PROGRAM DETAIL
Day 01 . Thu 15 March 2018 : Siemreap arrival (-) | Guide and driver
*Flight: BKK - REP FD610 (10.00 - 11.00)
Upon arrival at Siemreap airport, meet your guide and transfer to hotel.
Overnight in Siemreap.
Accommodation: Central Boutique Angkor*** - Boutique
Day 02 . Fri 16 March 2018 : Siemreap - Angkor Thom - Angkor Wat - Siemreap (B) | Guide and driver
We will visit the South Gate of Angkor Thom also referred to as "Great City", the famous Bayon Temple built in the late 12th century and the Baphoun Temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, the Terrace of Elephants, the Terrace of the Leper King and Phimean Akas known as "Heavenly Palace". Lunch on your own.
In the afternoon, we will tour the World Heritage site "Angkor Wat", the world's largest religious building. We continue our day with a visit to Pre Rub Hill Temple and watch the sunset from the top of the hill. Back to the hotel.
Overnight in Siemreap.
Day 03 . Sat 17 March 2018 : Siemreap - Kbal Spean - Banteay Srei - Siemreap (B) | Guide and driver
Early morning (5h) transfer with your guide to watch the sunrise over the Angkor Wat Temple. Then return to hotel for breakfast.
We will start our day trip by visiting Kbal Spean referred to as “The river of a Thousand Lingas” which is situated 30km north of Angkor Wat, roughly a one hour drive. It closes at 3pm. We will take a forest walk and then return Sieamreap. Lunch on your own.
Afternoon we will continue from there straight to Banteay Srei, "The Citadel of Women" built at a time when the Khmer Empire was gaining significant power. Like numerous others, it is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. It is a masterpiece of Khmer art with its intricate, pink sandstone construction and ornate design. On the way back to Siem Reap, we will visit Srah Srang, "The Royal Bath" and Banteay Kdei, a richly decorated Buddhist temple.
Overnight in Siemreap.
Day 04 . Sun 18 March 2018 : Siemreap - Kampong Pluk Village - Fly to Saigon (B) | Guide and driver
In the morning we will discover Tonle Sap Lake by boat. It is the largest lake in Indochina with a length of 100km. We will cruise for 1 to 2 hours and visit a fishing village Kompong Pluk where all fishermen live in floating houses. Explore the differences between these and other fishing villages around the world.
Transfer to Siemreap airport for your flight to Saigon.
*Flight: REP - SGN VN3824 (13.55 - 15.05)
Pick up upon arrival by guide and transfer to your hotel.
Overnight in Saigon.
Accommodation: Cititel Central Sai Gon Hotel*** - Deluxe City View
Day 05 . Mon 19 March 2018 : Saigon city tour (B) | Guide and driver
You will be picked up at 8:00am from your hotel in Saigon, to visit the Notre Dame Cathedral and the General Post Office. The Saigon city tour then continues along Dong Khoi Street, where the Opera House and the Peoples’ Committee building, built in 1897 by French architect Ferret Eugene, are situated. The 800 seat Opera House served as the home of the Lower House Assembly of South Vietnam after 1956. You will then visit The Reunification Palace, formerly known as Presidential Palace, which was the residence of the president of South Vietnam until the end of April 1975. Lunch on your own.
In the afternoon, you will visit the War Remnants Museum formerly known as the Museum of American War Crimes. This is a poignant display of the futility of war. Next on the sightseeing list is Thien Hau Pagoda located in Cho Lon, the city’s Chinatown. This pagoda is dedicated to the Goddess of the Sea. The most impressive features of the structure are the intricate friezes and the carved tableaus towards the front of the pagoda. The impressive incense coils inside the pagoda also make for some great photos. Another site that cannot be missed is Binh Tay Market or ‘Cho Lon’, which can be roughly translated to ‘big market’. Although the whole district lives up to its name a visit to this market really says it all. Selling everything from fake Ray Bans to dried squid, you are bound to enjoy a walk through the maze of stalls in this bustling market. Your tour of Saigon will end with a visit to a lacquer ware workshop.
Overnight in Saigon.
Day 06 . Tue 20 March 2018 : Saigon - Ben Tre - Can Tho (B, L, D) | Guide and driver
Departure from the hotel at 8am to Ben Tre province in the Mekong Delta. Arrive at Hung Vuong Pier (Ben Tre town) 90km far from SaiGon, embark and cruise along the Ben Tre River, then visit an artisanal brick factory and its imposing ovens. Next, stop for a sweet break to discover how coconut flesh is used and processed. (tea time in a coconut cadies manufacture). A short bike ride or tuktuk (motorcycle, allowing transporting 6 passengers) will allow you to explore the countryside, and make a stop at a family braiding mats. Lunch in a local restaurant offering typical dishes. Then, boarded a rowing boat to join the canal through a maze of arroyos and return to the landing stage.
Drive to Green Village in Can Tho. Check in and take a rest. Explore the canal by a free rowing boat and cycle around the village. If you like cooking, the host is willing to show you how to cook Vietnamese food. Enjoy dinner.
Overnight at Green Village 2.
Accommodation: Green Village 2 – Mekong Lake View*** - Lake View Bungalow – One King Bed
Day 07 . Wed 21 March 2018 : Can Tho - Cai Rang floating market - Saigon (B) | Guide and driver
In the early morning, have an excursion to the floating market of Cai Rang, the largest one in the region, where boats full of fruit and vegetables gather every day. Then, take a walk in an orchard of Mr. Ba Cong, where it will also be possible to enjoy fresh tropical fruits and visit a vermicelli factory. The day will continue with a visit to Binh Thuy's old house where the film adaptation of Marguerite Duras' novel L' Amant was filmed in 1992. Lunch on your own. Return to Saigon in the late afternoon.
