Wonders of Vietnam & Cambodia

Make your way to London Heathrow for your flight to Vietnam.

INSIDER EXPERIENCE

Enjoy a delicious Welcome Dinner at KOTO on Van Mieu. KOTO stands for ’Know One, Teach One’, and gives disadvantaged youths the opportunity to train at its culinary school.

On arrival in Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, you’ll be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel.

INSIDER EXPERIENCE

Enjoy a leisurely rickshaw ride through the bustling city streets of Hanoi’s Old Quarter.

Take in the iconic sights of Hanoi on a guided tour. This includes the French-colonial Ba Dinh Square and final resting place of the well-respected Viet Minh leader, Ho Chi Minh, at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.

INSIDER EXPERIENCE

Board your premium Bhaya Cruises’ Classic Junk for a two-night cruise on the World Heritage-listed Ha Long Bay.

Arrive at Ha Long Bay, where you will set off cruising and explore the mysterious Trinh Nu Cave.

Stay: Two Nights, Ha Long Bay, Bhaya Cruises’ Classic Junk

Begin your morning with Tai Chi on the sundeck. Later, take the opportunity to kayak along the picturesque waters of Ba Ham Lake.

After lunch, continue to Cua Van Floating Culture Centre for some sightseeing around the beautiful area.

This morning, explore the rock formations of Sung Sot Cave before docking back at Ha Long.

From here, transfer to Hanoi for your included flight to Da Nang, followed by a transfer to Hoi An.

Stay: Three Nights, Almanity Hoi An Wellness Resort

INSIDER EXPERIENCE

Discover the time-honoured art of cooking delicious Vietnamese cuisine with the Morning Glory Cooking School.

Take a guided tour of Hoi An’s market, prepare a selection of dishes and sample the results of your efforts at lunch.

Today is a day at leisure. The choice is yours if you wish to enjoy a select experience in Hoi An.

Perhaps you may enjoy learning the ancient art and methods of rice cultivation; discover the My Son ruins; or visit the Golden Bridge (surcharge applies).

INSIDER EXPERIENCE

In Hue, relax in the lakeside surrounds of Pilgrimage Village.

See the white sands at Lang Co Beach before traversing the impressive 13-mile-long twisting Hai Van Pass. Later, arrive into Hue and visit the walled fortress and palace of the Imperial City, the former imperial capital of Vietnam.

Stay: Hue, Pilgrimage Village

INSIDER EXPERIENCE

Be close to the city’s action as you stay at the modern Fusion Original Saigon Centre.

INSIDER EXPERIENCE

Savour an authentic Vietnamese dinner at The Chopsticks Saigon.

Today, board your included flight to Ho Chi Minh City, commonly known as Saigon. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Stay: Two Nights, Ho Chi Minh City, Fusion Original Saigon Centre

This morning take a step back in time and revisit the military history of the area. Visit the Cu Chi Tunnels, built by Vietnamese resistance fighters during the Vietnam War.

Part of a larger network, the tunnels were used by Viet Cong guerrillas as hiding spots during combat. They also served as communication and supply routes, hospitals, weapons caches and living quarters for numerous guerrilla fighters.

Nowadays, Cu Chi has since become a place of pilgrimage, offering a unique hands-on historic engagement.

After breakfast, drive to My Tho Port to board your river ship. Built to provide a gratifying and immersive onboard experience, enjoy the sophisticated design and premium facilities of the new RV Apsara.  Exuding a true Asian ambience, the superb ship offers balconies with every suite to ensure a unique and scenic perspective on your Mekong River cruise.

Featuring a Sun Deck, swimming pool and Apsara Spa and Wellness Centre, a relaxing and intimate experience awaits onboard with superior service and premium accommodation. Tonight, enjoy a delicious dinner on board, before retiring to your stylish suite.

Stay: Seven Nights, Mekong River, RV Apsara

Take a local boat to the town of Cai Be. Go ashore to see Cai Be’s French Gothic Cathedral and take a visit to a local rice paper manufacturer to learn how rice paper is made.

Afterwards, cruise to Sa Dec where you’ll see the old house of Huynh Thuy Le, once the lover of French writer Marguerite Duras, and visit a colourful Cao Dai Temple.

Transfer to a small boat for a journey along the tiny tributaries that snake around Tan Chau, step ashore for a rickshaw tour and visit a local island. Spend the remainder of the day on board as your ship cruises to the Cambodian border.  Offering views, reclining lounges, a swimming pool and cold drinks from the bar, the Sun Deck is a great place to relax.

This afternoon, you might like to attend a fruit-carving demonstration by the ship’s chef while border formalities are carried out and you cross into Cambodia.

Today join an excursion to the Killing Fields and the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, on the site of the Khmer Rouge’s notorious Security Prison 21. Later this afternoon visit the Royal Palace.

You’ll also see the opulent and extravagant Silver Pagoda, located within the Royal Palace complex.

INSIDER EXPERIENCE

Travel to the former royal capital, Oudong, for a traditional Buddhist blessing.

After this morning’s Insider Experience in Oudong, explore Koh Chen on foot, a village specialising in the manufacture of copperware. Here, you’ll visit some small family workshops and have the opportunity to buy souvenirs.

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Today, disembark in Oknha Tey, or “Silk Island”, located on the lush banks of the Mekong River.  Tour the village and observe traditional silk weaving in practice.

Later, set sail for Angkor Ban.

INSIDER EXPERIENCE

Experience a tuk tuk ride around Koh Pen Island.

Enjoy a walking tour of Angkor Ban, one of the few villages still preserved after the Khmer Rouge, to see the traditional buildings and local life. This afternoon, your cruise docks at Kampong Cham for your Insider Experience.

INSIDER EXPERIENCE

In Siem Reap, meet with underprivileged children at Opportunities of Development thru Art (ODA), and get a glimpse into the organisation that supports them by providing a creative, educative and loving environment.

INSIDER EXPERIENCE

Stay in the beautiful and sophisticated Shinta Mani Shack, centrally located in the leafy French Quarter.

This morning, disembark in Kampong Cham and transfer to Siem Reap. After your Insider Experience, explore Ta Prohm, famous for its verdant intertwined trees.

Stay: Two Nights, Siem Reap, Shinta Mani Shack

INSIDER EXPERIENCE

See an Apsara dance performance.

After a morning at leisure in Siem Reap, visit the ancient Bayon Temple. This evening, enjoy sunset at Angkor Wat before savouring a delicious Farewell Dinner.

Today you will be transferred to the airport for your return flight to the UK.

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