ASL01: Highlights of Indochina(17D16N)

On arrival at Siem Reap International Airport, you will be greeted by your local guide and accompanied to the hotel for check in. You can take a rest at hotel or have a beer at leisure.

Tonight, you will have dinner with classical Apsara dances at a local restaurant. These are the two essential items not to be missed when in Siem Reap; culinary delights and the slow-flowing movements of an Apsara dance performance. A well-balanced act of culinary specialties with retina-pleasing performances flow through one of the leading restaurants and dance theatres in Siem Reap earmarked to complement the end of an amazing day in and around the world of Angkor.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Breakfast is served at your hotel. We then start going to Angkor Thom (the temple) which was built by Angkor’s greatest king, Jayavarman VII. The major attraction of Angkor Thom is the Bayon, whose exact function and symbolism is still unknown until now, then go to Baphoun which is one of the most spectacular of Angkor’s temples in its heyday; Terrace of the Elephants was used as a giant reviewing stand for public ceremonies and served as a base for the king’s grand audience hall; Terrace of the Leper King is another of Angkor’s mysteries.

Lunch will be served at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, we’ll visit to the fabulous Ta Prohm then visit the World Seventh Wonder which is well known as Angkor Wat, which is one of the most important archaeological sites in South-East Asia. Angkor wat stretch over some 400 sq. km, including forested area, Angkor Archaeological Park contains the magnificent remains of the different capitals of the Khmer Empire.

We end today tour by taking you back to hotel for your free evening at leisure.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Breakfast is served at your hotel. We begin the tour excursion by picking you up from hotel a roughly 20-minute journey to the port at Phnom Krom. Set sail aboard a small boat and admire the scenery as you glide by lotus fields and lush rice paddies, and visit a fish and crocodile farm to learn more about traditional fishing practices.

We will see a fishermen’s “floating village” with floating schools, floating police station, etc. It is same as a big village floating on the lake, and the “village” move from place to place following water levels and currant.

After that, we drive back to Siem Reap and drop you at your hotel for free afternoon at leisure.

Overnight in Siem Reap.

Breakfast is served at your hotel. We check-out and transfer to the airport for taking flight to Luang Prabang – one of Laos’s most alluring towns.

Upon arrival Luang Prabang International Airport, you will be greeted by your local guide and transferred to hotel. After you have had time to rest and freshen up we will head off to see some of the highlights of Luang Prabang including a visit to the Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts from the Royal period in Luang Prabang. We are seeing the city’s oldest temples, the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roof sweeping low to the ground, representing classical Laotian architecture, the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrine of Wat Aham.

From there we will climb to the top of Mount Phousi to explore the sacred gilded stupa and to enjoy the panoramic view of the city and the sun setting over the Mekong River.

Descending the mountain your will find yourself in the midst of the famous Luang Prabang Night Market, where you can find a unique selection of handmade textiles and handicrafts locally made by both ethnic Lao and hill tribe people surrounding Luang Prabang.

Overnight in Luang Prabang.

This morning you have the option and opportunity to rise early and participate in the daily morning ritual of Alms Giving, you will experience saffron-clad monks collecting offerings or ‘Alms’ from faithful local residents. This tradition is unique to Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still preserving the daily procession.

After walking back to hotel for breakfast, we begin our journey to Khouangsi Waterfall stopping along the way to visit the morning Phousi Market, this where all locals of Luang Prabang come to do their daily shopping. You will see a variety of local foodstuffs and products including dried buffalo skin, local tea and saltpeter among the chickens, fish, vegetables and fruit, everything needed for daily life in Laos.

On arrival at the Khouangsi Waterfall you will have the opportunity to cool off with a refreshing swim in the topaz pools below the falls, walk along the forest trails and visit the Bear Sanctuary.

We drive back to Luang Prabang and board our private boat for a pleasant and scenic cruise up on the Mekong River to the mysterious Pak Ou Caves. These caves are an ancient pilgrimage site and contain thousands of gold lacquered Buddha images left there over hundreds of years.

Returning to Luang Prabang we disembark our boat and have the option of taking a short drive to Ban Phanom, a village famous for its hand weaving or returning to the hotel for free time to relax. Your evening is free at leisure.

