Cambodia & Vietnam: Solo travellers at 60 – 21 Days – Tour 60B

Tonight our Cambodia & Vietnam for solos at 60 soft adventure tour will stay in; BANGKOK – Our small group tour officially starts when you check into your Bangkok accommodation. A welcoming dinner will be had in the evening.

If you arrive early enough your free time could be spent visiting the enormous Chatuchak weekend market and/or, Wat Phra Kaew & the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Wat Arun, MBK or Siam shopping centres or take a boat ride with the locals on the Chao Phraya express to some local shops in nearby Nonthaburi province.

A few of the dozens of other options may be Vimanmek Teak Mansion, Chinatown, Wat Traimit, Jim Thompsons House, Silom or Sukhumvit road shops.

Tonight our small group solo at 60 tour will stay in; Hanoi –  A short international flight will see us in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi. Our accommodation is in the Old Quarter amid the chaotic traffic that will astound first time visitors.

HANOI – Beware of crossing the roads is the best advice before a totally free day to explore this amazing city. Shops and local culture abound. In the evening a local guide will take you on a street food dinner tour until you say – “No more please”.

The Old Quarter is the best place to start to get a feel of the local way of life along with a stroll around Hoan Kiem Lake.

Pay your respects at Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum as you continue your exploration of the many sights and attractions.

A few being the Ho Chi Minh Museum, One Pillar Pagoda, Dien Huu Pagoda, Tay Ho Pagoda among many other pagoda’s and temples as well as St Joseph Cathedral.

Another museum or three may include the History, Fine Arts, Women’s, Army, Airforce, Loa Lo Prison or Museum of Vietnamese Revolution.

For Foodies; start with a bowl of Pho. This bowl of noodle soup plus is a complete meal which the locals enjoy day and night, breakfast, lunch or dinner. Rice paper spring rolls are another of the popular choices, especially as a pre-dinner beer snack, available in meat or vegetarian varieties. Lots of other local choices as well as International and other Asian cuisines which are readily available also.

Wash it all down with a glass of Beer Hoi, (“fresh” draught beer) or a big bottle of Tiger or 333 and all’s well in Hanoi.

Tonight our Cambodia & Vietnam small group holiday tour package will stay on; HALONG BAY BOAT – After an early breakfast we join a local operator for the drive to Halong City where the holiday relaxation begin when we will board our deluxe boat to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Halong Bay for an afternoon of cruising, cave visiting and swimming in spectacular Halong Bay.

Overnight will be on board our boat with a deluxe en-suite cabin.

Optional activities will be available such as buying a beer as you relax deck side amid the sensational scenic parade

Tonight our Cambodia &Vietnam small group travel tour will stay on; OVERNIGHT SLEEPER TRAIN – A morning of more relaxed scenic cruising before returning to Hanoi by bus to board our overnight sleeper train with the locals to historical Hue.
The cabins are 4 berth that are basic upper and lower bench beds. Do not expect luxury in any way. A true local experience.

Tonight our Vietnam small group adventure holiday tour package will stay in; HUE – Our group tour will arrive mid-morning in Hue.

After accommodation check in a local guide will take us on a tour of the historic Hue Citadel. No meals.

Tonight our Cambodia & Vietnam small group soft adventure holiday will stay in; HOI AN – Today our small group tour will continue on a short bus trip south via Danang to the quaint and charming UNESCO World Heritage-listed town of Hoi An.

After already seeing one of the super Vietnam highlights of Halong Bay we can decide if the best was left till last.

They really are incomparable as they are both so totally different but the debate will be had none the less.

With almost three full days you will soon understand why it is on every Asian traveller’s bucket list as we meander through the delightful streets of yesteryear.

Hoi An is also the place to look out for that tailor-made suit you were thinking about or just relax with a coffee by the Thu Bon River.

Hoi An is a favourite with all travellers. For sightseeing, there are numerous attractions on an easy half day meander around town.

Start at the Phac Hat Pagoda followed by the Truong family chapel, the assembly hall of the Fujian Chinese congregation, the Quan Cong Temple, the Quan Am Pagoda and History Museum, the Museum of Sa Huynh Culture, the Hoi An Church, the Japanese covered bridge and finish with a local coffee or USD $0.40 glass of beer Hoi (“fresh”, draught beer), Riverside.

