The World's Best River Cruises You've Never Considered

Think river cruising is just castles and cobblestones? Think again. In this episode of All Things Travel, travel advisors Ryan and Julie explore river cruising destinations across four continents — no Europe required.

Asia – Mekong River (Vietnam & Cambodia) AmaWaterways' 7-night Riches of the Mekong cruise from Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City offers a rare window into Southeast Asian culture. Highlights include a walking tour of a Cambodian village untouched by the Khmer Rouge, a visit to Silk Island on the Mekong River, the Royal Palace and Central Market in Phnom Penh, Cambodia's Killing Fields genocide museum, and a bird and forest sanctuary with 70+ species.

Africa – Chobe River & Rail (Botswana, Namibia, South Africa & Zambia) A 13-night Rivers and Rails of Africa journey combining a safari river cruise, Victoria Falls, and a luxury rail journey on Rovos Rail. Highlights include Cape Town's Cape of Good Hope, Boulder's Beach African penguins, open-top 4x4 safari for elephants, giraffes, zebra and cape buffalo, a sunset cruise near Victoria Falls, and a scenic rail journey through Zimbabwe.

South America – Magdalena River (Colombia) AmaWaterways' 7-night Magic of Colombia cruise from Barranquilla to Cartagena — the only river cruise currently operating on this route. Highlights include village immersions with local families, handcrafted local wares, Spanish colonial architecture, and a tour of UNESCO-recognized Cartagena, including San Felipe Castle and the colorful Getsemaní neighborhood.

Ryan and Julie also share a client trip spotlight: a spring break family adventure through Sedona and Flagstaff, Arizona.

Tune in next: US river cruise destinations — coming in a few weeks.

Plan your river cruise: WonderAndBeyondTravel.com

Keywords: river cruising, river cruise beyond Europe, Mekong River cruise, Africa river cruise, Colombia river cruise, AmaWaterways, Chobe River safari, Magdalena River, Victoria Falls cruise, Rovos Rail, exotic river cruises, travel podcast, Wonder and Beyond Travel, All Things Travel

Transcript

ryan_1_03-09-2026_152131 0:00

Hello and welcome to all Things Travel. When we think of river cruising, images of castles rolling green fields and quaint European culture come to mind. what if I told you River Cruises offer much more diverse options? today we'll discuss river cruising options across four continents that don't include Europe.

j_1_03-09-2026_152131 0:21

Listen in with travel advisors, Ryan and Julie. He is your travel professor teaching you everything you need to know to have a magical vacation. And I'm a Disney loving Maryland mom of three and a specialist and family travel. together we are the co-owners of Wonder and Beyond Travel, whether we're discussing incredible destinations, top vacation tips, or sharing personal stories, it's always all things travel.

ryan_1_03-09-2026_152131 0:48

So Julie, I've done, a fair share of river cruise quoting over the last couple weeks, and it's been interesting because it is. First time River Cruisers. So obviously I am going Danube Brine because that's what they're thinking of. I kind of chuckled as I was putting together this show and doing that.'cause I'm like, I almost feel like, for lack of better words, you know, the Danube and the Rhine or the gateway drug when it comes to river cruising, but there's so much more that you could do there.

j_1_03-09-2026_152131 1:21

There is a lot and I remember, even us personally sitting through training with, various river crews, companies. Also being surprised ourselves that you could go to

ryan_1_03-09-2026_152131 1:34

Yeah.

j_1_03-09-2026_152131 1:34

these destinations.

ryan_1_03-09-2026_152131 1:36

all these other things in other parts of the world. and I think what makes this attractive is people. Especially who have been on river cruises. They trust kind of the support and the guidance they're gonna get. But they know they can visit very unique locations. I'm thinking, you know, the Ong River in Asia and we'll talk about, some of these, I'm thinking about the Nile, I'm thinking about, other places in the United States and for a lot of folks that have done, you know, those classic European River cruises, this is kind of the the next thing, right? This is the step up.

