Vietnam & Cambodia

Phnom Penh

Ta Prohm Temple

Visit the highlights of Vietnam and Cambodia, the very essence of Indochina, experiencing their captivating blend of French colonial history, unique local culture and beautiful rural scenery. It’s a mosaic of mist-shrouded mountains, vibrant green forests, a patch-work of rice paddies and pristine white beaches.

Arrive at the airport for your overnight direct flight to Hanoi.

After our morning arrival, we check in to our hotel before a wonderful introduction to Hanoi on our trip into the city’s old town by cycle rickshaws with time for lunch before returning to our hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure. This evening we have a welcome dinner enjoying typical Vietnamese cuisine at a local restaurant, the perfect opportunity to get to know your fellow travellers and tour manager. (B,D) + Included Experience – Guided tour of Hanoi’s old town by cycle rickshaw

Today we explore Hanoi, past and present. The French created this gorgeous colonial city of tree lined avenues, belle epoque villas, grand public buildings and an Opera house, all built around more than a dozen lakes. Its old quarter, a tangle of narrow streets, and the commercial heart of the city for hundreds of years is now full of tiny shops, pagodas and the populace astride their bicycles and mopeds. During our guided tour we also see the beautiful Temple of Literature dedicated to Confucius and Vietnam’s first university, and the imposing marble mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh himself. This afternoon is free for you to explore. (B) + Included Experience – Guided tour of Hanoi

Today we visit Vietnam’s greatest natural wonder, the UNESCO World Heritage site of Halong Bay. Leaving Hanoi, we enter a timeless landscape of rice paddies, following the Red River delta to the emerald seas of the Gulf of Tonkin.

As we board our converted Chinese junk and glide along the jade-green waters it’s not hard to imagine how the myths of their creation began: a dragon is said to have plunged into the sea and its thrashing tail sculpted the craggy islands. We visit some of the vast and beautifully illuminated caves and grottoes before lunch on board, returning to Hanoi. (B,L) + Included Experience – Cruise along Halong Bay

Today we fly south to Danang and then drive over the stunning scenery of the Hai Van Pass before descending to

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• Return direct scheduled flights with premium economy flight upgrades available at a supplement • Stay in hand-picked five-star and fourstar accommodation • A welcome drinks reception to get to know your fellow travellers • The services of our experienced and insightful tour manager throughout

(B) Daily Breakfast, (L) 5 Lunches, (D) 1 Dinner For departure dates, prices and flights, please call or visit our website.

YOUR EXPERIENCES • 4 guided tours including Hanoi, the

Citadel and Forbidden City, Phnom

Penh and Saigon • Take a leisurely cruise aboard a converted Chinese junk boat in

UNESCO-listed Halong Bay • 8 visits including the Royal Palace of

Phnom Penh, the National Museum, the Tuol Sleng Museum, Cu Chi tunnels, Kompong Thom, the Temples of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and

Ta Prohm • Enjoy a full-day trip on the mighty

Mekong delta

Thien Mu Pagoda

Hue, Vietnam’s last royal capital and traditional centre of religion, culture and education. It’s one of the country’s most beautiful small towns, bisected by the serene Perfume River and dominated by its immense Citadel, encircled by 6 miles of high, 65 foot-thick walls and a moat. (B)

Enjoy a leisurely river cruise to the magnificent seven-storied Thien Mu pagoda, a working Buddhist shrine. We then visit the incredible complex of the Citadel and within it, the Imperial City, seeing the Palace of Supreme Harmony, which contained the emperor’s throne. Later we visit Emperor Tu Duc’s mausoleum. More interested in poetry than running the country, Tu Duc’s lifestyle suggests he had plenty of free time - he had 104 wives, 50-course meals and tea made from the dewdrops of lotus blossoms! It took 3,000 workers three years to build his mausoleum, which includes a lake, pavilions and a theatre. Lunch is included today and the evening is at leisure. (B,L) + Included Experiences – Visit the Thien Mu pagoda, the Imperial City and Emperor Tu Duc’s mausoleum

