VB320: EXPLORE VIETNAM & CAMBODIA (10 Days/ 9 Nights)

Day 1 :  HANOI – ARRIVAL

Welcome to VietNam! Tour guide will meet you on arrival at Noi Bai Airport and transfer to your hotel (Check in at 14.00). Dinner at your own. Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 2  :  HANOI – CITY TOUR  (B)

Breakfast. Morning visit to the historic Ba Dinh Square with Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (if open), Ho Chi Minh Stilts House and One-Pillar Pagoda. Continue to visit Temple of Literature and Museum of Ethnology – the most beautiful and biggest one in Hanoi. Visit Hoan Kiem Lake & Old Quarter of Ha Noi and then enjoy some more walking in the area. Enjoy the evening show of the spectacular Water Puppetry. Lunch and dinner at your own. Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 3:  HA NOI – HOA LU (NINH BINH) (B,L)

Have breakfast. We have a 2 hour drive to the city of Ninh Binh, also known as the Inland Halong and the Ancient Capital. It will be an exciting day highlighted, by a 2 hour boat ride in a hand woven bamboo row boat down the Tam Coc streams enjoying spectacular scenery surrounded by rice paddies and towering limestone mountain peaks.

After lunch at local restaurant we make a short transfer (4 km) down a peaceful country road to Hoa Lu, Vietnam’s ancient capital eleven centuries ago. Here, there are two temples dedicated to King Dinh and King Le, the founders of the ancient capital during the 10th century. Return to Hanoi and Dinner at your own. Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 4 :  HANOI – HALONG (B,L,D)

After breakfast. Then pick up from your hotel for a 3 hours drive through the Red River Delta, green rice fields to HaLong.

11:45  You arrival at Tuan Chau Island is the Lily Cruises check-in lounge. at No15

12:15 After taken to Lily Cruises, you will be checked-in. While enjoying welcome drink, you will be introduced the itinerary and safety briefing by Cruise Manager

13:00 You will have a delicious lunch and enjoy the stunning views when the boat cruises towards the southeast of Halong Bay, passing Fighting- Cock and Finger Islet.
14:45 Visiting Luon Cave or Pearl Farm area by bamboo boat or kayaking.
16:00 You are going to Titov Island – where you can go swimming or hiking to the top for another stunning, panoramic view of the Bay

17:30 Back on board, you can enjoy Sunset party with HAPPY HOUR (from 17:30 – 19:00) – buy 2 get 1 free at bar

18:30 If you are interested in Vietnamese cuisines, please join our traditional Vietnamese cooking class on sundeck under the experienced Chef’s guiding (or in the restaurant in case of inclement weather).

19:00 Delight in the shimmering atmosphere of thousands of stars while eating a fantastic, expertly prepared dinner.

20:30 This is the perfect time for you to relax with spa treatments or enjoy a cocktail.
Besides, we provide free for squid fishing tools at reception.

Overnight on Lily Cruises

Day 5  : HALONG – HANOI- HO CHI MINH  (B)

6:00 Warm up your day with a Tai Chi lesson on the sundeck with a breathtaking view as the sun rises on Halong Bay.
7:00 Light breakfast is served at the restaurant.
8:00 Your next stop is the magnificent Sung Sot Cave, one of the biggest caves in Ha Long Bay with beautiful stalactites. You will be surprised by the breathtaking panoramic view across the Bay once you exit the cave as well as the stalactites and stalagmites formed over millions of years which have taken on fascinating shapes.
9:30 Back on board, check-out and return to Tuan Chau Island
10:00 Brunch is served at the restaurant and payment
10:45 Disembark at Tuan Chau Marina.

Transfer to airport for flight to Ho Chi Minh. Dinner at your own and Overnight in Ho Chi Minh

Day 6 :  HO CHI MINH – CU CHI TUNNELS – CITY TOUR (B,L,D)

Breakfast. transfer to visit Cu Chi Tunnels, Cu Chi was an important base during the American War, because of its strategic location. The Vietcong built a 200km long network of tunnels connecting command posts, hospitals, shelter and weapon factories. Dug out of hard laterite by hand tools without the use of cement, this amazing network was never discovered. Lunch at local restaurant. Drive back to Saigon. Saigon sightseeing around the city including War Museum, Ben Thanh market. Photo stops at famous tourist sites such as City Hall, Grand Theatre, Notre Dame Cathedral and Center Post Office. Enjoy a Dinner cruise on the Saigon River with tranditional show and Overnight in Ho Chi Minh.

Day 7  :  HO CHI MINH – MY THO – BEN TRE (B,L)

Have Breakfast.

