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Day 1
Chiangrai - Parbeng
Pick up at the hotel or airport in Chiangrai and transfer to
Hueysay. After immigration, take a scenic boat trip along
the Mekong River to Pakbeng and overnight in Pakbeng Lodge
Day 2 Pakbeng - Luang Prabang (B,L)
Breakfast at hotel (optional walk to Pakbeng market, where
people from the surrounding villages of minorities
exchange their goods). Continue our wonderful cruise along
the river to Luang Prabang. Stop at a fishing village for
picnic lunch and observe traditional process to obtain
local rice alcohol. Continue to Pak Ou Village at the mouth
of the Nam Ou river, visit Tamting caves of a 1000
Buddha statues. Arrive Luang Prabang before sunset. Transfer
to the hotel.
Day 3 Luang Prabang (B)
Breakfast at hotel, visit to Kuangsi waterfall, picnic lunch
at local village. Return to Luang Prabang for
sightseeing around the city to famous temples and palaces.
Overnight in Luang Prabang.
Day 4 Luang Prabang.
At leisure to enjoy charming Luangprabang townor shopping
Overnight in hotel.
Day 5 Luang Prabang - Hanoi (B)
Luang Prabang: free leissure
Luang Prabang - Hanoi QV at 16h45 17h45
Greetings in Hanoi
Day 6 Hanoi - Halong bay
(B,L,D)
Breakfast at hotel. Depart to Halong Bay. Arrive Halong bay
You will check into the boat to cruise around Halong bay ( a
private cabin ) and soak in the misty atmosphere of this
world heritage site. Halong bay is a breathtaking secluded
bay with over 3,000 limestone islands rising from the clear
emerald waters of the Bac Bo gulf. It is one of the most
magnificent scenic regions in Vietnam and has been referred
to as the 8th Wonder of the World. The area of about 1500sq
km is dotted with innumerable beaches and grottoes, created
over thousands of year by the waves and wind. You will have
the opportunity to swim from your boat and explore some
caves. You will enjoy a seafood feast for lunch on board. We
will continue our excursion around this stunning bay until
the sun comes down. Overnight on boat.
Day 7 Hanoi - Sapa (B)
Further exploration of Halong bay. Return to Hanoi in the
afternoon. En route visit to a traditional village in Red
river Delta.
Evening train to Sapa.
Day 8 Sapa Hikking (B,D)
Arrive Laocai station around 6am there will be a transfer to
Sapa, situated at an altitude of 1,600 meters and 33 km from
Lao Cai. It's a beautiful, scenic drive as we wind our way
towards Sapa. After we have checked into our hotel and had
breakfast we will embark on a soft walk to visit Catcat
village to take in stunning scenery that this region has to
offer. As we walk to the village nestled in the valley
below Sapa, we will meet some of the local minority people
on their way to and from Sapa. These minority people walk to
Sapa to trade at the markets. Sapa market is always an
exciting place as several different ethnic minorities
congregate here.
Overnight Sapa
Topas ecolodge.
Day 9
Sapa Hikking (B,L,D)
Breakfast at the hotel. We then embark on a lovely trek
that will take us along buffalo paths and trails and through
several hill tribe villages of Lao Chai and Tavan, home to
H'mong, and Dzay people. This is a absolutely spectacular
walk through stunning scenery inhabited by some of the
friendliest people you can meet. Once on the valley floor
you can really appreciate the wonderful scenery that
surrounds you. The walls of the valley are covered with
multi-layered rice terraces and
scattered villages.
Day 10
Sapa
-Hanoi
(B,L)
We walk uphill toward Supan, red Dzao villages. As we walk
to the village nestled in the valley below Sapa, we will
meet some of the local minority people on their way to and
from Sapa. These minority people walk to Sapa to trade at
the markets. Sapa market is always an exciting place as
several, different ethnic minorities congregate here. As
well as the H’mong you will also see the Dao (pronounced Zao).
Dao women are particularly striking as they wear a large red
turban often covered with old coins or jewelry. We meet our
awaiting jeep for the drive to Sapa, transfer to Laocai
station for scenic day train back to Hanoi.
Day 11 Hanoi - Hue(B,L)
Greetings at station. Breakfast at Cinnamon hotel and
transfer to the airport for the flight to Hue. Arrival
transfer to our hotel in Hue. Arrival transfer to our hotel in
Hue.Today we will set out for the exploration of Hue's famous
highlights, including the Citadel and the Forbidden Purple
City. Built in the 19th century by the Nguyen dynasty,
the City was home to the former Emperors of Vietnam from
1802 until 1945. In the surrounding countryside there is the
picturesque Thiem Mu, or Heavenly Lady Pagoda. We visit also
tomb of Emperor Tuduc.
Day 12
Hue - Hoian (B)
As we bid Hue farewell this morning we continue our
south bound journey, we visit the Cham Museum, the
famed China Beach, and the Marble Mountains. Arriving in Hoi
An we spend the rest of the afternoon exploring and
relaxing.
Overnight at hotel in Hoian.
