15 Days Vietnam Cambodia Colourful

We will pick you up at airport then transfer to hotel. The rest of day is at your leisure. We recommend you to take a slow walk around Hoan Kiem Lake, which is very scenic, so remember to bring your camera. In walking distance from your hotel, you can go to Thang Long theatre where you can enjoy traditional Vietnamese water puppet show. Another option is to do some shopping, you will find plenty of shops in the old town as well as street night market. Should you wish to taste famous Vietnamese coffee, you will find many coffee shops in French style with a view to the lake. Overnight in Hanoi.

After breakfast, you will be picked up for the city tour of incredible Hanoi. First head to visit Tran Quoc Pagoda, a 1400-year-old temple, the oldest in the city and is located near West Lake offering a watery landscape, the pagoda is very scenic attraction. The next destination is the Ho Chi Minh complex, where you have a chance to visit President Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum, Uncle Ho’s House and the One-Pillar pagoda, a very iconic temple in Vietnam. Temple of Literature will be your next stop, here education and study is the center point. After lunch, we will explore Ngoc Son Temple (Temple of Jade Mountain) dedicated to Confucian and Taoist philosophers and the national hero Tran Hung Dao. The temple with its famous Huc bridge is in the centre of Hoan Kiem Lake (Sword Lake). Transfer back to your hotel. Overnight in Hanoi.

Today we head for Halong Bay! Enjoy the journey through the Red River Delta with lush rice fields, water buffalos and everyday Vietnamese rural life. After we arrive in Halong, we will check-in for our overnight cruise and relax for a while. Then we lift anchor and sail to visit Sung Sot caves where we have one hour for kayaking between the lime-stone spires. Afterward, we set sail the explore this UNESCO Heritage region. As the sun sets over the bay, dinner is served on board with a huge selection of fresh seafood, salads and fruits. There will also be a cooking demonstration on board, where you can learn to cook some basic Vietnamese dishes or simply watch the sun slip away with a cool drink on the deck.

Enjoy your fresh morning in the middle of the bay, and breakfast is served (brunch on some boats) while the vessels cruise slowly throught the magnificent rock formations and back towards port. Disembark and transfer back to Hanoi. Overnight in Hanoi.

After breakfast, we will have some leisure time until airport transfer for flight to Da Nang. Upon arrival, you will be picked up and transfer to your hotel in UNESCO ancient town of Hoi An. The rest of the day is at your leisure. Overnight in Hoi An.

Our guide will pick you up at around 8.00 am and take you to My Son, a World Heritage site, 50 km southwest of Hoi An. You will learn about the Cham history and how this massive sanctuary was built. My Son is a complex consisting of more than 65 architectural towers and temples dating back to 4th century. The site was used for religious ceremonies for Kings of the ruling dynasty as well as burial site for national heroes and royal family up to the 19th century.

My Son is considered to be of same historical significance as Southeast Asia’s greatest archaeological sites, including Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Bagan in Myanmar, Ayutthaya in Thailand and Borobudur in Indonesia. After the visit, you will be taken about 30km by bus and embark on boat for the trip back along the Thu Bon River back to Hoi An. Tour ends at around 2.30 pm, you will then have the rest of your day at leisure. Overnight in Hoi An.

A free and easy day for you to enjoy Hoi An on your own. Overnight in Hoi An.

Today, leave Hoi An behind you as you make your way to Hue. Today trip takes you over the famous Hai Van Pass.The Hai Van Pass crosses over a spur of the Annamite Range that emerges from the west and juts into the South China Sea, forming the Hai Van Peninsula and the adjoining Son Tra Island. The pass, which once formed the boundary between the kingdoms of Dai Viet and Champa, also forms a boundary between the climates of northern and southern Vietnam, sheltering the city of Da Nang from the “Chinese winds” that blow in from the northwest. During the winter months (November–March), for instance, weather on the north side of the pass might be wet and cold, while the south side might be warm and dry. On the other side of the pass, find yourself in the charming city of Hue. A major attraction is its vast, 19thcentury Citadel, surrounded by a moat and thick stone walls. It encompasses the Imperial City, with palaces and shrines.

Today you will be picked up from the hotel for a tour and visit to the Imperial Citadel. This was the centre of powerfor the Nguyen Dynasty who ruled between 1802 and 1945. Here, we will visit Flag Tower, Noon Gate, Nine Dynastic Urns, Nine Holy Cannons, Thai Hoa Palace, and the Forbidden Purple City. Later, we will board a boat for a wonderful trip on Perfume River and a visit to Thien Mu pagoda where you will enjoy a vegetarian meal prepared by the local nuns. This afternoon continue with a visit to the fantastic tombs of the emperors Minh Mang and Khai Dinh. Your guide will give you a deep understanding of the King’s philosophy of geomancy and how this affected royal life. After, return to the hotel where the rest of the day is at leisure.

You will have some free time until airport transfer to Da Nang airport for the flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival, we will pick you up and transfer to hotel in Ho Chi Minh for check-in. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City.

Pick up at around 8.00 AM to head to Cu Chi tunnels which is about a 1.5 hour drive. Cu Chi is a network of more than 120 km under the ground and were built by sweat and blood of Vietnamese guerrillas to hide and fight against the rival forces. You will be introduced to many kinds of booby traps used during Vietnam war. We will take time to explain the methods of creating, maintaining and living in these tunnels as well as the special technique of hiding smoke invented by the guerrillas. The visit also includes visiting different type of underground halls, secret working, meeting rooms. You will spend an hour experiencing the tunnels with a guide. Afterwards, enjoy tea and cassava (guerrilla’s food during the war). Before finishing the tour, you can watch a short (15 minutes) documentary about the tunnel (optional). Return to Ho Chi Minh City for overnight.

Free time until being picked up for your onward flight to Siem Reap. You will be met by a driver and whisked to your hotel for check-in. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Breakfast at hotel – In the morning departure to visit the most famous of all the temples on the Angkor plain: Angkor Wat. The temple complex, cover 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 towers symbolize Meru’s five peaks, the enclosed wall represents the mountains at the edge of the world and the surrounding moat symbolizes the ocean. Continue your visit to the jungle covered temple of Ta Prohm is an incredible sight. There are enormous fig trees and gigantic creepers which embrace themselves in the stone foundations of the structure giving the impression of man’s creation being reclaimed by the powerful forces of nature. We explore this masterpiece as well as some of the surrounding temples including Banteay Kdei, Sra Srong, Ta Keo, Thommanon and Chau Say Tevado. 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 (unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara), the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King.

After the tour finishes, you will be transferred to Koulen Restaurant to have dinner and watch the Apsara Dancing show. Back to hotel at around 21:00. Overnight in Siem Reap.

After breakfast, we drive to Kompong Phluk, one of natural attractions and a mangroves for hundreds species of fresh water fishes and birds and decorated with ethnic stilted houses line over the water surface up to the air. We embark and enjoy a boat ride on the Tonle Sap lake. This is the largest permanent fresh-water lake in South East Asia and flows into Tonle Sap River, joining the Mekong in Phnom Penh. We will see a fishermen’s “floating village” with floating schools, floating police station, etc. It is same as a big village floating on the lake, and the “village” move from place to place following water levels and current. Visit “Les Artisans d’Angkor – Chantiers Ecoles”, this centre is working with young artisans; the team creates, produce and market a unique collection of ornamental sculpture, lacquer ware, silk weaving and silk painting. The company promotes fair, sustainable development in order to provide benefits to the rural communities. Spend time at leisure at a local market for shopping (if time
permits). Overnight in Siem Reap.

After breakfast, you have free time until airport transfer for your homeward flight.