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Indochina at a glance: Vietnam and Cambodia - 19 days Cambodia itineraryRoute: Hanoi - Halong Bay - Hanoi - Hoi An - HCMC - Cu Chi tunnels - Mekong Delta - Phnom Penh - Siem Reap - Battambang - BangkokIf you're looking for a genuine Cambodian adventure, yet at the same time would like to see what Vietnam has to offer, you can easily combine the two with this Vietnam and Cambodia itinerary. This itinerary takes in the highlights of both Vietnam and Cambodia. Starting in Hanoi, you'll visit the dragon rock formations of Halong Bay, the friendly town of Hoi An and taking part in the crawling expedition through the Cu Chi tunnels in Saigon, a boat will take you through the Mekong Delta and over the border to Phnom Penh in Cambodia. Here you'll be confronted by the Killing Fields and Cambodia's tumultuous past. Later on you'll travel by boat across the mighty Tonle Sap Lake and on to one of the wonders of the world , the famous temple complexes of Angkor Wat. You'll spend the night in charming Siem Reap, and you'll end your trip in Bangkok. |
Duration | 19 days/ 18 nights | Accommodation | Basic accommodation in small towns and standard hotels in larger cities. |
Price | £1135 per person - based on 2 people | Included | Accommodation with breakfast, transportation as mentioned in the daily itinerary and excursions with English speaking guides |
Mini-van, train, (hydrofoil)boat, private car | Excluded | Meals, drinks and entrance fees |
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Day 1: Arrival in Hanoi |
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Day 2: Hanoi - Free day |
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Day 3: Hanoi - Halong Bay You'll be picked up at your hotel in the morning and taken to the small coastal town of Halong. A Chinese sailing ship (a junk) will be waiting for you on your arrival. On board you'll start out with a lunch fresh from the sea. The scent of the fresh fish dishes being prepared in the kitchen is sure to make your mouth water. The boat will start off on its wonderful cruise through the area and it will set anchor at Dinh Huong Island, Ga Choi Island, Dog Island and Sail Island. Then you'll go on to visit the Sung Sot cave and you can take a refreshing dive into the waters at the Titov beach. Those who like to fish can try to catch different types of fish from the boat with a rod and some fishing twine. This day will bring with it quite a few new and different experiences and many magical views. During dinner you'll be able to enjoy the view once while you watch the sun set with a glass of Vietnamese wine in hand. |
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Day 4: Halong Bay - Hanoi The following morning you'll wake up to a delicious breakfast and you'll start off on a morning with visits to Man's Head Island, Tortoise Island, Bu Tu Long Bay, Toad Island and Bai Tho Mountain. Keep your camera (or video camera) on hand; these islands are incredibly photogenic. In order to explore Luon's grotto, you'll board a small bamboo boat. The grotto is too small to visit by a Chinese sailing boat (junk). On the way back to Halong lunch will be prepared and after arrival a transfer will be waiting to take you back to Hanoi. Ha Long literally means 'descending dragons' and according to legends, that is precisely what happened here. Quite some time ago, when ancestors fought to ward off intruders from the north, the gods sent help. A family of dragons appeared from the heavens to help the people protect their country. The dragons landed in the area now known as Halong Bay and started to spew jewels and jade. Once the gems hit the water they changed into islands and formed a natural barrier against the intruders. The Vietnamese were now able to keep their land and they created the country: Vietnam. The dragons enjoyed their stay on earth so much that they decided to stay. The dragon mother can be found in Halong and her children can be found in Bai Tu Long. The dragon's tails form the Bach Long Vi area. |
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Day 5: Hanoi - no activities planned |
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Day 6: Hanoi - Hoi An Today you'll fly from Hanoi to Danang, near Hoi An. You won't have any problems arranging your own transfers to Hanoi airport and from Danang airport to your hotel in Hoi An. The city of Hoi An is a Vietnamese highlight for many due to its abundance of small restaurants and cafés, dirt-cheap tailors and an appealing beach. The intriguing historic Hoi An monuments are less well known. In the historic part of the city you'll be able to by a ticket for about 5 Euros that comes with entrance vouchers for the famous Japanese bridge, the ancient trade houses and a small museum. The charming city centre can easily be explored on foot and is exactly as it was in the 17th and 18th century when it was an important harbour and trade post. We enjoyed renting bicycles and biking through the area, visiting the large market, the historic harbour and then biking past the paddy-fields to the beach. The beach is surprisingly quiet during the day. You'll be able to find a deck chair beneath one of the awnings and let yourself be pampered with drinks and snacks by the beach restaurant waitresses. If you stay until sunset, you'll see the beach slowly begin to fill up as the Vietnamese come to the beach to cool off with their families after a long work day. |
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Day 7: Hoi An - 'My Son' excursion In the morning you'll be picked up by your driver and English-speaking guide and you'll visit My Son, a historic site of ancient temples that remained intact despite American bombardments. From the 4th until the 13th century, this area was the most important religious and intellectual centre of Vietnam. These days May Son is a Unesco World Heritage site. My Son is located in a wild, green valley about 40 kilometres southwest of Hoi An. In the afternoon you'll be able to explore Hoi An on your own. This city is home to countless small tailoring companies. For about 25 USD you could purchase a fine tailor-made suit; however you could also have dresses, trousers, shirts or other items made. Although the tailors can create a suit in no time at all, it's best to plan a few days for having a suit made. That way you can try it on and they can make any necessary adjustments. |
