Indochina Small Circuit tour 15 Days

PRIVATE TOUR – CODE: VIM09

Vietnam and Cambodia are the most popular destinations in Southeast Asia, and after a tour of splendid cultural heritage and magnificent temples, you may prefer to have some natural touching. Then the laid-back Laos is your best choice. Here is your travel itinerary.

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Travel route: Hanoi – Da Nang – Hoi An – Saigon – Mekong delta – Saigon – Siem Reap – Luang Prabang – Departure

BRIEF ITINERARY

• Day 1: Hanoi Arrival (D)
• Day 2: Hanoi – City tour – Duong Lam ancient village (B,L)
• Day 3: Hanoi – Halong – UNESCO World Heritage (B,L,D)
• Day 4: Halong – Hanoi – Flight to Da Nang – Hoi An (B,L)
• Day 5: Hoi An – Tra Que herb village (B)
• Day 6: Hoi An – My Son sanctuary – Flight to Saigon (B)
• Day 7: Saigon – Cu Chi tunnels – City tour (B,L)
• Day 8: Saigon – Cai Be – Mekong delta – Saigon (B,L)
• Day 9: Saigon – Flight to Siem Reap (B,D)
• Day 10: Siem Reap – Angkor Wat – Angkor Thom (B)
• Day 11: Siem Reap – Ta Prohm (early morning) – Tonle Sap lake – Preak Toal Bird watching (B)
• Day 12: Siem Reap – Flight to Luang Prabang (B)
• Day 13: Luang Prabang – Pak Ou caves – Khouang Si Waterfalls (B)
• Day 14: Luang Prabang – Trekking Thin Pha Trails (B,L)
• Day 15: Luang Prabang – Citytour by easy-cycle – Departure (B)

DETAIL ITINERARY

Day 1: Hanoi Arrival (D)

Upon arrival at the Airport, you will meet our guide and transfer to hotel for check-in. Enjoy special welcome dinner at a nearby restaurant with Vietnamese cuisine. Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 2: Hanoi – City tour – Duong Lam ancient village (B,L)

Enjoy Hanoi city tour today to visit Hochiminh Mausoleum and his former residence (Closed on Monday, Friday and the whole of Oct & Nov), One pillar Pagoda, Ba Dinh historic square where former President Ho Chi Minh declared the Independence of Vietnam in 1945. Leave Hanoi for Duong Lam village, a purely agricultural village of the Northern Red River Delta. Lunch is served in an ancient house then explore the village with about 300 hundred-year-old houses, Mong Phu communal house, tombs of 2 famous kings “Phung Hung” and “Ngo Quyen”, rice fields, the village gate, old well. Enjoy some talk with the locals in their own ancient houses while visiting the ancient houses there. Leaving Duong Lam village with the deep understanding on farming will give you exciting experience ever. Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 3: Hanoi – Halong – UNESCO World Heritage (B,L,D)

Start at 8:00 with transfer to Halong City. This transfer takes around 3 hours. We may stop enroute to admire the local scenery. Arrive at the port around 11:30 and board the ship. Begin sailing and pass through a magical bay, where thousands of sculpted limestone islands rise from the waves like dragons’ teeth. After lunch, take a short trek to a nearby summit for a panoramic view of the bay dotted with golden sails, go swimming on a quiet beach or sunbath on the sundeck. Later in the afternoon, visit an interesting fishing village with an opportunity to interact with local people who have been living in the bay for almost three generations. Back on board, enjoy a lavish dinner. Overnight on Halong cruise.

Day 4: Halong – Hanoi – Flight to Da Nang – Hoi An (B,L)

Wake up with Tai Chi exercises (kind of light exercises) on the sun deck and continue cruising along the bays. Enjoy breakfast buffet in the restaurant, then visit the limestone grotto. Disembark in Halong City around 11:00 and get back to Hanoi with your private vehicle, guide and driver.

Free at leisure or go shopping in Hanoi Old Quarter before transferring to airport for flight to Da Nang.

