Best Vietnam & Cambodia Classic Tour
Best Vietnam & Cambodia Classic Tour
Upon arrival at Noi Bai International Airport, you will be greeted by our driver and transferred to your hotel. Free at leisure and overnight in Hanoi
Note: Check in time is 02.00PM. Early check in is not included
Depart Hanoi for a 1.5hr drive to Son Tay, a district known for its thousand-year-old villages. Check in at the Moon Garden House, with its lovely central courtyard, rebuilt 100-year-old church, bonsai gardens overlooking a lake and surrounding rice fields. Enjoy a cup of green tea then wander around the compound belonging to an architect specialising in the restoration of old buildings. Participate in a cooking demonstration and learn how to prepare some of Vietnam’s most popular traditional dishes before savouring a delicious lunch. There is also an option to enjoy a traditional herbal hand massage. Around mid-afternoon, take a bicycle ride to discover the nearby village of Ky Son and Duong Lam ancient village to interact with the farmers there, perhaps even helping with ploughing or transplanting or harvesting, depending on the season and visit Mia Pagoda and Mong Phu Communal House. Then bike ride back along the ritual paths of Thang Thac village to discover the Ngo Quyen tomb and temple. Before returning to the Moon Garden for happy hour (you will be offered some kind of local tisane). While waiting for your foot bath in warm water with ginger, salt and mugwort medicinal herbs to be prepared, you can enjoy our local drink and taste some of the local products such as traditional dessert, maize, sweet potato, cassava, peanuts, etc, depending on season. Leaving Ky Son to drive back Hanoi center
8:00 – 08.30 You will be greeted at your hotel to take the new highway to Got Ferry Terminal, Cat Hai Town, Haiphong City (arrive about 11:30) by cruise shuttle bus. You will travel on the longest bridge in Southeast Asia and be greeted at our lounge before boarding.
12:15 Board the Heritage Cruises boat and enjoy a welcome drink as you receive a cruise briefing, safety instructions and check in to your suite. Lunch is served at L’Indochine Restaurant.
12:40 Cruise to Da Chong islet, where you can see a heritage lighthouse built by the French more than 100 years ago. After lunch, cruise to Gia Luan Lagoon where limestone karst formations rise out of the sea. This quiet bay is untouched and remote, as not many cruise ships visit.
15:00 The cruise vessel approaches the Ba Trai Dao or Three Peach beaches in Lan Ha Bay, a natural frontier between the provinces of Halong and Haiphong. This secret hideaway has beaches, caves and coves, plus the spectacular natural beauty of about 400 islands. Guests can try kayaking or simply swim in the clear waters of the bay.
17:30 Back on Heritage Cruises, enjoy life aboard the vessel or in your suite, and with cocktail in hand watch the sunset over the Gulf of Tonkin. Activities include afternoon tea and wine tasting, and the chef will lead a Vietnamese cookery class.
19:30 A memorable dining experience will be offered at the restaurant, with local food in an intimate and romantic setting.
21:30 Enjoy evening views of the bay at the bar on the top deck. Try your hand squid fishing, or watch a movie in the restaurant. The bars are open until late.
6:00 Start the day with a session of Vovinam on the sundeck, followed by a light breakfast. Then take the bamboo boats to explore the Dark and Bright Cave.
9:30 Return to the ship for checkout.
10:00 Enjoy brunch while cruising back to harbour.
11:35 Return to Got Harbour and Departure to Hanoi airport for flight to Danang.
Upon arrival, pick up and transfer to hotel in Hoi An. Free at leisure and overnight in Hoi An.
Notes: Schedules subject to change without prior notice
+ Cruise itinerary and schedule are subject to change due to weather, tide levels and operating conditions without prior notice.
+ In-advance register is required with name, passport, nationality, gender, and visa for all passengers. A valid passport is required upon check-in. Otherwise, boarding may be denied by port authority.
+ Meals on board are fusion: Vietnamese, seafood & international. Guests should advise of any special food preferences, allergies or dietary requirements at least one (1) week prior to the cruise date.
+ For safety: First aid kit is available at the Reception desk; Life jackets are in the drawer under your bed; No smoking in restaurant and cabin; Be aware of long jelly fish (seasonal)
08.00AM pick up at your hotel.
The flat, quiet roads around Hoi An are ideal for exploring by bicycle. After breakfast, start cycling along the Thu Bon River with peaceful views of fishing boats and country villages. Continue biking through the Thuan Tinh Ecological village and see areca nut (betel nut) gardens, family shrines and local villagers going about daily life. Keep on cycling along quiet inland trails, passing water coconut palm trees, fishing farms and rice paddies to reach palm-fringed Cua Dai Beach. Explore the local fishing village of Cam Thanh just where the Thu Bon River meets the sea with its scenic ocean views, kumquat gardens and corn fields. On your return to the centre of Hoi An, you may wish to stop by Tra Que Vegetable Village to observe local farmers working the organic fields using traditional methods that date back hundreds of years. The rich soil from this village produces some of the most flavoursome vegetables and herbs in all of Hoi An. If you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, spend time to help water the plants or fertilise the land (not included and pay directly) before cycling back to your hotel.