j_1_03-09-2026_152131 2:13

Yeah, absolutely. So before?

ryan_1_03-09-2026_152131 2:15

So before we talk about different locations, I wanna remind folks that they did not listen to last week's episode. Julie did a real deep dive into traveling to Iceland. so the first river cruise I want to talk about is on the May Kong, and this is in Vietnam. And Cambodia in Asia. And I'm gonna be talking about Amma waterways, which you know is my favorite river cruise company. And this is their riches of the Ong seven night, CM op to Homan City. And I want to talk about several of the days. I'm not gonna go through the full itineraries with any of these, but what are the types of things you're gonna be doing? To really immerse yourself in, in these destinations. So I wanna talk about day two. in the morning, you're gonna go on a walking tour to Anban, one of the few villages in Cambodia that was not destroyed under the Khmer Rouge regime in the seventies. And people still live in their traditional wooden abodes and keep their cultural traditions alive. So there's hundreds of wooden houses that stand intact on stilts. You're going to be, learning about their agriculture, their, cultural traditions. And after that visit, the ship will sail. Along to the Silk Island, located on the lush banks of the Mekong River, and this island is known for a rich tradition of silk weaving. While here, you'll visit a local elementary school and observe traditional silk weaving as an art that has been preserved for centuries.

j_1_03-09-2026_152131 3:51

Wow.

ryan_1_03-09-2026_152131 3:51

like a pretty good travel day, doesn't it?

j_1_03-09-2026_152131 3:53

Yeah, that sounds beautiful.

ryan_1_03-09-2026_152131 3:55

Day three, then your cruise continues to sail to, pinon pen, the capital of Cambodia. The mornings excursions take you to the highlights of that city, followed by a visit to the Royal Palace. You're gonna learn all about, um. The palace there. And then you're gonna be going to the central market to do some shopping and learn about local culture. And then you're going to be going to, Cambodia's, infamous Killing Fields and the Khmer Rouge's Grim tool, slang, S 21 Detention Center. It's a genocide museum. that doesn't sound like you know. A happy thing to do on vacation, but it doesn't have to be a happy thing because again, you're immersing yourself in the culture and understanding, what's happened there. Day six, you're gonna be in Tan Chow, a small making River Village unspoiled by tourism. Um, I think it's funny whenever they say that,'cause you're a bunch of tourists going to an untouched spot of, of tourism, there you have a choice of A trishaw ride or visit to a craftsman's workshop. You're also gonna be going to a bird and forest sanctuary. We're gonna see 70 species of birds. this is just really, a fantastic way to immerse yourself in a completely different culture that you may not think about. visiting, but you're all within the structure of a river cruise. And what's really cool about these cruises, Julie, is a lot of the ships are built specifically for this destination. as far as you're dealing with less people and really immersing yourself in the culture.

j_1_03-09-2026_152131 5:37

I just really appreciate, I would not have typically considered, I wanna go to Asia. I wanna do it on a river cruise. I just, I feel like that's such a cool option to be able to present to somebody or introduce to somebody to be, to do this as a river cruise instead of, just a land only trip

ryan_1_03-09-2026_152131 5:54

So next we go to Africa. And in Africa you can sail on either the Chobe River or the Nile River. And Julie, when I was putting this sample together, this might be my dream trip.

j_1_03-09-2026_152131 6:08

Oh,

ryan_1_03-09-2026_152131 6:09

So please tell us about this trip along the Chobe River and on land and on rail.

