Country(ies): Cambodia , Vietnam
Tour type: Small Group
Group size: Min: 2 | Max: 12
Accommodation: 3 to 4-star hotels, junk boat, sleeper train & homestays
Meals:
Transport: A/C car/minibus, boats & domestic flight
Highlights: Ancient Hanoi, Halong Bay cruise, colonial Hoi An, Mekong Delta homestay & boat trip, Saigon, Phnom Penh sites, local markets, Kulen mountain waterfalls, statues & homestay, Angkor Wat temples, Ta Prohm
This 16-day south-east Asian tour combines our Vietnam Encounters and our Cambodia Encounters tour seamlessly, showing off both country's most popular attractions and delving deep into its rich history.
We start in Hanoi, taking in its century-old architecture and unique street food cuisine and watching the locals enjoy morning Tai Chi. Our stay in Vietnam's capital also features a ride on a traditional junk boat, as you get face to face with the beautiful limestone & rainforest scenery of Halong Bay, regarded by many as one the natural wonders of the world.
We'll then board an overnight train towards Hue City before making our way to Hoi An - a pristinely preserved ancient town, cut through with canals. Once here, we'll explore its traditional architecture and its villages well-known for its carpentry and pottery craft.
The next part of our Vietnam and Cambodia Encounters tour sees us board a short flight to Hoi Chi Minh City - or Saigon as it's still popularly known as. Hoi Chi Minh is Vietnam's business hub, with towering skyscrapers filling the sky - a marked difference from the traditional architecture seen along the journey thus far. One of the main highlights of the Vietnam leg of this tour is a vintage Vespa tour through the city, enjoying its unique food, drinks and live entertainment.
Our last stop in Vietnam takes us to the Mekong Delta - spending time with a local fisherman and his family, while trying to catch the famous Elephant ear fish and also includes some Vietnamese cooking lessons before heading back to Ho Chi Minh.
From here, we'll make our way across the border to Cambodia's capital city of Phnom Penh, where we'll explore the Toul Sleng Prison Museum and the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. We'll also make our way to its Royal Palace, its Silver Pagoda and the National Museum.
From Cambodia's capital, we'll make our way to Siem Reap - the gateway to the ruins of Angkor. After some time, including an overnight homestay on the scenic Kulen Mountain where we'll walk along trails to waterfalls and past animal statues, we'll start exploring Cambodia's most famous site. We'll visit several temples in and around Angkor Wat, including the amazing jungle covered ruined temple at Ta Prohm. Finally we head out on an evening street food walk through Siem Reap's Pub Street - famed for its food stalls, cafes, restaurants, and friendly bars and pubs.
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This tour is also available for booking privately for travel anytime through the year, and we can also customise the itinerary to fit your personal requirements. Please contact us for details and prices.
The hotels and accommodations listed below are the ones we most often on this tour. From time to time we may exchange these for similar properties at the same level. In general, specific hotels cannot be guaranteed on our group tours, but you may select your preferred options if you are booking a tailor-made trip.
Medallion Hotel
Hanoi
Medallion Hanoi Hotel is located in central Hanoi's Old Quarter, less than one mile from Hoan Kiem Lake. The hotel offers free Wi-Fi, an on-site travel agency and butler services.
Oriental Sails
Halong Bay
Sailing through the beautiful waters of Halong Bay, a UNESCO listed area, the Oriental Sails offers guests elegantly appointed accommodation and a choice of onboard activities.
Sleeper Train
Various
Vietnam's air-conditioned trains are safe, comfortable and a genuine Vietnamese experience in themselves, an integral part of your visit to Vietnam.
Romance Hotel
Hue
Housed in an 11-storey building, Romance Hotel offers 4-star accommodation and a beautiful rooftop swimming pool in Hue city, a UNESCO-listed World Heritage area. Featuring 2 on-site restaurants and 3 bars, it is within walking distance to the scenic
Le Pavillon Hoi An Boutique
Hoi An
A lovely mid-range boutique hotel, which offers great views of the surrounding rice fields. Just 3km from the famous Japanese covered bridge.
Avanti Boutique
Ho Chi Minh
Located just 600 meters from the Reunification Palace and within a few minutes' walk of Ben Thanh Market, this is a great option for those looking to explore Ho Chi Minh City.
Vietnam Homestay
Chay Lap
Our homestay offers comfortable but simple accommodation set in a beautiful rural setting. You'll have an opportunity to experience the day to day life of rural Vietnam as a guest of a warm and friendly local family.
Saem Siemreap Hotel
Siem Reap
The 4-star Saem Siemreap Hotel is located in the garden village of Sala Kanseng, just 5 minutes' drive from the famous Old Market and Pub Street. Featuring elegant Khmer architecture, it also has an outdoor pool, spa treatments and a fitness centre.
Kulen Mountain Homestay
Kulen Mountain, near Siem Reap
This homestay on Kulen Mountain offers comfortable but simple accommodation set in a beautiful scenic setting. You'll have an opportunity to experience the day to day life of rural Cambodia as a guest of a warm and friendly local family.
Harmony Hotel
Phnom Penh
Featuring a rooftop infinity pool and a sun terrace, Harmony Phnom Penh Hotel is within a 5-minute walk from the Royal Palace. Guests can enjoy meals at the in-house restaurant or have a drink at the bar.
Our tours are designed to include all that you need to enjoy a really special time in the destination youre visiting. However, we do also offer some extra options to complement the tour and add some additional sightseeing or activities, or some extra time at either end of the tour.
All accommodation based options (e.g. Single supplements, extra nights, cruise upgrades) should be booked and paid for in advance so that we can make the appropriate arrangements. Other options may either be booked and paid for in advance or while you are on the tour, though we recommend booking in advance to ensure there are no issues with availability.
Many options are priced the same throughout the year, but some may incur single or high season supplements - full details are given on the tour reservation form or on request.
The detailed Tour Notes below have been written to give you some more detailed information about how the tour runs, what to expect, and how to prepare for your holiday. We recommend downloading an up to date copy of these shortly before you travel in case of any changes.
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