DAY1:
The Best of Vientiane After arrival,
we enjoy a tour of Vientiane, the capital
of Laos. We visit the most important temples
of Wat That Luang, Wat Pha Kaew, Wat Si
Muang and Wat Si Saket, as well as the Patuxai
Monument.
DAY
2: Vientiane to Luang Prabang
We take a flight to the historic city of
Luang Prabang. We visit some of the important
wats, including watermelon-shaped Wat Wisunlat,
Wat Aham and Wat Saen, and take in the views
from Phousi Hill.
DAY
3: Pak Ou Caves
After a visit to the elegant temple of Wat
Xieng Thon, we take a boat up the Mekong
River to the holy caves of Pak Ou. We also
visit some traditional villages producing
the local liquor Lao Lao, weaving cotton
and silk and making paper.
DAY
4: Vientiane to
Hanoi
In the morning, we fly to Vientiane for the onward
connection to Hanoi, capital of Vietnam. In the
late afternoon, we explore the sights, sounds
and smells of Hanoi’s bustling Old Quarter.
In the evening we enjoy a unique water puppet
show.
DAY
5: Hanoi to Halong Bay
Today, we drive east to majestic Halong
Bay, one of nature’s wonders of
the world. We take a boat cruise around
the bay, exploring caves and beaches.
Dinner and overnight in Halong City.
DAY
6: Highlights of Hanoi
We drive back to Hanoi and take an afternoon tour
of Hanoi’s highlights, including the Mausoleum
of Ho Chi Minh, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Temple
of Literature and some classic French architecture.
Dinner and overnight in Hanoi.
DAY
7: Hanoi to Saigon
After breakfast, we head to the airport for the
flight to Saigon. After transferring to the hotel,
we enjoy a city tour, including Reunification
Palace, the War Remnants Museum, and some of the
best examples of French architecture around the
city.
DAY
8: Cao Dai Temple and the Cu Chi Tunnels
We take a trip to the Cao Dai temple at
Tay Ninh and take part in a morning service
for this unique religion. After lunch,
we head underground at the Cu Chi Tunnels,
an incredible complex of passages dug
by the Vietnamese to avoid American patrols
and bombs. We return to Saigon for dinner
and overnight.
DAY
9: Exploring the Mekong Delta
We head into the Mekong Delta region, a landscape
of lush greens. We take a boat trip on the Mekong
to visit some traditional islands and the calm
pace of delta life. Later we return to Saigon
for dinner and overnight.
DAY
10: Saigon to Phnom Penh
We take a morning flight to the capital
of Cambodia. We visit the Royal Palace and
Silver Pagoda, the National Museum and the
popular Russian and Central markets.
DAY 11: Sights
Around Phnom Penh
In the morning, we visit the gruesome
genocide museum of Tuol Sleng and the
Killing Fields memorial before viewing
Wat Phnom, symbol of the city. After lunch
we fly to Siem Reap. We watch sunset over
Angkor Wat, then return to town for dinner
and overnight.
DAY 12: Phnom
Penh to Siem Reap
In the morning, we visit the highlights
of the petit circuit, including Prasat
Kravan, the royal bathing pond of Sra
Srang, Banteay Kdei, Takeo and jungle-clad
Ta Prohm. After lunch in town, we visit
magnificent Angkor Wat, the largest religious
building in the world, to view its architecture
and bas reliefs
DAY
13: Banteay Srei and Kbal Spean
Today we enjoy an early morning visit to
Angkor Wat to watch sunrise, before continuing
north to visit the elegant temple of Banteay
Srei and the riverbed carvings of Kbal Spean.
After lunch, we visit Preah Khan, Neak Poan
and Banteay Samre.
DAY
14: Angkor Thom and Artisans DÁngkor
In the morning we visit the highlights of Angkor
Thom, including Victory Gate, the enigmatic faces
of the Bayon, Baphuon, Phimean Akas, the Terrace
of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper
King. After lunch in town, we visit Les Artisans
D’Angkor, a workshop to redevelop traditional
Cambodian artisan skills and the Western Baray.
We transfer to the airport for onward flight.
Hanuman is a member of the Cambodian Association of Travel Agents and the Cambodian Community-based Ecotourism Network. Hanuman was cited in ‘The Guide to Responsible Tourism in Cambodia, Laos & Vietnam'.
