Best of Vietnam and Cambodia 13 days
Our
excellent guide to Vietnam will take you on a culture packed tour of Vietnam
and Cambodia, which takes you through the ancient capital of Hoa Lu, Halong
Bay, Hoi An, Hue, Ho Chi Minh City and into the Mekong Delta, Phnom Penh,
Siem Reap and Angkor Temple in Vietnam and Cambodia. This is a small group
tour and we don’t just show you the sights in famous cities in Vietnam and
Cambodia but you will get to know the Vietnamese & Cambodian people and take
away a feeling for the warmth of welcome from 2 neighboring local people,
for whom a smile is never far away.
Destination: Hanoi | Hoa Lu | Hanoi | Halong Bay Emeraude Cruise | Emeraude Cruise |
Halong Bay | Hanoi | Danang | Hoi An | Hue |Ho Chi Minh City | Mekong Delta
| Ho Chi Minh City | Can tho | Chau Doc | Phnom Penh | Siem Reap | Angkor
temple | Tonle Sap lake
Highlights
-
Visit villages, markets and places that are off the tourist trail.
-
Meet the local people and taste delicious Vietnamese food every day at
atmospheric restaurants.
-
Enjoy the Emeraude cruise in Vietnam's infamous Halong Bay
-
Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and his house on stilts, the One Pillar Pagoda,
the Temple of Literature, the Quanh Thanh Temple and the Tran Quoc Pagoda
on the edge of West Lake.
-
400 year-old Japanese Covered Bridge, a Chinese communal hall and
colourful markets.
-
A boat trip on the romantically named ancient capital of Vietnam
-
Visit the War Museum and the former Presidential Palace.
-
Visit the major sights of colonial Ho Chi Minh City: the Notre Dame
Cathedral, Old Saigon Post Office, Dong Khoi Street (formerly Rue Catinat),
Continental Hotel, Opera House and City Hall.
-
Cruise then to evergreen islands among the Mekong River through large
networks of meandering rivers
-
High speed boat from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh
-
Visit genocide museum, Royal palace in Cambodia captial
-
Enjoy the landscape along Mekong River
-
Visit glorious Angkor temples in Siem Reap
Itinerary in brief
Day 1: Hanoi arrival
Day 2: Hanoi city tour
Day 3: Hanoi - Hoa Lu - Tam coc
Day 4: Hanoi - Halong
Day 5: Halong - Danang - Hoian
Day 6: Hoian - Hue
Day 7: Hue - city tour
Day 8: Hue - HCM city
Day 9: HCM - Mekong delta - Chau Doc
Day 10: Chau Doc - Phnom Penh
Day 11: Phnom Penh - Siem Reap
Day 12: Angkor temple excursion
Day 13: Siem Reap - Tonle Sap lake - Departure
Itinerary in details
Day 1: Arrival in Hanoi (D)
Arrive in Hanoi, welcome by your guide and transfer to hotel. The rest of
the day is at leisure. Welcome dinner at the hotel.
O/N in Hanoi.
Day 2: Hanoi | Hoa Lu | Hanoi (B,L)
A 70km drive through rural northern Vietnam to the site of Vietnam's first
capital, Hoa Lu. After visiting the two remaining sanctuaries of the ancient
citadel, take a sampan on a river through the rice paddies to the grottoes
of the sacred Tam Coc Caves. Enormous limestone karsts jut out from the
green rice fields giving rise to this place's other name, 'Halong on Land'.
Climb up to the Bich Dong Pagoda, which offers a scenic view of the
surrounding countryside.
O/N in Hanoi.
Day 3: Hanoi (B,L)
A full day city tour of Vietnam's capital. Hanoi is a unique city with
tree-lined boulevards, French colonial architecture, peaceful lakes and
oriental temples. The city tour includes such sights as Ho Chi Minh's
Mausoleum and his house on stilts, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Temple of
Literature, the Quanh Thanh Temple and the Tran Quoc Pagoda on the edge of
West Lake. After lunch in town continue to the Museum of Ethnology and end
the afternoon with a visit to the Lake of the Restored Sword and a cyclo
tour of the Old Quarter.
O/N in Hanoi
Day 4: Hanoi | Halong Bay Emeraude Cruise (B,L,D)
Leave Hanoi by road for Halong Bay. Enjoy the journey through the rich
farmlands of the Red River Delta and the scenery of rice fields, water
buffalo and everyday Vietnamese village life. Arrive in Halong and board the
Emeraude, a wonderful replica of one of the classic steamships of the
colonial era of French Indochina. A welcome drink will be served on the
sundeck. With 37 luxurious air-conditioned cabins, a restaurant, two bars
and a sundeck this is the ultimate Halong Bay experience. Lunch is served on
board. Whilst cruising on the emerald green waters of the bay try a
traditional Vietnamese or foot massage as an optional extra. Another
optional extra is high tea served on the sundeck in the late afternoon. A
sunset cocktail is served on the sundeck followed by a buffet dinner.
O/N on board the Emeraude.
Day 5: Emeraude Cruise | Halong Bay | Hanoi | Danang | Hoi An (B,L)
Wake up to fresh coffee and a wholesome breakfast before cruising back to
Halong City. Early morning Tai Chi is an optional extra on the sundeck from
06:00 to 07:00 before breakfast. Arrive back at Emeraude's private pier at
09:30 for disembarkation. Drive back to Hanoi. Lunch in Hanoi then free time
till transfer to Airport. Flight to Danang and transfer to Hoi An. Dinner in
town
O/N in Hoi An.
