Trip
Features
DETAILS OF THE TRIP
Day
1: Arrive in Bangkok City
Pick
up upon arrival at Suvarnabhumi International
Airport and transfer to the hotel in the city.
Welcome to Thailand, the land of smiles. Bangkok is
the financial, political and cultural capital of
Thailand, located in the centre-south of the
country, in the heart of a fertile rice-growing
region. Bisected by the Chao Phraya River, which is
overlooked by all the major palaces, Buddhist
temples and luxury hotels, Bangkok is seventh heaven
for those who love their food and their shopping.
Overnight at hotel in Bangkok.
Day
2: Bangkok Temple Tours
This
half-day sightseeing tour in Bangkok will allow you
the opportunity to explore the Grand Palace complex,
which houses a number of attractions including Wat
Phra Keow (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) and then we
will proceed to see Wat Traimit, Wat Pho and Wat
Benchamabophit. A Wat is a Buddhist building where
both men and women can be ordained as monks or nuns.
Wat Traimit is also known as the temple of the
Golden Buddha. The 3 meter tall statue is made from
solid gold and weighs 5.5 tons and is a fine example
of Sukhothai style art. You will then pass through
Chinatown on your way to Wat Pho, the temple of the
reclining Buddha. At 46 meters in length and 15
meters high the Buddha is the largest in Bangkok and
illustrates the passing of the Buddha into nirvana.
Your last stop is at Wat Benchamabophit, or the
marble temple. This magnificent monastery was built
out of white Italian marble from Carrara in the late
19th century.
Day
3: Sightseeing Tours & Dinner Cruise
Those
that love architecture and buildings or are
interested in local culture will be fascinated by
the Jim Thompson house and the Vimanmek Palace, two
of the finest Thai residences to be found in
Thailand today. The Jim Thompson House is the former
home of James H.W. Thompson, a self-made American
entrepreneur who returned to live in Bangkok after
the Second World War. Continue to amazing Vimanmek
Palace, the largest teakwood building in the world.
The former home of King Rama V, the palace fell into
disuse until it was restored in the 1980s and today
it is a fascinating museum reflecting the Thai
heritage from the dramatic reign of King Rama V. A
fantastic way to end your day in Bangkok, this
relaxing dinner cruise aboard one of Bangkok’s
luxurious restaurant boats will take you through the
heart the city along the Chao Phraya River past
wonderful night time views of illuminated temples
and sparkling skyscrapers. As you relax in modern
comfort and dine on a variety of local, regional and
international dishes you will pass landmarks like
the Temple of Dawn, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha
and the Grand Palace. Transfer back to hotel and
stay overnight at hotel in Bangkok.
Day
4:
Bangkok - Luang Prabang
Morning
flight to Luang Prabang. On
arrival at the airport, you will be met and
transferred to your hotel. Luang Prabang was the
royal capital of the former Lane Xang Kingdom, with
its gleaming temple roofs, colonial architecture and
stunning mountain backdrop retains a unique
charm rarely found in all Asia. Here is plenty to
see, including the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun,
the shrine of Wat Aham and Wat Mai with five tiered
roofs. We include these sights in a half day guided
tour, which ends with a climb to Phousi Hill to
enjoy a beautiful sunset view of the city and its
glowing reflection on the Mekong River. There are
329 steps leading us on zigzag way past various
temples to the sacred, gilded stupa of Wat Phousi at
the summit. Overnight in Luang Prabang
Day 5:
Luang Prabang Sightseeing
An
optional early start gives you the fantastic
opportunity to participate in the daily morning
rituals of saffron-clad monks collecting offerings
of Alms (often in the form of sticky rice) from the
faithful residents. This tradition is very unique in
Laos, being the only Buddhist nation still
preserving the ritual. Later, we visit the National
Museum (closed Tuesdays) at the former Royal Palace.
