Highlights of Indochina - 15 days / 14 nights

Day 1: Hanoi arrival
Arriving at Noi Bai airport in Hanoi, you will be met and driven to your hotel. You willl have time to relax after your journey. In the evening, you will have tickets for a performance of traditional Water Puppetry (an art form unique to northern Vietnam, and an interesting, light-hearted introduction to its rural culture). Your overnight stay will be in Hanoi.

Transfer: on the way
Meal: not applicable
Guide: English speaking
Accommodation: Superior: Hanoi Authentic hotel. Deluxe: Lan Vien Hotel

 

Day 2: Hanoi – Halong bay – Deluxe Phoenix Cruiser (B,L,D).

You are cruising from awesome limestone cliffs of Ha Long Bay toward the centre of the World Natural Heritage site, discovering exotic formations of a limestone cave, and exploring the daily life of local people living on the bay. This overnight cruise with comfortable accommodation and professional hospitality on our traditional wooden junk offers a fabulous experience in Ha Long Bay.
Am: Be picked up at your hotel from 8h00 for 3.5 hour bus ride through the country side of the Red River Delta to Ha Long City. Upon arrival, aboard Halong Phoenix Cruiser, fresh seafood lunch (vegetable menu available) would be served while the boat is gliding out.
Pm: A short tender ride from the middle of the bay to an island for the famous Sung Sot Cave, followed by visiting Ti Top island, relax on its beach or walk up to the top for the panoramic view of the anchorage area. As the sun sets over the bay, just relax on sundeck with your favorite drink. Dinner is served with typically local seafood. Overnight on board

Transfer: AC shuttle bus
Activity: visit Amazing Cave, kayaking: 1,5hrs
Guide: English speaking
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodation: Deluxe en- suite cabin

 

Day 4: Halong Bay – Hanoi (B, L)
Am: Rise up for a breathtaking on sundeck then be ready with fun kayaking around the area for a stunning vista in the serene bay. Back to boat, you learn recipes and techniques that go into the most popular dish of the Vietnamese food just before lunch time. Lunch would be served when cruising back to the harbor.
Pm: Our bus is waiting on the harbor to take you back to Hanoi. Trip ends at your hotel around 16h00. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

Transfer: AC shuttle bus
Meal: Breakfast, Lunch
Guide: English speaking
Accommodation: Superior: Hanoi Authentic hotel. Deluxe: Lan Vien Hotel

Day 4: Charming Hanoi with cuisine and shopping (B)
The day will be free for strolling in the charming ancient capital, go shopping in the old quarter, enjoy the savour of Hanoi speciality, – take your pick from traditional Hanoi Pho (beef noodle soup), Nom (green papaya salad with seasoned beef), Banh Goi (pillow-shaped rice pastry with minced pork and mushroom), Banh Cuon (hot rice paper with pork and fried onion) or Bun Cha (fresh noodle with grilled pork). If you are hungry, try two or three varieties – they are snacks rather than a meal. Your overnight will be in Hanoi

Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: Superior: Hanoi Authentic hotel. Deluxe: Lan Vien Hotel

Day 5: Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh (B)
After breakfast you will be relax until our driver come and transfer you to the airport for flight to Ho Chi Minh city. Arriving at Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City, the hustle and the bustle city, you will be met and driven to your hotel. Your overnight will be in Saigon

Transfer: private AC coach
Guide: English speaking
FlightHanoi – Ho Chi Minh with Vietnam Airlines
Accommodation: Superior: Dragon hotel. Deluxe: Continental hotel

Day 6: Ho Chi Minh – Cu Chi half day tour (B,L)

A morning drive will take you to visit the famous Cu Chi tunnels, a byzantine maze of underground passages, chambers, rooms and booby traps used by both the Vietminh and the Viet Cong to suddenly materialise as if from nowhere, launch a lightning ambush, you will watch a short introductory video on the tunnels construction and explore the maze of tunnels. and vanish equally rapidly. Your overnight will be in Ho Chi Minh.

Transfer: Private AC coach
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Guide: English speaking
Accommodation: Superior: Dragon hotel. Deluxe: Continental hotel

Day 7: Ho Chi Minh – Mekong day trip (B,L)
We start the tour early at 7.30 and go ahead to Tien Giang. On arrival take a boat trip around four beautiful Islets: Dragon, Unicorn, Tortoise and Phoenix on Tien River. Through Xep canel to visit Mekong traditional houses at Quoi An village (make all from coconut tree). See coconut collection set and how the locals make handicrafts from coconut trunk and shell. Enjoy seasonal fruits and listening to traditional music. Take the horse-cart on village path and stop at Ben Truc orchard, taste honey with tea or wine. See bees-breeding in wooden boxes at local farms.

Take rowing-boat on water palm creek. Lunch on islets at the local house. Experience the friendliness and hospitability of the host . Boat to visit a coconut candy workshop, taste candy (Special products of Bentre province). Drive back to Ho Chi Minh City. End of the tour at about 5:00 pm.

Transfer: Private AC coach
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Activity: Horse cart riding, boat cruise
Guide: English speaking
Accommodation: Superior: Dragon hotel. Deluxe: Continental hotel

Day 8: Ho Chi Minh – relaxing and shopping around (B)
After breakfast you will be spoilt for choice for shops and most of them are within easy walking distance of each other. Many shops are found along Dong Khoi, which used to be the trendy Rue Catinat in French colonial times. Close by are Hai Ba Trung and Le Loi, which are also worth a look. Off-the-peg clothing is always a good buy but even better is to have clothes made up by one of the many tailors. There is always a good range of colored silk to choose from. Hand-embroidered tablecloths and napkins are very popular. Your overnight will be in Ho Chi Minh City.