8:00 AM Departing from your hotel for My Tho city by air-conditioned bus. In My Tho, boarding the motorboat at a pier and cruising on the Mekong River. Here, overlooking floating houses where fishes are farmed beneath the house (viewing from the motorboat).

Continuing the journey on the river until reaching Cồn Thới Sơn (Unicorn Island), from here taking a horse cart to reach a performance site where Vietnamese traditional music (Đàn Ca Tài Tử – A folk art form from Southern Vietnam accredited by UNESCO in 2013 as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity) can be heard and seasonal tropical fruit can be tasted (included).

Afterward, being on a small hand-rowing boat (the main mean of transportation in My Tho & Ben Tre) and slowly cruising through a small creek with beautiful overhanging coconut trees. Lives from both sides of the creek can be observed.

Before heading to lunch, passing through bee-keeping farm and enjoying honey tea, a typical Mekong house can be viewed here. Then, it is lunch time after a short walk.

After lunch at local restaurant, boarding the motorboat and heading to learn coconut candies making process from a workshop. Sample of candies can be tasted

Afternoon. Drive back to Saigon. Dinner at your own. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh.

Day 8 :  HO CHI MINH – SIEMREAP TOUR (B,D)

Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to the airport, flight to Siem Reap.

Welcome to Siem Reap! Your tour begins when you are warmly welcomed by our English Speaking Guide at Siem Reap International Airport. In the afternoon you will visit to the unique interior brick sculptures of Prasat Kravan, Srah Srang (“The Royal Baths” was once used for ritual bathing), Banteay Kdei (surrounded by 4 concentric walls), Ta Prohm, one of the area’s most beautiful temples. Ta Prohm has been relatively untouched since it was discovered and retains much of its mystery. Neak Pean, a fountain built in the middle of a pool (representing the paradisiacal Himalayan mountain-lake) and Preah Khan temple, Built by the King Jayavarman VII. Preah Khan is, like Ta Prohm, a place of towered enclosures and shoulder hugging corridors. Unlike Ta Prohm, however, the temple of Preah Khan is in a reasonable state of preservation and ongoing restoration efforts should maintain and even improve this situation. Then move to the major Pre Rup temple, built by Rajendravarman II in late 10th century. Architecturally and artistically superior temple-mountain. Beautiful carved false door on upper level, as well as an excellent view of the surrounding countryside. Richly detailed well-preserved carvings, particularly on the lintels. Traditionally believed to be a funerary temple, but in fact the state temple of Rajendravarman II.

Buffet Dinner and enjoy Khmer Traditional Dance Show at local restaurant.

Stay overnight at your selected hotel in Siem Reap

Day 9  :  SIAM REAP TOUR (B)

After breakfast, enjoy a full day excursion to discover Angkor Thom and Temples. Firstly, you will visit the wonderful Angkor Thom (the Great City) including the Southern Gate, famous Bayon temple (12th century in the centre of city remains one the most enigmatic temples of the Angkor group composed of 54 gothic towers decorated with 216 smiling faces of Avalokitesvara. Baphuon temple is lying just to the north of Bayon a pyramidal representation of mythical Mont Meru. Terrace of Elephants used   as a giant reviewing stand for public ceremonies and served as a base for the king’s grand audience hall ; Terrace of the Leper King  a platform 7m high, with statue.

Afternoon, it is time to visit the wonderful Angkor Wat Temples – one of the seven greatest architectural wonders of the world, as a temple and mausoleum for King Suryavarman II at the peak of the Khmer empire in the first half of 12th. Angkor Wat is probably the best-preserved of the Angkorean temples, with a central tower surrounded by four smaller towers. The central monument represents the mythical Mount Meru, the holy mountain at the centre of the universe, which was home to the Hindu God Vishnu. The whole complex covers 81 hectares, a rectangular wall measuring 1025 meters by 800 meters borders the inner edge of the moat, and temple’s greatest sculptural treasure is its 2 km-long bas-reliefs around the walls. In the late afternoon, visit to the Phnom Bakheng temple, is the first temple in Angkor region build by the Yacovarman I King in the first of 9th century, located on a slope gently hill where thousands tourist are grouping on the hilltop to catch a memorable time of life when viewing the marvellous sunset, the distant Angkor Wat in the jungle.

Evening is your free time for walking at busy pub street. Pop up at a bar for cool drink or shopping at Angkor Night Market. Stay overnight at your selected hotel in Siem Reap.

Day 10 : SIEMREAP – Departure (B)

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).

Transfer to Siem Reap International Airport for departure flight to the next destination