Highlights of Indochina 16 Days
Hanoi • Halong Bay • Danang • Hoi An • Hue
Ho Chi Minh City • Siem Reap • Angkor Wat • Bangkok
 
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Wednesday Departure
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Land &
Air |
Single
Supplement |
| Price |
| 2011: |
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JAN 5, 12, 19, 26 |
$3,678 |
$1,150 |
FEB 2, 9, 16, 23 |
$3,678 |
$1,150 |
MAR 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 |
$3,678 |
$1,150 |
•Prices are based on the current pricing of Cathay Pacific. Other major
carriers, i.e. United, Asiana, Hainan, etc would be featured as well.
•Prices do not include fuel surcharge & taxes $190
(subject to change at any time).
• Weekend surcharge (FRI/SAT/SUN): add $25 per person.
• Tour cost is per person double occupancy.
• Bhaya Cruise Supplement (12/24 or 12/31): $100 per cabin
• Compulsory Dinner on 24DEC & 31DEC is available for
additional charges, please call for more information. |
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Day
1 |
Depart from your hometown - Hanoi
Board your transpacific flight to Hanoi. Cross the International Date Line en route. |
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Day
2 |
Arrive Hanoi
Arrive in Hong Kong and connect to Hanoi, the Capital city of Vietnam. It is a very attractive city with French style buildings. You will be met and greeted by our representative and transfered to your hotel.
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Day
3 |
Hanoi (B, L, D)
Visit Ba Dinh Square, where Ho Chi Minh lies in state and the cottage where he lived and worked. Also visit the Ho Chi Minh Museum. See also the One Pillar Pagoda, and hear the legend of its construction. In the afternoon, visit the magnificent restored Opera House, the Lake of the Restored Sword, the city museum, the Temple of Literature and enjoy a Prdi-Cab tour of old Hanoi. This evening enjoy a performance of the traditional art of water puppetry followed by dinner.
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Day
4 |
Hanoi - Halong Bay (B, L, D)
This morning drive from Hanoi to along Bay - Take an excursion by boat through Halong Bay and spend the night on a Vietnamese Junk. |
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Day
5 |
Halong Bay - Hanoi (B, L)
Drive from Halong to Hanoi with sightseeing at Hai Phong - An important seaport of Vietnam. Tonight dinner is on your own. |
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Day
6 |
Hanoi - Danang - Hoi An (B, L)
After breakfast, fly to Danang and visit the Cham Sculpture Museum. Continue to Hoi An, a jewel of a town which has managed to remain relatively untouched. On arrival, you will have a walking tour of Hoi An town. Visit the Japanese bridge and a Chinese communal house. Shop for art at one of the numerous galleries and enjoy the riverside ambience. |
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Day
7 |
Hoi An (B, L)
After breakfast, enjoy a boat cruise to the Cam Ha pottery village. Experience the local villagers performing their crafts. Lunch, then return by boat to Hoi An. |
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Day
8 |
Hoi An - Hue (B, L)
Travel overland through Cloudy Pass to Hue, Once the religious, economic, and cultural center of Vietnam. Visit the Imperial Citadel, modeled on the Forbidden City in Beijing. Then visit Thien Mu Pagoda by boat. The octagonal tower was built in 1844, although the pagoda was originally founded in 1601. |
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Day
9 |
Hue - Ho Chi Minh City (B, L)
Fly to Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh City is the heart and soul of Vietnam. It's a bustling, dynamic and industrious centre, the largest city in the country, the economic capital and the cultural trendsetter. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to the hotel. Our sightseeing will include the former Presidential Palace, the History Museum, the Norte Dame Cathedral and Benh Thanh Market. |
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Day
10 |
Ho Chi Minh City (B)
A leisure day to relax or to join an optional tour to the Cu Chi Tunnel or to enjoy boat trip at the Mekong Delta with the fishing villages and farmlands. |
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Day
11 |
Ho Chi Minh City - Siem Reap (B, L, D)
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Siem Reap, the base for exploring the fabled temples of Angkor, the ancient capital of the Khmer Empire. Proceed to start your trip with a cruise to Tonle Sap Lake, the largest inland body of water, which enable you to see one of Asia's largest fishing villages. Later visit Artisans D'Angkor then return to town. |
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Day
12 |
Angkor (B, L)
Today's highlights start from visiting the South Gate of Angkor Thom. The ancient walled city of Angkor Thom contains the famous Bayon Temple with its more than 200 mysterious smiling faces. Continue to the Terrace of the Elephants. After lunch, visit Angkor Wat, one of the Seven Wonders of the world. This evening, we proceed to watch sunset at Phnom Bakheng hill. Tonight, enjoy your dinner with Khmer traditional Dance Show. |
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Day
13 |
Siem Reap - Bangkok (B, L, D)
Morning flight to Bangkok. You will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel.
