An In-depth Discovery Of Indochina

Welcome to Siem Reap, you will meet our tour guide and driver to transfer to the hotel to check in. Siem Reap is an area located in the northwest part of Cambodia. Once the seat of power for the great Khmer Empire, this location is home to the most ornate temples and as such is the most popular tourist site for those taking a tour of Cambodia. The balance of the day will be free at your leisure. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

08:00 AM: After meeting our tour guide, then we drive to Angkor Thom that was the masterpiece of King Jayavarman VII. Following the occupation of Angkor by the Chams from 1177 to 1181, the new king decided to build an impregnable fortress at the heart of his empire.

We begin to visit Bayon Temple. At the exact center of Angkor Thom, this is an eccentric expression of the creative genius and inflated ego of Cambodia’s most celebrated king. Its 54 towers are each topped off with the four faces of Avalokiteshvara (Buddha of Compassion), which bear more than a passing resemblance to the king himself.

We continue to visit Terrace of the Leper King. This intricately carved platform was the royal crematorium and the statue that was originally thought to be the leper king is now believed to be Yama, the god of death. We continue along the Terrace of Elephants, originally used as a viewing gallery for the king to preside over parades, performances and traditional sports. At the southern end lies the Baphuon, once of the most beautiful temples at Angkor, dating from the reign of Uditayavarman 1 in the 11th century.

We visit Ta Prohm “Tomb Raider” fame. Ta Prohm has been abandoned to the elements, a reminder that while empires rise and fall, the riotous power of nature marches on, oblivious to the dramas of human history. Left as it was ‘discovered’ by French explorer Henri Mouhout in 1860, the tentacle-like tree roots here are slowly strangling the surviving stones, man first conquering nature to create, nature later conquering man to destroy.

We journey out to the Mother of all temples, Angkor Wat. 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 Angkor.

Back to your hotel. Dinner on your own. Overnight at Siem Reap

After breakfast, we will depart for the Tonle Sap. We will enjoy a boat ride on the Tonle Sap Lake. This is the largest permanent fresh-water lake in South East Asia and flows into Tonle Sap River, joining the Mekong in Phnom Penh. We will see fishermen’s “floating village” with floating schools, floating police station, etc. It is the same as a big village floating on the lake, and the “village” moves from place to place following water levels and current.

Back to the hotel to take your luggage. Then the driver will come to pick you up to transfer to the airport to take the regional flight to Luang Prabang.

Once arrival in Luang Prabang, you will be transferred to the hotel to check in. Meals on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

Visit the morning market, a perfect place to meet the locals, dine on Lao food, and watch the people as they wander. Grab yourself a frosty bevy and a slice of blood sausage and check it out.

Enjoy a short drive to visit Vat Xieng Thong or Temple of the Royal City- one of the most important of Lao monasteries and remains a significant monument to the spirit of religion, royalty and traditional art.

Afterward, we head to Kuang Sy Falls a stunning turquoise waterfall. On the way, you will pass through rice fields and beautiful small villages dotted along the country road. Make a stop at some of the villages before relaxing at the waterfall. Take a fresh swim to refresh yourself in many basins.

In the afternoon, we transfer back Luang Prabang and visit the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre located in a historical building preserved by UNESCO. The exhibition here consists of traditional clothing, religious artifacts and daily working tools of Lao minorities that will help you understand more about their lifestyle and traditions.

Then it’s time for sunset moment on the Phousi Mountain where you also can have a nice panorama of the city.

Leaving here, one the way back to the hotel, we will stop to visit the H’mong Night Market where you can find a lot of souvenirs in the traditional style of Laos. This is also a paradise for street food lovers, and you can have dinner on your own. Our guide will suggest a good place to enjoy Laos traditional food or hot pot at a nice restaurant at the river bank.

Overnight at the hotel.

Check out of the hotel and leave your luggage at the receptionist. The staff will keep it safe for you.

