Discovering South East Asia

Upon arrival at Noi Ba International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam, you will be met by your English speaking local guide who will introduce you to the wonderful country of Vietnam. From the airport you will be transferred to your hotel. Depending on your arrival time, you may choose to simply rest at your hotel for the night or instead begin to explore the bustling city of Hanoi at your own leisure. Hanoi can appear chaotic, but there is much method to the madness so be sure soak up this beautiful city.

After breakfast at your hotel you will begin a guided tour of Hanoi stopping at The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, The Presidential Palace, Uncle Ho’s Cottage and the One Pillar Pagoda. These landmarks are beaming with history and culture. In the afternoon you will take cyclo ride through ‘colonial Hanoi’ stopping by the Opera House and the world-famous Hanoi Hilton. In the evening before dinner you will attend a Vietnamese Water Puppet Show which is a unique art form originating from rural festivals in Vietnam. After dinner your driver will drive you back to your hotel.

An early start to allow anDay 8AM departure from your hotel to Ha Long Bay, travelling through local villages and past beautiful rice field landscapes. Upon arrival at Ha Long Bay you will board the V’Spirit Classic Cruise and enjoy a traditional Vietnamese lunch before cruising around the limestone islands and exploring the caves. In the evening there will be a cooking demonstration on board, followed by the opportunity to go squid fishing or play board games. You will spend the night on board in you luxury cabin.

In the morning you will be able to attend a private Tai Chi class on board followed by a traditional Vietnamese breakfast. The cruise boat will return to harbor where your driver will meet you and you will begin your drive back to Hanoi. Once in Hanoi you will be transferred to the airport to board an afternoon flight to Da Nang, central Vietnam. In Da Nang you will be met by your driver who will escort you to your hotel in Hoi An for the night. Hoi An is a city of cultural diversity due to its colonial history. You will definitely notice the difference from bustling Hanoi!

Waking up in Hoi An feels a world away from the capital city of Hanoi. After breakfast your driver will take you to Thu Bon River to board a traditional Dragon Boat to cruise down the river to the local fishing villages. After lunch by the river, your guide will take you on a walking tour of Hoi An visiting the ancient Japanese Bridge, the Hoi An Museum and the countless merchant houses. After dinner, your driver will the there to take you back to your hotel for the night.

An early start this morning before beginning the scenic drive from Hoi An to Da Nang. Along the way be sure to take in the beautiful sights and we encourage you to visit the Cham Museum in Da Nang. In Da Nang you will board a mid morning flight to Ho Chi Minh City, which upon arrival, you will be met by your local guide and be taken to the incredible Cu Chi Tunnels. Here you will walk the maze of tunnels and discover the marks left behind by the Vietnam war. In the evening your driver will take you back to Ho Chi Minh City to check in to your hotel for the night.

After a leisurely breakfast at your hotel, your guide will meet you to begin your tour of Ho Chi Minh City, the former capital of Vietnam. Whilst on tour your will visit the Municipal Theatre and the Notre Dam Cathedral among other famous landmarks. To end your tour of Ho Chi Minh City, you will taken to Ben Thanh market, which is an explosion of color and scents. This traditional market is quintessentially Vietnamese, bursting at the seams with trinkets, food and flowers. After dinner, your driver will escort you back to your hotel.

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel, after which your driver will be there to escort you to Cai Be where you will board a boat to cruise the Mekong Delta. Whilst on board you will visit local fishing villages and meet with the fishermen to learn about their trade, as well as visit a local rice paper workshop and fish sauce factory if you wish. Lunch will be served on board as you cruise the river back to where you boarded where your driver will be there to take you to dinner and then onwards to your hotel for the night.

After breakfast at your hotel, your driver will be there to transfer you to the international airport to board a morning flight to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Upon arrival you will be met by your driver who will take you to your hotel in Phnom Penh. After check-in and a short break at the hotel to refresh, you driver will take you to the Champey Academy of Arts before dinner at colonial French restaurant in the capital of Cambodia. This cosmopolitan city is one of kind with a completely different feel to Vietnam. After dinner you will return to your hotel for the night.

After breakfast your guide will be there to take you on a tour of Phnom Penh so you can explore this cosmopolitan city as well as learn about it’s history and culture. Begin the tour by visiting The Presidential Palace and finishing at the National Museum. In the afternoon you will have the option to spend the rest of the day at leisure or to go to the Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng Museum. The memorial site and museum are an insight into the Pol-Pot Regime and may not be appropriate for some travelers. After dinner your driver will take you back to your hotel for the night.

An early breakfast this morning in order to board a morning flight to Siem Reap from Phnom Penh. Upon arrival in Siem Reap your guide and driver will transfer your directly to Angkor Wat where you can discover some of the most mesmerizing temples in the world. Enjoy a relaxed lunch with a temple backdrop before continuing to explore this maze of temples. In the evening your driver will drive you to your hotel where you can also enjoy a delicious and authentic Cambodian dinner.

Before breakfast experience one of the most beautiful sunrises known to man, as the sun rises beautifully over the temples of Angkor Wat. Enjoy this surreal, once in a lifetime experience. After breakfast your driver and guide will take you to Angkor Thom and Banyon Temple, two of the most famous temples in Angkor. After lunch your guide will take you the unique Elephant Terrace where you can spend the rest of the day exploring at your own leisure. Enjoy strolling through these magnificent grounds at your own pace. After dinner your driver will take you back to your hotel.

After several days of walking through the magnificent temples of Angkor, today you will be able to enjoy a leisurely start enjoying a tasty breakfast at your hotel, overlooking the temples. Enjoy the rest of your morning at leisure, spending time at your hotel or exploring the nearby temples. In the afternoon your driver will transfer you to the international airport where you will board an afternoon flight to Luang Prabang. Upon arrival in Luang Prabang, you will be transferred to your hotel for the evening.

Before breakfast, step outside into the city center of Luang Prabang to witness the Daily Alms Ceremony where the monk pass through the city receiving donations of rice from the local people. After breakfast you will visit the National Museum as well as other landmarks including Wat May, Wat Manorom, Wat That Louang, Wat Xieng Thong and Wat Aphay. Spend the afternoon at Ock Pop Tok Centre, a social enterprise dedicated to the preservation of traditional Laotian art, before taking part in a Baci or Welcome Ceremony at dinner. After dinner your driver will escort you to your hotel.

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel before meeting your guide who will take you to Ellana, an Elephant Village in Luang Prabang. Here you will meet the elephants and you have the option to wash them and prepare them for your expedition to Huay Sae Valley. Once at Huay Sae Valley you will begin to trek to the natural swimming pools where you can swim and eat lunch. Bamboo raft back to the camp stopping at the Tad Sae Waterfalls before returning to Luang Prabang at the end of your day. You will have dinner at the exclusive Tangor restaurant before your driver returns you to your hotel.

After breakfast you will be taken on an adventure into the heart of the Laos countryside, where not only will you learn how to farm rice but you will also be able to work with the farmers and their water buffaloes in the paddies. After lunch you will return to Luang Prabang before heading to the airport for your flight home. If you have time, this is a chance to buy last minute souvenir gifts from your wonderful holiday in South East Asia. We bid you farewell and look forward to traveling with you next time.