Amazing Indochina   15 days/ 14 nights

Itinerary in brief   Day 1 : Arrival in Hanoi (D) Day 2 : Hanoi city (B,L,D) Day 3 : Hanoi – Ha Long(B,L,D) Day 4 : Ha Long  -  Hanoi (B) Day 5 : Hanoi – Hue (B,L,D) Day 6: Hue – Da nang – Hoi An (B,L,D) Day 7 : Hoi An – Da nang – Ho Chi Minh City  (B,L,D) Day 8 : HCM City  – TayNinh – Cu Chi Tunnel (B,L) Day 9 : Ho Chi Minh City -Flight to Siem Reap (B, L) Day 10 : Siem Reap    (B ,L ,D ) Day 11 :  Siem Reap ( B , L ,D) Day 12 :  Siem Reap – Flight to Vientiane  (B,L,D) Day 13 : Vientiane – Flight to Luang Prabang (B,L,D) Day 14 :  Luang Prabang – Pak Ou  (B,L,D) Day 15 : Luang Prabang  - Departure  (B)

Dossier

Day 1 Arrival in Hanoi (D)

Pick up  at Noi Bai Airport by Asia King Travel’s guide, transfer to hotel. See the beautiful colors of Hanoi during a late afternoon. Cyclo ride through the city's old quarter. In the evening enjoy a water puppet show - a remarkable Vietnamese art form that combines traditional music, fireworks, underwater puppeteers, and elaborate puppets floating gracefully over water. Dinner at local restaurants. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

Day 2 : Hanoi city (B,L,D)

Today we enjoy a full day city tour starting with the Ho Chi Minh Complex. This famous site contains the mausoleum of the nation’s founder Ho Chi Minh ( Friday, Monday and from 5 Oct to 5 Dec 08 Closed ) the Presidential Palace and the Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts. Close to this complex is the One Pillar Pagoda, whose origins date back to the foundation of city. We follow this with the Temple of Literature, which is well known as the first university of Vietnam and the impressive Ethnologic Museum, dedicated to Vietnam's 54 ethnic groups. The beautiful West Lake and the History Museum with an excellent collection of artifacts illustrating the Vietnamese history are also highlight of our trip. We visit these sights before continuing to the peaceful lake of Hoan Kiem. In front of this lake is the famous water puppet theatre where we will see a fantastic performance. Dinnerin local restaurant. Overnight in Hanoi

Day 3 : Ha noi – Ha Long(B,L,D)

Breakfast at hotel and then start a 3-hour drive through the Red River Delta to Ha Long City. Comfort stop en route for photos and coffee before arriving to Ha Long City. We then transfer to a refurbished wooden sailing junk for a cruise through the limestone cliffs and emerald waters of Ha Long Bay, giving us the chance to take in the stunning scenery of this World Heritage Site. While on board we will be served a sumptuous fresh, local seafood lunch followed by a swim and exploring some of the limestone caves in this area. When the sun comes down we drop anchor for the night nearby a remote island. Overnight on Junk.

Day 4 : Ha Long  -  Ha noi (B)

Rising to the tranquil beauty of the bay we have time for an early morning dip with joys and emotions for watching sunrise on sea followed by breakfast. This morning we continue to move around the bay to find more secluded areas. The junk will be near us at all times serving as a back up vessel for those that require it. At around midday we will return to the main harbor before transferring to our awaiting vehicle for a 3-hour journey back to Hanoi. Arrive in Hanoi, free rest of the time. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi. 

Day 5 : Ha noi – Hue (B,L,D)

Transfer to Noi Bai Airport for early flight to Hue. At Hue airport and transfer to hotel, breakfast and freshen up, we then start our city tour to  visit  Citadel and  Imperial purple city, imposing Thien Mu pagoda and board the trip from here for a cruise on perfume river. Visit Honchen temple  and Minh Mang tomb. We then disembark the board for a  visit to Tuduc royal tomb , time permitting we visit Phu Cam and Notre Dame Cathedrals. Overnight at hotel in Hue.

Day 6: Hue – Da nang – Hoi An (B,L,D)

As we bid Hue farewell this morning we continue our south bound journey, this time in the comfort of an air-conditioned car/ van/ 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 wil visit 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 exploring and relaxing. Dinner at the local restaurant. Ovenright at hotel in Hoian

Day 7 : Hoi An – Da nang – Ho Chi Minh City  (B,L,D)

Morning after breakfast transfert to airport for the flight to HCM city. Afternoon we pass the now-demolished wartime American Embassy before we visit the Reunification Palace which was the former residence of the President of South Vietnam until end of April 1975, and some French colonial structures including the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Old Sai Gon Post Office. After seeing the Jade Emperor Pagoda and the War Remnant Museum, we continue our trip on to the bustling Ben Thanh Market where anything and everything is for sale. Dinner at the local restaurant.Overnight in HCM city.

