Tour Program:
Day 1. Phnom Penh (Cambodia)
Arriving Phnom Penh, our guide will be at the airport to welcome you
& transfer you to your hotel. Today's city tour includes the Royal
Place, Silver Pagoda, Independence monument. After lunch at a local
restaurant, visit Toul Sleng Museum of Genocide. (L)
Day 2. Phnom Penh - Siem Reap (Angkor)
Morning visit to Central & Russian Markets,
then transfer to airport for your short flight to Siem
Reap. Pick up & transfer to hotel. After lunch at local
restaurant, take a boat trip & enjoy the wonderful views
of Tonlesap Great Lake in the afternoon, also visit
the beautiful Phnom Krom temple by the ake. Evening
dinner at local restaurant with traditional Cambodian dance
performance on stage. Overnight in Siem Reap. (B/L/D)
Day 3. Siem Reap (Angkor)
Full day visit to the ancient royal capital of Angkor Thom: Bayon
Temple, Thommanon, Chau Say Tevoda, Terrace of Elephants and Leper king
and Taprohm temple. Lunch. Afternoon visit the 7th World heritage
wonder, Angkor Wat, and the Ta Som, Ta Keo, Pre Rup temples. Return to
town. (B/L)
Day 4. Siem Reap (Angkor)
Morning trip to Phnom Kulen where the river of 1000 lingas features
thousands of carvings engraved into the sandstone rocks under the
water. We also visit the Rock temple with a large reclining Buddha.
There will be a picnic lunch by the waterfall. Afternoon trip to see
the oldest temple in Angkor, Banteay Srei. This temple has the best
engravings among all the ruins. (B/L)
Day 5. Siem Reap - Vientiane (Laos)
Transfer to airport for your flight to Laos. Arriving Vientiane, our
Laos representative will be at the airport to welcome you &
transfer to your hotel. After lunch in a local restaurant today city
tour includes Wat Hoprakeo, built in 1566 by King Setthathirat to house
the Emerald Buddha, Wat Sisaket, the only temple in Vientiane that
survived the destruction of the city by the Siamese (Thai) in 1828;
ThatLuang Stupa Museum shrine (great Sacred Stupa) ,the most important
national monument in Vientiane, with a golden stupa believed to contain
a relic of Lord Buddha; Pratuxay Monument situated in the centre of
Vientiane prefecture, its architecture inspired by the Arc de Triomphe
in Paris and incorporating typical Lao motifs. Finally see the sunset
at Mekong riverside. (B/L)
Day 6. Vientiane - Luang Prabang
Transfer to airport for your flight to Luang Prabang, pick up &
& transfer to your hotel. Today city tour of the former Royal
capital, Luang Prabang, the crown jewel of the ancient Lane Xang Empire
(pronounced 'lane sang' - the Land of a Million Elephants). Visit Wat
Visoun, the site of the impressive Thad Makmo stupa. The rounded dome
is stylistically more Sinhalese than Lao. Phou Sii hill stands right in
the centre of this small city. Climb its 350 steps to enjoy commanding
views for many miles in each direction. Wat Phu Sii sits atop the
mountain, alongside the skeletons of Indochina war anti-aircraft guns!
Then continue to visit Wat Mai. Built in 1796, the five-tiered roof of
the wooden Sim (chapel) emphasizes the graceful Luang Prabang
architectural style. Wat Xieng Thong is considered to emphasize &
characterize the uniqueness of Luang Prabang's local style: its several
roofs sweep low to the ground. See also the impressive "tree of life"
mosaic here. The gilt panel on the exterior of the chapel depicts
semi-erotic episodes from the Ramayana; visit the National Museum,
which was once a king's palace. Displayed inside is a collection of
personal artifacts of the former royal family, including photos,
musical instruments, and many gifts received from dignitaries of
foreign countries. Dinner at local restaurant and evening walk of night
market. (B/L/D)
Day 7. Luang Prabang
After breakfast, begin a full day boat trip on the mighty Mekong River
to visit the Pak Ou Caves with their lacquered Buddha statues. Then
make a visit to the village of Ban Phanom where traditional Lao
textiles are woven on ancient wooden looms & the paper making
factory. (B/L)
Day 8. Luang Prabang
Today we visit the Tad Khuang Sii waterfall. On the way we visit Hmong
village & Ban Ouh village for the Lao & Lu hill tribe people.
The falls cascade over many calcified tiers and down several hundred
feet into a series of cool, turquoise pools. The water here has a clear
blue-green tint due to the high mineral content. You can climb the
stairs and look down from various high viewpoints on the way to the
top! Enjoy a picnic lunch & afternoon at leisure. (B/L)
Day 9. Luang Prabang - Hanoi (Vietnam)
If you like, we can take you into the centre of Luang Prabang at 5:30
in the morning to watch local people give food & rice to the
hundreds of monks who line the street. You can also give rice to the
monks - your guide will provide sticky rice for you to give. (This dawn
tour is optional - a very early start!) Afterwards a stroll though the
morning market before returning to your hotel for breakfast. Transfer
to airport for your flight to Hanoi, Vietnam. Arriving at Hanoi, our
Hanoi guide will be at the airport to welcome you & transfer to
your hotel. In the evening, see the world-famous Vietnamese Water
Puppet show in the theatre & dinner at local restaurant. (B/D)
Day 10. Hanoi
Full day city tour includes Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum (closed on Monday,
Friday and the whole October-November) and Residence, One-Pillar
Pagoda, Army Museum. Lunch at local restaurant. Visit Temple of
Literature, built in the 11th century as Vietnam’s first university,
Fine Art Museum, Quan Thanh Temple, Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple
in the Old Quarter of Hanoi.(B/L)
Day 11. Hanoi - Halong Bay
Morning at leisure. Afternoon about 3 to 4 hours drive to Ha Long Bay.
