Delightful Vietnam , Laos And Cambodia , 12 days

On arrival at Hanoi Airport, you are greeted  by our guide and taken to your hotel by private transfer. You will have some time free to relax or explore at your own leisure. The capital city of Vietnam, Hanoi is a fascinating blend of East and West, combining traditional Sino-Vietnamese motifs with French flair. The building boom has made Hanoi a rapidly developing city in Southeast Asia. However, it still retains an old charm brought from a thousand year of history, with many interesting cultural and historic monuments, beautiful lakes, shady parks, bustling street markets, funny shops and open air eating spots jostled in ancient houses, and historic temples adjoining colonial style structures. They offer both local and foreigner visitors an endless exploration. You might like to  stroll through the fascinating old quarter containing many vibrant streets which are named after the specific goods once offered for sale at these places. The lively atmosphere in Hanoi old quarter runs from the early hours until late at night  with many street vendors calling, horns honking, and chaotic traffic with waves of motorbikes you’ve never experienced.

Today, we spend our time to explore Hanoi, taking a short drive through diverse streets encompassing a millennium of the city culture and evolution to the Ba Dinh Square. This park setting contains the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (close on Mon. and Fri. and Oct. to Nov) and the Ho Chi Minh Residence. We queue up for a walk past silent sentries, paying a homage to Ho Chi Minh and  continue  to his residence, a simple stilt house set in a well-tended garden. He has lived and worked in this place until his final days. Nearby this complex is the One Pillar Pagoda, of which the origins date back to the foundation of Hanoi City. We follow it with the Temple of Literature, which is now dedicated to the scholars of Confucius but was once the first university of Vietnam. The successful candidate records are still found in various stone steles set over giant stone turtles in the temple ground. We head towards the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology (close on Mon.), where display in both outdoor and indoor sections, various documents, images and objects focusing on 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam. Upon leaving this sight, we drive past various attractions, including Tran Quoc Pagoda, Quan Thanh Temple, West Lake, Long Bien Bridge, and Opera House. There are no stops planned as it is simply a glimpse of the cityscape. We finish a round of city tour  with a fantastic water puppet show and  a pleasant walk from  Hoan Kiem Lake into the bustling old quarter streets.

The incredible limestone outcroppings form a spectacular seascape of Halong Bay, making it an incomparable natural wonder in Vietnam. Today we set off on a drive to Halong City, a base for our exploration of this famous sight. This journey takes anything between three and four hours, passing through the beautiful countryside  to the stone formations of Halong Bay. We are  welcomed on board  with refreshing drinks and get some information about the watercraft and the activity program. The exciting excursion begins as our boat zigzags itself in Halong Bay. Along the way, we feast on a huge lunch (veg. meals also available on request), catching some beautiful views of the bay with a blend of the sky and limestone islets jutting out from the clear and emerald water. These rocky outcrops are usually named by their distinctive shapes and littered with tiny beaches and beautiful caves. You spend this afternoon to simply admire the splendid scenery unfolding beyond your eyes or go for some activities; rowing boat excursion, swimming and kayaking (optional). We can improve our culinary skill while participating in a cooking class in the flavor of the sea. The master chef will show the guests how to make some traditional Vietnamese delicacies. We follow it  with a sumptuous dinner and enjoy some evening entertainment at the dining room. There are also possibilities to try your hand at squid fishing from our boat.

The early light begins washing the night away, unveiling the marvelous beauty of Halong Bay. You can participate in a Taichi exercise on the sundeck and may get a chance to catch some wonderful photos of the sunrise over Halong Bay. The boat trip continues past many imposing  islands, giving us a new exploration of this beautiful bay.  We can spend our time at leisure or step onto a tender to visit Sung Sot, one of the many beautiful caves hidden beneath towering cliffs. The uphill walkway with nearly 100 steps is somewhat arduous; however, the panoramic view from nearby boat pier to rocky islands in the far distance, makes the hardship all worthwhile. We enjoy this splendid landscape before we start the exploration of Sung Sot Cave. This remarkable cave is naturally adorned with countless stalactite and stalagmite formations. They stretch amazingly from floor to ceiling, forming various pillars to support the cave dome. The illuminating spotlights of various colors within the stone formations add more enchantment to this beautiful cave. We come back to our cruise and weave our way through a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars towards Tuan Chau Marina. The wonderful time in Halong Bay is followed by a drive back to Hanoi. We take a short flight to Luang  Prabang in Laos. On arrival , you are meet by our guide and driven to your hotel.   

