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Vietnam
Holidays |
Visits: Hanoi, Halong
Bay, the Mekong Delta, Phnom Penh, Kompong Cham, Kompong Thom,
Kompong Kleang & Siem Reap
After visiting Northern
Vietnam to discover Hanoi and the famous Halong Bay, this
unforgettable trip will continue along the Mekong River from Vietnam
in to Cambodia passing through Ho Chi Minh City, the delta, the
capital of Cambodia Phnom Penh, some fascinating small towns along
the Tonle Sap Lake to finaly reach Siem Reap and its fabulous
temples.
Day 1 - Departure flight
from UK to Hanoi
Day 2 - Arrival in Hanoi
Arrival and welcome at Hanoi Airport. Transfer to check in at the
hotel. Later, climb into a traditional cyclo for a 60-minute tour of
the traditional streets of the Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake area.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day 3 - Hanoi - Halong Bay - Hanoi (B,L)
In the morning, leave for Halong Bay passing through the large rice
fields of the Red River Delta. At noon arrive at Halong Bay and
board your beautiful wooden junk for a spectacular five-hour cruise
of the bay. Lunch is served on board. Enjoy the aquamarine waters
and spectacular limestone formations as you visit a few of the most
famous caves. Back to the pier to in the late afternoon and return
back to Hanoi.Overnight at the hotel.
Day 4 - Hanoi - Flight to Can Tho (B)
Transfer to Hanoi Airport for the flight to Can Tho. Up on arrival
in Can Tho you will be transferred to the hotel for check in. After
a short rest you will start a bike ride through small roads and
visit local villages. Discover the lives of the locals, visit a
primary school, rice fields & a local house with lush fruit orchard.
Over night at the hotel.
Day 5 - Can Tho - Chau Doc (B)
Transfer to Ninh Kieu Quay where you will board a local boat for a
cruise to the lively, colourful floating markets of Cai Rang. You
will be surprised by the huge variety of products sold at the
market, from the well-known fruits like mangos and bananas, to the
most exotic ones like mangosteens, star apples, or the sweetened
longans and the very odorous durians. You will be met at the end of
the cruise and transferred to Chau Doc. In the afternoon, visit Sam
Mountain and the numerous places of worship that make Nui Sam a
famous pilgrimage destination (including Ba Chau Xu Temple, Tay An
Pagoda and the Thoai Ngoc Hau Tomb). Overnight at the hotel.
Day 6 - Chau Doc - Phnom Penh (B,L)
In the morning, transfer to the border with Cambodia and complete
custom formalities. Then continue driving to Phnom Penh through the
Takeo province. Lunch will be taken at a local restaurant. Stop en
route to visit the Phnom Chisor Temple. Phnom Chisor dates from the
Angkorian times and sits majestically on a hill. You will have to
climb many hundreds steps to reach it, however once on top, you will
see that your efforts have been completely worthwhile as the view is
spectacular. Tour the temple and interact with the children and
others who live at Phnom Chisor. Afterwards visit a silk weaving
village and then the Prasat Neang Khmau or the Black Lady Temple.
Arrival in Phnom Penh at the end of the day. Overnight in the hotel.
Day 7 - Phnom Penh (B)
Visit the city of Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital situated at the
confluence of the four arms of the Mekong. You’ll see the
Independence Monument which commemorates the end of the French rule
in 1953 and pays homage to those who fought for their country’s
liberty. Continue with a visit to Wat Phnom, to know more about the
foundation of the city and the story of Madam Penh. Many monkeys
have taken this place for their residence. Follow this with a trip
to the National Museum, a fascinating introduction to Angkor and a
superb example of Khmer architecture. Officially inaugurated in
1920, the Museum displays a range of sculptures dating from
different periods of Cambodia’s history. Then visit the Royal Palace
built in 1866 by King Norodom. These house a remarkable collection
of Khmer art. Here you’ll find the Silver Pagoda whose key works
include a golden Buddha encrusted with 9584 diamonds and weighing 90
kgs, and a Buddha featuring emeralds and Baccarat crystal dating
from the 17th century.
Later travel to the city’s south to understand the darkest period of
Cambodia’s history: the regime of the Khmer Rouge. Here, you will
visit the genocide museum of Tuol Sleng, an old secondary school
which was transformed into a detention centre under the Khmer Rouge.
The prison gates carry the name ‘S21’. Thousands of prisoners were
detained, tortured and killed here. Returning to Phnom Penh, visit
the Russian Market (Tuol Tumpoung) where you can stroll among all
many stalls. Overnight at the hotel.
Note:
+ Visits to the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda will be led by
guides on site as our guides are not authorized to do so.
+ The Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda are sometimes closed without
notice for official ceremonies. The visit will be replaced with
another if possible
+ The Russian Market is closed on public holidays
Day 7 - Phnom Penh - Kompong Cham - Kompong Thom (B,L)
In the morning, transfer to Kompong Cham. Up on arrival, you will
visit the Han Chey Temple which is located on the hill by the side
of the Mekong (Pre-Angkorian site). Visit the colonial district of
the city and the Wat Nokhor Temple(12th century). Lunch is at a
local restaurant. Continue to transfer to Kompong Thom. Arrive late
in the afternoon. Overnight at the hotel.
