Day 01: Hanoi Arrival
Upon arrival in Hanoi, you will be welcomed by our guide and transferred to your
hotel. Hanoi is one of Asia's most charming cities, with its romantic tree-lined
boulevards and colonial houses. The day is free for your own exploration and shopping.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 02: Hanoi city (B, L)
A full day spent touring Hanoi, the political, economic and cultural capital of
Vietnam. Starting with the Museum of Ethnology (closed on Mondays), which offers
informative and well-documented information on the country’s 54 ethnic groups, including
elaborate and colorful hill-tribe costumes. We will then visit the Temple of Literature,
a temple built in honor of Confucius in 1070, and served as the first Royal National
University in Vietnam founded in 1076. The afternoon is spent exploring the alleys
of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, visit Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple or the Jade Mountain
Temple situated in the heart of Hanoi. A delightful water puppet show will perfectly
wrap up our day.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 03: Hanoi - Mai Chau (B,L,D)
Depart from Hanoi to Mai Chau, a picturesque valley, home to many hill tribes including
the Dzao, Muong and Thai. We will arrive in Mai Chau around noon and check into
the Thai ethnic homestay in Van village. A village of the ‘White Thai’, who predominantly
inhabit this area. A typical Thai meal will be served for lunch at the homestay.
In the afternoon, you can take a short walk around the village where you will encounter
friendly local people, and get the chance to communicate with them and get to know
their traditional lifestyle. Enjoy a traditional dance show at night while tasting
Ruou Can, the local rice wine.
Overnight at homestay.
Day 04: Mai Chau - Van Long - Hoa Lu (B,L)
After breakfast, we will drive to Ninh Binh via Nho Quan with its peaceful countryside
settings. After lunch, you have the choice of exploring the village either by buffalo
cart or bicycle. Don’t forget to stop and take pictures! We will then board a small
rowing boat to explore the Van Long Nature Reserve which covers some 3,000 hectares
of picturesque waterscape. You will enjoy two hours of rowing through a spectacular
scenery made up of limestone mountains reflected in emerald waters adorned by lush
rice paddies. The forest is home to the Delacour Langur, an endangered species counting
a mere 200 animals globally. We will disembark our boats and walk to visit two temples
dedicated to King Dinh and Le in Hoa Lu, which served as the capital of Vietnam
during the 10th century.
Overnight at hotel in Hoa Lu.
Day 05: Hoa Lu - Halong Bay (B,L,D)
After breakfast depart to Halong Bay via Thai Binh and Nam Dinh, passing a peaceful
countryside typical of Red River Delta with endless rice fields and winding river.
We will arrive at Halong’s tourist wharf around noon and embark an elegant wooden
junk. Lunch will be served while the boat gently cruises past numerous islands and
limestone structures rising from the emerald water. It is also an ideal opportunity
to enjoy the sea breeze and refresh your soul. A fresh seafood dinner will be prepared
by an experienced chef and served on deck.
A peaceful night on board in your private cabin.
Day 06: Halong Bay - Hanoi - Flight to Hue (B,L)
Enjoy breakfast and savor the incredible sunrise from the sundeck while the boat
sails to Luon Cave and one of Halong’s floating villages then back to the harbor.
On the way back to Hanoi we will stop in Bac Ninh province to visit Vietnam's first
Buddhist centre, the But Thap Pagoda, which was built in the 13th century and reconstructed
in the 17th century on the southern bank of Duong River. It is renowned for its
valuable statues, the most remarkable of which is a thousand-handed and thousand-eyed
Buddha considered a masterpiece of Vietnamese sculpturing. It took several years
to complete this work of art. We continue our drive to Hanoi where we head to the
airport for flight to Hue. On arrival, you are picked up & transfered to hotel for
check in. Overnight in Hue.
Day 07: Hue city (B)
In the morning, we will visit Hue Imperial City, the remaining vestiges of Hue's
citadel, including: Flag Tower, Ngo Mon Gate, Nine Dynastic Urns, Nine Holy Cannons,
Thai Hoa Palace and the Forbidden Purple City (Tu Cam Thanh). The tour will end
with a visit to Minh Mang Mausoleum, a beautifully landscaped royal complex consisting
of 40 buildings (palaces, temples & pavilions). The rest of the day is free for
you to explore Hue at your own leisure. Overnight at hotel.
