Laos, Vietnam And Cambodia Compact, 10 days

On arrival at Luang Prabang  Airport, you are greeted by our guide and transferred to your hotel.  You have some time free to relax and catch your first glimpse of Luang Prabang. This ancient town was strikingly built on a peninsula formed by the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers. The human life has been recognized in place for over thousand years; however, Luang Prabang began a prosperous time, once being the royal capital of the Lane Xang Kingdom. The old-time appearance of Luang Prabang  has been changed since the protectorate  of the French, whose influence led to the construction of many colonial villas. This remarkably preserved town with saffron-clad monks, exquisite cuisine, gleaming temples, vibrant cultural traditions, distinctive artwork, relaxed atmosphere, traditional wooden houses and colonial style structures, makes it an unforgettably beautiful destination. You can wander through the old quarter where are many striking houses adjoining along narrow lanes and friendly people around. The main street is a paradise, giving way to the night market, a famous place to sample local foods and buy some souvernirs at bargaining. This fascinating old quarter captivates travellers in all senses and offers an endless exploration.

The morning mist clears over Luang Prabang, unveiling an inspiring  townscape of French colonial buildings, intricate Buddhist temples, and cobble brick streets. Today we stroll along the narrow streets and visit the  famous temple of Wat Xieng Thong, a striking temple overlooking  the two rivers of  Mekong and  Nam Khan. The temple structure is decorated in various ways with gilded stuccoes and doorways, featuring an elaborate tree of life mosaic and  intricately carved walls. We follow it with the former Royal Palace, which is 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. Not 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.

As an early bird, you can 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 and navigate  along the mighty Mekong River towards  the Pakou Caves, one of the most sacred sites in Luang Prabang. This river trip takes anything within two and three hours, depending on the water level and gives us time to admire the undulating mountain scenery and the riverside life. On arrival at the Pakou Caves, we follow an easy walkway up to visit this religious site which is   crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes, all brought here by devout villagers. We catch an impressive view over the junction of the Mekong and Nam Ou Rivers before we take a drive back to Luang Prabang Town. Along the way we make a stop to visit  Ban Xang Hai, a  riverside village which is used  to distill the rice  alcohol in traditional way. You  taste this potent whisky and make fun with the local people before heading to Ban Xang Khong and Ban Xieng Lek.  These villages dominated by Lu hill tribe people are famous for the paper and weaving production, ideal for anyone who is interested in textiles, crafts and handmade souvenirs. We have free time to explore Luang Prabang Town before our flight to Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. You are met by our guide and taken to your hotel by private transfer.  

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 before  continuing  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 visit all of them and head to the Temple of Literature. This well-preserved temple 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 keep going to 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. The sightseeing tour takes us 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 followed by a pleasant walk around Hoan Kiem Lake, one of the major scenic spots in Hanoi.

The incredible limestone outcroppings form the spectacular seascape of Halong Bay, making it an incomparable natural wonder in Vietnam. Heading out of the town, we  travel by road 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 of flooded rice fields and roadside villages to the rocky formations of Halong Bay. We board a traditional style junk  and explore this  scenic bay on a four-hour trip . Along the way we enjoy  a huge lunch served on board and catch up some images of the bay.The traditional boat  zigzags itself in the bay, giving us some fantastic views of the bay with a blend of  the sky and limestone islets rising amazingly from the clear and emerald water. These rocky outcrops  usually named by their distinctive shapes are littered with beautiful coves and tiny beaches.  We will anchor for an enjoyable visit to the Thien Cung Cave, one of the many beautiful sites hidden beneath towering cliffs. The grotto interior is naturally adorned with stalactites and stalagmites of various shapes and sizes. These stone columns change their color, with the reflected light bringing bright green and even purple hues draping across the deep grotto. The boat excursion continues through the karst formations back to Tuan Chau Harbour.  We  check in our hotel and spend this evening at leisure. You can soak up the sea air and laze along  the beachside where there are a bunch of seafood restaurants, amazing bars, and a night market for your fun shopping.

The gorgeous scenery will be left behind as we make our way back to Hanoi. En route, we make a stop to stretch our legs and see many local  villagers making the excellent craft objects  in the traditional way. We take a short flight to Ho Chi Minh in southern Vietnam. On arrival at Ho Chi Minh Airport, you are met by our guide and driven to 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 metropolis rapidly becomes a commercial and cultural center of Vietnam, punctuated with elegant new 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 create a dynamic urban area in very special sense and make for an endless exploration. We enjoy a walking tour along the Nguyen Hue Boulevard. This beautiful walking square 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. 

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.

The sightseeing tour acquaints us with some major highlights of Ho Chi Minh. We 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 this sight with the Jade Emperor Pagoda and the retail  Ben Thanh Market, where vendors display a vast array of goods and handicrafts appealing to every taste!. We leave Vietnam on an afternoon flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia. On arrival at Siem Reap, you are greeted by our guide and taken to your hotel by private transfer. You may have free time to relax and catch your first glimpse of Siem Reap Town which is a gateway to the ruins of Angkor Temple Complex, which is 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 and will make for an exciting exploration in forthcoming days. No activity planned for this afternoon, you have some time free to  explore Siem Reap Town at your leisure.

The sunlight reflects a golden glow over the entire  Angkor complex. Today we take a short drive to the archeological zone to witness the ongoing grandeur of the ancient architecture and culture. The ancient capital of Angkor Thom is an epic collection of striking structures 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 venture into the famous Ta Prohm Temple hidden by the jungle overgrowth for centuries. This temple was constructed with flat rectangular walls that surround the central sanctuary. There are enormous fig trees and creepers which embrace themselves from the stone foundation to the  corridors of this tower temple, giving it a distinctive feature. We continue exploring Angkor Wat, which was built in the 12th century and reflects a perfect fusion of symbolism and symmetry, bringing the pride and strength to all Khmers. We stroll around this massive monument, unraveling the mysteries of the bas-reliefs from Hindu mythology to the glories of the Khmer empire. We complete our day with a walk up the Pre Rup Temple to enjoy the spectacular sunset over these sandstone monuments.

The temple exploration is not only activity in Siem Reap Town. We spend this morning 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 do your last minute shopping opportunities and own exploration of  the town or simply look back upon your trip images. The holiday comes to an end with a transfer to Phnom Penh Airport for your departure.