Vietnam and Cambodia Discovery
Day1 Arrive 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 City Tour. Night Train for Lao Cai
We’ll have full day touring 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 for Lao Cai. Overnight on board the train. (Local train, air-con soft sleeper)
Day3 Arrive in Lao Cai. Lao Cai – 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 a soft adventure trekking tour to the breathtaking valley of Sapa to visit Cat Cat village (of the Black H’Mong people) and Cat Cat waterfall. Overnight in Sapa.
Day4 Sapa
Our morning tour is first by jeep to Lao Chai village (Black H'Mong). From Lao Chai, we have a soft trekking adventure tour 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
Day5 Sapa - Lao Cai. Night Train for Hanoi
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)
Day6 Arrive in Hanoi. Hanoi - Ha Long Bay
Arriving at Hanoi in early morning, we can choose to go and join the Hanoi people playing Taichi at some parks or travel to Ha Long Bay. At half way, we’ll stop for morning break. 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.
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.
Day7 Ha Long Bay – Hanoi
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.
Day8 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.
Day9 Hue - Hoi An
Breakfast at the hotel.
Enjoy a tour to the royal tombs of King Tu Duc and King Khai Dinh. Then continue our journey 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. Arriving at Hoi An in the afternoon, we check into our hotel and enjoy free time at leisure. Overnight in Hoi An.
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.
Day10 Hoi An
Breakfast at the hotel.
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.
Day11 Hoi An - Da Nang - Ho Chi Minh City (VN 325: 1330 – 1440) (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
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.
Day12 Ho Chi Minh City - Siem Reap (VN 827: 1140 – 1240)
You have free time at leisure until our car transfers you back to the Tan Son Nhat Airport for your flight to Siem Reap, The Kingdom of Cambodia. Arriving in Siem Reap, meet our Cambodia tour guide and we’ll drive to Rolous Town. The monuments of Roluos, which served as the capital of Indravarman I (reigned from A.D 877-89), are among the earliest permanent temples built by the Khmers and mark the beginning of Khmer classical art.
In Rolous, we’ll tour the temples of Preah Ko (erected by Indravarman I in the late 9th century and dedicated by the King to his ancestors), Bakong (the largest and most interesting of the Roluos group temples, it has an active Buddhist monastery) and Lolei (built on an islet in the center of a large reservoir by Yasovarman I, the founder of the first city at Angkor).
In late afternoon, we’ll climb the Phnom Bakheng Hill to the hilltop temple and adore the stunning sunset view over the countryside and the fabled Angkor Wat. Overnight in Siem Reap.
Day13 Siem Reap
Our morning tour starts with Angkor Thom the ancient capital of Angkor Thom (12th century). See the South Gate (with its huge statues depicting the churning of the ocean of milk), Bayon Temple(unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara), the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King. Return to Siem Reap for refreshment.
In the afternoon, we’ll enter the legendary world of Angkor Wat. We’ll have 2 to 3 hours for a guided tour which we’ll learn about the magical works of the Khmer to build these unrivalled structures. Then we’ll have some brief moments for self-exploring the upper levels of Angkor Wat. Since the top levels are vertically steep, it’s necessary we clamber them with good care.
Angkor Wat complex covers 81 hectares. Its distinctive five towers are emblazoned on the Cambodian flag and the 12th century masterpiece is considered by art historians to be the prime example of classical Khmer arts and architecture. Angkor Wat's five towers symbolize Meru's five peaks, the enclosed wall represents the mountains at the edge of the world and the surrounding moat symbolizes the ocean beyond.
Day14 Siem Reap
In the morning, we’ll travel through the countryside to visit Banteay Srei with some of the most impressive sculptures found in the region. Banteay Srei temple (10th century), regarded as the jewel in the crown of Classical Khmer Arts. Then we’ll move onto Banteay Samre, built in the third quarter of the 12th century. It consists of a central temple with four wings preceded by a hall and accompanied by two libraries, the southernmost of which is remarkably well preserved. Two concentric walls enclose the ensemble. On the way back we will also see Ta Prohm temple embraced by gigantic trees and creepers.
In the afternoon, we’ll take a trip to visit the terrace of Sras Srang, Prasat Kravan, Banteay Kdei and Takeo.
Day15 Depart Siem Reap
You have free time until we transfer you back to Siem Reap International Airport for your departure flight. Time to bid farewell to the fabled temples of Angkor.