Today we fly to Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon as the locals still call it. Brash and boisterous, it has real zest for life. Vietnam’s culinary capital, Saigon offers a very wide variety of excellent dining experiences, from top class restaurants in swish luxury hotels to French, Italian, Chinese, Japanese and Indian options. (B)

Today we visit the famous Cu Chi tunnels, a complex underground network stretching for 200 kilometres, which included hospitals, meeting rooms, sleeping quarters and kitchens. Begun during the last years of French rule and vastly expanded during the 1960s, the tunnels provided a base for the Vietcong from which to attack US forces within just 30 miles of Saigon. Despite being carpet-bombed, the tunnels were never really penetrated and our visit is a fascinating insight into these times. In the afternoon our city tour covers all the major sights including the colonialstyle central post office, the cathedral

Hanoi: Melia Hotel (3) HHHHH Hue: Senna Hotel (2) HHHHH Saigon: Equatorial Hotel (3) HHHHH Phnom Penh: Palace Gate (2) HHHH Siem Reap: Borei Angkor Hotel (3) HHHH Superior

and the Reunification Palace where famously in 1975, a tank burst through its gates in the final defining moment of the Vietnam War. We also see the War Remnants Museum and the lively Ben Thanh market. (B) + Included Experiences – Visit the Cu Chi Tunnels and guided tour of Saigon

Leaving Saigon towards the great Mekong River delta, our first stop is at one of the island villages to sample different types of locally grown tropical fruit. Travelling in small boats we continue our exploration through the narrow canals visiting Coconut Island, where locals specialise in producing rice paper, coconut cakes and other delicacies. Dappled sunlight filters through the wide leaves of the mangroves as we arrive at a local restaurant for lunch of Mekong specialities, including the famous deepfried elephant ear fish! (B,L) + Included Experiences – Explore the Mekong River delta

This morning we take a short flight to Phnom Penh, on arrival we transfer to our centrally located hotel. (B)

We’ll visit the majestic Royal Palace with its silver pagoda and the fascinating National Museum. After lunch in a local restaurant, we visit the Tuol Sleng Museum – originally a school, turned into the country’s most notorious prison by the Khmer Rouge, it now charts the terrible suffering during their occupation of the city. Finally, there’s time for a stop at one of the local markets before we return to our hotel for the evening. (B,L) + Included Experiences – Visit the Royal Palace of Phnom Penh, the National Museum and the Tuol Sleng Museum

Today we journey through the heart of rural Cambodia stopping at Kompong Thom for an included lunch enroute to Siem Reap. (B,L) + Included Experiences – Visit Kompong Thom

Today we visit one of the largest religious structures in the world, Angkor Wat and see the haunting soft morning light rise over the eerie temples. At its height in the thirteenth century, Angkor had a staggering one million inhabitants. The incredible state of preservation, the beauty of its design and sculptures have made Angkor one of the great wonders of the world. We visit the fortified 13th century city of Angkor Thom, with its five monumental gates, and 300-foot wide moat. We’ll also visit the smaller temple of Ta Prohm which has been left unrestored, with giant tropical trees bursting through the ruins. (B,L) + Included Experiences – Visit Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm

Today we have left free for you to return to the many monuments of Angkor, explore Siem Reap or relax around the pool at the hotel. Alternatively, you could take an interesting tour to the nearby lake of Tonle Sap to visit a floating village (subject to season and water levels) or test your culinary skills by taking an optional half-day cooking class. (B)

You will be taken to the airport for your return flight via Saigon (change of aircraft) connecting to our homeward direct flight. (B)

Route Arrive Depart Internal Flight

Halong Bay

Hue

Danang

Siem Reap/Angkor

Ho Chi Minh City

Mekong Delta Halong Bay

Late check-out with afternoon tea, in Siem Reap From £52 (sole occupancy). Phare, the Cambodian circus, in Siem Reap. From £23.