Day 8 : Ho Chi Minh City  – TayNinh – Cu Chi Tunnel (B,L)

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.  After Cuchi Tunnels tour, drive to Long Hoa and visit Cao Dai Cathedral.  Overnight at hotel in Ho Chi Minh City

Day 9 : HoChi Minh City Flight to Siem Reap (B, L)

Morning transfer to airport for flight to Siem Reap, Arrive at Siem Reap International Airport and transfer to the hotel (rooms may not be ready until the afternoon). Visit the South Gate (with its huge statues depicting the churning of the ocean of milk), the ancient capital of Angkor Thom (12th century), Bayon Temple (unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara), the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Elephants Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King. Sunset at Angkor Wat. Dinner at local restaurant and accommodation at hotel. Lunch at local restaurant.  Afternoon, continue to visit your temple tour to the unique interior brick sculptures of Prasat Kravan, Srah Srang ("The Royal Baths" was once used for ritual bathing), Banteay Kdei (surrounded by 4 concentric walls), Eastern Mebon (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 local restaurant and accommodation at hotel.

Day 10 : Siem Reap    (B ,L ,D )

Breakfast at hotel In the morning, visit the most famous of all the 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 Cambodian flag and the 12th century masterpiece is considered by art historians to be the prime example of classical Khmer art and architecture. Angkor Wat'sfive towers symbolize Meru's five peaks - the enclosed wall represents the mountains at the edge of the world and the surrounding moat, the ocean beyond. Lunch at local restaurant. Afternoon, visit Preah Khan.  Built by King Jayavarman VII, Preah Khan is, like Ta Prohm, a place of towered enclosures and shoulder-hugging corridors. Unlike Ta Prohm, though, it's well preserved and ongoing restoration efforts should improve this situation. Visit as well Neak Pean a fountain built in the middle of a pool and the temple of Ta Som. Dinner at local restaurant and accommodation at hotel.

Day 11  Siem Reap ( B , L ,D)

Early bird special: Transfer to the archaeological site for the sunrise from the Phnom Bakheng, one of two hills dominating the plain of Angkor, from where you will have a spectacular view of the Western Baray and Angkor Wat Come back to hotel for breakfast.  Proceed to the Banteay Srei temple (10th century) regarded as the jewel in the crown of classical Khmer art. Then visit Banteay Samre, one of the most complete complexes at Angkor due to restoration using the method of "anastylosis". The name Samre refers to an ethnic group of mountain people, who inhabited the region at the base of Phnom Kulen and were probably related to the Khmers. No inscriptions have been found for this temple, but the style of most of the architecture is of the classic art of the middle period similar to Angkor Wat.  The proportions of Banteay Samre are splendid. A unique feature is an interior moat with laterite paving, which when filled with water must have given an ethereal atmosphere to the temple. Lunch at local restaurant . In the afternoon, continue the temple tour to Takeo, Thommanon, Chau Say Tevoda and Ta Prohm, one of the area's most beautiful temples. Ta Prohm has been left 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 jungle, looking very much the ways most of the Angkor temples appeared when European explorers first stumbled upon them. Dinner at local restaurant and accommodation at hotel.

Day 12 :  Siem Reap – Flight to Vientiane  (B,L,D)

Upon arrival, you are met and transferred to your centrally located hotel. After a short rest, we start to visit the major sights of the capital; including the oldest Wat Sisaket with thousands of miniature Buddha statues and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. On the way to the famous and sacred structure of That Luang Stupa, we stop to take some pictures of the imposing Patuxay Monument, which is well known as Vientiane’s own Arc de Triumph. From there, we visit the Central Market call ‘Morning Market’ where you can find the antique items for collection, well handmade textile and gift away items. Overnight in Vientiane .

Day 13 :  Vientiane – Flight to Luang Prabang (B,L,D)

Breakfast at hotel , transfer to airport for your flight to Luangprabang . We spend the day touring Lao capital, visiting the National Museum (Revolutionary Museum) where varied antique items and legend of Laos’s history fighters and leaders displace from the ancient times to new revolution period. We then board a short flight to Luang Prabang, which is perhaps the best - preserved traditional city in Southeast Asia. UNESCO registered 1995 as World Cultural Heritage City. The tranquility and charm of this town with its splendid natural scenery and cultural sights make it one of the most delightful places to visit in Asia. On arrival, we transfer you to hotel. After a short rest, we are strolling around to see the Street Night Market, where you can find the lovely collection and handmade textile by local and hill tribe people surrounding Luang Prabang, we then climb up to the top of Phousi Mount for an enjoyable exploration of the sacred, gilded stupa as well as viewing a beautiful panorama sunset over this once royal ancient city and the Mekong River. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 14 :  Luang Prabang – Pak Ou – Luang Prabang (B,L,D)

Breakfast, we enjoy a short-guided tour seeing the city’s oldest temple of impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrine of Wat Aham, Wat Mai, Wat Sene and the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represent the classical architecture of Luang Prabang temple. We then board a boat embarking upstream on the Mekong River, which also gives us a beautiful view of the tranquil countryside as well as an interesting visit to the mysterious of Pak Ou Caves, crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes. Along the way, we stop at the village of Ban Xanghai, where they make the local rice wine. On return, We  take a short drive to Ban Phanom, well known for its hand weaving. Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Day 15 : Luang Prabang  - Departure  (B)

06.00 Early this morning you may want to wake up early and participate in the daily early morning ritual of saffron-clad monks with their black Alms-giving bowls being given offerings from the local people, including the ubiquitous sticky rice. This is the highlight of tour prior goodbye to this charming city. Breakfast, we then visit The National Museum at the former Royal Palace, which displays a lovely collection of the artifacts reflecting the richness of Lao culture dating from the days of the early kings right through the last sovereign. We continue visit the silver smith’s and Fine Arts School and the Central Market are not to be missed. We visit these sights before we catch a flight goodbye to this ancient city.

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