09:30 AM, Our Tuk Tuk driver will pick you up at your hotel this morning to have a departure to the boat jetty.

Embark on the Nava Mekong, a traditional river boat, for a shared cruise on the mighty Mekong River, departing around 1000. On the way, you will have a great opportunity to enjoy the dramatic yet peaceful scenery as well as see the simple lives of rural people living along the river.

During 2-hour cruise upstream to the Pak Ou Caves, the village of Ban Xang Hai will be stopover along your way of discovering. Called by Pak Ou because of its special location – the caves themselves are very close to the confluence of the Nam Ou and Mekong Rivers. In these 2 caves, you will have a chance to admire numerous ancient Buddha images, dating back from many centuries. Also, this is the most important religious site in Laos for pilgrimages during the Lao New Year festivities around mid-April.

On the way back downstream, you will be served a selection of typical Lao dishes onboard.

The cruise will take about 1.5 hours to turn back to Luang Prabang and arrive around 14h00. We will pick you up at the boat jetty and transfer you back to your hotel.

Take your luggage and our driver will transfer you to the airport to take the regional flight to Hanoi. Once arrive in Hanoi, you will be warmly welcomed by our driver to transfer to the hotel to check in. Dinner on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

08:15 – 08:30 AM: Meet your tour guide at your suggested places around Hanoi Old Quarter including:

• Tran Quoc pagoda, a Buddhist relic and national heritage lying on the West Lake.
• Ho Chi Minh complex, the final resting place of Viet Nam’s greatest father; his house-on-stilt and One Pillar Pagoda – modeled after a lotus flower, a symbol of Hanoi.
• Temple of Literature was constructed in 1070 dedicating to Confucius, sages and scholars. It was also the first university of Viet Nam once.

12:30 PM: Relax and have lunch at a local restaurant in Hanoi Old Quarter. In the afternoon, spend time to explore:

• The traditional ceramics village of Bat Trang. Visit showrooms and see how they model the products.
• Ngoc Son Temple dedicated to Tran Hung Dao – General Commander for his struggle against Mongolians.

03:30 PM: Drop you off at your hotel.

Dinner on your own and overnight at the hotel.

08:00 – 08:30 AM: Starting our Best Halong Bay day trip with hotel pickup in the morning, you will set out by air-conditioned bus from Hanoi to Halong Bay. The 3.5-hour scenic drive gives you the chance to enjoy the landscape of the Red River Delta, and see the daily rural life of Vietnamese farmers with rice fields and water buffaloes.

Upon arrival at Halong Bay, you will begin the most beautiful day with Halong Bay day cruise. After a short introductory talk by the tour guide, you will enjoy a wonderful local seafood lunch onboard (Vegetarian food is available if requested). The nearly 4-hour relaxing cruise gives you the chance to discover the spectacular scenery of this UNESCO World Heritage site with its thousands of limestone islets and mountains. We cruise through emerald waters, passing by the Dog Stone, Burning Incense Islet and Fighting-Cock Islet, the famous symbol of Halong Bay.

After lunch, we stop at Ba Hang Fishing Village for a trip by kayak or bamboo boat rowed by the locals. That will be one of the most highlighted activities on your Halong Bay day trip. Then, we will visit the magnificent Thien Cung Cave, (Heavenly Palace Cave) to explore huge chambers adorned with stalactites and stalagmites before returning to your cruise.

You will enjoy a tea break and sample some green bean cake, which is a local specialty in the northern provinces while watching an unforgettable sunset over the legendary Halong Bay.

Afterward, you get on the shuttle bus to come back to Hanoi. The Halong Bay day trip concludes with drop-off at your Hanoi hotel at around 08:30 – 09:00 PM.

Dinner on your own. Overnight at the hotel.

You are free to relax until being transferred to the airport (without tour guide) for your departure flight. Room is at your disposal until noon time. Meals on your own. End of service.