j_1_03-09-2026_152131 6:16

Wow, this does sound super cool. so this is the rivers and rails of Africa, and it's a 13 night trip going to Botswana, Nambia, South Africa and Zambia. You have three nights in Cape Town, a safari cruise for three nights, two nights in Victoria Falls, and a two night rail journey. So you have a little bit of everything in here. And just like we did with the last itinerary, we're gonna do a couple of highlights. So in day two, you're gonna be in Cape Town, and this is where you're gonna embark on a full day exploration along one of the most stunning routes we're taking you past the 12 Apostles Help Bay and Chapman's Peak you'll stop at the Cape of Good Hope, which was first founded in modern Times in 1488 the Portuguese in their attempt to establish trade in the Far East. You'll also be able to visit Boulder's Beach, which is home to thousands of African penguins,

ryan_1_03-09-2026_152131 7:13

Yeah, you're at the Cape of Good Hope. You're seeing the Penguins. You are seeing two Cape. town must dos right there in that one day,

j_1_03-09-2026_152131 7:22

a couple days later you're gonna transfer to the airport for your flight to Victoria Falls to be transferred to the Chobe River that forms the border between Botswana and Namibia. When you board your tender boats, it'll take you to the Rivership on the Namibia side of the river. And then you'll have time to settle into your state room and go to that nice little welcome cocktail reception dinner that they're all gonna have on board. While you're on board, you're gonna have a full day safari of the national park in open top four by four vehicles, and you're gonna be looking for elephants, giraffes, zebra, warthogs, cape buffalo, and then a lunch will be an outdoor picnic under the trees. And that sounds like a really lovely

ryan_1_03-09-2026_152131 8:06

That would be a lot of fun. And you're doing multiple safaris on these three nights too, so if you don't see something one day, you're gonna see it the next day.

j_1_03-09-2026_152131 8:15

while you're on board, you're also gonna be visiting an African village to spend time with the children and the elders and really just immerse yourself in what it's like to live in that area. And then you also get the choice to take a boat, safari bird watch, or go fishing once you get to Victoria Falls. A local guide will take you on a tour of the falls to learn about the history, the flora and the fauna in the area, and embark on a private sunset cruise along the river that sounds absolutely beautiful to spend just a day on the river near those falls. and so the last portion of the trip is Rovos Rail, where you'll start the morning with a safari to the game reserve. In Zimbabwe's largest national park, to see over a hundred species of mammals and 400 different kind of birds. The elephants here are world famous and the population is one of the largest of elephants in the world. And then after your safari, you'll go back to the train for, lunch and you'll go through the landscapes of Zimbabwe on the way to the border. The great thing about that is you just kind of get to hang out on the train, right. And kind of just take in that landscape from your suite.

ryan_1_03-09-2026_152131 9:24

I absolutely love that. It's, instead of watching the river go by, which you would've done on your cruise portion, now you're on a rail portion.

j_1_03-09-2026_152131 9:32

Yeah. That whole trip sounds amazing and I love the combination of the land, the sailing, the. Rail. That's just what a unique experience.

ryan_1_03-09-2026_152131 9:40

Yeah, it's a luxury trip and a safari and just kind of all these different things all together. I just, I absolutely love it. Well, Julie, I have one more part of the world to talk about when it comes to river cruising, but first I wanna know where in the world is Wonder and Beyond Travel?

j_1_03-09-2026_152131 10:00

I have some clients, we're coming up really close on spring break here. And this is one of the really fun ones we've planned. It has been a little bit of a last minute booking, but this family of four is going to Arizona over spring break and it's a short one. It's like a Monday to Friday, which was a perfect amount of time to keep the interest of their teenagers involved in the trip.

ryan_1_03-09-2026_152131 10:22

Right, exactly.

j_1_03-09-2026_152131 10:24

So we've decided

ryan_1_03-09-2026_152131 10:25

Okay.

j_1_03-09-2026_152131 10:26

on Sedona and Flagstaff. So they're gonna fly into Phoenix, which isn't a terribly long flight. It's pretty easy to get to, and that's why this shorter trip works really well for them. They'll rent their car, they'll drive up to. Flagstaff, spend a couple days there, drive back to Sedona, spend a couple days there, and then come back. We found these beautiful boutique hotels that really give you, those views of the desert and the red rocks the views are gorgeous. We have a couple things planned out for them, so nothing super. Concrete about their itineraries more. A lot of suggestions. So a lot of great places that they'll be able to go hiking. Some really wonderful shopping villages nearby. In both of those towns, they are doing a pink Jeep tour in Sedona, which is always one of the more popular activities to do. And the great thing about Pink Jeep Tours is that they offer such a variety. You can get one that's really adventurous or the one that they chose, which is called the Gentle Red Rock Tour.