Overnight in Luang Prabang.

Breakfast is served at your hotel. We check-out and transfer to the airport for taking flight to Hà Nội – the one thousand years old capital city of Việt Nam.

Upon arrival Nội Bài International Airport, you will be greeted by your local guide and transferred to hotel. After checking-in and taking a rest, your guide will introduce his beloved city by taking you out for a cyclo tour through the Old Quarter of Hà Nội – Also known as the 36 streets; this bustling area of narrow streets is home to literally thousands of small businesses and shopkeepers. Originally each of the 36 streets names’ was related to the products being sold there.

Your visit to The Temple of Literature, originally built as a temple to Confucius. This is the site of Việt Nam’s first University dating back to 1070. Inside are the stone steles mounted on the backs of turtles, inscribed with names of Việt Nam best scholars. The temple highlights the importance that Vietnamese society place then and now on education. After that, we drop you back to hotel for your free time at leisure.

Overnight in Hà Nội.

Breakfast is served at your hotel. We check-out early and ready at hotel lobby. Your guide and shuttle bus will pick you up and transfer about 3 hours to Hạ Long bay including a 20-minute stop on the way.

Arrive at the jetty in Hạ Long City towards noon and proceed with check-in formalities. After a welcome onboard, lunch will be served while cruising towards the bay itself. In the afternoon, enjoy some visits and/or activities (depending on each boat’s itinerary) or just spend some time relaxing on board. Towards the end of the day the boat sets anchor for the night among the karsts formations. Dinner is served on board.

Overnight in a selected cruise on Hạ Long Bay.

On returning to Hạ Long City, enjoy a wholesome brunch as the boat cruises through uniquely-shaped limestone rock formations. Disembark and be greeted by the driver for a transfer back to Hà Nội.

We arrive at Hà Nội around 4:00p.m., check-in hotel; and you’ll have your free time to explore the city at leisure.

Overnight in Hà Nội.

Breakfast is served at your hotel. After that, your driver will pick you up and transfer to Nội Bài Airport for taking a domestic flight to Huế. Upon arrival, you’ll be greeted by a local guide and transferred to hotel for checking in.

In the afternoon, you’ll learn about the former imperial capital of Việt Nam. We start the tour excursion by taking a boat trip on the romantically named Perfume River visits Huế’s best-known religious sites, Thiên Mụ Pagoda. Then continue to discover Imperial Citadel from where the Nguyễn’s Dynasty ruled between 1802 and 1945 including Flag Tower, Noon Gate, Nine Dynastic Urns, Nine Holy Cannons, Thai Hoa Palace, and Forbidden Purple City.

Today tour excursion ends at your hotel late afternoon. Your evening is free at leisure.

Overnight in Huế.

Breakfast is served at your hotel. Your guide will pick you up at hotel and start today tour to the South of Huế, where there are eight splendid royal tombs of the Nguyễn Emperors, situated among the hills on the banks of the Perfume River. Often designed while the emperor was still alive, each mausoleum was built to serve as a palace for the afterlife. Among them, the Tomb of Emperor Tự Đức, with its lotus-filled lake and central pavilion and the simple and serene Tomb of Khải Định are the most interesting.

Lunch is served at a local restaurant.

We say goodbye to Huế and set our drive across the scenic fishing village of Lăng Cô and the spectacular Hải Vân pass to Đà Nẵng City. Upon arrival, we visit to the famous Museum of Chăm Sculpture where displays approximately 300 sculptures, among which some are made from terracotta from the period between the 5th and 15th.

We leave Đà Nẵng City and continue driving to Hội An. We stop on the way for seeing the Marble Mountain and its Non Nước Stone Carving Village, where the local skillful sculptors create many marble products which are exported to many countries worldwide.

Upon arrival Hội An, we drop you at hotel for checking in. Your evening is free to discover this charming town at leisure.

Overnight in Hội An.

