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Seat-in-coach tour: Departure every Wednesday from Hanoi
with English speaking guide (minimum 2 passengers)
ITINERARY:
DAY 1 WED Meet on arrival at Noi Bai
International Airport in Hanoi and transfer to the hotel.
Accommodation at hotel in Hanoi
Optional afternoon tour
(14:00 -17:00 paid at time of services) to Bat Trang
Pottery Village: This famous village is situated approximately 30
minutes outside of Hanoi & surrounded by fertile farmland. Watch the
artisans form, paint and glaze their products, and enjoy a wander
through this traditional Vietnamese village.
Hanoi - Halong
BAY (B/L/-)
DAY 2 THU In Hanoi we experience the rich
cultural and artistic traditions of Vietnam’s capital.
We visit Ho Chi Minh’s former
residence and mausoleum (the Mausoleum closed during Oct-Nov), the One
Pillar Pagoda & the Temple of Literature.
Check out of the hotel and enjoy a
cyclo ride through the old quarter past the Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son
temple to a local restaurant for lunch.
Visit the History Museum and drive to
Halong Bay (165 km east of Hanoi). Halong Bay is listed as a UNESCO
World Heritage Area of outstanding natural beauty. “Dragon descending
to the sea“ as it is known in Vietnamese, picturesque Halong Bay has
more than 1,500 limestone islets rising from the sea, many of them
containing beautiful grottoes.
Accommodation at hotel in Halong Bay
HALONG BAY -
Hanoi (B/l/-)
DAY 3 FRI Enjoy a relaxing 5 hours boat
trip through Halong Bay with a fresh seafood lunch prepared and served
on board (please let us know if you do not eat seafood). Cruise around
the islands, relaxing and swimming before returning to Hanoi.
In the evening we attend a performance
of water puppetry, a traditional art form dating back to the 11th
century and have some free time to explore Hanoi.
Accommodation at hotel in Hanoi
HANOI - Danang
- Hoi An (B/-/D)
DAY 4 SAT At leisure until transfer to
airport for flight to Danang in the early afternoon. From the port
town of Danang we drive the short distance south past famous China Beach
onto the enchanting town of Hoi An.
Known to early Western merchants, Hoi
An was one of the major trading centers of Southeast Asia in the 16th
century. Hoi An has a distinctive Chinese atmosphere with low,
tiled-roof houses and narrow streets; the original structure of some of
these streets is still virtually intact. Many of the houses were
constructed of rare timbers and decorated with lacquer panels engraved
with Chinese characters and pillars carved with ornamental designs.
We take a walking tour to discover Hoi
An, the UNESCO World Heritage listed Ancient town, visiting 300 year old
Tan Ky and Phuc Kien houses, the Japanese Covered Bridge and Hoi An
market.
We soak up the atmosphere of these
narrow streets, lane ways and friendly atmosphere.
Dinner and accommodation at hotel in Hoi An
Hoi An -
DANANG - hue (B/L/-)
DAY 5 SUN Free morning at leisure until
boat ride to local restaurant for an early lunch before the departure
from Hoi An, via the Marble Mountains, over the most spectacular Hai Van
Pass and onto Vietnam’s former imperial capital and charming town set
on the banks of the Perfume River.
An afternoon of culture takes us by
dragon boat to the Thien Mu Pagoda before an evening of leisure in this
quiet town.
Accommodation at hotel in Hue
HUE - Ho Chi
Minh (B/L/-)
DAY 6 MON Drive to visit the Imperial
Citadel and the tomb of Emperor Tu Duc. Check out of the hotel, and
follow by a lunch at local restaurant.
After lunch, visit the local Dong Ba
market in Hue where the famous conical hats are made. Transfer to the
airport to flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival, transfer to hotel
to check in.
Accommodation at hotel in Ho Chi Minh
HO CHI MINH
CITY - Cu Chi Tunnels - HO CHI MINH CITY (B/L/-)
DAY 7 TUE In the morning drive to Cu Chi
district (75 km from HCMC) to visit the amazing complex of underground
tunnels at Cu Chi. There are more than 200 km of underground tunnels,
comprising a main axis system with many branches connecting to
underground hideouts, shelters and other tunnels. You have the chance to
crawl through this amazing system of tunnels before returning to Saigon
for Lunch.
Afternoon orientation by foot from the
Saigon River past the Opera House, Town Hall & Notre Dame Cathedral.
Visit Reunification Palace (museum) and the famous Ben Thanh Market.
Accommodation at hotel in Ho Chi Minh
Ho Chi Minh -
PHNOM PENH (B/L/-)
DAY 8 WED Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to the airport.
11:55hrs depart Ho Chi Minh by VN 817
for Phnom Penh
12.45hrs meet upon arrival at Phnom
Penh International airport and transfer to hotel(rooms may not be ready
until the afternoon)
Lunch at hotel.