Meal: Breakfast
Activity: Shopping around
Accommodation: Superior: Dragon hotel. Deluxe: Continental hotel

Day 9: Ho Chi Minh – Siem Reap (B)
Upon arrival at Siem Reap Airport, meets and transfer to hotel for check in. Orientation of Siem Reap at Preah Angkor Chheck, Preah Angkor Chhorm in front to King's residence. 16:30 visit to Angkor Wat temple. Overnight at hotel in Siem Reap.

Meal: Breakfast
Flight Ho Chi Minh – Siem Reap with Vietnam Airlines
Guide: English speaking
Accommodation: Superior: Casa Angkor. Deluxe Tara Angkor

Day 10: Siem Reap discovery (B,L)
Breakfast at hotel, visit to Prasat Kravan (Brick temple – 10th BC), Ta Prohm (Jungle temple), and then we walk about 3 km to one small temple in the forest and lunch box at the Riverside (Spean Barang). Continue to victory Gate of Angkor Thom, Preah Khan and Neak Pean temples. Dinner is at your won (Recommends: Khmer Kitchen, Molopor restaurants) and overnight at hotel in Siem Reap.

Transfer: private AC coach
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Guide: English speaking
Accommodation: Superior: Casa Angkor. Deluxe Tara Angkor

 

Day 11: Siem Reap discovery – Angkor (B,L,D)
Early morning, visit the sunrise at Phnom Bakheng Hill (Elderly is not recommended), the view of surroundings is amazing which we can view the site of Angkor through the forest. Back to hotel for breakfast, and then visit to Banteay Srei (Lady temple which is the most beautiful temple in Cambodia with carving).

In the afternoon, visit to Rolous Group, Lolie (Brick temple) along with the Pagoda, continue to Orphan Center which are training the orphan to make leather carving (Cow and water buffalo), Bakhong Temple for another 30 minutes. Before come back to Siem Reap our tour guide will take to visit one of two Khmer Family to know deeply about the life at the countryside (house, Kitchen, life experience). Dinner at Bopha Angkor Restaurant and overnight at hotel in Siem Reap.

Transfer: private AC coach
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and farewell dinner
Guide: English speaking
Accommodation: Superior: Casa Angkor. Deluxe Tara Angkor

Day 12: Siem Reap - Vientiane (B)
Breakfast at hotel, visit to Floating Village at the Tonle Sap Lake and Artisanse D'angkor (workshop) where the poor villagers are trained and learn about handicraft (Wood, stone)
At 12:00 check out from the hotel, visit to Old Market, and transfer to airport for flight to Vientiane (QV840 15h50 – 17h20). Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your centrally located hotel. Overnight in Vientiane

Transfer: private AC coach
Flight Siem Reap - Vientiane with Laos Airlines
Meal: Breakfast
Guide: English speaking
Accommodation: Superior: Inter City Hotel. Deluxe Novotel Hotel

 

Day 13: Vientiane – Luang Prabang (B)
After breakfast, we start to visit the major sights of the capital; including the oldest Wat Sisaket with thousands of miniature Buddha statues and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo, which previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image, the central market known as the ‘Morning Market’ which is a great place for browsing antiques, handmade textiles and gifts.
We spend the rest of this day touring the Lao capital, visiting the National Museum. We then board our short flight to the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage City Luang Prabang, which is perhaps the best - preserved traditional city in Southeast Asia. On arrival, we transfer you to hotel. After a short rest, we stroll around the Night Market, where you can find a lovely selection of textiles made by the local and the hilltribe people surrounding Luang Prabang. We then climb up to the top of Mount Phousi for an enjoyable exploration of the sacred, gilded stupa as well as viewing a beautiful and panoramic sunset over the ancient and once royal city and the Mekong River. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Transfer: Private AC coach
Flight Vientiane – Luang Prabang with Laos Airlines
Meal: Breakfast
Guide: English speaking
Accommodation: Superior: Sala Prabang Hotel. Deluxe: Villa Santi Resort

Day 14: Luang Prabang - Pak Ou Cave – Luang Prabang (B,L)
After breakfast, we enjoy a short-guided tour seeing the city’s oldest temple of impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrines of Wat Aham, Wat Mai, Wat Sene and the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture. We then board a cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which gives us a panoramic view of the tranquil countryside as well as an interesting visit to the mysterious of Pak Ou Caves, two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims. Along the way, we stop at the village of Ban Xanghai, where they make the local rice wine. On our way back, we pass the local villages at Ban Xiengmene and Ban Chan continue to see the royal temple at Wat Longkhoun, which once belonged to a royal family patronage nearby Sackarine Caves. We cross to city and take a short drive to Ban Phanom, a village well known for its hand weaving. Overnight in Luang Prabang

Transfer: Private AC coach
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Guide: English speaking
Accommodation: Superior: Sala Prabang Hotel. Deluxe: Villa Santi Resort

Day 15: Luang Prabang - Departure (B)
An optional early start gives you the fantastic opportunity to participate in the daily morning rituals of saffron-clad monks collecting offerings of Alms (ubiquitous sticky rice) from the faithful residents. This tradition is very unique in Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving the procession. This is a real highlight of the tour prior to saying goodbye to this charming city. Following breakfast, we visit The National Museum (close Tuesday) at the former Royal Palace, which displays a lovely collection of the artefacts reflecting the richness of Lao culture dating from the days of the early kings right through to the last sovereign. After we visit the silver smith’s and Fine Arts School and the Central Market, which is not to be missed. We then say farewell and depart this ancient city.

Meal: Breakfast
Transfer private AC coach