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 will 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 – Hoi An is also the place to look out for that quality tailor-made suit you were thinking about at bargain prices 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 a glass of beer Hoi (“fresh”, draught beer), Riverside. The above sights are only a few of the many.

Most places are free to visit while a few charge a small entrance fee or seek a donation.

But it will be the overall aura of it all that will have you raving about it like all those before you.

HOI AN – Another free day to again soak up the atmosphere of Charming Hoi An.

Checking out the local riverside markets on yet another souvenir hunt is also an option today.

Hoi An also has many great restaurants with a number of its own regional foods.

A banana flower salad at The nearby Bamboo restaurant just one well worth a try.

onight our Cambodia & Vietnam best tour package for solos at 60 will stay in; HO CHI MINH CITY – Today our small group holiday tour takes the easy option with a short domestic flight after transferring to Danang to Ho Chi Minh City.

Hopefully, by now you will have mastered how to cross the roads so seeing more of the attractions will not hold as much fear of the teeming traffic chaos. Relatively easy in comparison to Hanoi.

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.

Any further time could be used to visit 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.

HO CHI MINH CITY – Today everyone can decide which way they go with a local guided tour of our choice. Ho Chi MInh City tour; Cu Chi tunnels or the Mekong Delta.

Tonight our Cambodia & Vietnam small group tour will stay in; PHNOM PENH – Short in distance but still a full and interesting day by international bus will see us cross into Cambodia via the Bavet/Moc Bai border crossing and arrive late afternoon in the capital Phnom Penh.
For those who want the easy way we can arrange an optional unaccompanied flight for you.

PHNOM PENH – 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 Cambodia & Vietnam solo at 60 soft adventure holiday tour will stay in; BATTAMBANG – A relatively short bus trip today will see us in Cambodia’s second city of Battambang.

And what a comparison to 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 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 red.

Lunch in the local market beside our accommodation with the locals a possibility also.

Battambang really is a lesser known super highlight of Cambodia. Not to be missed.

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.

Tonight our Cambodia & Vietnam soft adventure travel will stay in; SIEM REAP – Another 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.

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 temple complex, you will also visit the Bayon, Tha Prohm and Angkor Thom.

SIEM REAP – A free day to wander around not so sleepy anymore Siem Reap.

Many options on 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 on arrival.

Tonight our Cambodia & Vietnam small group tour will stay in; BANGKOK – Our group travel tour will have a long but interesting day as we return by bus to Bangkok via the Poipet/ Aranya Prathet border crossing on the much-improved roads.
Again this is a close up look at rural Cambodia but it is by far the longest travel day with often long delays at the border also. So anyone wanting to fly back to Bangkok unaccompanied can be catered for with this optional extra.

BANGKOK – A last free day in the city of angels to sight see, 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.

Our Vietnam & Cambodia small group soft adventure tour for solos at 60 is officially over when we check out of our Bangkok accommodation. An airport transfer is also included.

We had some soft adventure as well as plenty of free time to relax with only two long travel days. Plus great food and drink that also helps make for a great vacation and some real-life local travel experiences.