Day 6: Hoi An | Hue (B,L)
Hoi An was a major Asian trading port in the seventeenth and eighteenth
centuries and its architecture and relaxed lifestyle have changed little
over the years. Take a walking tour of the ancient town centre to visit the
former merchants' homes, the 400 year-old Japanese Covered Bridge, a Chinese
communal hall and the colourful market. Leave Hoi An after lunch for Hue,
the former imperial capital of Vietnam. The scenic route passes through
Danang before climbing over the Pass of Ocean Clouds and dropping down to
the wonderfully photogenic fishing village of Lang Co. Arrive in Hue late in
the afternoon and transfer to hotel.
O/N in Hue.
Day 7: Hue (B,L)
Visit the former imperial capital of Vietnam. A boat trip on the
romantically named Perfume River visits Hue's best-known religious site,
Thien Mu Pagoda, and the mausoleum of former emperor Minh Mang, in a
tranquil setting of gardens and lakes. In the afternoon visit the elaborate
mausoleums of emperors Tu Duc and Khai Dinh and the Imperial Citadel from
where the Nguyen Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945.
O/N in Hue
Day 8: Hue | Ho Chi Minh City (B,L)
Transfer to Hue Airport after breakfast for the short flight to dynamic Ho
Chi Minh City, still called Saigon by many locals. A full day city tour
takes in the city's bustling Chinatown and begins with a visit to the Thien
Hau Temple, from where you will take a cyclo ride; the most appropriate and
unusual way to explore Cholon, literally meaning 'big market'. The ride will
take you to the lively Binh Tay Market. Then visit a lacquerware factory to
witness workers continuing a Vietnamese ancestral tradition. After lunch
visit the War Museum and the former Presidential Palace, from there on you
will go on foot (the car will be available at all times) to visit the major
sights of colonial Ho Chi Minh City: the Notre Dame Cathedral, Old Saigon
Post Office, Dong Khoi Street (formerly Rue Catinat), Continental Hotel,
Opera House and City Hall. After this historical visit, enjoy some wonderful
ice cream at Fanny's, a quaint little parlour with a French atmosphere,
before exploring the trendy boutiques on Ton That Thiep Street.
O/N in Ho Chi Minh City
Day 9: Ho Chi Minh City | Mekong Delta | Chau Doc (B,L,D)
Depart to Cai Be, deep in the Mekong Delta. Board the Cai Be Princess junk
boat and start the tour with the visit of the colourful Cai Be floating
market. Follow with a visit of some local home factories that produce rice
paste, rice pop corn and coconut candies. Cruise then to evergreen islands
among the Mekong River through large networks of meandering rivers,
crisscrossed with countless arroyos. Lunch at a fruit orchard then cruise to
Vinh Long and discover beautiful landscapes along the river and observe the
typical Mekong Delta rural life. Then transfer to Chau Doc, bordering city
with Cambodia.
O/N in Chau Doc
Day 10: Chau Doc | Phnom Penh - High speed boat (B, L)
After breakfast. Visitors then take the nice rowing boat trip through the
floating village to visit the fish farm to see how the Mekong Delta people
raise fish on their floating house. Visit the Cham minority with their
traditional weaving village. Change to the speed boat to board to PhnomPenh
( Schedule 9 : 30 - 14 : 30 ). Arrive in PhnomPenh around 14h00pm at the
Sisowath tourist dock. Pick up and transfer to hotel. Free at leisure.
O/N in Phnom Penh
Day 11: Phnom Penh - Siem Reap
Breakfast at hotel . Take high speed boat at 7 am to Siem Reap. Meet and
transfer to hotel. We will start the visit the ancient capital of Angkor
Thom (12th century). See the South Gate (with its huge statues depicting the
churning of the ocean of milk), Bayon Temple (unique for its 54 towers
decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara), the Royal
Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper
King In the afternoon, visit the most famous of all the temples on the
Angkor plain: Angkor Wat. The temple complex cover 81 hectares and is
comparable in size to the Imperial Palace in Beijing.
Sunset from Phnom Bakheng, one of two hills dominating the plain of Angkor,
from where you will have a spectacular view of the Western Baray and Angkor
Wat .
O/N in Siem Reap
Day 12: Siem Reap | Angkor temple excursion
Breakfast at hotel . In the morning, you will continue your temple visits.
Included are Prasat Kravan (with its unique brick sculptures), Srah Srang
("The Royal Boths" was once used for ritual bathing), Banteay Kdei
(surrounded by four concentric walls), Eastern Mebon (guarded at its corner
by stone figures of harnessed elephants, some of which are still in a
reasonable state of preservation) and the "Mountain Temple" of Pre Rup.
In the afternoon, transfer to the archaeological site and continue to the
temple tour. Visit Ta Prohm, one of the most beautiful temples in the area.
Ta Prohm has been left relatively untouched since it was discovered and
retains much of its mystery. Then, visit Takeo, Thommanon and Chau Say
Tevoda temples.
O/N in Siem Reap
Day 13: Siem Reap | Tonle Sap lake - Departure
Breakfast at hotel . Visit the floating village of the Chong Khneas, located
10 kilometers south of Siem Reap. Take a traditional wooden boat for a ride
on the Tonle Sap, the "Great Lake" of Cambodia and the largest in Asia
In the afternoon, visit "Les Artisans d'Angkor | Chantiers Ecoles" of Siem
Reap and time at leisure at the local market (if time permits) . Transfer to
Siem Reap airport for departure to the next destination.
|
