splendors of indochina

Arrival at Siem Reap airport, warm welcome by your local guide, then transfer to Siem Reap city. 

Visit the old market and colonial neighborhoods at busy market day and communicate with sellers on all sales of their products. Continue to the school of Artisans d’Angkor where you will see the traditional works of engraving on wood and on stones, the painting on silk of the lacquer.

After lunch, head the road and pass through villages and rice fields to Banteay Srey (Women's Citadel), a temple built during the reign of King Jayavarman V, dedicated to Shiva whose architecture and pink sandstone sculptures present a masterpiece of Khmer art, stopping in a village to observe the daily life and how to get of sugar palm. 

Return to the hotel and overnight in Siem Reap.

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Full day discovery Angkor Thom (The Great City). 

Starting the visits by the South Portal, then the famous temple of Bayon built by Jayavarman VII at the end of the twelfth century, dedicated to Buddhism, composed of 54 gigantic towers of 216 faces of Avalokitesvara; Baphuon pyramidal temple of the eleventh century representing Mount Meru dedicated to Brahamanis; the terrace of Elephants measuring 350m long hosted the pomp of royal audiences and public ceremonies. Visit then the famous temple of Ta Prohm, a monastery built by Jayavarna VII as his mother's residence, 

Last but not least important, visit the great temple of Angkor Wat, world heritage with its slender towers and magnificent bas-reliefs. 

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Road to Phnom Penh, about 20 km to the southeast passing the road to the village of Kompong Pluk. Upon arrival, stop at a Buddhist pagoda on the island to see paintings of the Buddha's life. 

Then we take a motorboat to Tonle Sap to discover the floating houses and the lake life of the fishermen. More than 3000 inhabitants are Khmers, their wooden and bamboo-houses are built on 6 to 7 meters high. 

Return to the main road and stop at the ancient archaeological Naga Bridge at Kompong Kdei. Lunch en route to the city of Kompong Thom. Continuation of journey and stop at Skun, a single market where you will find vendible of live or roasted tarantulas, crickets and others. 

Arrive Phnom Penh late in the afternoon, transfer to your hotel and overnight in Phnom Penh.

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Sightseeing tour of Phnom Penh, small historical capital full of charm with large avenues and beautiful gardens by visiting Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, National Museum (or Museum of Fine Arts), Wat Phnom - a pagoda erected on a small artificial hill crowned by a magnificent monastery sheltering relics sacred and a huge stupa of the former king Ponhea Yat founder of the capital of Phnom Penh. 

Afternoon, visit Tuol Sleng or S21 - the Genocide Museum.

Back to the hotel passing by the Angkorian-style of Independence Monument decorated with beautiful gardens to symbolize the day when Cambodia gained independence from the French protectorate on November 9, 1953. 

Free time at your leisure for the rest of the day. Overnight in Phnom Penh.

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After breakfast, you will pass through the colonial district which has preserved its many French-style houses, passing in front of the national library, the municipality of Phnom Penh. Visit the Central Market Phsar Thmei, which means "new market" in Khmer. This beautiful example of the style "Art Deco" was built by the French between 1935 and 1937 on the site of a vast swamp.

Lunch and departure to Chau Doc by speed boat.

Arrival in Chau Doc town around 17:30, welcome by your local tour guide and transfer to the hotel. Overnight in Chau Doc.

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During September to November, you can have a chance to visit Tra Su cajuput forest or also known as Tra Su bird sanctuary at its most beautiful time of the year.

Departure early to the forest and board a 20-minute tranquil and pleasant paddle along narrow channels through the gnarled and green sunken forest. You will witness an astounding number of wading birds that are home here and immerse in completely scenery that covered in green while drifting along the channel.

Transfer back to town with a stop at Phuoc Dien temple (Hang pagoda), located on the Sam Mountain slopes. To reach the temple, you will need to climb up the stairs to 300 meters; the view is a worthy prize for your efforts as you will have the full view of rice fields while looking towards the Cambodia border which is not far away. The architecture of this temple is typical Vietnamese with brick red curved roofs with corner scrolls and dragons, but the reason that for its name is this temple has two caves, one of which is said to have housed snakes and is a part of the temples history. 

Continue to visit Ba Chua Xu temple, a protector goddess, was constructed in 1820 at the foot of Sam Mountain and spend some free time at Chau Doc market. 

After lunch, take boat trip to the catfish farms where fish are bred in wooden cages suspended under floating houses on the Mekong River. Continuing by boat to visit a Muslim Cham minority village where colorful textiles are made on the wooden looms, visit then the pretty pastel Mubarak Mosque where local Cham Muslim children study the Qur'an in Arabic script. 

Head the road to Can Tho, late in the afternoon, visit Bang Lang Stork Garden located approximately about 52km from city center. The garden covers about two hectares and is home to thousands of storks as well as many other kinds of birds. There are various species of storks living at including cattle egret, ibis, striated heron and painted stork. 

Transfer to hotel and overnight in Can Tho. 

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In the early morning, take a boat trip to Cai Rang floating market, where hundreds of boats of all sizes gather to exchange their farming products. 