ryan_1_03-09-2026_152131 11:30

The gentle Jeep.

j_1_03-09-2026_152131 11:32

Right. So, there was a little bit of concern about motion sickness, so we went with this

ryan_1_03-09-2026_152131 11:36

Gotcha.

j_1_03-09-2026_152131 11:37

but what a beautiful place to just go and spend a couple of days. And I love that it's this short time away, but they're gonna get such a unique experience out there driving up to seeing the Grand Canyon and all those beautiful things that they'll get to do.

ryan_1_03-09-2026_152131 11:51

Love it. Well, we love celebrating where our clients are headed. It inspires curiosity in both them and us, and we can't wait to hear about their trip as we're planning it and when they return. And if you work with Julie or myself, who knows, maybe your trip will be featured next. All right, Julie, so one more. Destination I want to talk about today. And this is a new destination for Amma Waterways. and they're actually the only ones right now that are doing this. And this is in Columbia on the Magdalena River. And so I wanna talk about their Magic of Columbia, seven night cruise. this is from Barran Kia to Card. So I want to give a couple different examples of days that you're gonna do here. On the second day, you're going to visit a local village along the river and explore the village and learn more about the lives of the people. During a guided tour, you're going to enjoy traditional crafts on display and taste some local delicacy. So you're really gonna start to immerse yourself on day five. Then you're in Pobox, Santa Bara de Pinto, You're going to visit a historic church. You're going to be able to shop intricate, handmade wares, crafted by local townspeople. You're going to look at some fantastic Spanish architecture, and then later in the day you're gonna go visit with specific families and learn about their families and their cultures on the last day. To give you another example, once you get to Cartia, you're gonna take the day to delight in the beautiful coastal city where there's a lot of Spanish influence because of gold that was found in the area, you're gonna start your day with a tour of the city where you may witness the iconic landmarks such as the Cathedral de decor, deya. Or the stone walls built to protect the city. This is an ESCO designated site as far as the San Felipe castle, a fortress that defended Cardena from the French and the British. And you'll also enjoy a tour through the Giza money. Neighborhood with vibrant colors of the homes and streets and mouthwatering, local delicacies that can be found throughout the area. So again, what we're seeing in these three cruises, just really an immersion when it comes to river cruising.

j_1_03-09-2026_152131 14:11

Yeah, and I just think that's what makes River cruising so unique overall, right? You're always just sleeping on that ship and getting

ryan_1_03-09-2026_152131 14:19

Yeah.

j_1_03-09-2026_152131 14:20

full days in these towns.

ryan_1_03-09-2026_152131 14:22

Yeah, absolutely. So my overall goal for this show, Julie, was to also include some US destinations, to show some different places in river crews. But to be honest, it almost felt like it was too much. So I'm gonna break this up and I'm gonna do US destinations in a couple weeks. How does that sound?

j_1_03-09-2026_152131 14:41

Awesome.

ryan_1_03-09-2026_152131 14:42

Alright.

j_1_03-09-2026_152131 14:44

The world is full of wonder and your next great adventure is waiting at Wonder and Beyond Travel. We work with you to

ryan_1_03-09-2026_152131 14:50

Okay.

j_1_03-09-2026_152131 14:51

of a kind journey, taking the stress off your plate so you can focus on the joy of exploring and the memories that will stay with you forever. you're ready to start planning or just want to dream a little bigger, head over to Wonder and beyond travel.com. We'd love to help you get started.

ryan_1_03-09-2026_152131 15:08

We look forward to talking to you next week on All Things Travel. When we conclude our best of series by looking at the best destinations in Europe.