Treasures of Indochina

DETAILS OF THE TRIP

Day 1: Hanoi Arrival (Meals: N/A)
Pick up upon arrival and transfer to the city for hotel check-in. Free at leisure. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi

Day 2: Hanoi City Tours (Meals : Breakfast)
Enjoy 5 hour sightseeing tours to visit the city's landmarks such as Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, One Pillar Pagoda, The Temple of Literature (First University built in the 11 Century), Hanoi Hilton Museum. Free walking around Hanoi old quarter for shopping and short visit Dong Xuan market. Enjoy 1 hour cyclo tours around the Hanoi City's old quarters and the traditional water puppetry show. Transfer back to your hotel. Overnight in Hanoi
Day 3: Hanoi - Halong Bay (Meals : B/L/D)
Morning depart for Halong Bay, we go through the scenic countryside. The wondrous Halong Bay is truly one of Vietnam’s most impressive scenic sights. Heading out of the town we embark on a boat for an exploration of the legendary Halong Bay. This exciting five hour cruise will provide us a fantastic view of the picturesque scenery blending with the sky and some 3,000 limestone islands rising amazingly from the clear and emerald water. The limestone karsts formations are littered with beaches, grottoes and beautiful caves. Along the way we will anchor for a leisurely swim in a secluded cove and an enjoyable visit to one of the many hidden grottoes beneath towering cliffs. Stay overnight on the Junk Cruise
Day 4: Halong Bay - Hanoi (Meals : B/L)
Waking up and having breakfast served onboard. Continue cruising around the bay. Take sampan to visit Luon Cave and come back to the boat. Having brunch before disembarking and van will pick you up at the pier and transfer back to Hanoi. Visit Dong Trieu ceramic and pottery village on the way. Arrive in Hanoi at 04:00 pm. Free at leisure. Overnight in Hanoi
Day 5: Hanoi - Hue (Meals : B/L)
Transferring to the airport to catch morning flight to Hue. Check-in hotel upon arrival and take refresh for a while. This quiet city is widely known for the magnificent architecture of its citadels, palaces, royal tombs, pagodas and temples built under the Nguyen Dynasty. We visit the major sites including the Imperial Citadel with Forbidden Royal City like in Beijing. Free shopping in Dong Ba market. Overnight in Hue
Day 6: Hue (Meals : B)
Morning boat trip on Perfume River to visit Thien Mu pagoda and Ming Mang Emperor's mausoleum. Overnight in Hue
Day 7: Hue - Danang - Hoi An (Meals : B/L)
This morning we drive to Hoi An, we will cross Hai Van Pass where you will have magnificent view of the China Sea. Stop at Lang Co to have break. Visit the fascinating Cham Museum, famous China Beach and the Marble Mountains en route to charming Hoi An. Known as Faifo to early Western traders, it was one of South East Asia's major international ports and today it still retains that special old-world feel. Enjoy a walking tour through the Old Quarter and try some of the local specialties. Hoi An is also famous for its large number of tailor shops, so if you want to have a new wardrobe made up, this is the time to do it. Overnight in Hoi An
Day 8: Hoi An (Meals : B)
Morning tour to visit local market and boat trip on Thu Bon River to visit handicraft villages. Back to hotel and you will be free at leisure on the beach or wandering around the town for the rest of day. Overnight in Hoi An
Day 9: Hoi An - Saigon (Meals : B)
Free at leisure until transferring to Danang airport to take flight to Ho Chi Minh City - Vietnam's largest city has an exciting buzz as millions of people rush around on their daily business. We'll see the historic Reunification Palace and some great examples of French colonial architecture from the comfort of a cyclo. You will be free at the rest of day to make your own exploration to discover the city. Overnight in Saigon
Day 10: Saigon - Mekong Delta - Can Tho (Meals : B/L)
Leave your hotel at 7.30 for a 3-hour drive to Cai Be with stop en route at Trung Luong Bonsai garden for a tea break. Upon arrival, board a motorized boat to visit the popcorn cake, rice paper making family before visiting the lively floating market of Cai Be. Then continue by boat towards Vinh Long province to see the diverse fish traps in order to learn a kind of lazy fishing. After cruising along small shady canals, we step ashore and take a chance to watch a typical and interesting music show of the Mekong cultural life. Lunch is at the home/ bonsai garden. Afternoon, take a walk for about half an hour to enjoy the rural peaceful atmosphere of the countryside life, on the way we can also stop en route to learn more about fruit trees. Continue by boat to visit the brick and pottery factories. Back in the car at about 3 pm to drive to Can Tho. On arrival in the capital city of the Mekong Delta, do a walking city tour, including the local evening market to take photos of the busy trading activities before checking in the hotel. Overnight in Can Tho.
Day 11  Can Tho - Saigon (Meals: B, L)
Early morning board for a 3-hour cruise to Cai Rang and Phong Dien, 2 big floating markets with stops at a Bun Tau noodle factory and a short trek before arriving at a rice-husking mill. You can even try passing one of the many fragile monkey bridges along the canals photo shot. At the floating markets, you will discover a typical way of displaying and advertising farm products of local people gathering on the Mekong river to trade their goods. Drive back to Saigon with a lunch stop at My Tho.
Day 12: Saigon - Cu Chi Tunnels - Tay Ninh (Meals : B)
Enjoy a morning drive through typical southern Vietnamese countryside to Cu Chi district, and Tay Ninh Province. Upon arrival in Cu Chi district, make a couple of stops for photo opportunities and a visit to a rice paper making factory at Tan Phu Trung Village. Experience ourselves the underground village of Cu Chi guerrilla fighters, which is simply a network of tunnels built during the long years of wars. Continue to drive another an hour and half from Cu Chi towards Tay Ninh to visit the incredible Cao Dai Great Temple, and attend the noon time service 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; photo opportunities during the ceremony. Lunch is at a local restaurant. Drive back to Saigon and arrive at 4 pm. Free at leisure for the rest of day. Overnight in Saigon
Day 13: Saigon - Siem Reap (Meals : B)
Upon arrival at Siem Reap airport, meets and transfers to hotel. 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 (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 covers 81 hectares and is comparable in size to the Imperial Palace in Beijing. Its distinctive five towers are emblazoned on the Cambodian flag and the 12th century masterpiece is considered by art historians to be the prime example of classical Khmer art and architecture. Angkor Wat's five tower symbolize Meru's five peaks, the enclosed wall represents the mountains at the edge of the world and the surrounding moat symbolizes the ocean beyond 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. Stay overnight at hotel in Siem Reap.

Day 14: Siem Reap - Angkor Tours (Meals: B)

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. Stay overnight in Siem Reap.

Day 15: Siem Reap - Kompong Phluk (Meals: B/L)
This half day trip will take you into the heart of mangrove forests on the margins of the Tonle Sap Lake to the incredible stilt village of Kompong Phluk and Kompong Khleang - Kampong Phluk

Day 16: Siem Reap Departure (Meals: B)
Morning at leisure until we transfer you to the airport for departure flight onward. End of service