THE CULTURE OF VIETNAM AND CAMBODIA
Day1 Arrival in Hanoi
Paradissa Travel tour guide will meet you at the airport and escort you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free at leisure. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day2 Hanoi – Hoa Lu – Thung Nang – Ha Noi
Today is for the idyllic countryside of northern Vietnam. We travel through the heart of the Red River Delta to Hoa Lu which was the capital city of Vietnam in the 10th Century. Hoa Lu is a vast area on the Day River bank. The area is just stunning with karst formations sticking out of the green rice paddies. In harvest time (May, June, September, October), the rice turns into golden colors against the backdrop of the green mountains which makes it just breathtaking.
After thousands of years of turbulence, Vietnam was reunified under one royal family, the Dinh Family. King Dinh Bo Linh had been from a poor peasant family in Hoa Lu. He grew up showing his military talents which helped him defeat the other war lords reunifying the kingdom. The King chose Hoa Lu as it was his home village where he got support from the people and because the strategic karst mountain settings. It’s said that Hoa Lu of the time was a prosperous capital city with golden palaces and magnificent citadel. But the whole structures were destroyed by invaders in the 13th century.
Leaving Hoa Lu of the 10th century we travel through the towering limestone mountains and paddy fields to Thung Nang Valley. We board the little sampan oared by local farmers and make our way through the unreal scenery of karst mountains. The cruise is for about 2 hours, then we’ll travel back to Hanoi for the night.
Day3 Hanoi City Tour. Night train for Lao Cai (B)
We’ll have full day exploring this 1000 year old capital city of Vietnam. The tour includes visits to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the One pillar pagoda, Quan Thanh Temple and Tran Quoc Pagoda, the Temple of Literature - First national university of Vietnam, the Museum of Ethnology, then have a Cyclo trip through the mazes of the Old Quarter, sample the water puppet show of Vietnam. Take the night train to Lao Cai. Overnight on board the train. (Local train, air-con soft sleeper)
Note: Late check-out is included upon request and availability with additional cost.
Day4 Arrival in Lao Cai. Transfer to Sapa
The journey by train stops at Lao Cai train station early in the morning. Lao Cai border town is where you can gaze across the Red River to China which is just on the other side. From Lao Cai the road winds up the terraced hillsides to Sapa, which offers the stunning mountain views of the North West of Vietnam. We arrive in Sapa and enjoy the rest of the morning free at leisure. Alternatively we can have a walking tour of Sapa colorful market.
Sapa is a town in cloud. This hill station is 1500 m above the sea. Sapa is home to 7 groups of peoples including The Kinh (Viet), The Black H’Mong, The Red Zao, The Giay, The Tay, The Xa Pho. Sapa offers the travelers relaxing holidays, adventure tours with home staying or mountain trekking and hiking. For the travelers who love conquering challenges, there’s the Fan Si Pan Peak which is over 3000 m elevation. This is the summit of Indochina and it can easily be adored from Sapa Town.
In the afternoon, you’ll enjoy the walking tour to the breathtaking valley of Sapa to visit Cat Cat village (of the Black H’Mong people) and Cat Cat waterfall. We’ll enjoy a soft adventure trekking our way on the terraces in the Muong Hoa Valley. Overnight in Sapa.
Day5 Sapa (B)
Our morning tour is first by jeep to Lao Chai village (Black H'Mong). From Lao Chai, we have a short trekking trip amid the green or golden terraces to Ta Van village (the Black H'Mong and the Giay people). We rejoin our jeep at Ta Van and travel back to town for a break.
In the afternoon, we continue with our tour to Ta Phin village visiting the Red Zao people. In Ta Phin we’ll enjoy the stunning nature settings and learn how the Zao live their life. After the tour, we’ll travel back to town and you enjoy free time at leisure. Overnight in Sapa
Day6 Sapa - Lao Cai. Night train for Hanoi (B)
We enjoy our morning tour to the wild orchid of Ham Rong Mountain. The mountain is just close to Sapa Town. Climbing the mountain is not a real adventure, but it requires a bit of effort. Once here we’ll be rewarded with the beautiful orchid flowers, the panoramic view of Sapa surroundings and the traditional ethnic minority music performed by the local boys and girls.