Phnom Penh city tour: Visit the Victory Monument, and the
National Museum, also called Musee des Beaux-Arts. A French
archaeologist and painter, Georges Groslier, designed it in Khmer style
in 1917. The museum contains a collection of Khmer art - notably
sculptures - throughout the ages. Visit the Royal Palace, built by King
Norodom in 1866 on the site of the old town, and the Silver Pagoda.
Located within the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda is so named because
of its floor, which is made up of 5000 silver tiles. The treasures
include a solid gold Buddha encrusted and weighing 90kilos and a small
17th century emerald and baccarat crystal Buddha. End your afternoon
with the visit of the Wat Phnom Temple, Phnom Penh's namesake, from
where you can enjoy views over the tree-lined avenues of Phnom Penh
during sunset. Accommodation at
hotel in Phnom Penh.
Phnom Penh - Siem Reap
(B/L/-)
DAY 9 THU Breakfast at hotel. Transfer from
hotel to Phnom Penh International airport. Departure to Siem Reap by
Siem Reap Airways International or similar airline. Upon arrival at Siem
Reap International airport, meet and transfer to hotel (rooms may not be
ready until the afternoon).
Morning, visit Victory Gate, the twin temples of Thommanon and
Chau Say Tevoda, Takeo and Ta Prohm. The latter is one of the most
beautiful temples in the area. It has been relatively untouched since it
was discovered and retains much of its mystery. Its appeal lies in the
fact that, unlike the other monuments of Angkor, it was abandoned and
swallowed by the jungles, looking very much the way most of the Angkor
temples appeared when European explorers first stumbled upon them.
Continue your tour at Banteay Kdei, surrounded by four
concentric walls, Srah Srang, ("the pool of
ablutions") undoubtedly used in the past for ritual bathing and Prasat
Kravan temple with its unique brick sculptures.
Lunch at the hotel.
Afternoon, visit the North Gate
of Angkor Thom. Continue your tour at Preah Khan temple,
built by the King Jayavarman VII and, like Ta Prohm, a place of towered
enclosures and shoulder-hugging corridors. However, the temple of Preah
Khan is in a reasonable state of preservation and ongoing restoration
efforts should maintain and even improve this situation. Visit Neak
Pean, a fountain built in the middle of a pool and representing the
paradisiacal Himalayan mountain-lake, Ta Som, Mebon Oriental,
guarded at its corner by stone figures of harnessed elephants, some of
which are still in a reasonable the "Mountain Temple" and
state of preservation and Pre Rup until sunset. Dinner
at own account and accommodation at hotel in Siem Reap.
DAY 10 FRI For early birds: Sunrise from Phnom
Bakheng, one of the two hills dominating the plain of Angkor, from
where you will have a spectacular view of the Western Baray and the
surrounding plain.
Or sunrise at Srah Srang
Return to the hotel for breakfast.
In the morning, visit the most famous
of all temples on the plain of Angkor: 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 Cambodia 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 beyond. Lunch at the hotel.
In the afternoon, visit the ancient
capital of Angkor Thom (12th century) the South Gate
with its huge statues depicting the churning of the ocean of milk, the Bayon
Temple, unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling
faces of Avolokitesvara, the Phimeanakas, the Royal
Enclosure, the Elephants Terrace, and the Terrace
of the Leper King. Enjoy the sunset at Angkor Wat. Dinner at
own account and accommodation at hotel.
Siem Reap - Departure
(B/-/-)
DAY 11 SAT Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to Siem
Reap International Airport .
Optional add on flight to Hanoi can be added. Please inquire about
prices.
Included in the above tour prices are:
§Arrival and Departure Airport transfers
with a stationed English speaking
Guide (on tour start date only) Private transfers for those
adding extra nights are
$25 per person one way
§
All touring as
listed with English local stationed guide
§
All road
transportation in air-conditioned well maintained vehicles
§
Accommodation as
mentioned in twin sharing room with breakfast
§
International
air-fare Ho Chi Minh City - Phnom Penh (including
departure airport tax in Ho Chi Minh)
§Domestic flights Hanoi-Danang, Hue-Ho
Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh – Siem Reap inclusive of ticket taxes
§Meals on half board basis as per
specified in the itinerary (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch,
D=Dinner)
·Entrance
fees to all listed sights
·Boat fees
for boat jouneys listed
·Cycle fee.
·Water puppet
show tickets
·For each
guest, one bottle of mineral water and refreshing towels daily in
vehicle
Not included in the above tour prices
are:
·International
airfares to Vietnam and ex Cambodia
·International
airport departure taxes ex Cambodia
·All dinners and other meals not
mentioned above
·Surcharges
for compulsory gala dinners during festive seasons and peak season
surcharges,
which will be advised at time of booking
·Visa fee
·Late check
out and Early check in
·Personal
insurance
·Expenditure
of a personal nature; such as drinks, souvenirs, laundry and gratuity
etc.
·Optional
tours and all other services not mentioned above
NOTE: Small deviations in the tour program are sometimes necessary,
depending on weather, road conditions, flight schedules and room
availability.
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