The ancient architecture is a captivating feature of Luang Prabang Town. We find one of the best samples from  Wat Xieng Thong . This landmark set near  the confluence of  the Mekong and the Nam Khan Rivers, is decorated in various ways with gilded stuccoes and doorways, featuring an elaborate tree of life mosaic and  intricately carved walls. We visit this site before going to  the former Royal Palace, a showcase of Lao traditional and French architecture style. This mansion has been changed into the National Museum where display many artifacts and treasures dating from the early king period right through the last sovereign. The following stop is  Wat Mai, a large and nicely decorated temple in Luang Prabang, which is extensively adorned with black and red lacquer decoration and gold leaf. No doubt the oldest temple in this town is Wat Visoun, but this sacred structure is mainly destroyed by invaders from southern China. However, it is still interesting to have a look at the replica built over the original temple ground.  We visit this site and embark on a walk uphill along the zigzag path of 318 steps on Phousi Hill , which is topped by a glittering golden stupa. This rising shrine  dominates Luang Prabang skyline and lends  a panoramic view  from the townscape to the rugged surrounding mountains.

Today, we have an option to see the sunrise ceremony of “Arm Giving”  when many saffron-clad monks walk along the streets to collect offerings from the faithful residents and visitors. This old age tradition remains very unique in Laos, which is  the only Buddhist nation still preserving the procession. We embark a local boat for an exciting river trip to  Pakou Caves, with stopover at Ban Xang Hai. This riverside village  is famous for  the rice alcohol  distillation in traditional way. We can taste the potent local whisky and buy some souvenirs at the village shop houses. Upon leaving this village, we race against the Mekong River towards the mysterious Pakou Caves. They are  crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes, all brought here by devout villagers. We cross the Mekong River to Ban Pakou before we travel by road to Ban Phanom. This small village is dominated by the Tai Lu hill tribe people who used to make the royal silk textile for the Lao former royal family down centuries. We keep on our drive to the Kuang Si Waterfall and make a stop to see the Hmong hilltribe people at stopping en route at Ban Na Oun. The water sound welcomes visitors to  Kuang Si, the largest water fall in Luang Prabang, which tumbles from the thick jungle over multi tiered limestone formations into cascaded pools. They are perfect for anyone seeking an enjoyable escape on hot days. We have time to admire the waterfall and enjoy swimming in beautiful setting of  evergreen forest. The adventurers can follow steep tracks to conquer the jungle above the waterfall, catching panoramic views of the natural surroundings.

The memorable townscape  of Luang Prabang will be left behind as we board a flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia. On arrival, you are greeted by our guide and taken to your hotel by private transfer.  We spend our time  on a boat trip out, to discover Tonle Sap Lake, one of the largest natural fresh water bodies in  Southeast Asia. The traditional boat navigates along a small river towards this large lake, giving us a chance to see friendly children on small boat, many vendors making a shift floating market, and fishermen pulling in day catch. Along the way we anchor to visit a floating village where are everything from schools, shop houses to police station. The village life goes on as it would anywhere else in Cambodia. This enjoyable stop gives a good insight into the lifestyle of local people who call this grand lake their home and mostly rely on the lake for their livelihood. They may move from a place to place following the water level and current of Tonle Sap Lake. You may have free time to relax and catch your first glimpse of Siem Reap Town, a gateway to the ruins of Angkor Temple Complex, regarded as the largest religious structure in the world.  This archeological site stretches over an forested area of some 400 square kilometers and contains the magnificent remains from the different capitals of the Khmer Empire between  802 AD and 1350 AD. They range from stunning architectural marvels to ordinary edifices full of rubble.

The sunlight reflects a golden glow over the entire Angkor Complex. We start this day with Angkor Thom, an epic collection of striking structures, which is encompassed in quadrangle area. The best preserved South Gate comes in view with a causeway fringed with 54 demons and 54 gods pulling a giant snake. This scene is focusing on a famous Hindu story in bygone time. We walk through two ranges of status on a cosmic scale to the gate tower with colossal human faces carved in stone. The walkway will bring us an interesting  look close up at the Royal Enclosure where remains some  mysterious ruins, including the Royal Palace, Phimeanakas Temple, and  Royal Terraces. These structures built from perishable materials have long vanished. The climax of our visit is Bayon Temple  built in the centre of Angkor Thom. This enigmatic complex contains  54 towers, each topped off with the four faces of  Compassion Buddha. Upon leaving Angkor Thom Area we take a short drive to  the architectural masterpiece of Angkor Wat. The iconic monument  of the entire complex was built in the 12th century and reflects a perfect fusion of symbolism and symmetry, bringing the pride and strength to all Khmers. The distinctive five towers of this temple are now emblazoned on the Cambodian flag. We stroll around this massive monument, unraveling the mysteries of the bas-reliefs from Hindu mythology to the glories of the Khmer empire. The footsteps lead through the upper levels of the inner sanctuary to the sacred heart of Angkor Wat, a blend of spirituality and symmetry. We round out day tour with a walk up the Pre Rup Temple to enjoy the spectacular sunset over these sandstone monuments.