In the afternoon, we check out of the hotel and journey to the Gate Way to Heaven and the Silver Waterfall. On Tram Ton Pass, we’ll feel small by the 360 degrees view of the fresh surrounding nature: the ranges of high mountains above, the green valleys with terraces below, dotted in the nature are hill tribe villages and the hill tribe colorful costumes. On a clear day with the sun shining across, we are quite sure that it’s no different from heaven. We cherish the nature beauty for a moment and tour back to Lao Cai Train Station. From Lao Cai, we’ll board the night train bound for Ha Noi. Overnight on board the train.
(Local train, air-con soft sleeper)
Day7 Arrival in Hanoi. Hanoi – Ha Long Bay (L/D)
Arriving in Hanoi early in the morning, we’ll take our car and travel to Ha Long Bay. The drive goes through the Red River Delta, so you'll have plenty of chance to take photos of Vietnamese farmers tilling the vast green paddy fields. At half way, we'll have a break and a visit to a handicraft workshop with fine clothes, embroidered paintings, stone statuettes and all kinds of gems mined in Vietnam such as star rubies or sapphires...
Our destination is the World Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay. The bay offers some 3000 mountain islands and islets towering in the Gulf of Tonkin in the East Vietnam Sea. Upon arrival, you’ll be welcomed on board our luxury junk and treated with wine and fresh local seafood. As our junk cruises further into the tranquility of Ha Long Bay, you'll have relaxing time combining the fine tastes of the wine and the freshness of Ha Long Bay. During the cruise, we'll stop some times for visiting the amazing Sung Sot cave and the Ti Top white sand beach before anchoring for the night. Overnight on board the junk in the wild of Halong Bay.
Notes: Please know that on this tour, the clients are to have private car or van, but are to share the junk with other tourists and travelers. Private junk may be available upon request with additional cost.
Day8 Ha Long Bay – Hanoi (B/L)
After breakfast, we'll take a little sampan to explore a secret lagoon of Ha Long Bay while the surrounding mountains are just waking up. After that we cruise further into the Bay of Bai Tu Long traveling past the Human Head Island, the Turtle Island... to the studio site where the famous Indochine Film was shot. After the last feast, our junk travels back to the harbor for disembarkation at 12.00 A.M. We travel back to Hanoi and enjoy free time at leisure. Overnight in Hanoi.
Day9 Hanoi – Hue (VN 245: 1240 – 1350) (B)
We enjoy the morning free at leisure. At 10:00 A.M, transfer back to Noi Bai Airport for your departure. Take the flight to the Imperial City of Hue.
Hue was the capital city of Vietnam from 1802 - 1945. Hue is a charming imperial city with combination of the new and the old. The Perfume River bisects the city into the northern and southern parts. To the north is the ancient citadel surrounded by moats which were home to the royal court of Vietnam in the 19th century. Visiting the ancient citadel you can visit the Palace where the king lived, the quarter for the royal family and concubines, the royal library….Lots of damages during the war are still found here though. To the south is where hotels and fine dining restaurants are located. In Hue, we’ll visit the Imperial Citadel – A World Heritage Site.
Arriving in Hue, we’ll meet our Hue tour guide at the airport and transferred to the city for the tour of Hue Imperial Citadel and the Dong Ba exotic market on the Perfume River Bank. Overnight in Hue.
Day10 Hue (B)
Hue is for sure the city of harmony with the encircling green mountains, the meandering rivers, the architecture nestled in trees….Everything of Hue seems to be just in the right place and in perfect harmony. Our tour brings us to the western side of the city where the royal tombs are found. The Vietnamese kings thought that the West is the direction of sunset and permanent rest. That was why they built different royal tombs in the western part of Hue city. Here the kings would rest permanently in complete peace and tranquility.