Back to Can Tho through small water coconut shaded canals, stop at farmer’s house to enjoy some tropical fruits. 

Then back to town for lunch and departure to Ho Chi Minh City. Check in the hotel and overnight in Ho Chi Minh city.

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Take a full day city tour in Ho Chi Minh city. You will be visiting the Former Presidential Palace also known as Reunification Palace and old Saigon Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral. 

In the afternoon, visit the 5th district “Cho Lon” also known as China town where inhabited by half a million of Hoa people (Vietnamese of Chinese origin). You will be visiting a major center of trade, swarming all day with the wholesale market of Binh Tay, Thien Hau temple, a lacquer ware manufactory where you can learn about the process of making an exquisite lacquer product from wood, pearls and egg shells inlayed. 

Then transfer to the airport for flight direction to Hanoi – the capital of Vietnam. Overnight in hotel at Hanoi.

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After breakfast, take full day tour in Hanoi, visit Ba Dinh square, exterior of the President Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and the House on stilts where he lived on and off from 1958 to 1969, locating nearby is the One Pillar Pagoda which was built by the King Ly Thai Tong who ruled from 1028 to 1054.

After lunch, continue to Temple of Literature – the Vietnam's first national university. The temple was built in 1070 at the time of King Ly Thanh Tong. It is one of several temples in Vietnam which is dedicated to Confucius, sages and scholars.

Visit next the Ethnology museum (Closed on Monday) – a well worth observing the depth of cultural diversity of Vietnam’s 54 minority groups. Take a short walk to visit Ngoc Son temple, Hoan Kiem lake. In the evening, enjoy water puppet show.

Vietnamese water puppetry is a unique folk art that originated a thousand years ago during the Ly dynasty. Villagers in the Red River delta and other rice-growing regions in Northern Vietnam staged water puppet performances to celebrate the end of the rice harvest, religious festivals, and other important occasions. A water puppet show depicts the daily activities in Vietnamese rural life as well as important historical events and ancient legends.

Overnight at hotel in Hanoi.

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Leave Hanoi for Ha Long via a country road lined with rice paddies and vegetable fields. Ha Long is recognized by UNESCO as one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. 

Arrival at Ha Long, check in on board and set sail through the bay while lunch is served. Passage into the magical bay where thousands of sculpted limestone islands rise from the waves like dragons' teeth. 

After lunch, you can take a bamboo row boat to visit fishing village or kayaking to discover a water tunnels with many coral reefs in a scenic lagoon or watch the sunset at the horizon line on the bay. Dinner and overnight on board.     

Note: Itinerary might be different from each cruising operation. 

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Wake up early in the morning to enjoy beauty of Ha Long bay at sunrise and start your day with Tai Chi exercise before breakfast. Continue to visit Ha Long bay in the morning. 

Brunch on board before checkout. Disembark around 11.30AM, depart from Ha Long to Ha Noi. 

Arrive at Ha Noi, check in at hotel and overnight in Ha Noi.

Free time to discover Ha Noi at your own pace. 

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Morning transfer to Noi Bai airport for the flight to Luang Prabang, literally meaning "Royal Buddha Image", located in north central of Laos.

Upon arrival, welcome by your local guide and transfer for lunch. Continue the day by visit Wat Xieng Thong the most beautiful temple in town built from the 16th century, follow with Wat Visoun and the Melon stupa. 

Visit then next door’s temple, Wat Aham and climb up to Mount Phousi for the sunset. 

In the evening, free time to walk around the night market.

Overnight at hotel in Luang Prabang. 

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After breakfast, embark for a boat trip to Pak Ou caves, 32 km away on the river. Along the way make a stop to visit the whisky village and see the process how villages make Lao Lao “rice whisky”, then continue on board to the cave. 

Back by boat stream down to Luang Prabang then by car drive for 12 Km to Ban Xangkhong (weaving village &paper village) and transfer to the hotel in Luang Prabang.

Free time at your leisure in the evening. 

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In the morning after breakfast, start the day by minivan to Kuang Si waterfall located 29 km away from the town. 

On the way we make a stop at the Hmong village and admire the beautiful scenery along the road.

Upon arrival to the fall, you can swim and have picnic lunch here before going back to Luang Prabang and transfer to the airport for flight to Vientiane. 

Arrival Vientiane, transfer to hotel. Check in and overnight in Vientiane.

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Visit Vientiane Bouddha Park - also called Wat Xieng Khouane, it is located 25 kilometers south of the capital Vientiane, and 4 kilometers from the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge that connects northeastern Thailand to Laos. Among these sculptures, you can see impressive statues such as a deity with 12 faces and the Indra who is the king of the Buddhist gods, sitting on a three-headed elephant. Near the entrance, there is a building 6 meters high, called the pumpkin tower which is divided into 3 levels: Hell, Earth and Paradise. At the top of this tower, you will have a superb view of the Buddha Park. 

Transfer back to hotel. Overnight in Vientiane.

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Morning early after breakfast visit the most important temples such Vat Sisaket , Vat Phrakeo, Vat Pha That Luang, Patu xay (victory monument) then visit the morning market. 

Transfer to airport for your flight departure to next destination. 

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