Note: Kompong Thom is not developed for
tourism. The restaurants, hotels and general services are quite
basic.
Day 8 - Kompong Thom - Kompong Kleang - Siem Reap (B,L)
Leave early morning for a floating village on the way to Siem Reap.
Missed by mass tourism, Kompong Khleang is one of the most
remarkable villages in Cambodia because of the height of its stilt
houses. You can walk in the village to meet its people and stop in a
house where the family raises crocodiles. Then, by local boat
(depending on weather/season) cruise along the canals to further
parts of the lake which is home to some displaced Vietnamese people.
Return to Kompong Khleang and enjoy a picnic lunch at home with a
village family. After that, continue to transfer to Siem Reap. Check
in your hotel and enjoy some free time. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 9 - Angkor Wat – Banteay Srei – Ta Prohm (B)
Meet your guide this morning to discover the marvelous temple of
Angkor Wat, the world heritage site whose soaring towers and
extraordinary bas relief are not to be missed. It is considered one
of the most amazing man made monuments in the world and was erected
in the 12th century (1112-1152) in honor of Vishnu. In the
afternoon, travel to Banteay Srei where one of Khmer art’s most
impressive jewels exists. Erected in the 10th century, this small
pink sandstone temple whose name means “The Citadel of Women”
contains some remarkable carved lintels in very good condition. On
the way home, visit the ancient Ta Prohm Monastery (nicknamed the
Jungle Temple) where immense roots have taken hold of the stones.
Here you’ll find some splendid sculptured Devatas. Overnight at the
hotel.
Day 10 - Preah Khan – Neak Pean – Thommanon – Chau Say Tevoda -
Angkor Thom (B)
In the morning, leave by tuk-tuk for the northern end of Angkor to
begin the day by visiting Preah Khan Temple, built by Jayavarman VII
in 1191 in honor of his father who is represented as the saving god
of Mayahan Buddhism. Of the same era, Neak Pean, the only island
temple of Angkor, is also referred to as Nagas Entwined. The large
central basin is linked with four smaller ones representing the four
great rivers emerging from the earth’s four cardinal points, of
particular interest is the superb statue of Balaha, which represents
the legendary savior of shipwrecked boats. Continuing your
exploration of Angkor, we move further south to encounter Thommanon
Temple and Chau Say Tevoda Temple which both date from the 12th
century and were constructed under the reign of Suryavarman II. They
feature beautiful sculptured images honouring Shiva and Vishnu. In
the afternoon, visit the Great City of Angkor Thom, beginning at the
southern gate’s famous Bayon temple built in the 12th and 13th
centuries and dedicated to Buddhism. Bayon comprises 54 gigantic
towers featuring 216 smiling faces of Avalokitesvara. Then visit the
350m long Elephant Terrace used as a giant reviewing stand for
public ceremonies and a base for the King’s grand audience hall, and
the raised terrace of the Leper King, built in the 12th century and
presenting many of the city’s most admired Apsara sculptures.
Evening at the hotel.
Day 11 - Siem Reap departure (B)
Free time until you are transferred to the airport for your
onward/return flight.
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Prices
from: |
| |
1 Jan - 30
Apr'12 |
1 May - 30
Sep'12 |
1 Oct -20
Dec'12 |
|
Superior
Hotels |
£1979.00 pp |
£1889.00 pp |
£1909.00 pp |
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First Class
Hotels |
£2089.00 pp |
£1979.00 pp |
£2019.00 pp |
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Prices ( based on 2
persons travelling together ) include:
- International & Domestic Flights with
Vietnam Airlines ( Other airlines on request )
- Meals as mentioned above (
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner )
-
Transportation by private
vehicle with A/C.
-
All entrance fees and
sightseeing as mentioned in the program.
-
Local English speaking guides
-
Accommodation in the
category chosen or similar (subject to availability).
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Hotels:
For the above tour,
we have chosen hotels based on convenience of position
and of good quality. Occasionally our preferred hotel is
not available but we have a number of equally good
alternatives from which we can choose. Equally if you
would prefer to opt for different hotels, we would be
pleased to
quote based on your preferred selection. The
hotels included in the itinerary are as follows: |
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Superior
Hotels *** |
Fisrt Class
Hotels **** |
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Ho Chi Minh
City |
La Dolce
Vita |
Sunway
Hotel |
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Can Tho |
Kim Tho |
Victoria
Can Tho |
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Chau Doc |
Victoria
Chau Doc |
Victoria
Chau Doc |
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Phnom Penh |
Juliana
Hotel |
Sunway
Phnom Penh Hotel |
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Kompong
Thom |
Sambor
Village |
Sambor
Village |
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Siem Reap |
Siddharta
Boutique Hotel |
Royal Bay
Inn Angkor Resort |
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United Kingdom |
English
