ITINERARY Vietnam and Cambodia Best of Both in 13 Days Day 1: Arrival in Hanoi On arrival in Hanoi you will be collected from the airport and transferred to your Hotel. The rest of the day is at your leisure. Overnight in Hanoi: L'Heritage Hotel - Deluxe Room (3 Star) Hanoi Pearl - Deluxe Room (4 Star); Apricot Hotel - Sketch Room (5 Star) Day 2: Cruise the emerald waters of Ha Long Bay After breakfast you will be collected from your hotel by the cruise company for a drive through rice paddy fields to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ha Long Bay. Translated as where the dragon descends into the sea experience the magic and wonder of nature. Take a cruise on a junk boat among the hundreds of limestone peaks topped in rainforest rising from the emerald waters. After lunch visit a grotto of gigantic stalactites and stalagmites. Along the way, anchor for a leisurely swim in a secluded cove. In the late evening you will drop anchor for an overnight stay on the Junk Cruise. Note: Please bring an overnight bag with you, because you will not be able to (or want to) take all your luggage with you on the Ha Long Bay excursion and cruise. There would not be enough room to accommodate everyone s luggage gracefully. You will be leaving from and returning to the same hotel in Hanoi where you can safely store your remaining luggage. The shuttle bus from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay is operated by the cruise company. Overnight Ha Long Bay Junk Cruise: V'Spirit - Deluxe cabin (3 Star); Glory Legend Cruise - Deluxe cabin (4 Star); Pelican Cruises - Deluxe cabin (5 Star), lunch and dinner Day 3: A leisurely cruise in Ha Long Bay & Street Food tour in Hanoi Early mornings are a wonderful time and are when Ha Long Bay is at its best. Enjoy the views from the deck of the cruise and spend the morning at your leisure sit back and enjoy this unique landscape. After lunch return to Hanoi by shuttle bus. Enjoy an evening walking Street Food Tour in Hanoi with your guide in the Old Quarter. Gain an insight into the intricacies and traditions of Vietnamese food culture including details on ingredients and historical backgrounds of popular Northern dishes. Eat as you go, walking through the maze of bustling streets, trying seasonal fruit and sampling tasty French-inspired snacks from a street cart. 1 of 5
Try the famed Hanoi dishes such as Bun Cha Ta (a grilled pork and noodle dish) and Banh Cuon at a local eatery and watch as the skilled chefs demonstrate how this tasty dish is put together. Continuing into the atmospheric heart of the Old Quarter, wander past street stalls and quiet residential lanes where you can observe local life that has changed little since Hanoi was founded over 1000 years ago - a hint at why it is called the "Old Quarter". The next two snack stops are at outdoor BBQ stalls. Sit down with the Hanoi locals and sample various meat, vegetable and bread specialties that are flame grilled over hot coals for extra flavour. It s now time for dessert! Your local guide will then take you to one of Hanoi s best kept secrets - Banh My Hanoi - a hidden street food restaurant where you can taste the top street foods in Hanoi including Vietnamese Rice Wine and the famous Egg Coffee. This hard-to-find café is one of the few left in the narrow street inside the old quarter of Hanoi. Please note: If you have any special dietary requirements, please let us know so that we can accommodate your needs and wishes. Overnight in Hanoi: L'Heritage Hotel - Deluxe Room (3 Star) Hanoi Pearl - Deluxe Room (4 Star); Apricot Hotel - Sketch Room (5 Star), lunch and dinner Day 4: A day of leisure and a flight to Hoi An Today you will be taken to the airport in time for your flight to Da Nang. On arrival in Da Nang you will be met at the airport and driven to Hoi An (approximately a 45 minute drive). Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure in Hoi An. The Hoi An entrance fee is included. When you arrive in Hoi An, please remind your guide to give it to you. It is a compulsory ticket and it is recommended to keep this in your pocket during your stay in Hoi An. Sometimes the town security will ask you to show the ticket and if you do not have it, you will need to buy another one at around USD7. Overnight in Hoi An: Hoi An Village Villa - (Budget); Kim An - Superior Room (3 Star); Thanh Binh Riverside (4 Star); Sunrise Resort - Ocean Deluxe Room (5 Star) Day 5: Hoi An Eco Tour and Cooking Class Today is a day to experience the local life and cuisine of Hoi An. Begin with a trip to the local markets - the morning time is when they are at their peak. Your guide can give you some bargaining tips as well as explain the ingredients that you will buy for your cooking class. 2 of 5
