VIETNAM, LAOS AND CAMBODIA TOUR 27 DAYS

Destination: Ho Chi Minh City/Tay Ninh/Cu Chi/Mekong Delta/Nha Trang/Dalat/Hanoi/Mai Chau/Ha Long/Sapa/Vientiane/Vang Vieng/Luang Prabang/Siem Reap/Phnom Penh

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner, G=Guide

Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City arrival (D, G)

Arriving at Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City, you’ll be met and driven to your hotel. You’ll have time to relax after your journey before a welcome dinner. Your overnight stay will be in Ho Chi Minh.

Day 2: Ho Chi Minh city tour 1 day (B, L, G)

After breakfast, you’ll start your city tour including the History Museum (special exhibition of the 5thC ‘Oc Eo’ civilisation), the Museum of War Remnants (very partial, but riveting, recollections of the ‘American War’: not for the squeamish), the huge Ben Thanh market (one of the liveliest areas of Ho Chi Minh City), the Jade Emperor Temple (superb effigies, remarkable carved panels of the descent to Hell and incongruous terrapin and tortoise sanctuaries) and a lacquer workshop. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 3: Ho Chi Minh/Tay Ninh/Cu Chi (B, L, G)

Drive to Tay Ninh to visit the Cao Dai Holy See (in time to watch the mid-day ceremony), Cu Chi (intricate network of underground passages and bunkers that became legendary during the 1960’s for their role in the war of liberation). Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Cao Dai is a ‘new’ religion unique to Viet Nam with around a million followers. Both its creed and its architecture are remarkable and exotic.

Day 4: Ho Chi Minh/My Tho/Ho Chi Minh (B, L, G)

At 8:00, you’ll be picked up at our hotel to travel to My Tho. On arrival, boat cruise on Mekong river to the Thoi Son island: rowing through small canals and walking along small village road to visit fruit gardens, elementary school, spirits distilling house, and see the daily life of villagers. On your visit you’ll have chance to enjoy some of tropical fruits and traditional music show. After lunch at a local restaurant on island, you’ll continue to cruise to visit a coconut candy workshop. In the afternoon, return to Ho Chi Minh for overnight.

Day 5: Ho Chi Minh City/Nha Trang (B, G)

Your time will your own until a car takes you to the airport for your flight to Nha Trang. On arrival, you’ll be picked up to visit Cham Ponaga Tower. Overnight in Nha Trang in a hotel which overlooks the sea.

Day 6: Nha Trang (B, L, G)

A whole day boat cruise to the Mun Island for snorkeling. Seafood lunch on boat, wine and fruit party at the Mot Island. Rowing bamboo-basket at a fishing village on the Mieu Island. Overnight in Nha Trang.

The boat trip is a ‘fun’ event. You’ll join a boat party of tourists, with a Vietnamese crew who act as guides, cooks, and musicians. Plenty of wine is included (Vietnamese – very good after the first few glasses), and you’ll be offered the local delicacy of ‘sea-urchin soup’ – definitely an acquired taste. The coral around Mun Island is good, provided you swim away from the area where the boats tie up.

You should get back to the land in time for a visit to the hot spring spa near the Cham tower in the town – you can wallow in mud, shower in spring water, and bathe in a large hot mineral water swimming pool set in beautiful gardens for just over $3 – amazing value! Please let me know if you’re interested and I’ll send a quotation for this arrangement.

Day 7: Nha Trang free (B)

Free day in Nha Trang for a beach break.

Nha Trang offers a sufficient variety of activities for a short break in the beach resort. You can have a boat trip to the islands for snorkeling, swimming, ‘water bar’ with Vietnamese wine, water sport. Diving facilities and service here is supposed to be the best in Vietnam. There are many restaurants along the beach offering good Vietnamese and international food. A ten minutes drive takes you to the hot spring spa – you can wallow in mud, shower in spring water, and bathe in a large hot mineral water swimming pool set in beautiful gardens for just over $3 – cheap at ten times the price!

Day 8: Nha Trang/Dalat (B, G)

Morning drive to Dalat – a highland city. Afternoon visit Linh Phuoc Pagoda – an interesting architecture with dragon statue made off La Rue beer bottles, and the embroidery workshop in a lovely garden setting. Overnight in Dalat.

Day 9: Dalat (B, L, G)

In the morning, you’ll have a ride in cable car to Truc Lam Pagoda and Tuyen Lam Lake and visit the Flower Garden. After lunch, visit to King Bao Dai’s Summer Palace, the Crazy House, and Da Lat market. Overnight in Da Lat.

Day 10: Dalat/Hanoi (B, G)

After breakfast, your time will be your own until transferring to the airport for your flight to Hanoi. On arrival, the car will pick you up and transfer to a hotel for check in. You will overnight in Hanoi.

Day 11: Hanoi City tour (B, L, G)

An all day city tour, possibly including the Temple of Literature, (the first university in Vietnam dating back to the 11th C), the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the Ethnology Museum and the centre of Hanoi, including the Hoan Kiem Lake, the Ngoc Son temple and the bustling Old Quarter with a complex of architecture – traditional tube houses, religious buildings and the colonial houses. In the evening, you’ll have tickets for a performance of Cheo (an traditional music typical for the northern Vietnam). Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 12: Hanoi/Mai Chau (B, L, G)

After breakfast, you’ll drive to Mai Chau valley. After lunch in a stilt house, you’ll stroll around the Thai ethnic village. Your dinner and overnight stay will be in a communal stilt house.