The remainder of the day at leisure. |
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Day
14 |
Bangkok (B)
Visit the famous Grand Palace and glorious temples including the Reclining Buddha. The afternoon is free. This evening experience an authentic Thai dinner, cultural performances and classical dances in a beautifully decorated Thai style house. |
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Day
15 |
Bangkok (B, L)
Today's full day sightseeing includes a visit to Thailand's most colorful Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. And an afternoon visit to the Rose Garden to enjoy a Thai Cultural show , including sword fighting and Thai Boxing. |
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Day
16 |
Bangkok - USA (B)
Transfer to the airport for the flight to USA. |
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| Accommodations (or similar): |
| Hanoi: |
Melia Hotel (3 nights) |
| Halong Bay: |
Bhaya Classic (1 night) |
| Hoi An: |
Palm Garden Resort (2 night) |
| Hue: |
La Residence Hotel (1 nights) |
| Ho Chin Minh City: |
New World Hotel (2 nights) |
| Siem Reap: |
Royal Angkor Reosrt (2 nights) |
| Bangkok: |
Imperial Queen Park (3 nights) |
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OPTIONAL PLUS |
Vietnam and Cambodia Pandaw Cruise
8 days / 7 nights |
more options |
| Day
1 |
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to My Tho
This morning, you'll be picked up at hotel lobby and transferred to the Delta Port of My Tho - the hub of the Delta for check in followed by port and immigration formalities. In the afternoon we moor near Cai Be and make a fascinating trip by traditional junk to explore evergreen islands and at the former Imperial residence, the An Kiet House. Surviving members of the Kiet family will welcome us with tea and we can wander in the fruit orchards around the house. Overnight moor mid-stream Cai Be.
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2 |
Cai Be/Ving Long/Sadec/Cu Lao Gien/Chau Doc
This morning board a traditional sampan boat to Sadec via Ving Long along small canals and back waters. Begin by visiting Cai Be and its colourful floating market, local factories where specialties such as coconut candies are traditionally made, and a Mandarins house dating from late 19th century. Cruise further by sampan to Dong Hoa Hiep island to explore rural life and daily activities of the delta inhabitants seeing palm tree leave weaving, traditional wooden boat factories and fruit orchard plantations. Back on board your sampan, we will cruise up the Tien River where we see water hyacinths, an important Mekong delta product used for furniture and baskets and then visit a traditional brick and tile factory. Sadec will then appear like a little "Venice" with its numerous narrow canals and various kinds of traditional activities on the banks. You will disembark at the local market for a visit, then proceed to the splendid ancient house of Mr. Huyn Thuy Le, the "lover" of Marguerite Duras, famous French novelist and inspiration for the film Indochine. After lunch on board the Pandaw, cast off for Chau Doc. En route visit Cu Lao Gien island and a Catholic monastery called "La Providence" built in 1875 by the French nuns of "Saint Paul de Chartres".
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3 |
Chau Doc / Border Crossing
From the main Mekong channel at Tan Chau we travel down the canals and backwaters by local ferry boat. At Chau Doc we transfer to small boats to visit a Cham tribal village. We also visit a cat fish farm. We take a trishaw ride round this fascinating town of fine French-colonial buildings and see its bustling market. Return to the ship by boat for lunch and cast off for the Cambodian border for the usual formalities, which in this part of the world, take time. Evening cruise up the broad Mekong channel, which is an international shipping route. Moor overnight just downstream from Phnom Penh.
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4 |
Phnom Penh
The capital of Cambodia retains its French charm. The old colonial architecture makes an attractive backdrop to busy cafes, and the renovated river "corniche" is full of life. The city has several impressive wats, including Wat Ounalom, Wat Phnom and the newly-painted Wat Lang Ka. Pride of place goes to the spectacular Silver Pagoda, one of the few places in Cambodia where artifacts embodying the brilliance and richness of Khmer culture were preserved by the Khmer Rouge. The National Museum is another highlight, with outstanding displays of Khmer crafts. An afternoon excursion is arranged to the Killing Fields and the Khmer Rouge's grim Tuol Sleng or S21 detention centre situated in the suburbs of the city. More happily, Phnom Penh has a lively night life, and some passengers choose to dine ashore or try one of the capital's many watering holes; a favourite being the Foreign Correspondents' Club.
