Roots Rails & Rambles

Recently, a casual lunch with Jon Langford and Sally Timms on a barge in France opened up a conversation about how much we were loving the barging concept and where else we might give it a go. Then like a bolt of lightning it hit us: The Mekons on the Mekong!!! Why had we never thought of this before?!?

Further plotting and planning ensued, and I am so pleased to announce that we are confirmed for The Mekons on the Mekong in January of 2027 – a 12 day journey through Cambodia and Vietnam on our very own 28 passenger riverboat, the Toum Tiou II.

The trip will originate in Siem Reap, Cambodia with a few days of land-based excursions to the Angkor temples, Ton Le Lake, and hopefully an ethical elephant sanctuary (I’m working on this independently, so fingers crossed I can pull the pieces together), then we set off for an eight night/nine day cruise down the Mekong River, culminating in 2 days in Ho Chi Minh City. We’ll be making stops along the way to visit temples, farms, artisan markets and a whole host of local attractions. There will also be opportunities for biking, kayaking, and exploring on foot. And of course, every night on board following a delicious dinner, we’ll enjoy live music from members of one of the world’s most indescribable and utterly delightful bands – Jon Langford, Sally Timms, Susie Honeyman and Tom Greenhalgh of the Mekons!

Here's a link to the detailed itinerary, which pack a LOT into 12 days!

Why so far in the future you may ask? Well, the 2026 riverboat season is pretty much already sold out except for the height of the hot/rainy season, which didn’t sound appealing, AND it’s going to be a pricey trip when you factor in airfares, so I wanted to build in enough room so that those who wish to can do a multi-month payment schedule, hopefully bringing the trip into realistic financial reach for as many folks as possible.

The dates are January 16 – 27, 2027, and of course I’ll be happy to set up pre-departure nights in Siem Reap so that you can conquer your jet lag. And given how long we all will have traveled to get there, I’m happy to also look into trip extensions to beach or other kinds of adventures following the trip. We’ve got time to work with, so we can all think about how we’d like to maximize our time.

We like to be upfront about what level of physical activity you can expect so you can make an informed decision as to whether your energy and mobility are a good match for the experience. We get it; none of us are getting any younger or spryer, and we want to empower everyone to travel safely and happily for as long as possible. Wherever and whenever we can we will do everything within our control to maximize accessibility and comfort, but cannot guarantee that every aspect of every trip will be a good fit for every participant.

This trip is best described as having a MODERATE level of physical activity. Participants should be able to:

- handle your own luggage. If you brung it, you're totin' it.
- walk a few city blocks while keeping pace with the group
- safely climb a few flights of stairs with or without handrails

For those looking for a more energetic level of activity, this trip offers options for bike riding, kayaking, and more strenuous activity should that be what you're looking for.

So, how do you get in on this great adventure?

- A $1,000 per person deposit locks in your reservation.
- If you’d like to pay it all at once, I’m happy to extend a 5% discount.
- Occupancy on the boat is shared cabins – very nicely appointed cabins, all with private baths. Solo travelers will be matched with a similarly-gendered roommate.
- There is extremely limited solo occupancy available –if you're seriously interested, please call me to discuss.

Pricing:

$6289 per person, shared occupancy. Includes 1 hotel night in Siem Reap (add-on nights can be arranged at a very reasonable rate), all meals, excursions, and activities while on the boat, basic drinks (fancy drinks extra).

Additional costs to consider:

- Airfare to Siem Reap and return from Ho Chi Minh City
- Visas for Cambodia and Vietnam (about $30 each)
- Gratuities for boat staff and local guides (at your discretion but we recommend budgeting $100 per person)

Payment:

$1000 per person deposit, then an automated credit card draw each month through October 2026 (approximately $330 a month)

Pay in Full for 5% discount: $5975 per person

The Mekons: The genre-defying Mekons, formed in 1977 Leeds, England, have an improbable history – Emerging from the British punk scene, they’ve progressed from art students with no discernable musical skills to the “prolific, raucous progeny of Hank Williams.” With a surprising & influential embrace of folk & country music, they work collaboratively & collectively with everything credited to the band, never to individuals. Their mind-boggling output blurs the lines between high & low art while remaining bold, unpredictable & true to the punk ethos. Those who have traveled with them on our trips will confirm that they bring the best kind of mayhem to the adventure.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