It displays a collection of artefacts
reflecting the richness of Lao culture dating from
the days of the early kings right through to the
last sovereign. In the afternoon, we enjoy a
short-guided tour seeing the city’s oldest temple
of impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrines of
Wat Aham and Wat Mai, Wat Sene and the magnificent
Wat Xieng Thong with its roofs sweeping low to the
ground, which represents classical Laotian
architecture. Overnight at hotel in Luang Prabang.
Day 6:
Luang Prabang - Siem Reap
Fly
out to Siem Reap and you will be picked up by our
local tour guide and transfer to hotel for check-in.
Free and overnight in Siem Reap.
Day 7:
Siem Reap - Angkor Tours
Today
we will visit the ancient capital of Angkor Thom
(12th century). See the South Gate (with its huge
statues depicting the churning of the ocean of
milk), Bayon Temple (the Royal Enclosure,
Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace and the Terrace of
the Leper King. In the afternoon, visit the most
famous of all the temples on the Angkor plain:
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's five tower symbolize
Meru's five peaks, the enclosed wall represents the
mountains at the edge of the world and the
surrounding moat symbolizes the ocean beyond Sunset
from 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.
Day 8:
Siem Reap - Angkor Tours
In
the morning, you will continue your temple visits.
Included are Prasat Kravan (with its unique brick
sculptures), Srah Srang ("The Royal Boths"
was once used for ritual bathing), Banteay Kdei
(surrounded by four 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. In the afternoon, transfer
to the archaeological site and continue to the
temple tour. Visit Ta Prohm, one of the most
beautiful temples in the area. Ta Prohm has been
left relatively untouched since it was discovered
and retains much of its mystery, then, visit Takeo,
Thommanon and Chau Say Tevoda temples. Stay
overnight in Siem Reap.
Day 9:
Siem Reap - Phnom Penh
Fly
to Phnom Penh by morning flight. Afternoon
sightseeing tours around the city to visit visit
Visit Genocidal Museum “Tuol Sleng” and then we
will visit the Victory Monument and the National
Museum, the Royal Palace, built by the French in
1866 on the site of the old town, and Silver Pagoda,
which located within the Royal Palace ground. You
will then end your tour with a visit to Wat Phnom
Temple, Phnom Penh's namesake, from where you can
enjoy views over the tree-lined avenues of the city
during sunset. Overnight at hotel in Phnom Penh.
Day 10:
Phnom Penh City Tours - Chau Doc
at
12:30 pm, we will take express boat downstream
to the Mekong River to reach Chau Doc in An Giang
Province of Vietnam. Free at leisure and stay
vernight at hotel in Chau Doc.
Day 12:
Chau Doc - Can Tho
In
the morning, we will take a boat trip
to visit fish farms where fish are bred in wooden
cages suspended under floating houses on the river.
Continue by boat to visit a village of stilt houses
belonging to the Cham minority where colourful
traditional textiles are woven on old wooden looms.
Continuing drive to Can Tho. Overnight at hotel in
Can Tho.
Day 13:
Can Tho - Saigon
Early
morning board for a 3-hour cruise to Cai Rang and
Phong Dien, 2 big floating markets with stops at a
Bun Tau noodle factory and a short trek before
arriving at a rice-husking mill. You can even try
passing one of the many fragile monkey bridges along
the canals photo shot. At the floating markets, you
will discover a typical way of displaying and
advertising farm products of local people gathering
on the Mekong river to trade their goods. Drive back
to Saigon with a lunch stop at My Tho.
Day 14:
Saigon Sightseeing & Cu Chi Tunnels
Enjoy
a morning drive through typical southern Vietnamese
countryside to Cu Chi district, and Tay Ninh
Province. Upon arrival in Cu Chi district, make a
couple of stops for photo opportunities and a visit
to a rice paper making factory at Tan Phu Trung
Village. Experience ourselves the underground
village of Cu Chi guerrilla fighters, which is
simply a network of tunnels built during the long
years of wars. Continue to drive another an hour and
half from Cu Chi towards Tay Ninh to visit the
incredible Cao Dai Great Temple, and attend the noon
time service with architecture that could have come
straight from a Walt Disney fantasy and where all
the major faiths of the world blend together in a
unique religious cocktail; photo opportunities
during the ceremony. Lunch is at a local restaurant.