Today, we venture into the jungle where is standing  Ta Prohm Temple, relatively untouched for centuries by its secluded location. There are enormous fig trees and creepers which embrace themselves in temple stone foundation, giving it a distinctive feature. The sightseeing also includes Neak Pean, which is originally designed for the medical purposes with four connected pools representing water, earth, fire and  wind. We continue onto  Preah Khan , a good counterpoint to Ta Prohm Temple.  The large ruin of Preah Khan was all but partly destroyed by the climate impact. However, it is till interesting to walk around, exploring the legends, towered enclosures and  shoulder hugging corridors. We leave Siem Reap on an afternoon flight to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. On arrival, you are met by our guide and transferred to your hotel. The bustling city of Ho Chi Minh still called Saigon by many locals, was originally a fishing village built up on a vast swampland, but it has developed into Saigon under the French domination. The effervescent development has bought Ho Chi Minh some cosmic changes from a war-torn city to a thriving metropolis. However, the architecture, local culture and lifestyle in Ho Chi Minh are still a reconciliation among French, American and Chinese influences. This fast growing city is now punctuated with elegant international hotels and exclusive restaurants, crowded with motorbikes, cars and vociferous cyclo drivers, and excited by numerous shopping areas, sidewalk cafés and noodle stalls. They have formed a dynamic urban area in very special sense and make for an endless exploration in this  south Vietnamese gem.

The incredible  underground network of Cu Chi  was constructed by Vietnamese fighters during their long struggle for the independence. These extensive tunnels of over 200 km have specially contained living areas, storage facilities, weapon factories, filed hospitals, accommodation, and command centers. We travel by road in the morning to Cu Chi Area where we will see an exposition hall and a widened section of Cu Chi Tunnels to get a feel of the underground life and learn a little more about the guerrilla tactics of the Viet Cong. There are also possibilities to fire off rounds from an AK47 or MK16 at the nearby rifle range. Upon leaving Cu Chi, we make our way  back to Ho Chi Minh and  enjoy a half day city tour. The beautiful walking square of Nguyen Hue  is  always a live attraction, giving an interesting view from the bygone time to the new fashion of Ho Chi Minh. This pedestrian boulevard is fringed with exquisite colonial structures, nice restaurants and luxury shopping malls.  We have a quick visit to Nguyen Hue Street  before going to see the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Old Sai Gon Post Office. They boats some of the most striking colonial building in Ho Chi Minh Center. We drive past the Independence Palace and catch  an outside view of this historical landmark on our way to  the War Remnant Exhibit. This house contains a wealth of images and real objects reflecting the notorious Vietnam- American War and the first Indochina War involving the French colonialists.  We follow it with a walk around  the retail  Ben Thanh Market, where vendors display a vast array of goods and handicrafts appealing to every taste!.

Heading out of the town, we travel by road to My Tho, a gateway to the Mekong Delta. This incredibly fertile region was formed by the mighty Mekong River, which winds its way from Tibet - China through  Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, and finally into Vietnam. On arrival in My Tho, we board a private boat to explore the Mekong Delta. This river trip gives some fantastic views from the red water surface to floating fish farms and lush plantation backdrop. Along the way, we anchor on the Unicorn Island and stroll around with our guide to visit this large island, where village lanes are fringed with fishponds, fruit gardens and rice fields. We make some stops at local houses to taste seasonal fruits, listen to traditional music performed by a villager ensemble, and sample honey tea. The interlaced canals are truly a lifeblood of the Mekong Delta; however, many channels can be accessed only by small boats. We enjoy a short sampan trip rowing under the palm grove to venture into this maze of canals before we continue our motor boat to the coconut kingdom of Ben Tre. This luxuriant region offers various activities from bicycle ride to horse cart carriage and motorbike pulling cart. We take one of them to discover the traditional lifestyles, culture, and history of local people and  visit some industry cottages. They may be brick-kiln ceramics, coconut candy and coconut handicrafts,... We round off our excursion and drive back to Ho Chi Minh with stopover at the vibrant  China Town. This famous trade hub is crammed with  sacred temples and mysterious narrow lanes.

There are no activities planned on this  final day. You may have free time to continue your exploration of Ho Chi Minh City, do your last shopping or simply look back upon your trip images. The holiday comes to an end with a transfer to Ho Chi Minh Airport for  your departure.