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11 DAYS vietnam –
cambodia CLASSIC TOUR
Seat-in-coach tour (VCC):
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.
Optional Tour
to Bat Trang Pottery Village (minimum 2 persons) at surcharge:
Afternoon (14:00
-17:00): The famous village is situated approx. 15km outside of Hanoi,
surrounded by fertile farmland. Watch the artisans form, paint and glaze
their products, which are then baked for several days in huge kilns.
Accommodation in Hanoi:
Galaxy Hotel *** ( run
of house room) or similar
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 in Halong
Bay:
Mithrin Hotel ***
(Superior room) or similar
HALONG BAY - Hanoi
(B/l/-)
DAY 3 FRI
Enjoy a relaxing 4 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 in Hanoi:
Galaxy Hotel *** ( run
of house room) or similar
HANOI - Danang - Hoi An
(B/-/D)
DAY 4
SAT
At leisure until transfer to airport for flight to Danang in the early
afternoon by VN 315. 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 before dinner in a local restaurant to sample some of Hoi
An’s culinary delights.
Note:
For Seat-In-Coach program will have dinner at Hotel
Accommodation in Hoi An:
Ancient House Resort *** (Garden view) or similar
Hoi An - DANANG - hue
(B/L/-)
DAY 5
SUN
We wil drive to visit Marble Mountain with lunch at local restaurant and
then transfer to Hue, 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.
The
rest time at leisure ( No guide, no tours, no services)
Accommodation in Hue:
Camellia Hotel*** (Deluxe City View) or similar
HUE - Ho Chi Minh
(B/L/-)
DAY 6
MON
Boat trip on the Perfume River to visit Thien Mu Pagoda and then
transfer to visit Imperial Citadel of Hue, Dong Ba market. Lunch at
local restaurant and then continue to visit Tu Duc mausoleum. Transfer
to Phu Bai airport for flight to Ho Chi Minh city. Upon arrival,
transfer to hotel to check in.
Accommodation in Ho Chi Minh City:
Asian
Ruby Hotel *** (Deluxe room) or similar
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 in Ho Chi
Minh City:
Asian Ruby Hotel ***
(Deluxe room) or similar
Ho Chi Minh – PHNOM PENH (B/L/-)
DAY 8
WED
Time at leisure until 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 the 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
to the city’s namesake, Wat Phnom. Founded in 1373, the pagoda
was built to house Buddhist relics washed ashore by the river.Dinner at
own account and accommodation at hotel.
Accommodation in Phnom
Penh:
Juliana Hotel or
similar
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 state of
preservation, and the "Mountain Temple" of Pre Rup until sunset.
Dinner at own account
and accommodation at hotel.
Accommodation in Siem
Reap:
Somadevi Angkor Hotel
or similar
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.
Enjoy a relaxing 1
hour Reflexology Massage by Body Tune.
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.
Accommodation in Siem
Reap:
Somadevi Angkor Hotel or similar
M Reap -
departure (B/-/-)
DAY 11 SAT
Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to Siem Reap International
Airport for flight to the next destination.
(Check
out time: 12.00 hrs. – late check out is not included)
NOTE: Small
deviations in the tour program are sometimes necessary, depending on
weather, road and/or river conditions, flight schedules and room
availability.
Important Note:
With effectively January 01, 2008, all Angkor Temple Entrance Passes
require a picture of the visitor, regardless of pass validity. This
new regulation, by the Apsara Authority forces all visitors to have
their picture taken at the entrance checkpoint to the Angkor
complex for a one day or multiple day entrance pass. The checkpoint
will not accept any photos brought along by visitors, all tourists
must stop at the checkpoint to have their pictures for entrance
passes taken with free of charge.
Included in the above tour prices are:
·
Arrival and Departure Airport transfers with a stationed English
speaking Guide
·
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 domestic airport 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 journeys 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 – refer to full
board (FB) supplement if required
·
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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