Day 13 Hoian (B,L)
Visit local market to buy all necessary
materials for the dishes to be cooked. Take 25 min. Attend
the cookery classed followed by lunch.
Explore Hoi An Ancient Town with a
short boat trip across the river brings you to
the boat builder’s yard and woodcarvers as well
as a pottery and brick-making village. Return to
the town and during a leisurely discovery tour
on foot you will visit some of the historic
merchant and community houses, places of worship
and famous bridges. Back to hotel.Overnight
at hotel in Hoian.
Day 14 Hoian ...and the evening fly to NhaTrang(B)
At leisure.
Transfer to airport for the
flight to Nhatrang. Arrival transfer to our hotel in
Nhatrang. Our time in Nha Trang is free for
relaxing and soaking up the sun on the beautiful white sandy
beaches and swimming in the crystal clear warm waters.
Overnight at hotel in Nhatrang
Day 15 NhaTrang drive to Dalat. (B)
Visit the Long Son Pogoda and the Ponagar Cham Tower, a
sacred Hindu site daring back to the 2rd century AD. The
town was built between the 7th and 12th centuries and is
still used today as a place of pilgrimage for the Cham and
Vietnamese Buddhists.Depart for Dalat ( 250km) , a cool
mountain resort. Its lakes, waterfall, evergreen forest and
gardens make Dalat one of the most enjoyable places in
Vietnam. On the way, visit Po Klang Garai Cham Tower & Prenn
waterfall . Arrive in Dalat and transfer to the hotel for
check – in. Overnight at hotel in Dalat.
Day 16 Dalat.. afternoon drive Saigon (B)
Breakfast at the hotel. Sightseeing Dalat including train to
Trai Mat, the Lover’s lane, Xuan Huong Lake . Flower Garden
and Linh Son Pagoda. Afternoon drive to HCM city.
Day 17 Drive Mekong delta -cruise Mekong river(B,L)
e set off this morning for a drive through the Mekong Delta
to Cai Be floating market. Here we will board our private
boat for a cruise along the maze of waterways and canals to
Vinh Long. We will stop at the home of a Bonsai gardener for
a sumptuous Delta lunch, before continuing our exploration
of the tributaries and canals of the delta. Following these
visits we will once again board our vehicle for the drive to
Ho Chi Minh City.
Day 18 CuChi tunnels,city tour afternoon, evening fly
PhnomPenh(B)
Drive to visit the Cuchi Tunnels. At the height of the
Vietnam war, the tunnel system stretched from the outskirts
of Saigon all the way to the Cambodian border of over 250
kilometers of tunnels. The tunnel system, built over 25
years starting in the 1940s, let the Viet Minh and, later,
the Viet Cong, control a huge rural area. It was an
underground city with living areas, kitchens, storage,
weapons factories, field hospitals, command centers. In
places, it was several stories deep and housed up to 10,000
people who virtually
lived underground for years.... getting married, giving
birth, going to school. The ground here is hard clay, which
made this whole thing possible. But even so, the planning
and construction was incredible. People dug all this with
hand tools, filling reed baskets and dumping the dirt into
bomb craters. They installed large vents so they could hear
approaching helicopters, smaller vents for air and baffled
vents to dissipate cooking smoke. There were also hidden
trap doors and gruesomely effective bamboo-stake booby
traps. Today the trees and bushes have grown back. And
since 1988, two sections of tunnels have been open for
visitors. Transfer to airport for the flight to Phnompenh.
Arrival transfer to our hotel in Phnompenh.Overnight in Phnompenh
Day 19 Phnom Penh - Siemreap (B)
the capital of
Kingdom of Cambodia. A visit to Phnom Penh is a very
interesting experience indeed. It is a city with an
interesting pulse and it
gives you a very true taste of Asia. We will visi the Wats
Phnom, National
museum, silver Pagoda and Royal Palace. Shopping at Phnompenh market
and the Russian Market. Afternoon transfer to airport for
the flight to Siemreap. Arrival transfer to our hotel. At
leisure.
. Overnight at hotel in Siemreap.
Day 20 Visit Angkor Wat(B)
Following breakfast you will visit Angkor Wat temple,
Angkor Thom, the South Gate, Bayon, the Royal Enclosure,
Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace and the Terrace of the
Leper King. From here you will then make your way to visit
Ta Prohm before an afternoon visit to Preah Khan, Neak Pean,
East Mebon and Pre Rup temples.
. Overnight at
hotel in Siemreap.
Day 21 Angkor
Our drive this morning will take us to Prasat Kravan,
Bantaey Srei and Bantaey Kdei. This afternoon will find us
at the Roulous Group of Temples - Preah Ko, Bakong Lole
Temples until sunset. Overnight at Angkor hotel
.Overnight at hotel in Siemreap.
Day 22 Explore all day starting in evening by fly to
Bangkok (B)
Morning drive to Tonle Sap Lake for a lovely boat cruise to
observe life on the water. The trip for today will bring a
slight change of pace as we visit the silk farm of Pok, the
Artisan D’ Angkor . Transfer to airport for the flight to
Bangkok.
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