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BRIEF
ITINERARY:
Day 1: Arrive Siem Reap - Welcome to Cambodia
Day 2: Siem Reap – Angkor Temples (B)
Day 3: Siem Reap – Angkor Temples (B)
Day 4: Siem Reap – Phnom Penh (B)
Day 5: Phnom Penh – Chau Doc (Vietnam) (B)
Day 6: Chau Doc – Mekong River on private Song Xanh
Cruise (B/L/D)
Day 7: Mekong River on private Song Xanh Cruise
(B/L/D)
Day 8: Cai Be – Saigon (B)
Day 9: Saigon (B)
Day 10: Saigon – Cuchi – Tayninh (B)
Day 11: Saigon – Muine Beach resort (B)
Day 12: Muine Beach resort (B)
Day 13: Muine – Back to Saigon for departure (B)
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DETAIL ITINERARY:
Day 1: Arrive Siem Reap – Welcome to Cambodia
Arrive at Siem Reap
International Airport and transfer to the hotel (rooms
may not ready until the afternoon)
Visit the Roluos
Group. The monuments
of Roluos, which served as the capital of
Indravarman I (reigned 877-89), are among the
earliest large, permanent temples built by the
Khmers and mark the beginning of Khmer classical
art. Preah Ko erected
by Indravarman I in the late 9th century
dedicated by the King to his ancestors in 880. Bakong the
largest and most interesting of the Roluos group
temples, with his active Buddhist monastery just to
the north of the east entrance. Lolei built
on an islet in the center of a large reservoir (now
rice fields) by Yasovarman I, the founder to the
first city at Angkor.
In
the afternoon, continue your temple tour. See the
unique interior brick sculptures Prasat
Kravan, the Srah
Srang reservoir
(known as "The Royal Baths" was once used for ritual
bathing), Banteay Kdei (surrounded
by 4 concentric walls), Eastern
Mebon (guarded at its
corner by stone figures of harnessed elephants, some
of which are still in a reasonable state of
preservation) and the mountain-temple of Pre
Rup until sunset. Overnight
at hotel in Siem Reap.
Day 2: Siem Reap –
Angkor Temples (B)
In the morning, visit the most
famous of all the temples on the plain of Angkor: Angkor
Wat. The temple
complex covers 81 hectares and is comparable in size
to the Imperial Palace in Beijing. 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 art 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, the ocean beyond.
Afternoon, visit the South
Gate (with its huge
statues depicting the churning of the ocean of
milk), the ancient capital of Angkor
Thom (12th century), Bayon
Temple (unique for
its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces
of Avolokitesvara), the Royal
Enclosure, Phimeanakas,
the Elephants
Terrace and
the Terrace of the
Leper King. Sunset at Angkor Wat.
Overnight at hotel in
Siem Reap.
Day 3: Siem Reap –
Angkor Temples (B)
An early bird special:
Transfer to the archaeological
site for the sunrise from
the Phnom Bakheng,
one of two hills dominating the plain of Angkor,
from where you will have a spectacular view of the
Western Baray and Angkor Wat Or
sunrise at Srah Srang
Return to the hotel for
breakfast.
Morning, transfer to Banteay
Srei temple (10th c),
regarded as the jewel in the crown of Classical
Khmer Art. Continue to Ta
Prohm, one
of the area’s
most beautiful temples. Ta Prohm has been relatively
untouched since it was discovered and retains much
of its mystery.
In
the afternoon, you continue your temple visits to Preah
Khan. Built by
the King Jayavarman VII, Preah Khan is, like
Ta Prohm, a place of towered enclosures and shoulder
hugging corridors. Unlike Ta Prohm, however, the
temple of Prea Khan is in a reasonable state of
preservation and ongoing restoration efforts should
maintain and even improve this situation. Neak
Pean, a fountain built in
the middle of a pool (representing the paradisiacal
Himalayan mountain-lake), Ta
Som and 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 southern example remarkably well preserved. Two
concentric walls enclose the ensemble. Overnight at
hotel in Siem Reap.