The above sights are only a few of those available. Most places are free to visit while a few charge a small entrance fee or ask for a donation.

Another free day to soak up the atmosphere of Charming Hoi An.

Checking out the local markets along the river is yet another option today.

A day at the beach is not far away for those wanting it either.

Tonight our Vietnam small group travel tour will stay in; HO CHI MINH CITY; (SAIGON) – This morning we will take a  short domestic flight to Ho Chi Minh City.
Hopefully, by now, you will have mastered how to cross the roads so seeing the attractions will not hold as much fear of the teeming traffic chaos. Not quite as dense as Hanoi though.
There is lots to see and do.
The War Remnants Museum is a truly gruesome look at the utter futility and horrors of war or on a lighter note the History, Fine Arts or Museum of Ho Chi Minh City will keep you fully occupied.
Other places of interest include the nearby Ben Thanh market or the Huynh Thuc Khang Street market.
A taxi ride to Cholon will see you in either the Binh Tay or An Dong markets with the latter particularly good for clothing and cheap local eats.

A lazy breakfast will be followed by a half-day city tour which will include the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, Ngoc Hoang Pagoda, the Post Office and a Handicraft workshop.

A great chance to get the feel of this truly Asian city.

A day to try and fully comprehend the short but brutal rule of the Khmer Rouge.
A visit to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek where the Khmers have made fantastic efforts to come to terms with their recent history.
Then to the just as infamous S21 which is now Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. Here you can view 100’s of black and white photos Pol Pot’s regime took both before and sometimes after torturing his victims. This moving experience will stay with you forever.
You will come away with far more compassion and concern for your fellow man.

Tonight our Best Cambodia & Vietnam small group tour will stay in; BATTAMBANG –  By bus today will see us in Cambodia’s second city of Battambang.

And what a wonderfully relaxed destination after hectic  Phnom Penh. This is the chill-out capital of Cambodia.

Less traffic chaos to begin with, makes it the perfect place to explore the old French-era architectural buildings.

Some of the best coffee anywhere and more great food with the Eden cafe just one worth a mention for dinner and a glass of wine.

Or the more atmospheric riverside market for dinner or a real local lunch experience in the local market beside our accommodation are other possibilities.

A free day to explore, eat and/or relax by the pool. Some of the attractions include the historic train station minus any trains, the historical Governors Residence from the early 1900s and the Battambang Museum which houses some lintels from the Angkor period among other things.

But it will be the relaxed charm of the city that wins you over.

Tonight our Cambodia adventure travel will stay in; SIEM REAP – A medium day’s travel today will see us in Siem Reap the stopping-off point to the Angkor Wat temple complex.

Late afternoon our driver/guide will take us for the sunset views of this amazing temple complex.

A full day by van or car with a local guide to explore the majestic and mysterious spectacle of Angkor Wat.

Apart from the main Angkor Wat temple complex, you will also visit the Bayon, Tha Prohm and Angkor Thom.

A free day to wander around sleepy Siem Reap.
Many options for meals today from French to Mexican. But a food market with the locals is the place to get that, “save the best till last”, meal of Amok.
The Angkor National Museum or the local market for that Angkor souvenir are just two places, to begin with, today.
For shoppers:
Lots of shopping opportunities now that tourism has arrived.
Artisans d’Angkor has a shop selling various pieces relating to local culture.
Shops that benefit the blind, disabled and other worthy causes include Krouser Thmey, Nyemo,Rajana, Rehab Craft, Centaurs d’Angkor and Tabitha Cambodia.
These shops sell a variety of goods which include silk products, arts and craft, clothing, wallets, bags and the like.

NOTE: If you want to continue exploring some of the lesser-known temples of Angkor that can be arranged as an optional extra cost to you on arrival.

A last free day in the city of angels to sightsee, shop or just relax by the pool. Traditional Thai or foot massage perhaps? Your tour coordinator will help you decide which way you want to head today. The big Mango offers a multitude of choices. A farewell dinner will be had in the evening.