flights are not included. Contact Travel Indochina for more details.

By 101 Holidays newsdesk

Tourists in Laos are being encouraged to spend part of their holiday teaching local children to read.

Travel Indochina is planning a 12-night tour of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos that includes voluntary work at a choice of locations including Big Brother Mouse in Laos, a country with one of the world’s lowest literacy rates.

The locally-run organisation provides reading materials and runs book parties, introducing rural children to literature and – through literature, songs and games – to topics such as health care and education. Each child is given a book at the end of each party and a ‘swap box’ of 50 books is left with the village teacher to form the basis of a library.

Other voluntary projects available include the Childsafe Centre for street children in Phnom Penh, the Angkor Hospital for Children and the Gecko Environment Centre on Lake Tonle Sap.

The group tour, accompanied by a western tour leader and local English-speaking guides, departs in October 2009 and includes visits to Saigon, Siem Reap (for the temples of Angkor) and Luang Prabang. Accommodation is in 3 star centrally-located properties. For every traveller who books this tour, Travel Indochina will donate US$100 to their chosen charities in the region.

More about the Indochina Footprints tour and Travel Indochina’s responsible travel policy.

For more travel ideas, visit 101 Holidays