Day 08: Hue - Thuy Bieu Eco village (B,L)
We will depart from the hotel in the morning to visit Tu Duc Royal Tomb, one of
the most beautiful royal mausoleum compounds in Hue. You will then enjoy a leisurely
boat trip along the poetic Perfume River, and en route visit Thien Mu Pagoda also
known as "Heavenly Lady Pagoda" the symbol of Hue. We will then continue the cruise
toward Thuy Bieu eco-village, an ancient village situated on the bank of the Perfume
River where lunch will be served.
The afternoon is reserved for cycling through the peaceful village, visiting several
communal houses, ancient temples and the highlight: the garden-house, a typical
and unique feature of Hue. Soaking your feet in medicinal herb water followed by
an excellent blind massage will refresh them after a day of sightseeing.
Back to the hotel for the night.
Day 09: Hue - Danang - Hoian (B,L)
Morning drive on the Mandarin road – a scenic journey from Hue to Hoi An, which
allows you to see a picturesque Vietnam with stunning beachs and lust tropical forest.
Take some stops for photo taking on route before visiting the Museum of Cham Sculpture
- with many precious artifacts of the former Cham Kingdom on display. Continue transfer
to Hoi An ancient town which used to be an important South-East Asian trading port
from the 15th to the 19th century. You can see it by your own eyes when visiting
Japanese Covered Bridge, Chinese’s street, Phung Hung old house, Hoi an market and
ancient port & the old house of Tan Ky. Overnight in the hotel.
Day 10: Hoi An – Danang – fly Ho Chi Minh (B)
You can continue exploring Hoi An until the departure to the airport for you flight
to Ho Chi Minh. Overnight at hotel.
Day 11: Ho Chi Minh city (B, L)
In the morning, we will visit Cho Lon, Vietnam’s largest China Town where you can
shop to your hearts content and sample the fabulous cuisine. We then visit Thien
Hau Temple, the most lively temple in Ho Chi Minh City, dedicated to the Goddess
of the Sea, and Giac Lam Pagoda, the oldest pagoda in the city. Back to downtown
Saigon to visit Notre Dame Cathedral (built in 1877) and the Central Post Office.
In the afternoon, we will visit the Reunification Palace formerly known as Independence
Palace. It served as the residence and working place of the President of South Vietnam
during the Vietnam War. The tour ends with a visit to Ngoc Hoang Temple dedicated
to the Jade Emperor, the supreme deity in Taoism. Overnight at hotel.
Day 12: Ho Chi Minh - Mui Ne (B)
After breakfast, take a 5-hour drive to Mui Ne, a getaway to paradise with pristine
beaches, vast sand dunes, postcard-perfect fishing villages, a vibrant nightlife
and friendly people. Overnight at hotel
Day 13: Mui Ne free (B)
You will spend the whole day to relax on the beach or at your own resort
Day 14: Mui Ne free (B)
You will spend the whole day to relax on the beach or at your own resort
Day 15: Ho Chi Minh - Ben Tre - Long Xuyen (B,L)
Leaving the bustling city of Saigon behind, we depart to the Mekong Delta considered
Vietnam’s biggest rice basket. Arrive at Hung Vuong pier in Ben Tre and embark our
boat to cruise along Bến Tre River, a tributary of the great Mekong, to explore
the local lifestyle and the daily hustle and bustle. Stop at the brickfield belonging
to Mr. Tu Lo to see how bricks are made by hand in Vietnam and a coconut candy home
factory located along the canal to witness the process of making this local candy
and other souvenirs. You will then have the opportunity to taste bee honey tea at
a local honey farm and a variety of tropical fruit that grow amply in the orchards
of the Mekong Delta. You can then walk or cycle hrough the coconut groves and green
rice paddies to soak up and relax in the tranquil countryside atmosphere.
Lunch at a local restaurant.
