Day 1: Chiang Rai – Parbeng Pick up at the hotel or airport in Chiangrai and transfer to Hueysay. After immigration, take a scenic boat trip along the Mekong River to Pakbeng and overnight Day 2: Pakbeng – Luang Prabang (B,L) Breakfast at hotel (optional walk to Pakbeng market, where people from the surrounding villages of minorities exchange their goods). Continue our wonderful cruise along the river to Luang Prabang. Stop at a fishing village for picnic lunch and oberserve traditional process to obtain local rice alcohol. Continue to Pak Ou Village at the mouth of the Nam Ou rivr, visit Tamting caves of a 1000 Buddha statues. Arrive Luang Prabang before sunset. Transfer to the hotel. Day 3: Luang Prabang (B) Breakfast at hotel, visit to Kuangsi waterfall, picnic lunch at local
village. Return to Luang Prabang for sightseeing around the city to
famous temples and palaces. Day 4: Luang Prabang – Hanoi and evening Victoria Express to Sapa (B) Breakfast at the hotel. Take morning flight to Day 5 – 6: Sapa trekking (B,L,D)
Day 7: Sapa trekking (B) We walk uphill toward Supan, red Dzao villages. As we walk to the village nestled in the valley below Sapa, we will meet some of the local minority people on their way to and from Sapa. These minority people walk to Sapa to trade at the markets. Sapa market is always an exciting place as several, different ethnic minorities congregate here. As well as the H’mong you will also see the Dao (pronounced Zao). Dao women are particularly striking as they wear a large red turban often covered with old coins or jewelry. We meet our awaiting jeep for the drive to Sapa. Tonight’s accommodation will be at Victoria Sapa hotel Day 8: Sapa – Hanoi (B) After breakfast there will be a transfer to Laocai station for scenic day train back to Hanoi. The train take us through the most spectacular scenery along the Red river to Hano. We arrive Hanoi later in the afternoon. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi. Day 9: Hanoi – Halong (B,L,D) You will be met at the station and transferred to Halong Bay, which will take about 4 hours. Breakfast is served en route. Arrive Halong bay You will board your private boat to cruise around Halong bay and soak in the misty atmosphere of this world heritage site. Halong bay is a breathtaking secluded bay with over 3,000 limestone islands rising from the clear emerald waters of the Bac Bo gulf. It is one of the most magnificent scenic regions in Vietnam and has been referred to as the 8th Wonder of the World. The area of about 1500sq km is dotted with innumerable beaches and grottoes, created over thousands of year by the waves and wind. You will have the opportunity to swim from your boat and explore some caves. You will enjoy a seafood feast for lunch on board. We will continue our excursion around this stunning bay until the sun comes down. Overnight on boat. Day 10: Cruise Halong bay Cruises – Fly in the evening to Hue (B,L) Rising early to the sound of ocean coming to life for another nice day we breakfast and set out for a lovely morning on water. We then continue our exploration to the lagoon and deserted beach. We visit the Bai Tu Long bay before our lunch. Drive back to the airport for the afternoon flight to Hue. Arrival transfer to our hotel in Hue Day 11: Hue (B) Today we will set out for the exploration of Hue’s famous highlights, including the Citadel and the Forbidden Purple City. Built in the 19th century by the Nguyen dynasty, the City was home to the former Emperors of Vietnam from 1802 until 1945. In the surrounding countryside there is the picturesque Thiem Mu, or Heavenly Lady Pagoda. One of the most poignant displays here is a car belonging to a former monk, who in 1963, drove to Saigon and set himself alight to protest against the South Vietnamese regime and its treatment of Buddhists. Also worth visiting are the tombs of the former Emperors, in particular that of Emperor TuDuc. Day 12: Danang via HaiVanPass. (B) As we bid Hue farewell this morning we continue our south bound journey, this time in the comfort of an air-conditioned bus. Today’s destination is the old trading town of Hoi An. Along the way though we will stop at Lang Co beach for coffee and refreshments. From here we head up to the Hai Van pass, stopping at the top to take in the stunning views north over Lang Co beach and south over Danang city. Continuing on our way down the other side and into Da nang, where we will stop at the Cham Museum, the famed China Beach, and the Marble Mountains. Arriving in Hoi An we spend the rest of the afternoon exploring and relaxing. Day 13: Hoian – the evening fly to NhaTrang (B) Today there is plenty of time to discover