Vietnam and Cambodia – Travel like a local 13 Days

Upon arrival, you will be met by your guide who will escort you to a waiting vehicle for your transfer to downtown with a brief introduction en route. Your guide will be holding a welcome signboard with the ASIA TOUR ADVISOR LOGO & your name. Settle down at the hotel and relax.

(Check in time is from 14:00 - Early check-in subject to availability)
Note: We’re flexible to switch the itinerary if you want to start/finish your trip in another city

The capital of Vietnam, a city that celebrated 1.000 years in 2010 has countless fascinating cultural and historic sites and our days' tour will visit the highlights.

See the grand and solemn mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh (viewed from outside; closed Mon and Fri and from Oct-Nov), the 'icon of Hanoi' - The One Pillar Pagoda, the beautiful Temple of Literature, West Lake's Tran Quoc temple and Quan Thanh pagoda as well as the bustling Old Quarter and at the end of the day - a water puppet performance. Evening free at leisure.

We'll pick you up at your hotel around 9:00am and drive through the verdant Red River Delta to make our way to the famous UNESCO World Heritage site, Halong Bay. You'll board a luxury junk ship for an overnight cruise-- while you relax on-board you can marvel at the incredible limestone karsts that jut out of the sea and the thousands of jungle-covered islands that seem to float on the waves. The turquoise waters of the Gulf of Tonkin swirl around hidden grottoes and ancient caves to create an enchanting, timeless world.

We'll serve you a fresh seafood lunch while you sit back and relax as you enjoy the incredible view with a drink in your hand. We'll take you to a traditional fishing village where the locals have created an entire town on the decks of their boats, then you can explore Tien Ong Cave before returning to the cruise for cocktails, canapés, and a spectacular sunset. End your day with a romantic, candlelit dinner.

Begin the day with a Tai Chi class on deck in the early morning mist or just admire the beautiful scenery as the sun rises over the azure waters. Choose between an excursions to a secluded island with a sandy beach for a swim or join the chef for a cooking demonstration to learn more about Vietnamese cuisine. Enjoy a leisurely brunch while your junk cruises Halong Bay, passing islets and caves as you make your way back to the dock.

Your driver will meet you when you disembark and transfer you to Noi Bai airport for your flight to Danang. When you arrive at the airport, you will be picked up and transferred to your hotel in Hoi An downtown.
Note: The itinerary is subject to change according to different boats and weather conditions

Option 1 – Cooking class:
Your cooking class today will begin with a visit to a colorful local markets, buying all the necessary ingredients and head back to prepare. Your cheft will demonstrate how to cook some typical Vietnam cruisine, you will then start cooking yourself and enjoy what you have cooked 
In the afternoon, exploring the enchanting time-capsule town of Old Hoi An on a walking tour with your guide.

Hoi An was a major sea port in Asia and it resulted in a fusion of style and culture that has been perfectly preserved. Wander traditional Chinese shops, luxurious French homes, and an ancient Japanese bridge. The town is home to silk markets, Vietnamese food stalls, and talented street performers-- all of which are sure to charm you.

Option 2 – Vegetable village:
Breakfast at your hotel and then it’s time for a little bit of exercise and a bike ride to Tra Que Vilage and a visit to a local farm. This is a very special involvement in true Vietnamese rural life. You will learn about the history of the village and then be shown the daily practices of growing vegetables. You will learn how the vegetables are used in traditional Vietnamese medicine.

You will join in the activities of the farmers – collecting seaweed fertilizer, sowing, raking, watering and picking. Your cultural immersion continues as you join the family to prepare and eat the lunch you have helped grow. You will also taste other local specialties such a Tam huu (spring roll) and Bahn xeo (pancake). Of course you must also join in the after lunch nap before returning to the fiel to learn how to harvest and wrap the produce. Mid-afternoon we wave goodbye to your new friends and go back to Hoian for visiting Hoian Old Quarter. Return to your hotel for relaxing

Option 3 – Countryside biking or motor riding:
Our guide will pick you up at the hotel by motobike, riding to Tra Que village and then ride back to the river for aboard a local ferry to Kim Bong Village. This village is not only famous for wood carving but weaving sleeping mat as well, so we will stop at a family to see how they weave the mat for every day use in the old time before having today popular mattresses. Visit a local family making the famous local noodle - Mi Quang is the other chance to learn the local life.

You also have a chance to make make and eat the perfect banh dap (rice cracker). Riding into a small village , gearing up for an adrenalin pumping 300 metre bamboo bridge river crossing to the opposing landscape of the sea-board side of the island making our way to Duy Hai market and harbour. Here, the local ferry crossing takes guests to the water coconut palm fringed Cam Thanh village. Have lunch at Cam Thanh homestay. Back your hotel by motobike.
Note: If you prefer biking than scooter tour, we can be flexible to modify the route, matching with your ability.

You'll have the morning for a leisurely breakfast before we come to collect you and take you to catch a flight to Saigon/ Ho Chi Minh city. When you arrive at the airport, you will be met and heading to downtown for sightseeing.

Depending on your interest, we suggest Cu Chi Tunnels, a major part of the Vietnam-American War and a fascinating day trip-- explore the mysterious tunnels, find hidden doors and once-deadly traps.
OR alternatively, visiting the War Remnants Museum or the Presidential Palace, whichever you prefer. Then stroll around the city's colonial streets in the evening to the Old Saigon Post Office, Dong Khoi Street, Continental Hotel, Opera House and City Hall.

Leave your hotel this morning, heading to visit Mekong Delta. Arrive at Ham Luong dock, you will take a boat and then cruise along Ham Luong River, a tributary to the Mekong River. The cool breeze from the river and lush tropical islands along its banks will immediately get you excited to explore all the great things ahead.