Each of the royal tombs was designed by the king himself and the architecture of each tomb shows a lot about the king and the context of Vietnam at the time. Many tombs were constructed, completed and used by the king when they were still in reign. The royal tombs of Hue are for sure the fine pieces of arts.
We start with a cruise on the Perfume River to the Thien Mu Pagoda, then we’ll explore by bus the royal tombs of King Tu Duc, King Khai Dinh and King Minh Mang. We’ll also visit the tranquil Tu Hieu Pagoda and the Royal Arena. Overnight in Hue.
Day11 Hue - Hoi An (B)
We check out of the hotel in the morning. Our journey brings us through the scenic countryside of the Central Region of Vietnam to Hoi An. We’ll stop at the Lang Co Beach with fine white sand against the green mountain backdrop and on the Hai Van Pass which offers 360 degrees of breathtaking mountain and sea view. Descending the mountains, we’ll make our way to Da Nang where we tour the Cham Museum. At this museum we can adore the artifacts from the Cham Cultures which thrived in the Central Region of Vietnam from the 2nd through the 15th century. Then we have time for mid day break in Da Nang.
In the afternoon, we’ll drive out of Da Nang City to the Marble Mountains. There are 5 mountains which represent 5 elements on earth: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Soil. There are caves and pagodas built into caves visited by the local pilgrims. Right close to the Marble Mountains are the Stone-Carving Village and the famous China Beach which served as an R&R base for US Servicemen and war reporters in the past.
Hoi An was a famous trading port back to the 16 – 19th centuries. Hoi An was visited by merchants from China, Japan, Persia, Europe….at the times. Hoi An residents are composed of Vietnamese, Chinese. Hoi An’s architecture is the perfect combination of Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese styles. Hoi An nowadays still retains the atmosphere of the old town dated back to the heyday which never fails to charm the visitors.
Apart from the cozy ancient town, Hoi An also offers the pristine white sand Cua Dai Beach which claimed one of the most charming beaches in the world. Hoi An has always been unforgettable memory for our dear travelers. Overnight in HoiAn Ancient Town.
Day12 Hoi An (B)
In the morning, we’ll have an oriented walking tour of Hoi An ancient town which was busy with trade back a few centuries ago. Walking in the narrow streets flanked by old merchant houses we can imagine the hustling and bustling time when the town was filled up with merchants and goods from around the world. We’ll visit some old merchant houses, a Chinese Congregational Hall, Hoi An Museum, and the famous Japanese covered-bridge.
You have the afternoon free at leisure for relaxing on the beach or for checking the fine silk of the region. Overnight in Hoi An.
Day13 Hoi An - Da Nang – Saigon (VN 325: 1330 – 1440) (B/D)
You enjoy free time at leisure until we transfer you to Da Nang Airport for your flight to Saigon. Arriving at Saigon Airport, you’ll be picked up and escorted to the city. Before getting to the hotel, we’ll have an oriented walking tour of Saigon down town area. The rest of the day is free at leisure. Overnight in Saigon.
Day14 Saigon City Tour. Saigon – Cu Chi – Saigon (B)
Saigon sprawls its length along the Saigon River. With convenient transportation and location, Saigon has always been busy with trade and commerce for hundreds of years since its formation.
Saigon boasts its high rise buildings and luxurious hotels along the riverside. This area is particularly stunning at night when the city full of light can be viewed from a boat cruising on the Saigon River. There are also some rooftop bars and restaurants for you to watch Saigon at night from above.
Saigon is a city on the go, busy days and nights. It’s required no effort to find something to entertain ourselves while in Saigon. There are many pagodas, temples and museums in the city. Those who want to have more active experiences may like to get lost in the busy and exotic markets selling most of things on earth, the numerous bars and sidewalk cafes always full of guests, smoke and music, or just take part in the traffics like nowhere else in the downtown area. If those things are not enough, then there are lots of parks and water parks around the city for you to get relaxed.
