Best of Cambodia & Vietnam: Small Group Travel Tour Package – Tour 35

Tonight our Best of Cambodia and Vietnam small group travel  tour will stay in; BANGKOK – Our Best of  Cambodia & Vietnam   tour officially starts when you check into our 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.

Incl. Dinner

BANGKOK – A free day to get the feel of this full on amazing city. Our tour coordinator will be more than happy to make suggestions on what to see or do as well as pointing you in the right direction after you decide which way to go.

As it’s a Sunday the Chatuchak Weekend Market is a popular place to look for a bargain. With thousands of stalls don’t expect to see it all in one day but do expect to purchase something you never even knew existed before today.

From a mouse to an elephant; Although it’s so big even an elephant may be hard to find. One of the worlds great markets.

Bartering, (always with a smile), is the name of the game as usual.

Incl. Breakfast

Tonight our Cambodia Vietnam soft adventure holiday will stay in; SIEM REAP – Our group tour will have a long but interesting days travel today.
Firstly by bus to the Thai border town of Aranya Prathet. After completing immigration duties in Poipet we will travel on the much-improved roads to Siem Reap.

Late afternoon we will visit Angkor Wat for the sunset views.

Incl. Breakfast

SIEM REAP – 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 complex, you will also visit the Bayon, Tha Prohm and Angkor Thom.

Incl. Breakfast

SIEM REAP – A free day to wander around Siem Reap.

A few of the Siem Reap sights and/or activities may include:

The Angkor National Museum, War Museum, House of peace association or the Kmer ceramics centre. A number of temples include the oldest of Wat Bo.

Siem Reap has some great shopping opportunities these days also. Souvenir overload at times.

For shoppers:

Artisans d’Angkor has a shop selling various pieces relating to local culture.

Shops set up to benefit the blind, disabled and other worthy causes include Krouser Thmey, Nyemo,Rajana, Rehab Craft, Sentaurs 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.

As its name suggests, Pub street provides exactly that, especially in the evening. Local market food or upmarket restaurants just add to the appeal.

NOTE: If you want to spend further time visiting some of the more remote temples of Angkor we will be happy to arrange this for you as an optional extra at your expense.

Incl. Beakfast

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

And what a wonderfully relaxed destination in between mildly hectic Siem Reap and the even more so Phnom Penh to follow.

A rose between two thorns for charm and relaxation. This is the chill out capital of Cambodia.

Less traffic chaos just, 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.

No meals incl.

BATTAMBANG – 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 or 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.

Incl. Breakfast

Tonight our  best of  Cambodia & Vietnam in comfort small group adventure tour will stay in; PHNOM PENH – Another bus ride will see us in the hectic but no less fascinating capital of Phnom Penh. The rest of the day can be used for finding your way around or relaxing . Lots of restaurants and bars nearby Riverside and the many side streets in this great central location.

Incl. Breakfast

PHNOM PENH – A day to try and fully take in 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. This is a grim experience that will stay with you forever. You will come away with far more compassion and concern for your fellow man.

Incl. Breakfast

Tonight our Best of Cambodia and Vietnam budget group tour small group tour will stay in; HO CHI MINH CITY – Short in distance but still a full and interesting day by international bus will see us cross into Vietnam via the Moc Bai/Bavet border crossing and arrive late afternoon in   Ho Chi Minh City, (Saigon).

Incl. Breakfast

HO CHI MINH CITY – A free day for shopping, sightseeing and trying some  of the great food on offer.

Rice paper or fried spring rolls, a bowl of Pho,(rice noodle soup), aromatic curries and numerous other local specialities often cooked in coconut milk. Vegetarians won’t be short on choice either as most things come in veggie options also.  Maybe an optional extra half day city tour?

Incl. Breakfast

HO CHI MINH CITY – MEKONG DELTA – A full days tour with a local operator by bus and boats to the Mekong Delta to get a close-up view of the lifestyles of the locals.

Firstly by bus to the town of My Tho, 70 kilometres from Ho Chi Minh City. Then by boat, you will visit Dragon, Unicorn, Phoenix and Tortoise islands. Sights along the way include a fishing port and stilt houses. Lunch will be had riverside in an orchard. Later it will be by a small local rowing boat through some smaller jungle-shrouded channels to try some local fruits and honey as well as be entertained by some island villagers performing Southern Vietnamese folk music.

Incl. Breakfast and lunch

Tonight our Cambodia and Vietnam in comfort small group tour will stay in; HOI AN –  A short domestic  flight will see us in Danang in Vietnam from where we will do the short transfer to one of the super highlights of Vietnam in Hoi An.

Incl. Breakfast

HOI AN – 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 charges a small entrance fee or ask for a donation.

HOI AN – 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.

Incl. Breakfast

Tonight our Best of Cambodia and Vietnam vacation tour will stay in; HUE – A short bus ride through some great coastal scenery will see us to historical Hue. After we check into our accommodation a local guide will take us on a tour of the historic Citadel.

Incl. Breakfast

Tonight our Cambodia and Vietnam group tour will stay on; OVERNIGHT SLEEPER TRAIN. – A  free day to explore   HUE before joining the locals on an overnight sleeper train to HANOI. This is a real Vietnam train travel experience.

Incl. Breakfast

Tonight our Cambodia Vietnam small group adventure tour will stay in; HANOI – Arriving early a.m. will see our tour package in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi.

The rest of the day you can use to get the feel of this amazing city.

Be careful crossing the roads is the best advice here. Shops and local culture abound.

The millennium old, Old Quarter is the best place to start and 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 start to explore the many sights and attractions.

A few others 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 the complete meal which the locals enjoy day and night, breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Rice paper spring rolls are another of the popular choices, available in meat or vegetarian varieties. Lots of other local choices as well as International and other Asian cuisines are readily available also.

Wash it all down with a USD $0.40 glass of Beer Hoi, (“fresh” draught beer), and all is well in Hanoi.

Lastly, dinner tonight will take the form of a roaming street food tour with a local guide. Think, all you can eat delicious, real Vietnamese delights.

Incl. Dinner

Tonight our Cambodia Vietnam small group holiday tour will stay on; HALONG BAY BOAT – An early start with a local operator will take our group tour for an all-inclusive tour for two days and one night to the UNESCO world heritage listed Halong Bay.

Firstly by bus to Halong City where we will board our deluxe cruise boat for an afternoon of cruising, cave visiting and swimming in spectacular Halong Bay. Overnight will be on board our boat in a deluxe private cabin.

Incl. Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Tonight our Cambodia Vietnam highlights travel tour will stay in; HANOI – In the morning we will again cruise among the spectacular limestone karst scenery back to Halong City.

After lunch our tour will continue by bus back to Hanoi, arriving late afternoon. B. L.

Incl. Breakfast and lunch

HANOI –  A final free day in Hanoi to lock in the memories of this unique city. Is there another city on the planet with similar motorbike density? Almost no chance.  Some of us explore the city by contunually walking left to avoid crossing any roads. Others take a bicycle rickshaw and close their eyes or just laugh their heads off, at it all. A farewell dinner will be had in the evening.

Incl. Breakfast and dinner

Our Cambodia / Vietnam small group adventure tour package is officially over when we check out of our Hanoi accommodation. An airport transfer is included also.

Incl. Breakfast

We have had  a mix of soft adventure and relaxation along the way while experiencing the local cultures and the major attractions all rolled into one small  group tour.

And we doubt you will ever find a more hectically fascinating city than Hanoi.