Upon arrival transfer to hotel. Dinner at local restaurant.(B/D)
Day 12. Halong Bay - Hanoi - Sapa
A morning cruise in a private junk on the emerald green waters of
Halong Bay, among the 3,000 spectacular limestone islands. The cruise
ends with a fresh seafood lunch on board. Return to Hanoi by road in
the afternoon. In the evening transfer to railway station for your
overnight train to Sapa. (B/L)
Day 13. Sapa
Upon arrival in Lao Cai, drive 40km on coach to Sapa. Enjoy the
picturesque scenery along the way leading to Sapa, a mountainous area
of stunning natural beauty and diverse ethnic minorities. Transfer to
your hotel for check in. Breakfast at hotel. Walking tour to visit
Saturday 'mountain market'. Lunch at local restaurant. Transfer to Ta
Van village, about 8 km of twisty road from Sapa town. Along the road
you will see many H’Mong, Dzay, Dzao ethnic people dressed in their
traditional colourful costumes. Two-hour trekking tour through a
terraced paddy field to discover the lifestyle of the Dzay minority.
(B/L/D)
Day 14. Sapa - Bac Ha - Lao Cai
Transfer to Bac Ha. View the 'mountain market' full of montagnards from
surrounding villages. They dress in their most colourful costumes and
head to the market to exchange goods or sell self-made crafts. Lunch.
Walking tour at Ban Pho village then set off for Lao Cai to board the
train for Hanoi. Dinner at local restaurant & overnight on train.
(B/L/D)
Day 15. Hanoi - Hue
Arriving back Hanoi in the early morning. Pick up & transfer to
airport for your flight to Hue. Arriving in Hue, pick up & transfer
to your hotel. Today our city tour includes 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. (B/L)
Day 16. Hue - Hoi An
This morning's tour starts with a boat trip on the romantically named
Perfume River to visit Hue's best-known religious site, Thien Mu
Pagoda. Afterwards drive to Hoi An via Danang. The scenic route climbs
over the Pass of Ocean Clouds before dropping down to the wonderfully
photogenic fishing village of Lang Co. After lunch in Danang & city
tour, on the road from Danang to Hoi An visit five sacred hills known
as the Marble Mountains containing dozens of Buddhist shrines. On
arrival in Hoi An in late afternoon, transfer to hotel. (B/L)
Day 17. Hoi An
Hoi An was a major Asian trading port in the seventeenth and eighteenth
centuries and its picturesque architecture and relaxed lifestyle has
changed little over the years. Take a walking tour of the ancient town
centre to visit former merchants' houses, the 400 year-old Japanese
Covered Bridge and the colourful market. Afternoon trip to visit the
capital and religious centre of the former Champa Kingdom, My Son.
Here, 40km southwest of Hoi An, in a lush green valley, are dozens of
red brick towers and sanctuaries dating from between the seventh and
thirteenth centuries. (B/L)
Day 18. Hoi An - Ho Chi Minh City
This morning drive back to Danang & transfer to airport for your
flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Pick up & transfer to your hotel. Today
city tour includes a tour of The Reunification Palace (former
Presidential Palace), Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral, Lam Son
Square, Ben Thanh Market, Thien Hau pagoda, The Museum of HCM Campaign,
China Town (Cholon) & Binh Tay Market etc. Dinner at local
restaurant.(B/L/D)
Day 19. HCMC - Tay Hinh - Cu Chi - HCMC
Enjoy a morning drive through typical southern Vietnamese countryside
to Tay Ninh Province in the west of Vietnam. At Tay Ninh visit the
incredible Cao Dai Great Temple, with architecture that could have come
straight from a Walt Disney fantasy and where all the major faiths of
the world blend together in a unique religious cocktail. Lunch. In the
afternoon visit the famous Cu Chi Tunnels, an underground tunnel
network constructed by Vietnamese resistance fighters during the long
struggle for independence. (B/L)
Day 20. HCMC - Mekong Delta - HCMC
A full day trip to the watery world of the Mekong Delta, just a couple
of hours by road from the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City's
streets. Depart for Vinh Long, 150km southwest Ho Chi Minh city. A
motor-boat takes you along the Mekong river and follows small canals
flowing sluggishly between banks of luxuriant vegetation to Cai Be
floating market, one of the most typical floating markets of the Mekong
Delta. Experience the exotic sights, sounds and smells. Lunch at a
bonsai garden with speciality food - "Elephant's Ear" fish. Visit a
ceramic tile factory, a tofu and fish sauce factory etc before
returning to HCMC & overnight.(B/L)
Day 21. HCMC - Departure
Free at leisure until transfer to airport for your departure flight to UK or next destination. (B)
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