Day 4: Siem Reap –
Phnom Penh (B)
Early morning transfer
to the boat station in the Tonle Sap Lake for the
express boat trip to PhnomPenh. The 5 hour boat trip
will take you through the floating villages and you
will see the local life on the Tonle Sap Lake, the
biggest lake in Asia, and along the Mekong River
where you will see the real countryside of Cambodia.
Arrive in Phnom Penh at
around 12.00 at noon, you will be met and
transferred to your hotel.
Afternoon, we will visit this charming city of
Phnom Penh: Visit to the National
Museum, also called
Musee des Beaux-Arts. A French archaeologist and
painter, Georges Groslier, designed it in Khmer
style in 1917. The museum contains a collection of
Khmer art - notably sculptures - from throughout the
ages. The Tuol Sleng Prison Museum and
the notorious ‘Killing Fields’ of Choeung Ek
are not to be missed. A visit to these sights
provides a deep insight into the painful bloody rule
of the Khmer Rouge. Visit Wat Phnom temple.
Before ending the tour of today, we enjoy the
Cyclo ride along the Mekong River side to visit
Children Khmer Dancing School.
In
the evening, enjoy the boat cruising along Mekong
River until sunset and dinner will
be provided on the boat. Overnight at hotel in Phnom
Penh
Day 5: Phnom Penh –
Chau Doc (Vietnam) (B)
Morning, visit the Royal
Palace, built by King
Norodom in 1866 on the site of the old town, and
the Silver Pagoda.
Located within the grounds of the Royal Palace, the
Silver Pagoda is so named because of its floor,
which is made up of 5000 silver tiles. The treasures
found inside include a solid gold Buddha
encrusted and weighing 90kilograms and a
small 17th century
emerald and baccarat crystal Buddha. We
continue to one of the city’s lively open markets,
Psar Toul Tom Pong, all called the “Russian
Market”, where anything and everything is for
sales.
Early afternoon, you
will be transfer to the boat station for the express
boat trip to Chau Doc, the border town of Vietnam.
To enter Vietnam at border with Cambodia, you will
need to have Vietnam visa in advance. (We can help
you to get the visa approval letter and you will
bring this letter to the Vietnam Embassy at your
place to get the visa).
Arrive Chau Doc in late
afternoon, you will be met and transferred to your
hotel. Overnight at hotel in Chau Doc.
Day 6: Chau Doc –
Mekong River on private Boat (B/L/D) –
Fri, 18th Sep
Located on the upper
Mekong Delta, Chau Doc town is 280 km (174 miles)
south-west of Ho Chi Minh City close to the
Cambodian border. With such proximity to Cambodia,
the local population is an eclectic mix of Cham,
Khmer, Chinese and Vietnamese, sharing different
cultures and historical richness.
Your cruise journey on
the private sampan will start at noon. We will be cruising the Mekong river and
see the floating fish farming villages, floating
markets and Cham villages, an ancient Muslim ethnic
population with their kingdom covering Cambodia and
south Vietnam during the 10th century.
We will continue our
cruise to Cho Moi on such a beautiful river, little
arm of the Mekong, where several traditional
activities can be observed on the banks (artisanal
boat factories, bamboo baskets making, palm leaves
cutting, net fishing), as well as old Vietnamese
temples dating from late 19th century.
In the evening, we will
organize for you an exciting experience in a village
located in the suburbs of Cho Moi, where your dinner
will be arranged at some typical local house. You
will be able to share experiences with family
members and learn about traditional Southern Vietnam
lifestyle, one of the highlights of your journey on
the Mekong which should not be forgotten! Back on
board your private sampan for your first night on
the boat on the river.