Arriving at Da Nang, meet our guide and transfer to Hoi An Old quarter for hotel check in. Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 5: Hoi An – Tra Que herb village (B)

In the morning, meet our guide at your hotel and ride a bicycle to a local farm in Tra Que village. You will take a trip around the vegetable garden and join the farmers in preparing the land and fertilizing it with seaweed from the local lake. Continue doing some next steps such as: raking the ground, sowing, watering greens, picking greens and many more gardening activities. Free afternoon at your leisure. Overnight in Hoi An.

Day 6: Hoi An – My Son sanctuary – Flight to Saigon (B)

In the morning you visit My Son sanctuary, 55km from Hoi An downtown, a famous UNESCO World Heritage. My Son is a cluster of abandoned and partially ruined Hindu temples constructed between the 4th and the 14th century AD by the kings of Champa. Now it gathers 70 ruined Champa towers which allows you touch the masterpieces of Champa people and know more about their architecture and history. Transfer back to Hoi An hotel to check out then private transfer to Da Nang airport for your onwards flight to Saigon, the economic center in South Vietnam. Private airport pick-up with guide in Saigon. Check in and overnight in Saigon.

Day 7: Saigon – Cu Chi tunnels – City tour (B,L)

Morning transfer to Cu Chi tunnels at 8am. Start the visit of the famous Cu Chi Tunnels which consist of an incredible underground tunnel network constructed by Vietnamese resistance fighters (Viet Cong) during both the French and American wars. Start the visit with the Ben Dinh or Ben Duoc sections of the tunnel. Here you can imagine what it was like to be a guerrilla complete with Russian Carbine rifles and AK 47′s on display. At around 14:00, drive back to Saigon airport for halfday city tour. You visit War Remnants museum, which primarily contains exhibits relating to the American phase of the Vietnam War. The War Remnants Museum is one of the most popular and sobering museums in the city. Walk to visit Notre Dame Cathedral and Old Post Office, which are the best examples of classical French colonial architecture. Stop at Ben Thanh central market for free 1-hour shopping. Overnight in Saigon.

Day 8: Saigon – Cai Be – Mekong delta – Saigon (B,L)

Morning, pick up at your hotel and transfer to Cai Be, a riverside town located in the Mekong Delta. Enjoy a boat cruise to the Cai Be floating market with sellers and buyers bargaining and exchanging goods from their boats, and then go to Thoi Son islet where the maze of shady creeks will surely fascinate you. You will have a change to mingle with local peasants, learn the secrets of their bonsai gardening. Visit local homes where the families produce tiles and ceramics; drop into rice-paper kiln and coconut-candy kiln; and observe daily country life. A typical Vietnamese lunch at a local home will be arranged. Late afternoon transfer back to Saigon hotel. Overnight in Saigon.

Day 9: Saigon – Flight to Siem Reap (B,D)

Morning take the departure flight to Siem Reap. Private airport see-off (no guide) is included.

Welcome to Siem Reap, the land of Angkor Wat !

Upon arrival at Siem Reap international airport, you meet our Cambodia tour guide and transfer to your hotel to check in. Enjoy special welcome dinner in Siem Reap and free discovery in the Pub street at night. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Day 10: Siem Reap – Angkor Wat – Angkor Thom (B)

Your second day, you will visit the magnificent temple of Angkor Wat, which was built by King Suryavarman II (1113 – 1150) to dedicate to God ‘Vishnu’.  Angkor Wat, the largest monument of the Angkor complex and the best preserved, is an architectural masterpiece. It is perfection in composition, balance, proportions, relief and sculptures make it one of the finest monuments in the world. . You will continue to visit Ta Prohm, jungle temple which was built by king Jayavarman VII (1181-1218). The temple was built in 1186 for dedicating to his mother. This temple, Angelina Jolie is an American actress, film director, screenwriter, and author, took the movie “Tomb Raider”.

Afternoon, you will visit the South Gate of Angkor Thom, Bayon faces. The Bayon, is the exact centre of the town of Angkor Thom. Having to power after the burning of the capital by a Cham fleet, he rebuilt the city and surrounded it with a strong wall. Then you will going on to visit Baphuon, Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, and Elephant Terrace and Leper King Terrace. You are going to see sunset on Phnom Bakheng.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Day 11: Siem Reap – Ta Prohm (early morning) – Tonle Sap lake – Preak Toal Bird watching (B)

Early morning getting-up at 5:00 then our tour guide transfers you to Ta Prohm temple to enjoy early sunrise of Angkor temples. It’s a precious chance for photo hunting.

