Indochina Discovery

Day 1: HANOI ARRIVAL, VIETNAM
    Upon arrival at Noi Bai International airport, we will be met and transferred to our hotel.
    Overnight in Hanoi
 
Day 2: HANOI – HALONG (B/L/D), VIETNAM
    This morning we travel by coach to Ha Long Bay and take a boat trip to explore one of the world’s great natural wonders cruising the thousands of limestone islands filled with caves of all shapes and sizes. The sails of junks and sampans gliding along the clear and emerald waters of the bay forms magnificent picturesque scenery that blends in with the sky. We will get a chance to visit some of the hidden grottoes beneath towering cliffs. A seafood lunch and dinner will be served on board the charming junk. 
    Overnight on Boat
Day 3: HALONG – HANOI (Brunch/D), VIETNAM
    This morning enjoy the aquamarine waters of the bay as its best as the junk continues to cruise quietly through spectacular limestone formations. We disembark from the junk at noon and transfer back to Hanoi. Our welcome dinner this evening will be a banquet of delicious Vietnamese cuisine at a local restaurant followed by a Water Puppet Show, a traditional form of Vietnamese folk art. 
    Overnight in Hanoi
    Day 4: HANOI – NINH BINH – HANOI (B/L), VIETNAM
    This morning absorb the simple country life of Vietnam as we pass through peaceful villages and rice paddies on our way to Tam Coc, also known as “Ha Long Bay on land”. On arrival, go sightseeing in small boats along the stream, through magnificent tunnels and caves. On the way back to Hanoi, we stop at Hoa Lu, the site of Vietnam’s ancient capital during the 10th and 11th century and visit the Dinh and Le Dynasties Temples. We return to Hanoi in the late afternoon. The rest of the day is at leisure. 
    Overnight in Hanoi.
  Day 5: HANOI – LUANG PRABANG (B) (VN931 HANLPQ 09:50 11:15), LAOS
    This morning transfer to the airport and fly to Luang Prabang, to experience the quiet charm. Free at your leisure at the rest of the day.
    Overnight in Luang Prabang.
 
Day 6: LUANG PRABANG (B/L/D), LAOS
    Your full day city tour begins after breakfast, with a visit to the Royal Palace Museum, which hosts a range of interesting artifacts. We then enjoy a short-guided tour seeing the city’s oldest temple of Wat Sene and the magnificent Wat Xiengthong with its roofs sweeping low to the ground, which represents classical Laotian architecture. Today, we also visit the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrine of Wat Aham. Following lunch, we visit the Arts and Ethnology Centre to learn about Laos’ many ethnic cultures before we head out of town to see the weaving villages of Ban Xiengkhong and Ban Xienglek.  We then return to the city for a visit to Wat Mai. We then climb up to the top of Mount Phousi for an enjoyable exploration of the sacred, gilded stupa as well as a panoramic view of the city at sunset and the Mekong River.  The tour ends after a visit to the famous Night Market, where you can find a lovely selection of handmade textiles made by local and hilltribe people surrounding Luang Prabang.
    Overnight in Luang Prabang Day 7: LUANG PRABANG – PAK OU – KUANG SI – LUANG PRABANG (B/L), LAOS
    AM: After breakfast, We then board a cruise upstream on the Mekong River, which also gives us a panaromic view of the tranquil countryside as well as an interesting visit to the mysterious of Pak Ou Caves, two linked caves crammed with thousands of gold lacquered Buddha statues of various shapes and sizes left by pilgrims. Along the way, we stop at the small village of Ban Xanghai, where the local rice wine is distilled. 
    PM: After lunch we continue towards Khouangsi Waterfall, en route, we visit the local villages of Lao ethnic minority groups at Ban Ouay, Ban Ou, Laoloum and Ban Thapene, and then drive to the beautiful Khouangsi Waterfall.   Here you can take a dip in the inviting pools or walk along the forest trails surrounding the waterfall.  We return to Luang Prabang by late afternoon and continue to Ban Xangkhong, a village well known for silk handweaving and for traditional Saa Paper making. We return to the city by late evening to watch the sunset at Wat Siphouthabath.
