interline rates to Vienam & Cambodia

TOUR CODE            : VCC-A (4 Star Hotels)
DEPARTURE             : Every Wednesday minimum 2 persons with English speaking guide
MEAL BASIS            : As specified in the program (B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner)

Meet on arrival at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi and transfer to the hotel for check-in. (Check-in time: 14:00 hrs – early check-in is not included.)

As the capital of Vietnam for almost a thousand years, Hanoi is considered to be the cultural centre of Vietnam, where every dynasty has left behind their imprint. Hanoi is located in the centre of the Northern Delta with a population 6.2 million people and an area 3,398 square km. Hanoi is an ancient city which had been established and developed for almost 1,000 years since 1010. Even though some relics have not survived through wars and time, the city still has many interesting cultural and historic monuments for visitors and residents alike. Historians liken the life-giving Red River with its banks crowded with green rice paddies and farms to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers; a cradle of civilization.

Rest of the day at leisure or join our wonderful optional excursions in and around Hanoi, such as our walking tour through Hanoi’s Old Quarter for first impressions.

After breakfast, check out of the hotel. In the morning, we experience the rich cultural and artistic traditions of Vietnam’s capital. Visit Ho Chi Minh’s former Residence and Mausoleum (the Mausoleum is closed during the entire months of October and November), the One Pillar Pagoda and the Temple of Literature, known as the first university of Vietnam and built more than 1,000 years ago. Then enjoy a 01-hour cyclo ride through the Old Quarter past the beautiful Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple to a local restaurant for lunch.

Visit the History Museum and drive to Halong Bay (165km east of Hanoi). Overnight

Have breakfast at the hotel and start the day with a relaxing and wonderful 04-hour cruise through Halong Bay, passing bizarre rock formations. You will discover Halong Bay, listed as a World Heritage of outstanding natural beauty, known in Vietnamese as “Dragon descending to the sea“. The picturesque Halong Bay has more than 3,000 limestone islets rising from the clear emerald water, many of them containing beautiful grottoes, of which you will visit one of the most stunning ones. During the boat trip fresh seafood fingertips will be served for your delights (please let us know if you do not eat seafood). Return to Hanoi. In the evening, attend a performance of the famous water puppetry, a traditional Vietnamese art form dating back to the 11^th century. Afterwards, you may have some free time to explore Hanoi. Overnight

The morning is at leisure until your airport transfer for the 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 centres 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 the Ancient town Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, visiting the 300 year old Tan Ky and Phuc Kien houses, the Japanese Covered Bridge and Hoi An market. Dinner and Overnight

After breakfast, start the journey to Hue, the former Imperial City of the last dynasty of Vietnam. En route visit Marble Mountain, a scenic spot with caves, temples, shrines, pagodas and a great view of the surrounding area. The caves can be reached by climbing steep steps. In Danang, visit the Cham Museum, which houses the finest collection of Champa sculptures; some may date back to as early as 7^th century. Have lunch at a local restaurant and continue the journey to Hue over the spectacular Hai Van Pass. Have a short stop on top of the pass – once regarded as the prime mountain pass on the North-South national road. Lunch at Apsara local restaurant or similar

Arrive at Hue – a charming town set on the banks of the Perfume River. Located in Central Vietnam, Hue is the only place in the country where many historic, cultural, architectural as well as artistic values have been preserved. Tangible cultural heritage - the system of historic monuments - and intangible cultural heritage - the Imperial court music - have their own national and international values that were acknowledged as World Cultural Heritages. Hue is also the site where the northern and southern ecosystems meet, the area of river-hills, greenery and beautiful landscapes. The rest of the day is at leisure.

In the morning, enjoy a scenic boat trip on the Perfume River to visit the Thien Mu Pagoda or Heavenly Lady pagoda, one of the oldest ancient architectural structures for religious worship in Hue. Situated 4 km upstream on the banks of the Perfume River, it is an active Buddhist monastery with its origins dating back to 1601. After the boat trip visit the Imperial Citadel of Hue with the Purple Forbidden City. The Hue Citadel is situated on the Northern bank of the Perfume River. It covers an area 500 ha and has a system of three circles of ramparts: Kinh Thanh Hue (Hue Capital Citadel), Hoang Thanh (Royal Citadel) and Tu Cam Thanh (Forbidden Citadel). The Hue royal complex has been officially recognized by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Visit the local Dong Ba market, have lunch at a local restaurant and continue to Tu Duc Royal Tomb. Each ruler of the Imperial City built his own tomb during his reign and today you will visit one of the most beautiful mausoleums. Transfer to Phu Bai airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel for check-in. Overnight

After breakfast, 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 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 Ho Chi Minh City for lunch. In the afternoon our walking tour will take you from the Saigon River past the Opera House, Town Hall, Notre Dame Cathedral and the old Post Office (all magnificent sights from the French colonial period) to visit the Reunification Palace (museum). Finish the tour at the famous Ben Thanh Market, where you can purchase souvenirs for your beloved ones. The evening is free at leisure. You are welcome to join our optional (additional fee) dinner cruise on the Saigon River. Overnight

Breakfast at hotel Time at leisure. Transfer to Ho Chi Minh City / Tan Son Nhat International Airport for your departure flight to Phnom Penh. Meet upon arrival at Phnom Penh International Airport and transfer to the hotel (rooms may not be ready until the afternoon). Lunch at hotel.
Phnom Penh city tour: Visit the Independence 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 5,000 silver tiles. The treasures include a solid gold Buddha encrusted and weighing 90 kilograms 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. Overnight

Breakfast at hotel. Transfer from hotel to Phnom Penh International airport. Departure to Siem Reap by Cambodia Angkor Air 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 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 state of preservation, and the "Mountain Temple" of Pre Rup until sunset. Overnight

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.

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. Overnight

Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to Siem Reap International Airport for flight to the next destination.

The detailed program and schedule flight is subject to change without prior notice.

Kindly take note that our rates are subject to change in case of increase in airfares, fuel costs, entrance fees, etc.

	January - April 2012	May 2012-October 2012
Double	$1929p pp	$1899 pp
Single	$2409	$2359
VISA REQUIRED Click here for Thailand Visa and Health Requirement Info Click here for Cambodia Visa and Health Requirement Info Angkor Complex - A passport-sized photo must be attached to multiple day entrance passes to the Angkor complex Visitors can have their picture taken at the entrance checkpoint at no extra charge However, we recommend that all visitors arriving in Siem Reap have a passport photo ready prior to arrival

Kindly take note that our rates are subject to change in case of increase in airfares, fuel costs, entrance fees, etc.

- Accommodation in shared twin – bedded room with daily breakfast
- Meals as specified in the program (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
- Tours & transfers with English speaking guides
- Domestic ticket Hanoi-Danang & Hue/Ho Chi Minh & Phnom Penh/Siem Reap
- Domestic airport tax in Vietnam and Cambodia
- International air-fare Ho Chi Minh City - Phnom Penh (not including departure tax approx $15 pp in Ho Chi Minh)
- Entrance fee, boat fees, cycle fee, water puppet ticket in Hanoi
- Service charges, room tax and baggage handling

- International Air ticket to Vietnam/ ex Cambodia
- Vietnamese & Cambodian visa
- Optional tours
- Surcharge for Lunar New Year (TET) holiday if applicable
- Compulsory gala dinner during festive seasons and peak seasons which will be advised at time of booking
- Early check-in and late check-out
- Personal travel insurance
- Other tours & meals than mentioned in the program
- Expenditure of a personal nature, such as drinks, souvenirs, laundry and gratuity etc.