Our morning tour of Saigon includes visits to the War Remnants Museum, The Cathedral, The General Post Office, The Municipal Theatre and the Central Market, Binh Tay Market and the China town.
In the afternoon, we drive 70 km to Cu Chi once famous for the legendary tunnel system which at the height stretched over 250 km. In Cu Chi, you will have to check these tunnels of 3 levels yourself by creeping in the narrow tunnels. We’ll be surprised to find out how people made these tunnels and find out how life of the local people was during the Second Indochina War. Overnight in Saigon.
Day15 Saigon - Cai Be - Vinh Long - Can Tho (B/L)
Today we’ll discover the exotic lifestyle of the communities who live on the mighty Mekong River. We travel through the heart of the verdant Mekong Delta to Cai Be for our boat trip to Vinh Long.
In Cai Be we will witness an exotic floating market with boats carrying loads of commodities for bartering. We can engage in the bargaining sessions with the local merchants for the fresh fruits of the region. Then we’ll move on to visit exotic occupations still carried out by the locals such as making dry young rice, making rice papers, making coconut candy. After that our tour brings us to an old house with traditional Vietnamese architecture and we’ll learn about agricultural works through the ancient tools used here in the past.
Lunch is served right in a bonsai garden amid trees and tranquility. After lunch, we’ll relax with some walking tours or cycling tours through the village to learn more about the local life. We’ll also sample a bonsai garden and visit a ceramics workshop before rejoining our car to travel further to Can Tho. We check into our hotel and enjoy free time at leisure. Overnight in Can Tho.
Day16 Can Tho – Saigon (B)
In early morning, we'll take one hour boat trip to the Cai Rang floating market with hustling and bustling activities, on the way back visit a local orchard to taste some seasonal fruits. After the boat trip, we'll get back to the hotel and have some time relaxing before checking out. We travel back to Saigon and arrive in the city in late afternoon.
Day16 Saigon - Phnom Penh (VN 817: 1155 – 1245) (B)
You have free time until we transfer you back to the airport for your flight to Phnom Penh, the Kingdom of Cambodia. Upon arrival, you’ll be welcomed by our tour guide and escorted to the city.
In the afternoon, we’ll have a half day city tour of Phnom Penh. We’ll tour the Silver Pagoda, the Royal Palace, the National Museum and have a walking tour on the Mekong River Bank. Overnight in PhnomPenh.
Day17 Phnom Penh - Siem Reap (FT 992: 0955-1040) (B)
In the morning, we’ll have a transfer to the domestic airport for the flight Phnom Penh - Siem Reap. Arriving at Siem Reap Airport, our tour guide will meet and assist you with the discovery of the ancient temples and ruins that are found next to Roluos Town – Preah Ko, Ba Kong and Lo Lei all mark the beginning of Khmer classical arts.
In late afternoon, we’ll travel to Phnom Bakheng to climb to the hilltop temple for the stunning sunset view over Angkor Wat and the countryside. Overnight in Siem Reap.
Day18 Siem Reap (B)
Our morning tour starts with the exploration of the South Gate of Angkor Thom, Bayon Temple, Elephants Terrace, Terrace of the Leper King and Ta Prohm temple.
In the afternoon, we’ll tour the majestic Angkor Wat until sunset. Overnight in Siem Reap.
Day19 Siem Reap (B)
Our trip today goes through the tranquil countryside of Siem Reap to Banteay Srei and Banteay Samre where we’ll adore the stunning intricate Khmer sculptures. Then we continue our tour with Kravan, Pre Rup, Mebon Oriental, Ta Som, Neak Pean and Preah Khan Temples. We travel back to the hotel and you have free time at leisure. Overnight in Siem Reap.
Day20 Siem Reap - Bangkok (B)
You have free time at leisure until we transfer you back to Siem Reap Airport for the departure flight. End of service.