    Overnight in Luang Prabang.
  Day 08: LUANG PRABANG – SIEM REAP (B/D) (VN931 LPQREP 14:35 16:30), CAMBODIA
    Enjoy this morning at leisure before flying off to Siem Reap, the city near Angkor Wat and the jewel of Southeast Asia.
    Overnight in Siem Reap.
  Day 09: SIEM REAP (B/L/D), CAMBODIA 
    Today we visit the Southern Gate of Angkor Thom “The Great Captal”, is a square city with 3km long, 8 m high defensive walls on each side. At the four corners are sanctuary towers. It is surrounded by a 100m wide moat. Five gates lead into the city, four on the cardinal points, the fifth, the Victory Gatem leads via a triumphal way directly towards the palace. The three towers of the gates are adorned with the four famous faces of Lokeshvara, a Mahayana Buddhist Bodhisttava, pointing in the four cardinal directions, Giant Faces of Bayon - this was the state temple of Kinf Jayavarman VII and his successors. The temple consists of a mass of face towers show the same Lokeshvara as the entrance gate of Angkor Thom. In the center of the temple is a round tower, 43 m high and 25 m in diameter. There are 8 bas relief sections, each 35m long and 3m high. The most interesting reliefs are at the southern part of eastern gallery and the southern gallery. Bayon takes an easy second place after Angkor Wat as the most popular place of Angkor’s many monuments. The city incorporates many older temples such as the Baphuon, Phimeanakas and the Royal Palace, the Elephant terrace, the Terrace, the terrace of the Leper King, etc. The magnificent Bayon temple was the state temple of Angkor Tom and marks the center of the city.
    Then we visit Ta Prohm and proceed to the World Heritage “Angkor Wat Temple” and watch the sunset from Phnom Bakheng Hill. We return to the city in and enjoy a one hour foot massage followed by dinner at a local restaurant featuring an Apsara Dance Show.
    Overnight in Siem Reap.
  Day 10: SIEM REAP (B/L/D), CAMBODIA
    Breakfast at hotel. Continue visit to famous temples 
    Prasat Banteay Srei was built in the late 10th century and is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva. It is considered by many to be the most perfect of Khmer temples. It is famous for its exquisite carvings executed in pink sandstone and for its inventive architecture. 
Banteay Samré is a temple at Angkor, Cambodia located east of the East Baray. Built under Suryavarman II and Yasovarman II in the early 12th century, it is a Hindu temple in the Angkor Wat style. Named after the Samré, an ancient people of Indochina, the temple uses the same materials as the Banteay Srei.
Lunch at local restaurant.
    Afternoon visit:
    Pre Rup is a temple at Angkor, Cambodia, built as the state temple of Khmer king Rajendravarman and dedicated in 961 or early 962. It is a temple mountain of combined brick, laterite and sandstone construction. The temple’s name is a comparatively modern one meaning "turn the body". This reflects the common belief among Cambodians that funerals were conducted at the temple, with the ashes of the body being ritually rotated in different directions as the service progressed.
Mebon: The East Mebon is a 10th Century temple at Angkor, Cambodia. Built during the reign of King Rajendravarman, it stands on what was an artificial island at the center of the now dry East Baray reservoir. Visitors looking out from the upper level today are left to imagine the vast expanses of water that formerly surrounded the temple. Four landing stages at the base give reminder that the temple was once reached by boat..
    Ta Som is a small temple at Angkor, Cambodia, built at the end of the 12th century for King Jayavarman VII. It is located north east of Angkor Thom and just east of Neak Pean. The King dedicated the temple to his father Dharanindravarman II (Paramanishkalapada) who was King of the Khmer Empire from 1150 to 1160. The temple consists of a single shrine located on one level and surrounded by enclosure laterite walls. Like the nearby Preah Khan and Ta Prohm the temple was left largely unrestored, with numerous trees and other vegetation growing among the ruins..
