13 Days in Indochina

12 Nights / 13 Days

Trip Highlights:

Hanoi and Pu Luong
Halong / HCM City
Mekong / Siem Reap

Experience two countries on a trip that consists of 13 days visiting the highlights of Vietnam, and Cambodia. Involving some easy sightseeing, traditional culture, and interesting adventures, this is a trip of a lifetime.

Day 1: Chao Ban! Welcome to Hanoi, where you are met at the airport and taken to your hotel for check-in. Today is free at your leisure to rest or explore, discovering your first impressions of Vietnam. Overnight in Hanoi.

Day 2: Depart with your guide from Hanoi this morning for Mai Chau on a spectacular 4-hour drive. Upon arrival at Poom Coom village in Mai Chau, take a short walk to visit the ethnic Thai people then lunch is served. Afterward, take a short car journey before a hike through the beauty of the Pu Luong nature reserve. The trek is intermediate level and requires some walking up hills but it’s worth it as you are rewarded with many spectacular views of villages and terraces. Arrival at the Thai stilt homestay in the late afternoon, with some free time to rest and shower, then a traditional dinner with your host family.

Day 3: Explore around the friendly village on your own or with your guide, then take an easy walk for approx. 1.5 hours to the nature reserve where your van is waiting. Lunch is at one of the local restaurants before a scenic drive back to Hanoi.

Day 4: Depart for Ha Long Bay this morning, arriving at lunchtime where you board your cruise vessel, are taken to your cabin and given the trip briefing while you cruise to Bai Tu Long Bay. Admire the fascinating formations, visit Thien Canh Son cave, then relax at a secluded island-beach or explore by kayak. Later return to the boat just in time to watch the beautiful sunset from the top deck before enjoying the bay’s freshest seafood dinner.

Day 5: Early risers can enjoy the sunrise and the quiet breath-taking beauty of Bay’s landscape with towering limestone. After breakfast, enjoy a short rowboat by the locals around the bay. Lunch is taken on the boat as you slowly cruise back to the pier, then return to Hanoi.

Day 6: Head south today, overland to My Tho to embark a luxury floating home for your coming journey along the mighty Mekong. After a warmly welcome by the crew, set sail and your fascinating journey of exploring the Mekong begins. Lunch is served while the vessel steadily glides upstream to reach the overnight spot. The afternoon allows you time to relax on your private balcony or sip a drink at the open-air bar as the twilight bathes the land of Mekong Delta into a golden haze. By dinner, you reach Cai Be – a charming small town, famous for its Catholic French church and manufacturing of traditional crafts and food products. The floating market of Cai Be is getting smaller every year since trading on the water is shifting more and more into modern central markets. Drop anchor and overnight.

Day 7: Tai Chi classes on the sun deck are offered each morning, to welcome your day as many locals do as the sun begins its gentle glow. After a sumptuous buffet breakfast take a morning tour around Cai Be, where your guide explains the particularities of the market’s long-lasting dealing culture. Go onshore to visit a workshop and learn about how rice paste, rice paper, rice cookies or rice wine is manufactured. Continue to cruise through the lush and green canal network and observe farmers working in the fields.

Back on board lunch is served and you have some time for yourself. In the afternoon you reach Sa Dec and embark a traditional sampan and tour towards Binh Thanh Island. This island is one of the larger ones in the vast stream of the Mekong. Some communities have settled here and made their living by growing water hyacinths. Wander through a village for a deep understanding of native life and learn the whole process of raft making, where you can try the weaving first hand, which is still done manually. Back on board, perhaps enjoy a spa treatment or take a dip in the pool on the sun deck. Moor mid-stream near Tan Chau where dinner is served and afterwards, you can join an evening cinema session (offered every night) featuring selected classic movies.

Day 8: Explore via “xelois” today to explore Tan Chau. A “xeloi” is a local vehicle which is still used as a taxi in this region. View the workshops, houses and domiciles; Stop at the colourful local market near one of the town’s temples and interact with the vendors of this friendly town to practise your bargaining skills; Board your local boat and cruise past floating houses and finally reach a floating fish farm – this region is the source of a fish production that is sold all over the world. Here you get a deep insight into how fish farming works.

Back on board, sail towards the Cambodian border, and a fascinating and leisurely cruise through the Cambodia countryside towards Phnom Penh. The afternoon is at leisure. A culinary class is offered for those looking to sharpen their knowledge and skills on the local cuisine. Dinner is served before arriving in the capital of Cambodia in the evening. The boat docks at the pier of Phnom Penh where you are free to go for a wander at leisure, strolling along the promenade and people watching.

Day 9: Welcome to Phnom Penh – once called Paris of the East. Despite its rapid development, it has retained a lot of its rustic charm and elegance and is an amazing town to bespeak centuries of incredible history and culture which can still be felt at many street corners. After breakfast, depart the boat and transfer by car to your hotel in Phnom Penh, where the rest of the day is at leisure.

Day 10: Transfer to Phnom Penh airport for the flight to Siem Reap, where you are greeted by your local guide and transferred to your hotel. After freshening up, visit the mother of all temples: Angkor Watt. Believed to be the world’s largest religious building, this temple is the perfect fusion of symbolism and symmetry and a source of pride and strength to all Khmers. Built-in the 12th century by King Suryavarman II, this is the most famous temple at the Angkor complex. This evening, enjoy a welcome dinner and Apsara Dance show at a local restaurant before returning to your hotel.

Day 11: Today you hop on bicycles to explore Angkor’s World Heritage and splendid temples.
Visit the Angkor Thom, Bayon Temple, and Baphuon Temple. Also included today are visits to the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King.
Then continue to visit the fabulous Ta Prohm embraced by the roots of the enormous fig trees and gigantic creepers. Bear witness to some of the measures being taken to preserve the temple while at the same time allowing nature reclaim the area. Enjoy a one-hour foot massage before transferring back to your hotel.

Day 12: Start today with a visit to Banteay Srei, where the special charm of the temple lies in its small stature, remarkable state of preservation, and the excellence of its decorative carvings. Next is Banteay Samre’s rose-coloured sandstone walls decorated with carvings and basreliefs. Finally, visit Artisan d’Angkor and a local silk farm for a tour of the classes and workshops to get a glimpse into the unique vocational training programs teaching young artists the techniques and styles of classic Cambodian artistry.

Day 13: Depending on your flight time, you can enjoy the ancient temple city on your own, before transferring to the airport for departure.

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