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Day 8: Optional bicycle excursion (no activities planned) Today there are no activities planned, enabling you to go for a bike ride through the Hoi An area for instance. You'll be picked up at your hotel and taken to the lively Hoi An market. A boat will take you for a 20-minute ride towards the town of Tra Que. This is where your bicycle will be waiting for you. Your guide will tell about the village about the vegetation in the area. After a few brief instructions from local farmers you can even help out on the land for a little while if you wish. Afterwards you'll be invited to a nearby garden for lunch, where you'll enjoy the village's speciality: "Tam Huu", a type of spring roll made out of mint leaves, shrimp and pork. This dish is quite a treat since it was once only served to important visitors during festivals or to royal visitors. After lunch you'll bike back to Hoi An. This is a great opportunity to explore the area and to get to know the locals. You'll spend three nights in a comfortable, centrally located hotel in the historic part of Hoi An. Since you're in the middle of town, you can practically walk everywhere. For instance, have a stroll through the small, winding streets and visit souvenir shops. The hotel has a swimming pool and breakfast is included during your stay. |
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Optional cooking lesson or spend the day as you wish in Hoi An Instead of going on a bicycle tour, you could also choose to take a genuine Vietnamese cooking lesson. If you choose to embark on this unique experience, you'll be picked up at your hotel and taken to colourful Hoi An market where ingredients will be purchased for the dishes to be made. There are many different types of vegetables and fruits that will appeal to your senses. This is an opportunity to get to know local Vietnamese dishes and to become acquainted with the friendly sales women at the market. Once you've purchased the right ingredients you'll head out towards the cooking school where you'll receive instructions on how to prepare typically Vietnamese meals. You'll be able to prepare your own meals and naturally you'll be able to eat your self-made meal after lunch. There are no activities planned for the afternoon, so you can spend the afternoon as you wish. |
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Day 9: Hoi An - HCMC |
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Day 10: Cu Chi tunnels Today's guided tour at the Cu Chi tunnels, 30 km northwest of HCMC, is surely to be a great adventure. You'll travel most the way by boat and the last part by bus (if water levels are too low, the entire route will be completed by minivan). Along the way you'll see a floating temple. The Vietcong hid in the tunnels during the Vietnam War in the 60's. Approximately 250 kilometres of small, deep tunnels were used as a hiding place, but also to attack from. The tunnels were home with living areas, kitchens, ammunition stock rooms, weapon factories and command centres. The Vietcong also built many fake entrances and booby traps to mislead the enemy. An addition to the tunnel was made to accommodate the size of 'Westerners'; you can enter the tunnel if you wish. Though slightly larger than the original tunnels, some of us felt these were even too confined. The fearless among us crawled into the original tunnels. It's quite a unique adventure visit the tunnels and to imagine what life must have been in them. An English-speaking guide will tell you about the history and use of the tunnels. The Cu Chi museum features historic (American) film footage (good read: The Tunnels of Cu Chi, Tom Mangold & John Penycate, Random House, New York). Around 13.00 you'll be back in HCMC. Either head into the city or have a drink at a café or on a terrace and then spend another night in your comfortable hotel. |
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Day 11: Mekong Delta The next two days will be spent in the mighty Mekong Delta. The Mekong River and its enormous delta filled with fertile soil brings prosperity to the south and also enables the growth of one of the most important export products, rice. Around 7.00 in the morning your bus will head towards Cai Be where a boat will be waiting to take you to the floating markets. Peddlers in fully laden boats sell a wide assortment of fresh produce. Boats have a stick on their bow featuring one of each of the products sold on that particular boat. Many boats are positioned very close together and the peddlers sell and trade produce with everyone.... it's quite a unique sight. The boat will also take you through small canals where local inhabitants of the Mekong Delta live. Enthusiastic children will be waiting to greet you from the banks of the canals and will wave and shout to you. This is sure to give you some impression of the warmth and hospitality that the southerners are known for. Later on you'll have a chance to go for a bicycle ride on one of the islands and see more of day-to-day life. Afterwards the boat will take you to a basic, yet pleasant hotel. The hotel in Cantho is located by the river; an excellent place for a drink and friendly conversation in the evening. |