Breakfast is served at your hotel. Your morning start with a drive through the countryside to Mỹ Sơn Holy Land, a World Heritage Site recognized by UNESCO in 1999, which located about 50km southwest of Hội An in a lush valley, Mỹ Sơn was a capital and religious center of Chăm people, now remaining with red brick towers and sanctuaries. Mỹ Sơn is considered to be in the same league as some of Southeast Asia’s greatest archaeological sites, including Angkor in Cambodia, Bagan in Myanmar, Ayutthaya in Thailand and Borobudur in Indonesia. These towers and sanctuaries were built from the 7th to 13th centuries.

Lunch is served at a local restaurant.

Your afternoon start with a walking excursion around tiny town of Hội An for your visits to a 400 years old Japanese Bridge, a 300 years old Chinese temple, a 200 years old Vietnamese former merchants’ house and etc.

We can drop you back to your hotel at the end of the tour excursion, or you can continue to explore the town by your own.

Overnight in Hội An.

Breakfast is served at your hotel. Having a full free day in Hội An is an absolute must for most visitors. Here are a few suggestions that we think you may need.
• Tailor some clothes, bags or shoes: Hội An is home to more than 400 tailoring shops and thousands of tailors who are not only talented at making clothes but are skilled in making shoes and handbags as well. Average turnaround time for full suits is a day and around 4 hours for handbags or shoes. Don’t miss one of them if you are interested in getting some custom made items with small budgets.

• Cooking Class: Many restaurants in Hội An offers private cooking classes of group sizes small (2-10 persons) with professional chefs. During the class you will enjoy the challenge of producing Vietnamese foods and they will also supply you with a recipe containing all the information you need to reproduce an authentic taste back home.

• Explore around by cycling: Most of hotels offer free bicycles for their guests because cycling is one of the best ways for visitors to get in touch with local people. You can easy go everywhere in the ancient town, through the rice fields or along beaches of Hội An with your bike.

• Enjoy the famous culture shows: Hội An is host to a plethora of cultural activities: from Hội An’s Bài Chòi Show in a small yard near Japanese Bridge, to unique Vietnamese culture performances in Lune Bamboo Theater, or the famous outdoor Hội An Memories Show on Cẩm Nam Island, and etc. The range of these shows set them at various price points. This is because each offers up a very different experience from the other. Hidden provides you with a brief overview of each performance, so you’ll know what to expect. Then it’s over to you to figure out which unique show suits you best.

If you think those suggestions are not enough; so, let think of having a sunbath at your hotel swimming pool, enjoying your lazy time on one of the white sand beaches, visiting to local markets, learning about making lanterns, relaxing at some spas, exploring vegetable plantations, taking a boat trip along Thu Bồn River, or tasting all Hội An street foods… We leave it up to you, and remember to share with us how you like them.

Overnight in Hội An.

Breakfast is served at your hotel. Your morning is free until our driver picks you up and transfers to Đà Nẵng airport for taking a flight to Hồ Chí Minh City, which is still often referred by its old name – Sài Gòn.

Upon arrival, you’ll be greeted by a local guide and transferred to hotel. Check-in and take a rest before we have an afternoon tour to visit some city highlights in no specific order: Reunification Palace, War Remnants Museum, Central Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral, Jade Emperor Pagoda, Bến Thành Market… After that, we drop you back to your hotel. Your evening is free at leisure.

Overnight in Hồ Chí Minh City.

Breakfast is served at your hotel. Your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel and after leaving Hồ Chí Minh City, we drive about 1,5 hours through the pleasant countryside before arriving at Bến Dược tunnels, Củ Chi. We may stop along the way for refreshments and toilet.

Upon arrival, you’ll first visit the liberated area to get insights into the architecture of the houses, the lives, the living, and the fighting of the army and the people of Củ Chi in the period from 1961 – 1972. After that, we move to the Bến Dược tunnels. Your visits will include, in no specific order:
• You’ll watch a brief of propaganda video, which explains how the tunnels were used to successfully defeat American military forces in combat.
• The tour continues and the guide explains some traps that were placed in the jungles of Việt Nam to either maim American soldiers or create panic amongst the ranks.
• From here, you can enter one of the tunnel entrances and crawl through the tunnels, a real experience to imagine how people could live there for an extended period!
• You can also visit the Bến-Dược temple, the biggest monument in Việt Nam. This temple was built in memory of more than 44,000 soldiers who died in the Củ Chi district during the Việt Nam War.
• There is a shooting range where you can try to fire an automatic or semi-automatic weapon for a fee (this fee is not included)
• Take some rest at the end for a taste of Củ Chi boiled tapioca and thinking what humans are capable of when having to defend their home.