In the morning, you get out of the city center and the temple complex to visit Tonle Sap lake. Cambodia’s Great Lake, the Boeung Tonle Sap (Tonle Sap Lake,) is the most prominent feature on the map of Cambodia – a huge dumbbell-shaped body of water stretching across the northwest section of the country. In August, the Tonle Sap Lake is one of the largest freshwater lakes in Asia, which can make itself 5 times larger than its size of the dry season. Visit some fishing villages.

Afternoon, continue boating to visit Preak Toal on 1 side of Tonle Sap. The ‘bird sanctuary’ at the Prek Toal core area of the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve has been called “the single most important breeding ground in Southeast Asia for globally threatened large waterbirds.” The Biosphere covers 31,282 hectares at the northwest tip of the Tonle Sap Lake and plays host to species including Greater and Lesser Adjuncts, Black-headed Ibis, Painted Stork, Milky Stork, Spot-billed Pelican, Grey-Headed Fish Eagle and many more species. Of the three Biosphere core areas on the Tonle Sap Lake, Prek Toal is the most accessible from Siem Reap and the most popular with birdwatchers.

Day 12: Siem Reap – Flight to Luang Prabang (B)

You’ll have the rest of the time before transferring to your onward flight. Say goodbye to Cambodia and see you next time ! On arrival at the Luang Prabang airport, transfer to your hotel. We then transfer out to have dinner at local restaurant. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 13: Luang Prabang – Pak Ou caves – Khouang Si Waterfalls (B)

In the morning, we drive to visit 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 Xanghai, where they make the local rice wine. On arrival, we will take the small boat to visit Pak Ou Caves. On return, we will make a stop to visit Bang Xang Khong, which is famous for its traditional hand weaving.

In the afternoon, we will drive to visit Khouang Si Waterfalls. Laos is also known for its traditional handicrafts, and today you will visit local village of Lao ethnic minority groups at Ban Ouay and Ban Thapene. On arrival in Khouangsi Waterfall, you can splash around in the turquoise pools or walk along the forest paths. We return to Luang Prabang by late afternoon. Overnight in Luang Prabang

Day 14: Luang Prabang – Trekking Thin Pha Trails (B,L)

After breakfast, we transfer to the trekking point, about 20km from the center.

Then we trek two hours through rice paddies, middle canopy and steep slopes to a Khmu Village ban Houay Fay where children greet you. Ascend another hour along ridges, limestone grottos and rocky slopes for lunch at a Hmong Village ban Tin Pa. Mountains and valleys offer many opportunities to experience a variety of flora and fauna. Stop, look, listen and ask your guide about the life teeming around you. Tramp through paddies and countryside. Stop and chat with villagers and ask questions about life in Laos end in ban Houay Yen. Relax and soak in Tad Se Falls after a day of trekking before returning.

We may take the long tail boat along Nam Khan River to Ban Xiem Lom and Elephant Village area. From there, we have some rest before transferring back to the city center

Day 15: Luang Prabang – Citytour by easy-cycle – Departure (B)

An optional early start gives you the fantastic opportunity to participate in the daily morning rituals of saffron-clad monks collecting offerings of Alms (ubiquitous sticky rice) from the faithful residents. This tradition is very unique in Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving the procession.

ABF, your city tour by bike begins with ascending the 329 steps to the top of Phousi Hill for a beautiful sunset view of the city and its glowing reflection on the Mekong River. Then we visit the Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts.  Our last stop today is the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture.  We can take a soft rest before transferring out to the airport to take the departure flight. End of services.

INCLUSION

• Accommodation with daily breakfast based on 1 Single room
• Transfer with English speaking guide
• Meal as indicated: B = Breakfast; L = Lunch; D= Dinner
• Private boat arrangements in Mekong delta, Tonle Sap lake and Pak Ou caves
• Entrance fees
• Bottle of water on transfer daily

EXCLUSION

• International air-tickets and airport departure tax. / Insurance
• Domestic flight
• Beverage, personal expense, tipping for driver & guide (not compulsory)