Viking River Cruises blooming marvellous says RHS Chelsea designer Sarah Eberle
VIKING River Cruises' stunning Mekong Garden has won a Gold Medal and Best Artisan Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show
Sarah Eberle has praised Viking River Cruises' Vietnam and Cambodia trips
The garden has been designed by Sarah Eberle, who won two RHS Chelsea Gold medals last year.
This year, though, she has been inspired by her Viking River Cruises trip to Vietnam and Cambodia.
“I went on the Mekong River for 15 days cruising from Vietnam to Cambodia and back to the north of Vietnam – it was amazing,” says Sarah.
We went to Angkor Wat and saw all the temples. It was phenomenal
“We saw real river life, being on a boat, and went out in smaller boats to fishing villages and silk weaving villages and saw a lot of village life and markets.
“We went to Angkor Wat and saw all the temples. It was phenomenal.”
Sarah had already sketched a basic garden design before her Viking cruise, but says: “I was quite nervous that I might have the design wrong but the trip helped me clarify the details and plan, mainly to do with what materials to use. I wasn’t quite sure.”
The garden features a traditional Cambodia fishing boat with woven copper wires and reclaimed plastic to represent fishermen’s nets.
Eberle designed the Viking Cruises Mekong Garden
Sarah had already sketched a basic garden design before her Viking cruise
“The cruise was wonderful,” says Sarah. “It was very intimate, a traditional teak boat with only 50 passengers and it was a lovely experience where you get to know people onboard.”
Viking’s Magnificent Mekong cruise starts with a two-night hotel stay in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi, then a flight to Siem Reap in Cambodia for a three-night hotel stay and two days exploring the temples of Angkor Wat.
After a coach transfer the cruise begins in Kampong Cham, in Cambodia, for an eight-day cruise that calls at Phnom Penh, Tan Chau, Sa Dec, Cai Be and My Tho before a transfer to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) for a two-night hotel stay.
The cruise takes in a number of sights along the Mekong river
Sights include the extraordinary Royal Palace at the French colonial city of Phonom Penh and the floating markets of the Mekong Delta.
There is also the opportunity to add stays in Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay and Bangkok, in Thailand, at the start of finish of the cruise.
For more information go to vikingrivercruises.co.uk.