Arrive and visit various local workplaces to find many wonderful examples of how local people use ageless techniques to create their crafts, including activated charcoal, dried coconut, handy coconut husk brooms, and many family businesses using coir, or coconut fiber, to create amazing art. Cruise around the village roads by “Xe Lôi”, the local vehicle, which is a kind of motorized rickshaw. Kayak through the natural canals to get a unique experience of the peaceful beauty of the Mekong River as well as the rural life there. Having lunch at a local host house.

After lunch, you will have some time for relaxing before continuing with more activities- cycling around the village, or treating yourself to relaxing time to relish the beautiful countryside, fishing, and cooking with the locals. Enjoy dinner and an overnight homestay experience.

Early wake up to enjoy the peaceful countryside in the morning, and then have breakfast. Then take the boat on along the River – one of tributaries of Mekong River, Sight-seeing lively activities along river as fishing, water transferring …..Stop at brickwork – coconutcharcoal making and coconut husking. Then visit one of the plenty of coconut processing workshops where coconut candies are made and have a chance to learn the coconut candies making process located along canal ( MsLan coconut candy workshop).

Turn on natural scissors creeks where they look smaller and smaller to go to village. Take a walk to family making sleep mats. Afterward, being on a cart powered by a motorbike or biking and traveling through some tranquil villages where vegetables gardens to be able to touch on real life and find out about tropical culture from Peasants. Lunch at local restaurant. Afternoon, take biking around the village, rowing-boat along water palm creek and boat to Hung Vuong Pier. Then transfer by car back to Saigon.

You'll have the morning for a leisurely breakfast before we come to collect you and take you to the airport to catch a flight to Siem Reap/ Cambodia.
Flight: TBA
When you arrive at the airport, you will be met and transferred directly to your hotel. Enjoy the balance of the day at leisure.

Breakfast at your hotel, you will then be picked up by your guide to visit the ancient Khmer civilization site of Hariharalaya which flourished in the late 9th and earlier 10th centuries. These are the earliest temples in the Angkor area and are referred to the Rolous group (Lo Lei, Preah Koh, and Bakhong Temples). Lunch with the local family and then we will continue to drive to the rural outskirt 35km from Angkor area to visit the smallest, but magnificent, Banteay Srei built in the 10th Century and dedicated to Shiva.

The temple was the birthplace of Khmer classical style architecture and the bas-relief work is the best example of Khmer classical art remaining. The pink sandstone structure bears a series of striking and beautiful sculptures, lintels, pediments and friezes.Khmers say the temple must have been carved by women for the details are too fine for the hands of a man. On the way back to Siem Reap we will visit the Banteay Samre Temple adorned with impressive reliefs depicting scenes of Vishnu as well as Krishna legends.

Have an early breakfast at hotel. At 07h30, departing the hotel for visit to the picturesque Ta Prohm that had nearly disappeared into the jungle and remains overgrown, an oddly haunting and exotic scene. The magnificent roots of a tree, pushing between the huge stone blocks of the temple in a sort of embrace, evoke feelings that you may remember forever. And continue to visit the intricately carved Khmer ruins at Angkor Wat - one of the world’s most impressive ruins.

The temple still owns fine Apsara carvings in Angkorian era art. And continue exploring the mysterious Royal city Angkor Thom. City & Bayon Its 54-tower temple is an awesome sight. At first glance it seems a shapeless mass of stone, but further scrutiny reveals a face, and then another and another until suddenly you are engulfed by the silent, heavy, enigmatic and silent gaze through half-closed eyes, staring out from a primitive and remote time. Further, visit to the surroundings of the complex including the Baphou, Elephant Terraces, Lipper King Terrace and Royal Palace . Enclosure area and visit one more ruin in Angkor Area of Preah Khan temple, built in 12th century by King Jayavarman VII and it is the same style to Ta Prom Temple.

Breakfast at hotel. Siem Reap Orientation visiting to local main shrine Preah Ang Chek/Cham to pray for good luck. Walking along a bungalow where is special for local people. They mostly come here for taking pictures with their family or beloved one and some come here for taking exercise in the evening. Bungalow is also home to hundreds of fruit-bats, where they can be found on the top of those big trees.

Visit to nearbyAngkor National Museum which opened its door in November 2007, offering a comprehensive collection of Cambodian artifacts showcasing the origins of Khmer art, culture, and architecture. With eight galleries in total, it covers in depth the history of Cambodia and the Khmer Empire as well as a fascinating collection of Buddhist artifacts. Apart from the antiques and historical relics, they have successfully integrated state-of-the-art multimedia technology to help bring the exhibitions to life. Explore the popular handicraft in Siem Reap, the Artisans D’ Angkor, where it focuses on training unschooled rural youth. Here you will have a chance to observe the artisans at work and see how the handicraft is being made. Ancient techniques are still practiced here such as wood and stone carving, lacquering, gilding and silk painting

Return to hotel for relaxing until early evening, explore Siem Reap night by tuk tuk to experience Cambodia's nightlife in full, from the local people's customs to the activities geared to tourists. Walking through the food market of Road 60m and if you are brave enough we will invite you to taste some fried bugs on the first part of the road. There is a play station for kids. Next, we will enjoy dinner with a local beer/soft drink in local beer garden. Then visit night market and or, you may want to try foot massage by fish (own account). Note* If you are not familiar with local beer garden, dinner there will be replaced by set menu dinner (meal only without drink) at Crystal restaurant with Apsara performance. At the end of the trip, take the short tuk tuk ride back to your hotel.

Your time will be your own until your private car and driver arrives to take you to the airport for your flight home. Services end.