We drive back to Hồ Chí Minh City and complete the tour excursion by taking you back to hotel. Your evening is free at leisure.

Overnight in Hồ Chí Minh City.

Breakfast is served at your hotel. Our guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel, and drive 2,5 hours to Cái Bè. We will stop along the way for refreshments and toilet.

Upon arrival, we will visit a flea market before cruising along a vast network of canals and channels to enjoy wonderful views of the Mekong River. Stop by a house-boat at the floating market to have fresh fruits, and see how locals do their business on the water.

In your visits to some local cottage industries you can see a coconut candy workshop, try some snake wine, and learn how to make pop-rice, or witness the process of making rice paper. Cross to the other side of the Mekong River to a famous island named Tân Phong. Here Visit a local family’s home, where we are welcomed by local musicians who will play and sing for us as we enjoy tea and fruits while chatting with other guests. Enjoy what local people offer by hand-rowing a sampan along the shady, breezy canal.

Lunch will be served at a local house. Your host will show you a cooking demonstration, and you can challenge yourself by cooking a traditional Vietnamese dish — and then enjoy your wonderful lunch afterwards. After that, we can choose to take a rest at the house or take a cycling tour about 30 minutes around the village; this will give you a fantastic way to experience local life.

Get back to the house, say goodbye to your hosts, and drive back to Hồ Chí Minh City and complete the tour excursion by taking you back to hotel.

Overnight in Hồ Chí Minh City.

Breakfast is served at your hotel.

Today is your last day of the trip; we understand that you might need some free time for shopping, enjoy some local massage or spas, wander around the city, visit some sites that were listed in the tour, or some of you might want to visit some friends or relatives who are living in Việt Nam. It’s your day!

Here are some suggestions that you can spend a free day in Hồ Chí Minh City:
• Bargain challenge: Bargain when buying something is normal in Việt Nam, especially in Vietnamese local markets. Don’t make it serious, let have fun! Here are a few budget places that you can easy bring everything home: Bến Thành Market, Sài Gòn Square, Taka Plaza, Lucky Plaza, Russia Market, Đồng Khởi Shopping Street…
• Visit to some Museums: Sài Gòn is home to Việt Nam’s most visited museums, you can easy to find your favorite one among the list: War Remnants Museum, Việt Nam History Museum, Fine Arts Museum, Southern Women Museum, Áo Dài Museum, FITO Museum, Artinus 3D Museum…
• Dinner on Sài Gòn River: Sài Gòn at night, especially along the city’s spectacular river, is a wonder to behold. For proof of this, look no further than one of the available dinner cruises. While you dine, enjoy live performances, and you’ll also get a true taste of just how much this city dazzles at night. This river cruise reflects the most beautiful side of the city, relaxing and romantic with the bright lights of Sài Gòn.
• Enjoy the culture shows: Theatres and live shows in Ho Chi Minh City offer impressive acrobatic, dance, and music performances by talented local artists – perfect for travelling families looking to entertain the little ones after a long trip. Here are a few names that you might consider: À Ố Show, Ter Dah Show, The Mist Show, My Village Show, Water Puppet Show, Mekong Show…

Beyond what we just mentioned, Sài Gòn offers various activities and things to do for visitors. If you want to get in touch with the local life, let spend a few delightful hours for a motorbike tour which can give you an insight view of the city and its residents. Visiting to some theme parks are also a great choice for your kids; if you were a food lover, don’t miss a street food tour! You knew that you can always contact us for further assistance, or just let us know what you like most about Hồ Chí Minh City!

Overnight in Hồ Chí Minh City.

Breakfast is served at your hotel. Your driver will pick you up and transfer to Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport for talking flight home. End of services.

HAVE A GREAT TRIP!