In the afternoon we will take a trip on small rowing boats through a maze of waterways
lined by two rows of palm tree. Cruise back to the pier and disembark. We continue
to Long Xuyen passing Sadec where we will visit Kien An Cung Pagoda, built by the
family of Huynh Thuy Le, the main character in the novel “L’amant” by French novelist
Marguerite Duras, and Trung Vuong primary school where her mother taught. We will
continue our trip to Long Xuyen where we will arrive in the late afternoon. Overnight
at hotel.
Day 16: Long Xuyen - Chau Doc (B, L)
In the early morning, we embark a sampan to explore Long Xuyen floating market,
the least visited yet most authentic floating market in the Mekong Delta. It is
crowded with thousands of boats jostling for space. We then take a boat trip to
visit a floating fish farm where you have the chance to feed the fish yourself.
After disembarking the sampan we will visit a village of the Cham ethnic minority.
Our last stop of the day is Cu Lao Ong Ho also known as "Tiger Island", home of
Vietnam's first president. We will then drive to Chau Doc, atown on the border of
Cambodia and Vietnam, where we will spend the night.
Day 17: Chau Doc - Phnom Penh by speedboat (B, L)
In the morning we will take a speed boat to Phnom Penh and arrive in the capital
city of Cambodia around noon. Time to rest and have lunch. The afternoon will be
spent exploring Phnom Penh. We commence our tour with a visit to the National Museum,
then on to the Silver Pagoda situated inside the Royal Palace complex and lastly
Wat Phnom Pagoda considered the spiritual heart of the city. Overnight at hotel.
Day 18: Phnom Penh - Siem Reap (B,L)
After breakfast we will drive 168km to Kampong Thom, a picturesque town situated
on the banks of the Tonle Sap Lake. En route, we will drop by Skun Market, a unique
place selling spiders. Passing the beautiful landscape of the Cambodian countryside,
we will reach Sambor Prei Kuk which once served as the capital of Chenla and was
built in the early 7th century. We will continue our drive for 147 km to reach Siem
Reap passing quaint villages and lush rice plains. We will stop at Kompong Kdei
to visit an old bridge dating back more than 1000 yearsr and was built under the
reign of king Chayravaman VII. Overnight at hotel in Siem Reap.
Day 19: Siem Reap - Angkor Thom - Angkor Wat - Siem Reap (B,L)
After breakfast, we will visit the South Gate of Angkor Thom also referred to as
"Great City", the famous Bayon Temple built in the late 12th century and the Baphoun
Temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, the Terrace of Elephants, the Terrace of
the Leper King and Phimean Akas known as "Heavenly Palace".
In the afternoon, we will tour the World Heritage site "Angkor Wat", the world's
largest religious building. We continue our day with a visit to Bakheng Hill Temple
and watch the sunset from the top of the hill. Back to the hotel. Overnight in Siem
Reap.
Day 20: Siem Reap - Kbal Spean - Banteay Srei - Siem Reap (B,L)
We will start our day trip by visiting Kbal Spean referred to as “The river of a
Thousand Lingas” which is situated 30km north of Angkor Wat, roughly a one hour
drive. It closes at 3pm. We will take a forest walk and then return for lunch. We
will continue from there straight to Banteay Srei, "The Citadel of Women" built
at a time when the Khmer Empire was gaining significant power. Like numerous others,
it is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. It is a masterpiece of Khmer art with its
intricate, pink sandstone construction and ornate design. On the way back to Siem
Reap, we will visit Srah Srang, "The Royal Bath" and Banteay Kdei, a richly decorated
Buddhist temple. Overnight at hotel.
Day 21: Siem Reap - Tonle Sap - Departure (B)
In the morning we will discover Tonle Sap Lake by boat. It is the largest lake in
Indochina with a length of 100km. We will cruise for 1 to 2 hours and visit a fishing
village where all fishermen live in floating houses. We will then drive back to
Siem Reap through the countryside and villages. The rest of the day is free to relax
until we bring you to the airport for your flight home. The hotel room is available
until noon only.
Asiatica Travel’s services end at the airport.