THAI INDOCHINA EXPLORER

15 days from GBP1,779 to GBP2,279 including flights

Tripcode: AOX

Itinerary

Day 1: Depart London.
Day 2: Arrive in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), formerly known as Saigon. The rest of the afternoon is free to relax or for individual sightseeing. The Ben Thanh Market and Notre Dame Cathedral are within easy walking distance from our hotel and are highly recommended.
Day 3: This morning we leave the city behind us and head west to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels. Used by the Viet Cong during the war the network covers 3 levels and approximately 240 kms of tunnels. Traditionally these were very narrow but some areas have been widened to allow tourists to explore the system. Claustrophobes may prefer to stay outside in the sunshine! In the afternoon we return to Saigon for a tour to include visits to the Reunification Palace and War Remnants Museum where there is an interesting record of the Vietnam/American War. Some of the images are of a graphic nature.
Day 4: Drive to Cai Be in the Mekong Delta via a Cao Dai temple used by devotees of this strange indigenous religion that fuses all the great religions of the east and west. The Mekong is locally known as the rice bowl of Vietnam and produces much of Vietnam's fruit, sugar cane and coconuts. En route we pass magnificent countryside and stop at some small cottage industries. We take a relaxing sampan cruise in the afternoon and arrive at our accommodation. The evening is tranquil as we have dinner at Binh Hoa Phuoc Island and enjoy some 'Delta' hospitality. We spend the night sleeping communally in the village in a local guesthouse built in the Mekong style.
Day 5: This morning we take a short walk around the surrounding village to uncover the daily lives of the people. We board our boats once again and cross the main channel to Vinh Long where we re-join our vehicle for the drive further into the Mekong Delta to the small border town of Chau Doc. After checking into the hotel we will enjoy a sunset visit to the top of the holy Sam Mountain with views stretching across into Cambodia. The evening is free to wander around this town, situated on the banks of the Mekong River.
Day 6: After driving approximately 1 hour to the Tinh Bien/Phnom Den land border we will bid farewell to our Vietnamese leader and cross into Cambodia where we will meet our Cambodian leader. Southern Cambodia experiences many floods in the wet season which can make driving slow. Our drive takes us via the former French colonial town of Kampot to Sihanoukville, Cambodia's premier beach resort: there is currently little build up of hotels along the beaches of Sihanoukville but this will no doubt change soon.
Day 7: Our hotel is located across the road from the white sands of Ochheuteal Beach and today you will have free time to relax on the beach or wander into town and get a feel for the place.
Day 8: This morning is free before we check out of our hotel at around midday and take a drive around the peninsula past Sokha, Independence and Victory beaches before driving on to Phnom Penh.
Day 9: A full day's sightseeing of Phnom Penh. We will visit the beautiful Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda inside the Palace complex, so named for the solid silver tiles that make up the floor. Thankfully the complex escaped the worst excess of the Khmer Rouge. Similar in style and scale to the Grand Palace in Bangkok, the Royal Palace has significantly fewer visitors and there is plenty of time to wander amongst the traditional buildings. We will also visit Tuol Sleng museum or S21 (Museum of Genocide), which graphically displays the horrors of the 4 years when Pol Pot systematically ordered the murder of between 2 and 3 million Cambodians. Tuol Sleng was originally a school but was used as a torture and interrogation centre between 1975 and 1979. It is a sobering, but enlightening place to visit. We complete our day with a moving late afternoon visit to the Killing Fields. The visits to the Genocide Museum and Killing Fields are included in the itinerary; however, please be aware that the images at the museum are very graphic. Phnom Penh is a city in transition and, despite its horrific recent history, it is now starting to find its feet. Some of its former French colonial buildings have been restored and there is a small but lively restaurant and bar scene developing along the riverfront.
Day 10: This morning we take our bus along National Road 6 past the village of Skuon (where fried spiders are the local delicacy) before continuing on to Kompong Thom for a lunch stop. It's then on to Siem Reap where, after checking into our hotel, we will drive to the fascinating Angkor complex and watch the sunset over these magnificent ancient monuments from Phnom Bakheng Temple.
Day 11 - 12: This morning we will continue our exploration of the Angkor complex with a visit to the impressive Temple of Banteay Srei. The afternoon is free for you to continue with further independent exploration of the temples or to wander around Siem Reap town
Day 13: We transfer to the airport in Siem Reap for our short flight to Bangkok. After checking into our hotel, we board the BTS Skytrain for the start of our exploration of Bangkok and a true look at the city. From the Skytrain we catch a local "klong" or canal boat followed by a public bus to our final destination, Ratanakosin Island. (The "island" is really an artifical construction formed by a loop in the Chao Phraya River and by canals cut in the 1700's). Here we visit what to this day remains the home of the Thai Royal family. We visit the Royal Palace complex and Wat Phra Kaew, home to the Emerald Buddha, one of Thailand's most venerated images. Another highlight is Wat Po, the largest temple in Bangkok, housing a 46m long, 15m high gold-plated reclining Buddha. We then head down the Chao Praya River on a local ferry, passing Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, built in the early part of the 19th century on the site of King Taksin's Palace when Thonburi was briefly the capital of Thailand. At Taksin Bridge we leave the ferry and board the Skytrain for the journey back to the hotel through Silom; formerly swampland, it is now a bustling district of business, entertainment and shopping
Day 14: Today is free in Bangkok for shopping, sightseeing, relaxing or maybe to try a Thai massage! In the late evening we transfer to the airport for our flight back to London on Thai Airways. Please note that day rooms (4 passengers per room) are kept at the hotel for passengers until 6pm.
Day 15: Arrive London.