Next, head to the water and hop into a coracle - a traditional round boat where you can paddle on the canals of the Bay Mau Nipa Forest. This is a great fun! Your guide will show you the folk game bit mat dap nieu. Then take a short break with local tea before your cooking class with the local chefs. The chefs will teach you how to cook Vietnamese food and after you can enjoy your self-made lunch. Then relax on a sightseeing tour on the Thu Bon River by boat before being taken back to your hotel around 3pm. Overnight in Hoi An: Kim An - Superior Room (3 Star); Thanh Binh Riverside (4 Star); Sunrise Resort - Ocean Deluxe Room (5 Star) and lunch Day 6: Explore Hoi An a wonderful town with great shops, tailors, river, beach, cafes and more Today is a free day. Hoi An offers something for everyone. You can relax at the beach, enjoy great shopping and discover the grace and history of this well preserved ancient town. It is a culinary mecca with a laid back nature. The old-town character and friendly openness of the locals of Hoi An is a delight. Overnight in Hoi An: Kim An Hotel - Superior Room (3 Star); Thanh Binh Riverside (4 Star); Sunrise Resort - Ocean Deluxe Room (5 Star) Day 7: Fly to Ho Chi Minh City, the bustling and charming city of the South Today is at your leisure until your airport transfer for a flight to Ho Chi Minh City. You will be met on arrival in Ho Chi Minh City and taken to your hotel. From temples to sky scrapers, museums, French architecture, shops and food stalls Ho Chi Minh City has plenty to explore. Day 8: Visit the Mekong Delta Today you will be collected from your hotel and driven to the Ben Tre province, also known as land of Coconut, in the Mekong Delta. The drive is around 2 hours and on arrival in Ben Tre you can explore coconut workshops and the art of mat weaving in local houses. You can relax in the village or wander around observing the locals go about their daily life. 3 of 5
When it is time for lunch, board a Xu Loi - a kind of motorised rickshaw and be taken to a riverside restaurant. After lunch you can either relax at the restaurant or take a bike ride around the lovely countryside. Then take a trip in a sampan through the canals and visit the local Ben Tre market before your transfer back to Ho Chi Minh City. and lunch Day 9: At leisure in Saigon Today enjoy a day at leisure in Ho Chi Minh City. You may like to visit District 1 - the central part of the city and home to many of the sights and museums. If you would like to arrange a day tour, you can see some examples here of half day tours and here for full day tours. Day 10: Travel to Siem Reap the gateway to Angkor Wat Today you are free at leisure until you will be taken to the airport for your flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia. On arrival you will be met at the airport and taken to your hotel. Siem Reap is the gateway to the temples of Angkor Wat and with world class dining, shopping and spas, there is much to explore. Room (4 Star); Angkor Palace Resort - Deluxe Room (5 Star) Day 11: Full Day tour of the majesty and magic of Angkor Wat Today you visit the temples of Angkor Wat. A UNESCO World Heritage Centre, the temple complex is the largest religious monument in the world. Visit the South gate of Angkor Thom, Bayon, Baphuon, Phimeanakas, Terrace of the Elephants, Terrace of the Leper King and Ta Prohm temples where trees clasp the temples in their mighty roots. Angkor Wat is the iconic temple and is spectacular. It is an experience not to be missed. Room (4 Star); Angkor Palace Resort - Deluxe Room (5 Star) 4 of 5
Day 12: At leisure in Siem Reap and Angkor Wat Today is a day at leisure in Siem Reap to explore the city by yourself or re-visit the temples. Room (4 Star); Angkor Palace Resort - Deluxe Room (5 Star Day 13: Time to go home or on to your next adventure The tour ends today and you will be taken to the airport in time for your flight. Note: You can choose to do more or less tours than those included in the above itinerary. Should you wish to not participate in any tour - please let your tour operator know at the time and be aware that we are not able to provide any refunds or discounts. Should you wish to participate in more tours on days where we offer leisure time. Please note you will need to pay any additional costs for any tour that is not part of the existing itinerary. 5 of 5