    Neak Poan: Neak Poan Templ, Built by king Jayavarman VII before the end of the 12th century, this monument - Neak Poan or the entwined naga - is an artificial island, measuring 350 meters on each side, built in the middle of a reservoir which is also man- made. The modern name, Neak Poan, comes from the motif of serpents encircling the base of the central sanctuary.
    An inscription notes that it is "a sacred island, drawing its charm from its ponds and clearing away the sins of those who approach it". The ponds in question number four. They were fed by a complex system of anthropomorphic and zoomorphic fountains. The mysterious curative function of its waters was all the more so, given that the myth of the deliverance of a group of shipwrecked
    Preah Khan.: Preah Khan temple, Built by the King Jayavarman VII. Preah Khan is, like Ta Prohm, a place of towered enclosures and shoulder hugging corridors. Unlike Ta Prohm, however, the temple of Preah Khan is in a reasonable state of preservation and ongoing restoration efforts should maintain and even improve this situation.
    Enjoy with oxen-cart ride to see Green village located along way to Phnom Krom.  
    Dinner at local restaurant.
    Overnight in Siem Reap. 
  Day 11: SIEM REAP (B/L/D), CAMBODIA
    Roluos temples group: Roluos is actually the name of the old city. During the reign of Indravarman I in 877 AD, Roluos was the capital of the Khmer Kingdom. inclusive :
Preah Ko: Preah Ko, This funerary temple for Jayavarman II has six towers all built on one platform. The name Preah Ko, Sacred Bull, was taken from the three bull statues around the temple. This temple has some of the better preserved plasterwork on its towers.
    Bakong: Bakong, This temple is the highlight of the Roluos group. It is the largest and most interesting of the three. It is surrounded by a moat, and was one of the first Angkorian temples to use the temple mountain architecture idea. That idea was then used for hundreds of years.
    Lolei temples: Lolei, Four (or originally six) brick towers in the middle of the Lolei Baray. The Lolei baray is called Indratataka, measuring 3.8km x 0.8km. It has now all but dried up.
    Lunch at local restaurant. 
    Afternoon visit
    Artisant d’Angkor : Artisans Angkor has developed from the ambitious belief that it is possible to revive ancient Khmer Arts & Crafts while improving the lives of thousands of people living in rural areas.
old market: The Old Market (Phsar Chas) and surrounding area including the nearby Pub Street, Pub Street alleys and the Night Markets are 'must sees' when visiting Siem Reap. Very popular, the whole Old Market area stretching from the river across to the night markets on Sivutha Blvd is now the dining, shopping and nightlife center of town.
    Of the various traditional Cambodian markets in Siem Reap, the Old Market offers the deepest selection of souvenirs and curios. There are souvenir vendors throughout much the market, especially on the river side. The north side of the market along Street 9 sports a number of inexpensive cafe stalls serving Cambodian fare in an interesting, local atmosphere. A good place for a budget meal and a taste of Cambodian cuisine.
excursion by boat to fishing Village at Tonle Sap Lake: a boat ride on the Tonle Sap lake. This is the largest permanent fresh-water lake in South East Asia and flows into Tonle Sap River, joining the Mekong in Phnom Penh. We will see a fishermen's "floating village" with floating schools, floating police station, etc. It is same as a big village floating on the lake, and the "village" move from place to place following water levels and currant. 
    Dinner at local restaurant.
   Overnight in Siem Reap.
  Day 12: SIEM REAP – SAIGON (B/D) (VN3820 REPSGN 17:45 18:45), VIETNAM
    Enjoy the morning at leisure – relax or go shopping before the flight to our next destination – Saigon, the biggest city of Vietnam.
    Overnight in Saigon.
   Day 13: SAIGON (B/L/D), VIETNAM
    Today we enjoy a city tour of Saigon’s most famous sites including Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, City Hall, Central Post Office, Ben Thanh Market and Saigon’s bustling Chinatown with the famous Binh Tay Market and Thien Hau Pagoda.
    Overnight in Saigon.