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5 |
Phnom Penh to Kampong Cham
Early morning departure from Phnom Penh and a stop at the little-known Chong Koh silk weaving village for a morning walk at leisure. We cruise past the Mekong's timeless villages and river life with extensive fishing activities. The scenery is very lovely here, and in the distance, forested hills rise. On the river above Phnom Penh there is little shipping, just real Cambodian life. In the afternoon we stop at Peam Chi Kang village to visit the Wat or monastery and school. Passengers are at leisure to explore this peaceful and friendly community. In the Wat the splendid village racing boats are stored.
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6 |
Kampong Cham Area
Morning journey upriver to the hilltop pre-Angkorian temple of Wat Hanchey. Dating from the 8th century, these ancient brick structures characterize the architecture of the Chenla Empire which predated the glories of Angkor. Sail back downstream over lunch for an exploration of the Kampong Cham Area. We travel by bus to the 12th century Angkorian temple of Wat Nokor. This colourful temple is unique in Cambodia, as a modern Wat is set within the ruins of an ancient temple. We continue to the twin holy mountains of Phnom Pros and Phnom Srei, or Man and Woman Hills. Legends abound about the origins of these hills, and there are many pagodas and shrines on the hilltops.
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7 |
Tonle River
We glance by the capital Phnom Penh in the early morning to change pilots, and then sail the Tonle River which connects Tonle Lake with the Mekong and Bassac Rivers that merge at Phnom Penh. This river journey is a highlight of the trip. We wind our way through jungle, and as the river narrows we feel we can almost reach out and touch the houses and people who come out to cheer our ship on. Temples abound along the river banks at Kampong Chanting, and we see the rich tapestry of Cambodian rural life. This is a busy rural port town with bustling markets. Mooring mid-stream, we make a truly wonderful motor boat excursion into the lakeside wetlands that form the mouth of the river. Here a stunning variety of bird life may be seen and of considerable interest are the great fish traps, some half a kilometer long, which nets a huge tonnage of fish after each monsoon as the fish migrate from the falling lake into the Tonle River.
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8 |
Tonle Sap to Siem Reap
The great lake dominates Cambodia and is over 150 Km in length. Here bird life is profuse, and from the middle of the lake one cannot even see the shores. There is a great stillness and tranquility as we pass floating fishing villages.
Because the water levels of the lake and river vary a great deal according to the time of year and rainfall, we will then either:
- High water, approximately August - November. Cross the Tonle Lake at dawn and disembark at Siem Reap Port for onward coach transfer to the KOULEN II RESTAURANT, arriving by 1100.
- Low water, approximately November - August. In the early morning, coach transfer from Prek Dom on the Tonle River to the KOULEN II RESTAURANT, stopping at Kampong Thom. Packed lunch and refreshments are provided. Arrive by 1200. |
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| Departures |
Price |
| 2011 |
JAN 1 & 29, FEB 12, MAR 12 & 26 |
$4,568 |
| Tour cost is per person double occupancy. Please call for single supplement. |
| Prices do not include taxes $65. |
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OPTIONAL PLUS |
Phnom Penh 3 days / 2 nights |
more options |
| Day
1 |
Arrive in Phnom Penh
Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Late afternoon, take a sunset cruise on the Mekong River.
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| Day
2 |
Phnom Penh (B)
This morning, you will visit the Royal Palace, which was built in 1866 by King Norodom. Next visit the National Museum, which houses Khmer art especially sculptures, from different periods of Cambodian history, 19th century dance costumes, royal barges and palanquins. This afternoon, visit Toul Sleng and Killing Fields, which is now known, as the Genocide Museum. Continue for a drive through outlying Phnom Penh to the Memorial Stupa at Chueng Ek where the remains of Toul Sleng inmates are displayed. On your way back to your hotel, you will wander the stalls of Psar Toul Tom Puong "The Russian Market", a center for all manner of recently created "antiquities" and goods from silk scarves "Kramas" to wood artifacts. Return to your hotel and the balance of the day is at your leisure.
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| Day
3 |
Phnom Penh (B)
Today is free until transfer airport for your onward flight.
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| Monday Departures |
Price |
Single Supplement |
| 2010 |
APR - SEP |
$388 |
$240 |
| Tour cost is per person double occupancy. |
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