what Hoi An has to offer. You can spend your time walking around exploring the many Chinese assembly halls and fascinating ancestral homes, some of which have been occupied by the same family for fifteen genera ions. The town is also famous for it’s shops in particular it’s large number of tailors. If you wanted, you could have a whole new wardrobe made for you here! You might like to take a boat ride with one of the local women across the Thu Bon River. Perhaps you would like to hire a bicycle and head off on a scenic ride to Cua Dai beach, about 4 km away. There’s even the chance to improve your culinary skills with a Vietnamese cooking lesson! One thing is for sure – there is no shortage of things to do in this town! Transfer to airport for the flight to Nhatrang. Arrival transfer to our hotel in Nhatrang. Our time in Nha Trang is free for relaxing and soaking up the sun on the beautiful white sandy beaches and swimming in the crystal clear warm waters. Overnight at hotel in Nhatrang Day 14: Nha Trang drive to Dalat. (B) Visit the Long Son Pogoda and the Ponagar Cham Tower, a sacred Hindu
site daring back to the 2rd century AD. The town was built between the
7th and 12th centuries and is still used today as a place of pilgrimage
for the Cham and Vietnamese Buddhists. Day 15: Dalat – Saigon (B) Breakfast at the hotel. Sightseeing Dalat including train to Trai Mat, the Lover’s lane, Xuan Huong Lake . Flower Garden and Linh Son Pagoda. Afternoon drive to HCM city. Day 16: Drive Mekong delta – Cruise Mekong river (B,L) Set off this morning for a drive through the Mekong Delta to Cai Be floating market. Here we will board our private boat for a cruise along the maze of waterways and canals to Vinh Long. We will stop at the home of a Bonsai gardener for a sumptuous Delta lunch, before continuing our exploration of the tributaries and canals of the delta. Following these visits we will once again board our vehicle for the drive to Ho Chi Minh City. Day 17: Cu Chi tunnels, city tour afternoon, evening fly Phnom Penh (B) Drive to visit the Cuchi Tunnels. At the height of the Vietnam war, the tunnel system stretched from the outskirts of Saigon all the way to the Cambodian border of over 250 kilometers of tunnels. The tunnel system, built over 25 years starting in the 1940s, let the Viet Minh and, later, the Viet Cong, control a huge rural area. It was an underground city with living areas, kitchens, storage, weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers. In places, it was several stories deep and housed up to 10,000 people who virtually lived underground for years…. getting married, giving birth, going to school. The ground here is hard clay, which made this whole thing possible. But even so, the planning and construction was incredible. People dug all this with hand tools, filling reed baskets and dumping the dirt into bomb craters. They installed large vents so they could hear approaching helicopters, smaller vents for air and baffled vents to dissipate cooking smoke. There were also hidden trap doors and gruesomely effective bamboo-stake booby traps. Today the trees and bushes have grown back. And since 1988, two sections of tunnels have been open for visitors. Transfer to airport for the flight to Phnompenh. Arrival transfer to our hotel in Phnompenh, the capital of Kingdom of Cambodia. A visit to Phnom Penh is a very interesting experience indeed. It is a city with an interesting pulse and it gives you a very true taste of Asia. We will visi the Wats Phnom, National museum, silver Pagoda and Royal Palace. Shopping at Phnompenh market and the Russian Market. Overnight in Phnompenh Day 18: Visit PhnomPenh – morning by boat Siemriep (B) Day 19: Explore Angkor Temple (B) Our drive this morning will take us to Prasat Kravan, Bantaey Srei and Bantaey Kdei. This afternoon will find us at the Roulous Group of Temples – Preah Ko, Bakong Lole Temples until sunset. Overnight at Angkor hotel Day 20: Explore Angkor Thom,Taphrom (B) Following breakfast you will visit Angkor Thom, the South Gate,
Bayon, the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace and the
Day 21: Explore all day starting in evening by fly to Bangkok (B) Morning drive to Tonle Sap Lake for a lovely boat cruise to observe life on the water. The trip for today will bring a slight change of pace as we visit the silk farm of Pok, the Artisan D’ Angkor . Transfer to airport for the flight to Bangkok. Cost in US$ per person
Hotels to be used:
Trip includes: - All accommodation on double/twin basis with daily breakfast Trip excludes: - International airfares not mentioned & airport taxes |
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