Day 13: Mai Chau/Hanoi (B, G)

After breakfast in the village, you’ll return to Hanoi.

Day 14: Hanoi/Ha Long/Lao Cai (B, L, G)

At about 8:00 you’ll be driven to Ha Long Bay (one of the most spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Areas – the world’s largest marine ‘karst’ landscape). Then you’ll board a traditional-style boat for 5 hour cruise on the bay and visit some of the less well-known grottoes and caves. Includes swimming and hill (not mountain) climbing for Bay overviews. Your seafood lunch will be on the boat. In the late afternoon, you’ll return to Hanoi for refreshment at a local hotel before abroad an overnight train.

Day 15: Lao Cai/Sapa/Fansipan (B, L, D, G)

You’ll be met at the Lao Cai station and taken by a Jeep or a Land Cruiser to Sapa.The adventure really start: climbing to Fansipan mountain which is at 3,143 m altitude. You’ll climb and trek through Hmong villages and sub-tropical forest. Lunch will be at 1,300 m and dinner at 1,650 m altitude.

Day 16: Fansipan (B, L, D, G)

The climb continues and guests start to enjoy nature with spectacular vistas of mountains. Lunch will be at 2,200 m and dinner and overnight at 2,900m.

Day 17: Fansipan (B, L, D, G)

The day when you get to the summit of the mountain – the highest one in Vietnam. In the afternoon, you start to descend and spend overnight at 2,900m.

Day 18: Fansipan/Lao Cai (B, L, G)

The descend continues and guests will arrive at Sapa in the afternoon then back to Lao Cai station for an overnight train to Hanoi.

In order to enjoy the best weather to climb the mountains, this adventure is made only from October to mid-December and from March to April.

Day 19: Hanoi/Vientiane (B, G)

On arrival, the car will pick you up at the train station and transfer to a local hotel for refreshment. You will free until transferring to the airport for your flight to Vientiane. After a short rest, we start visiting the major sights; including the oldest Wat Sisaket, the temple with thousands of miniature Buddha statues and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo, which previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. Enroute to Lao’s national precious heritage, the famous and sacred structure of That Luang Stupa, you will have the opportunity to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument, which is well known as Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph. Overnight in Vientiane

Day 20: Vientiane/Vang Vieng (B, L, G)

We leave this wonderful town after breakfast for our journey northbound on route no. 13. We will see some breathtaking scenery enroute as we pass through spectacular countryside towards the mountainous region. We make a stop along the way at Vang Xang, a famous archeological site dating back to the 11th century. We reach our final destination in the afternoon, the small town of Vang Vieng, which is nestled on a bend of the Nam Song River. Its stunning scenery with a mixture of quiet water and limestone outcrops remains unspoiled, despite recent developments with the advent of tourism. On arrival at Vang Vieng, we cross the Nam Song River to Tham Jang caves and then enjoy a short trek through breathtaking mountain landscape to explore the Tam None Cave and some hill villages. Today ends with a superb panorama of the sunset reflecting over the Nam Song River. Overnight in Vang Vieng

Day 21: Vang Vieng/Luang Prabang (B, L, G)

We have an early start for our expedition up route 13 north to Luang Prabang, Luang Prabang that is perhaps the best-preserved traditional city in Southeast Asia. The roads are well paved along the way for a smooth journey; we pass some stunning landscape scenery with a mixture of steep terraced fields and hill villages, we take a few photo stops at some small hill tribe village enroute. Each hill tribe village in Laos has a different feel, some are more prosperous than others but all have plenty of life. The Muang Xieng Nguen village is our next stop and we spend a short amount of time observing the local lifestyle prior to reaching Luang Prabang. Overnight in Luang Prabang

Day 22: Luang Prabang/Pakou/Luang Prabang (B, L, G)

Today, we enjoy a short-guided tour seeing the city’s oldest temple, Wat Sene and the magnificent Wat Xieng Thong where you can see the impressive “tree of life” mosaic pattern set in coloured glass. Its exterior architecture is remarkable with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, representing classical Laotian architecture. We then embark on a cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which also gives us a beautiful view of the tranquil countryside. We take an interesting visit to the mysterious 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 Xang Hai, famous for the production of Lao rice wine. On return to Luang Prabang, we take a short drive to Ban Phanom, a small village well known for its hand weaving. Overnight in Luang Prabang

Day 23: Luang Prabang/Siem Reap (B, G)

After breakfast, your transfer to the airport for your flight to Siem Reap. Arrive at Siem Reap Airport in Cambodia, meet with your guide and transfer to the hotel. Your time will be your own. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Day 24: Siem Reap (B, G)

In the morning, you’ll visit the South Gate of Angkor Thom, Bayon, Baphoun, Terrace of Elephants & Terrace of the Leper King. Afternoon tour to Ta Prohm and Angkor Wat, and see the sunset view at Phnom Bakheng. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Day 25: Siem Reap/Phnom Penh (B, L, G)

Morning transfer to the speed boat to Phnom Penh. See scenic views of the Cambodian rural life along the riverbank (optional by air). Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel. Afternoon tour to the Silver Pagoda, the Royal Palace and the National Museum of Khmer Arts. Overnight in Phnom Penh.

Day 26: Phnom Penh (B, L, G)

Morning tour to Choeung Ek Killing Fields and the Toul Sleng Museum of Genocidal crime. Afternoon city tour for shopping at Russian Market or Central Market. Overnight in Phnom Penh.

Day 27: Phnom Penh departure (B, G)

After breakfast, we transfer to the airport for our departure flight.