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Vietnam - Cambodia 13 Days/
12 nights
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.
Destinations: 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
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.
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