Overnight in Saigon.
Accommodation: Cititel Central Sai Gon Hotel*** - Deluxe City View
Day 08 . Thu 22 March 2018 : Saigon - Cu Chi - Fly to Hanoi (B) | Guide and driver
After breakfast, drive to the Cu Chi Tunnels, situated 70km from Saigon. The Cu Chi Tunnel system was created around 1948 to assist the Viet Minh in their combat against French occupiers. Construction and enlargement continued during American bombings and they were turned into an underground city with living areas, kitchens, storage, weapon factories and field hospitals. The Cu Chi Tunnels could house up to 10,000 people who lived underground for years, getting married and raising children. During the Vietnam- American War the entire area of Cu Chi was designated as a fire free zone yet was heavily bombarded. Since 1988, two sections of the tunnels are open for visitors to crawl through and better understand the war. Transfer back to Saigon. Lunch on your own.
Transfer to Tan Son Nhat airport for your flight to Hanoi.
*Flight: SGN - HAN VN252 (15.30 - 17.40)
Pick up upon arrival by guide and transfer to your hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter.
Overnight in Hanoi.
Accommodation: Hong Ngoc Dynastie Hotel*** - Deluxe
Day 09 . Fri 23 March 2018 : Hanoi city tour (B) | Guide and driver
You will be picked up at the hotel at 8:00am. Drive pass by the French Quarter, that can explain to you why this city so called “ Paris of the East”. Visit Ho Chi Minh Complex, which compromises Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum (closed on Mondays & Fridays), his former stilt-house residence, the Presidential Palace and Ho Chi Minh Museum. We will then visit the Temple of Literature constructed in 1070 to worship Confucius, which served as the first Royal National University in Vietnam. The site also honors 82 Vietnamese doctorates who passed a number of rigid exams in the feudal ages. Their names, birthdays and birthplaces are engraved in 82 headstones perched on stone tortoises. It is widely believed that touching the heads of these tortoises will bring luck. Its peaceful green compound with its neatly maintained lawns, gardens and lotus ponds make it a tranquil hideaway from the city’s bustle and heat. Lunch on your own.
In the afternoon, we will visit the Museum of Ethnology (closed on Mondays, the alternative being the History Museum), which offers informative and well-documented displays of the country’s 54 ethnic groups, including elaborate and colorful hill tribe costumes. The display continues in the museum’s garden with fascinating examples of traditional houses of numerous minority groups, from the Kinhs to the ethnic groups of the Central Highlands. Then back to the Hanoi Old Quarter for a 1 hour cyclo tour. We then head to Ngoc Son Temple set on a tiny island in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake. Ngoc Son Temple dates back to the 13th century, and the lake itself is the picturesque heart of Hanoi, frequented by tourists and locals alike. Your tour will be concluded with great experience of Water Puppet show - the unique art of Vietnamese people from Red River Delta.
Overnight in Hanoi.
Day 10 . Sat 24 March 2018 : Hanoi - Halong Bay with LaFairy Sails (B, L, D) |
08:00 – 08:30: Pick-up at your hotel near by the Old Quarter in Hanoi by shuttle bus.
12:00 – 12:30: Embark the LaFairy Sails at Tuan Chau International harbor. Enjoy welcome drink, cruise briefing & start cruising.
13:00 – 14:30: A sumptuous lunch is served while cruising into the magnificent Halong Bay with its thousands of extraordinarily shaped limestone islands, considered as the heaven on the Earth.
15:15 – 15:45: Explore Lờm Bò area and be charmed by this outstanding masterpiece of Mother Nature. Visit Mê Cung Cave – one of the most beautiful caves in Halong Bay and climb up to see the panoramic view of the bay from above
16:00 – 16:45: Explore Ngoc Trai area by kayaking.
17:00 – 19:00: Return to the LaFairy Sails for a Sunset party to admire the best moments of the day when the sun starts to set. Enjoy everyday promotion HAPPY HOUR - BUY 2 GET 1 FREE all beverages from 5 to 6pm.
19:00: Savor a sparkling and dreamlike dinner on top deck under the light of a thousand stars in middle of the tranquil Bay with extremely delicious food and be awed by a fascinating fruit and vegetable carving show. Delight in traditional music performances. Afterwards, socialize with the artist, new friends and crew members, join squid fishing.
Overnight onboard.
Accommodation: La Fairy Sails - La Fairy - Balcony
Day 11 . Sun 25 March 2018 : Halong Bay - Hanoi (B, L) |
06:30 – 07:00: Start your new day with a Tai Chi session or a photo hunt.
07:15 – 08:00: Enjoy breakfast in the fresh air and peaceful beauty of the Bay.
08:15 – 09:15: Visit Titov Island for swimming in the emerald water. Then hike up to the top of the island to take the breathtaking panoramic view of the Bay.
09:45 – 10:15: Pack your luggage and check out of the cabin while cruising towards the harbor.
10:15 – 11:45: Join a cooking demonstration before enjoying an exceptional Buffet lunch.
12:00 – 12:30: Disembark the LaFairy Sails & Farewell. Transfer back to Hanoi by shuttle bus.
17:00 – 17:15: Drop off at your hotel.
Overnight in Hanoi.
SPECIAL OFFER: BODY MASSAGE 60 MINUTES AT MIDO SPA, 26 HANG MANH STR, HOAN KIEM DIST, HANOI.
Tel: (+84-24) 38285588 / 63271281
Transportation: your own arrangement
Accommodation: Hong Ngoc Dynastie Hotel*** - Deluxe
Day 12 . Mon 26 March 2018 : Hanoi departure (B) | Driver
09h45: Transfer (without guide) to Tan Son Nhat airport for your departure flight.
*Flight: HAN - BKK SL181 (12.45 - 14.45)