NOTES
Tour duration: 04 hours
Biking distance: 20km/12mi
Free at leisure to explore the ancient town. Overnight in Hoi An
Free at leisure to explore the ancient town. Overnight in Hoi An
Free until our driver pick up at hotel and transfer to airport for flight to Siemreap
Upon arrival, our driver will pick up at Siemreap airport and transfer to hotel. Free at leisure and overnight in Siemreap
Citadel of Women
Departure is at 6 am with the first destination being Preah khan. This temple is huge, open and sprawling and usually there are not many visitors at this time of the day which makes for a wonderful afternoon visit. Images abound of the Garuda; the mythical bird of flight, grasping the tails of his adversary the serpent, Naga. a narrative on the temple follows before leaving via the east entrance (please insist that your guide shows you the sacred female figures, a very special secret hidden from the world but well worth a few moments). From here a visit to Banteay Prei, again a very open temple set on the edge of rice fields; this temple has all the attributes of a larger temple in reduced scale. Visiting Banteay Prei after Preah khan makes an interesting comparison. Next a visit to Neak Pean, where pools of water were believed to have curative powers
Next destination is to the remote temple known as Banteay Srei, which takes approximately 45 minutes travelling time from Amansara. This temple is famous for the delicacy of sculpture. Unfortunately it is quite difficult to avoid the crowds at this spectacular temple. After Banteay Srei, a journey back to Banteay Samre, we leave the main road and head east over an embankment of the ancient reservoir of the eastern Baray. From here a short walk on a country track leads to the north gate of the temple. Banteay Samre is often enjoyed in solitary splendor as the day begins. On the journey home, an alternate route offers some of the most spectacular rice paddy views in Siem reap.
Tonle Sap lake
Once you’ve spent a few days exploring the temples of Angkor and you are ready for some time out we have the perfect antidote for you aboard our renovated local motor boat. Explore the nearby lake of Tonle sap visiting the floating and stilted villages of Chong Kneas and discover the varied plant, fish and bird life that make this huge inland lake such a valuable ecosystem to Cambodia and Southeast Asia
Capturing the atmosphere of the temple first by moon-light and then inside as the sun rises is our preferred way to present this magnificent monument. First destination is the east causeway to Angkor wat. Your guide will escort you through the entrance gate along a forested path and then into Angkor to the 1st level and up to the 2nd level of the temple providing time for personal exploration. All being well, you should witness dawn with very few others. Afterwards, following a brief introduction to temple life and Suryavarman II, you return to the first level which contains the bas-reliefs that feature the stories of the Ramayana, Mahabharata and the ‘churning of the sea of milk’. The extensive relief panels are the main feature of the morning outing. You depart Angkor Wat by way of the cruciform terrace, passing the libraries and the grand entrance pavilion before crossing the west causeway. If you are not after the perfect Angkor sunrise photograph and crowds of other travelers are of no concern to you then things are a little more leisurely. A suggested wake-up call at 5.00am with a departure from your hotel at 5.30am, with your destination the main entrance to Angkor Wat and the west causeway. Your guide will escort you along the cruciform terrace and to the southern library where the sun rises behind Angkor Wat reflecting in the pools adjacent to the great temple. Once the sun has risen, the outing will continue following a very similar format as mentioned above. It should be stressed entering Angkor Wat from the west gate is how the majority of visitors experience this great temple, subsequently much of the atmosphere can be lost due to large crowds. Next stop is Ta Prohm, one of the most popular temples in the park. Once home to 615 exquisite dancers, the one hour spent within Ta Prohm provides the opportunity to ponder, not only in man’s ingenuity, but to witness the forces of nature as the forest has gradually taken a firmer hold over the temple ruins. It is ideal for exploration, photos and contemplative time. Try the local traditional Khmer noodle breakfast at Preak Dak Khmer Village House before returning to your hotel for your second breakfast at the hotel.
Free at leisure to explore the town. Overnight in Siemreap
Free until our driver pick up at hotel and transfer to airport for flight to Hochiminh
Upon arrival, our driver will pick up at Hochiminh airport and transfer to hotel. Free at leisure and overnight in Hoi An.
Depart from Saigon for the 1.5hr drive to Ben Tre, situated in the Mekong River Delta, exchanging city scenes for lush rice paddies and fruit farms. At the pier, embark on a fascinating motorboat excursion to start with a quick visit of Cai Be floating market. Then, the rowing boat will take you deeper into the countryside on smaller canals to enjoy the peaceful time. Back to our boat to go across one of the longest Mekong river. fish farms and scenes of countryside living. Arrive at An Bình Island. Head to handmade canal to Ut Trinh homestay & enjoy a lunch. After lunch, walking around this orchard & enjoy some cups of tea when listening to the traditional music in the ancient house.
Then walk around local village to visit the local workshop to see how to make rice paper, coconut candy, pop-rice… Enjoy some sweets with a cup of hot tea. And have an optional biking can be made for a leisure! It will be so amazing to bike on village paths to see the local daily life: orchard, school, church, pagoda, traditional houses. Then visit the brick kilns where you can see how the local people create beautiful potteries from clay. The cruise will end at Vinh Long city before driving back to Saigon
Free at leisure and overnight in Ho Chi Minh.
There is no plan for this last day, you will have some free time to relax and enjoy the time in the town before transferring to the airport for the flight back home. End of services!
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