Since the advent of Covid-19, and its impact upon travel, we feel purchasing travel insurance has gone from wise precaution to fiscal necessity. Going forward, we are strongly suggesting that all patrons carry trip insurance that provides, at a minimum, coverage for the following:
 Cancellation for Covid-19 illness
 Trip Cancellation
 Trip Interruption
 Cancel for Medical Reasons
 Medical Coverage for Covid-19 (often included under Emergency Medical Care)
 Emergency medical care
 Medical Evacuation

You may purchase travel insurance through any company you choose, and we advise checking the coverage on the credit card you used to secure your booking with us -- often there are travel protections built in to your user agreement. If you're unclear on where to begin your travel insurance search, we can suggest looking at products such as AXA USA Assistance Silver or Nationwide Essential which provide robust coverage for all those items at a very fair price. Both of those products (and many more) can be purchased through our affiliate, Squaremouth. Because travel insurance is such a highly personalized product, when you click on the link and are directed to the Squaremouth landing page and the "Compare and Buy Travel Insurance" calculator, you’ll have to enter your own demographic information – age, state of residence etc. -- after which you'll be presented with a number of options to consider. Among them will be the AXA and the Nationwide products. You are certainly not limited to those two products – we are merely outlining the elements of coverage that we are strongly suggesting going forward and a convenient way to access them. If you purchase the policy through that link to Squaremouth it does not cost you anything more than purchasing the product directly from the vendor, but we do receive a small commission.

THE FINE PRINT

Our customers are extremely important to us, and when travel disruptions occur, we are committed to working with you to minimize the financial impact. In the event that you need to cancel a trip for whatever reason, we will work with you to try and find a buyer for the space you are needing to give up. Often this works out well for all: the person needing to cancel recovers most, if not all, of their investment, and a person who might have been on a waiting list gets to go on the trip - however, there are no guarantees.

We understand that the new realities of travel are such that we need to be more flexible than ever before. We are also an extremely small business with many fixed costs that can't always be recovered if a trip needs to be postponed or cancelled due to health and safety concerns. We will be completely transparent if a scheduled trip looks like it needs to be adjusted in any way that might impact your enjoyment of the experience. Please read through our cancellation policy carefully and feel free to reach out to us with any questions or concerns.

Cancellation policy: Deposits, whether paid separately or as part of a full payment up front, are non-refundable. Outside of deposit and credit card fees, full refund will be given up until 90 days prior to start of trip. 50% refund 60-89 days. No refund less than 60 days prior to start of trip. Reservations are fully transferable to another person.The payment of a deposit or any part or full payment for a reservation shall constitute consent to all the provisions contained herein.

Roots, Rails, and Rambles shall not be held responsible for property loss or damage and/or any damages resulting from illness, personal injuries or death which may be sustained by reason of, or while engaged on, any trip or tour whether due to the ownership, maintenance, use, operation or control of any vehicle, hotel, common carrier or any other conveyance used in carrying out these tours. We can assume no liability due to any cause whatsoever whether caused by failure or delay or other irregularity, acts or omissions occurring during a tour under which the means of transportation or other service thereby is offered or supplied by owners, operators or public carriers for whom Roots, Rails, and Rambles acts only as agent. Roots, Rails, and Rambles reserves the right (at its discretion) to alter or omit any part of the itinerary, or change any reservation, feature and/or means of conveyance without notice or for any reason whatsoever and without allowance or refund and with extra costs, if any, resulting therefrom paid by the passengers. We reserve the right to cancel any tour prior to departure, in which case payment will be refunded without further obligation on our part. Roots, Rails, and Rambles shall not be responsible for any injury to person (whether or not resulting in death) or damage to property.

Baggage is at the owner's risk entirely. The transportation companies concerned are not to be held responsible for any act, omission or event during the time passengers are not aboard their carriers or conveyances. The passenger contract in use by the carriers concerned (when issued) shall constitute the sole contract between the transportation companies and the purchaser of these tours and/or passage. By accepting the ticket the passenger also agrees to its terms and conditions. By forwarding of deposit, the passenger certifies that he/she does not have any mental, physical or other condition or disability that would create a hazard for him/herself or other passengers. Roots, Rails, and Rambles reserves the right to cancel or withdraw any person as a member of the tour at any time. Roots, Rails, and Rambles reserves the right to refuse service to anyone whom it considers incompatible with the best interests of its services or its guests.