Highlights of Indochina 15 days

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.

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

You will be cruising amongst awesome limestone cliffs of Halong Bay towards the centre of the World Heritage natural site, discovering the 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 countryside of the Red River Delta to Halong City. Upon arrival, board Halong Phoenix Cruiser with a fresh seafood lunch (vegetable menu available) served while the boat is gliding out of the harbor.

PM: Take a short tender ride from the middle of the bay to the island where the famous Sung Sot Cave is located. Follow this by visiting Ti Top island where you can relax on

its beach or walk up to the mountain top for the panoramic view of the anchorage area. As the sun sets over the bay, just relax on the sundeck with your favorite drink. Dinner is served with typically local seafood.
Overnight on board.

Day 3: Halong Bay – Hanoi (B, L)

AM: Rise for a breathtaking vista on the sundeck of the serene bay. Prepare for some fun kayaking around the area. Return to the boat and learn the recipe and techniques for creating the most popular dish of the Vietnamese. Lunch will be served while cruising back to the harbor.

PM: The bus is waiting at the harbor port to take you back to Hanoi. Return to your hotel around 16h00.

Overnight at your hotel in Hanoi.

Day 4: Charming Hanoi with cuisine and shopping (B)

The day will be free for strolling in the charming ancient capital, shopping in the old quarter and enjoying the flavour of a Hanoian specialty, – 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.

Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 5: Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh (B)

After breakfast relax until your driver comes to transfer you to the airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Arrive at Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City, the hustle and the bustle city, where you will be met and driven to your hotel.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh.

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 and launch a lightning ambush. You will watch a short introductory video on the tunnels construction and explore the maze of tunnels.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh.

Day 7: Ho Chi Minh – Mekong day trip (B,L)

Start your tour early at 7.30am.and travel to Tien Giang. On arrival you will take a boat trip around four beautiful Islets: Dragon, Unicorn, Tortoise and Phoenix on the Tien

River. Travel on the Xep canel to visit Mekong traditional houses (made from coconut trees) at Quoi An village. Here you will see local handicrafts made from the coconut trunk and shell. Enjoy sampling seasonal fruits and listening to traditional music. Take the horse drawn cart ride along a village path and stop at Ben Truc orchard to taste honey with tea or wine. See the bees breeding in wooden hives at the local farms.
You will then be rowed on the water palm edged creek to have lunch on an islets at a local house. Experience the friendliness and hospitability of the host. Your boat will visit a coconut candy workshop for tasting.(Special products of Bentre province). Drive back to Ho Chi Minh City. Your tour ends at about 5:00 pm.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh.

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 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.

Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 9: Ho Chi Minh – Siem Reap (B)

Depart Ho Chi Minh and arrive at Siem Reap airport where you will be meet and transferred to your hotel for check in. Become orientated with Siem Reap at Preah Angkor Chheck, Preah Angkor Chhorm located in front of the King’s residence.
16:30 you will visit Angkor Wat temple.

Overnight at your hotel in Siem Reap.

Day 10: Siem Reap discovery (B,L)

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel and visit Prasat Kravan (Brick temple – 10th BC), Ta Prohm (Jungle temple), and then we walk about 3 km to a small temple in the forest. Enjoy a picnic lunch at the Riverside (Spean Barang). Your tour then continues to the victory Gate of Angkor Thom, Preah Khan and Neak Pean temples. Dinner is on your own. (Recommend: Khmer Kitchen, Molopor restaurants).

Overnight at your hotel in Siem Reap.

Day 11: Siem Reap discovery – Angkor (B,L,D)

Early in the morning, at sunrise, visit Phnom Bakheng Hill ( not recommended for the elderly), to view the surroundings and site of Angkor Wat through the forest. Return to your hotel for breakfast, and then visit t Banteay Srei (theLady Temple, which is the most beautifully carved temple in Cambodia ).

In the afternoon, visit the Rolous Group, Lolie (Brick temple) and the Pagoda. Your tour continues to the Orphan Center where they teach the orphaned children leather carving. (Cow and water buffalo). You then travel to Bakhong Temple for another 30 minutes. Before you return to Siem Reap your tour guide will take you to visit a Khmer family to experience their life in the countryside. Dinner is at the Bopha Angkor Restaurant.

Overnight at your hotel in Siem Reap.

Day 12: Siem Reap – Vientiane (B)

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel and then visit the 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 the Old Market, and transfer to the airport for your flight to Vientiane(QV840 15h50 – 17h20). Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your centrally located hotel.

Overnight in Vientiane.

Day 13: Vientiane – Luang Prabang (B)

After breakfast, you start your tour visiting 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 for antiques, handmade textiles and gifts.

Spend the rest of this day touring the Lao capital, visiting the National Museum.
Board a short flight to the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage City Luang Prabang, which is perhaps the best preserved traditional city in Southeast Asia. On arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel. After a short rest, 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. Climb 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.

Day 14: Luang Prabang – Pak Ou Cave – Luang Prabang (B,L)

After breakfast, you will enjoy a short-guided tour seeing the city’s oldest temple and 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 representing classical Laotian architecture. 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 stop at the village of Ban Xanghai, where they make the local rice wine. On your return pass the local villages at Ban Xiengmene and Ban Chan and then continue to see the royal temple at Wat Longkhoun, which once belonged to a royal family patronage. Nearby is Sackarine Caves. You will cross to the city and take a short drive to Ban Phanom, a village well known for its hand weaving.

Overnight in Luang Prabang

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, you will visit The National Museum (closed Tuesday) at the former Royal Palace, which displays a lovely collection of the artifacts reflecting the richness of Lao culture dating from the days of the early kings right through to the last sovereign. Afterwards we visit the silver smith’s and Fine Arts School and the Central Market, which is not to be missed. Say farewell and depart this ancient city.