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Day 12: Mekong Delta Next on your itinerary is a boat trip to the floating market of Cai Rang. This market is more frequently visited by tourists than the Cai Be market; however it is the most important and largest floating market in the Mekong Delta. At one of the villages along the river you'll see a factory where rice is roasted and eventually used to make cookies. You'll also notice that many people will invite you to come drink a cup of tea. Your guide will show you the correct way to drink tea according to Vietnamese tradition. You'll also visit a rice-noodle factory. In Can Tho you'll have time to stroll across the market. The activities for this day will end with a boat trip past the Long Xuyen floating market. You'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of (free) fruit samples here. During sunset the boat will take you through the Hau River and on to the border town of Chau Doc. Once again you'll spend the night in a comfortable 3-star hotel. |
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Day 13: Mekong Delta - Phnom Penh A speed boat will take you to the pier at Phnom Penh today and from there you'll be taken to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to spend as you wish; your city tour will take place tomorrow. Phnom Penh is a charming city with many historic colonial buildings. Unlike most Cambodian cities, Phnom Penh is quite modern and has paved roads, modern stores, a beautiful boulevard and many ATM's. During this activity-free day you could visit the National Museum of Cambodia for instance. The museum was built in 1917 and has a large collection of Khmer artefacts. Afterwards you could visit the Silver Pagoda, otherwise known as the temple of the Emerald Buddha, and the royal palace. The Silver Pagoda is famous for its silver floors. In the afternoon, climb the hill on which the Wat Phnom is built. The city was named after this city. You'll sleep in a comfortable, cosy hotel in Phnom Penh. |
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Day 14: Phnom Penh - Tuol Sleng museum and Killing Fields excursions Today you can visit more remote parts of Phnom Penh with your guide, such as the Tuol Sleng Museum and the Killing Fields. In 1975 the Red Khmer invaded the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. Pol Pot became prime minister of Cambodia and made a very cruel and bloody attempt to turn Cambodia into a communist agricultural state. Cities were destroyed and everyone was forced to become a farmer. Currency, education, religion and private property were abolished. From this point on marriages were arranged and children were separated from their parents. Anyone who did not cooperate was executed. Intellectuals and college-graduates were also executed; even wearing glasses or speaking a second language was enough to make someone a suspect. Pol Pot did not believe in their ideas and considered them annoying nuisances. The Tuol Sleng Museum is quite an impressive museum. It confronts visitors quite directly with Cambodia's brutal past by means of photography. For instance, you'll see pictures of an old elementary school that was used as a prison for torturing political enemies during the rule of the Red Khmer. For many this was their last stop before they were taken to the mass graves of the Killing Fields, located just outside of Phnom Penh in an orchard. Over 17.000 people were killed. At the end of this quite moving day, you'll spend another night in the same hotel in Phnom Penh. |
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Day 15: Phnom Penh - Siem Reap |
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Day 16: Siem Reap - Angkor with guide |
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Day 17: Angkor - independent visit Today you'll visit Angkor independently. Angkor is the name of the ancient capital of the Khmer-empire that was established during the 8th century after Christ. The empire was enormous and included territory all the way down to Southern Vietnam and China. Later on the Thai ruled this territory during the Siamese empire and introduced many Buddhist influences. "Siem Reap" literally means "victory by Siam". It was very generous of the Khmer to allow the city to keep its name. The temples were once surrounded by a lively city full of wooden houses. Unfortunately the houses did not last the test of time, however the temples alone more than warrant a visit to this area. For centuries this city was covered by jungle until a French expedition discovered the ruins early in the 1900's. Several of the temples have since been restored. Several others still show how the jungle swallowed the temples from sight. The Ta Prohm temple has not yet been completely restored. It's quite interesting to see how towering trees have taken the temple prisoner. The tops of the trees shoot up into the sky, far beyond the temple roof and the roots of the trees have wrapped themselves around the walls of the temple..... truly an impressive sight. You'll spend another night in Siem Reap. |
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Day 18: Siem Reap - Battambang Sometime during the morning you'll be picked up at your hotel and taken to the pier just outside of Siem Reap. Here you'll board a boat to Battambang, your next destination. Along the way you'll pass floating villages filled with waving children. You'll travel through small waterways and later on you'll travel across the mighty Tonle Sap Lake. At the end of the afternoon you'll arrive in Battambang. Here you'll be able to go for a ride on a bamboo train. The bamboo train is nothing more than a bamboo raft and a carriage that has been placed on a train track; however it is a traditional means of transportation for this area. The train trip will take you through rice fields and will give you a glimpse of traditional country life and houses on wooden poles. Battambang is a provincial city with a lively market where people come from all around to stock up on ingredients for their meals. You'll spend the night in a hotel across from the local market; the hotel is comfortable yet basic. |
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Day 19: Battambang - Trat - Bangkok |