Drive back to Saigon and arrive at 4 pm. Free at
leisure for the rest of day. Overnight in Saigon
Day 15:
Saigon - Hoi An via Danang
At
Leisure and then you will be taken to the airport to
take 1 hour flight to Danang City, famous for China
Beach and the former R&R for US servicemen. Pick
up upon arrival and transfer to Hoi An. Visit the
fascinating Cham Museum, famous China Beach and the
Marble Mountains en route to charming Hoi An. Hoi An
Ancient Town is an exceptionally well-preserved
example of a South-East Asian trading port dating
from the 15th to the 19th century. Its buildings and
its street plan reflect the influences, both
indigenous and foreign, that have combined to
produce this unique heritage site. At leisure for
the rest of day and overnight in Hoi An.
Day
16: Hoi An Sightseeing (Meals: B)
Known
as Faifo to early Western traders, Hoi An was one of
South East Asia's major international ports and
today it still retains that special old-world feel.
Enjoy a walking tour through the Old Quarters to see
the town's landmarks of Japanese Covered Bridge,
ancient Assembly Hall, Phuc Kien Temple and then we
take a river trip and you will enjoy
the scenery along the Thu Bon River and the general
view of Hoi An Ancient Town. Visit ceramic village
of Thanh Ha, carpentry village of Kim Bong and Dai
Chiem Estuary. Overnight at hotel in Hoi An
Day 16:
Hoi An At Leisure
Free
at leisure in Hoi An for shopping or relaxing.
Overnight at hotel in Hoi An.
Day 17:
Hoi An - Danang - Hanoi
Fly
to Hanoi from Danang City. Our tour guide will meet
and greet you upon arrival to Hanoi City- the
capital city of Vietnam, is an elegant city located
on the banks of the Red River with tranquil Restored
Sword Lake at its heart. North of the lake are the
bustling streets of the Old Quarter, each street
named after the trade that used to take place there.
Much of the city was transformed by the French when
it became a French protectorate in the 1880s and
there are wide boulevards and large colonial
buildings which are now home to government
departments and foreign embassies.
Transferring to your hotel in the city center to
refresh. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi City.
Day
18: Hanoi City Tours
Full
day city tour to visit landmarks and other the major
interesting sites like Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, One
Pillar Pagoda, The Temple of Literature
"Vietnam's 1st University built in the 10th
C". Break time for lunch and we will visit the
Vietnam National History of Museum with good
collection of prehistoric artifacts and everyday
items of early history through eras and dynasties.
Then we will take 1 hour by cyclo ride through
Hanoi's Old Quarters to experience daily life of
people who are living in the oldest parts of the
city, Enjoying the famous traditional water puppetry
show in Thang Long Theatre where you will have
chance to get a general picture of the daily
activities typical to Vietnam's rural areas.
Day 19:
Hanoi - Halong Bay (Meals: B/L/D)
Morning
depart for Halong Bay, we go through the scenic
countryside. The wondrous Halong Bay is truly one of
Vietnam’s most impressive scenic sights. Heading
out of the town we embark on a boat for an
exploration of the legendary Halong Bay. This
exciting five hour cruise will provide us a
fantastic view of the picturesque scenery blending
with the sky and some 3,000 limestone islands rising
amazingly from the clear and emerald water. The
limestone karsts formations are littered with
beaches, grottoes and beautiful caves. Along the way
we will anchor for a leisurely swim in a secluded
cove and an enjoyable visit to one of the many
hidden grottoes beneath towering cliffs. Stay
overnight on the Junk Cruise
Day
20: Halong Bay - Hanoi (Meals: B/L)
Waking
up and enjoy the sun rising over the Bay. After
breakfast, visit beautiful limestone grotto then
back to the boat for a final glimpse of the Halong
Bay while cruising back to the dock. Transfer back
to Hanoi. Overnight at hotel in Hanoi City.
Day 21:
Depart Hanoi City
Transfer
to the airport for departure flight. End of service
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Accommodation (double/twin sharing)