Day 7: Mekong
Discovery on private Boat (B/L/D)
The breakfast will be
served on board at 07am.Your Sampan will slowly
leave Cho Moi for Sa Dec and proceed the cruise
downstream the river to Long Xuyen, a peaceful
provincial town located on the Mekong’s banks. We
will pass by several luxuriant islands, crossing
countless sampan boats carrying sand, rice, fruits
and vegetables, fishes, showing an intense activity
on the river. Approaching Long Xuyen, your lunch
will be served on board. Later, you will have a
quick tour of Long Xuyen typical center before
cruising further to “Cu Lao Ong Ho” (The Tiger
Island) for a visit at Ton Duc Thang museum, second
president of Vietnam…We will proceed downstream on
the Mekong river to Sa Dec. Some stops on the banks
will be possible for cycling tours to discover
deeper the inhabitants’ life style.
Back on board your
sampan, you will enjoy a romantic dinner served on
the deck during the sunset. Second night on board on
the Mekong River…
Day 8: Cai Be –
Saigon (B)
Early morning, your breakfast will be served on
board while cruising. Further, Sa Dec town will
appear like a little “Venice” with numerous narrow
canals…You will disembark for a guided visit of this
charming and peaceful town, walking along its narrow
streets where beautiful French old houses and
Chinese temples dating from the last century are
numerous… You will visit the local
market and the Trung
Vuong primary school where well known writer
Marguerite Duras spent her childhood (see her famous
novel turned into the movie “The Lover”).
After lunch, your sampan
will proceed to Vinh Long, cruising by Dong Phu and
An Binh islets famous for their fruit orchards.
These evergreen islands among the Mekong River bring
about large networks of meandering rivers, criss-crossed
with countless arroyos, and remaining unknown to
many people. Crossing the large Co Chien River we
will pass under the spectacular My Thuan Bridge. On
the banks, some dark smokes in the sky will lead us
to one of the largest artisanal bricks and tiles
factory where you will have an interesting visit.
We will proceed to Phu
An hamlet, an untouched beautiful area reflecting
some of the best sights the Mekong Delta can offer.
A delicious lunch will await you at "Le Longanier",
a superb Indochinese villa located by the river, in
a lush tropical garden surrounded by fruit
plantations.
Our cruise continues on
to Cai Be where you will visit Cai Be colorful
floating market cruising among local barges full of
fruits and vegetables. Visits will be made at an
ancient mandarin house dating from 1890 where you
will we welcomed by the owner. Another stop at some
local home factories will allow you to observe how
rice paste, coconut candies and other specialties
are traditionally made.
We will finish our
Mekong River adventure on private Song Xanh sampa in
Cai Be where will take our car for the trip to
Saigon. Overnight at hotel in Saigon.
Day 9: Saigon (B)
Although Saigon is a big
and chaotic metropolis, but this makes your
discovering the city are unique. Nice colonial
center, with broad promenades and squares, and some
French influence buildings that should not be
missed. There are also many nice temples and
pagodas. Another of the things visitors should not
miss is popular markets - a great place to taste the
local food specialties. Our sightseeing in this city
tour inclusive Reunification Palace, War Museum,
Jade Emperor Pagoda, Notre Dame Cathedral, Binh Tay
Market, Thien Hau Pagoda, on the way back we visit
bustling China Town, and Ben Thanh Market. Overnight
at hotel in Saigon.
Day 10: Saigon –
Cuchi – Tayninh (B)
We depart the hotel in
the morning for Cu Chi to visit the Tunnels. Cu Chi
Tunnels are a network of underground tunnels begun
in 1948 by the Viet Minh in their struggle against
the French. These tunnels were expanded and used by
the Viet Cong during the war between Vietnam and
America. Americans called this the “Iron Triangle”
and was a stronghold of the Vietcong for almost
thirty years. Walk underground in the tunnels. From
here you will continue on to see the Cao Dai Temple
in Tay Ninh, where each day at noon a prayer service
is held. It is a striking structure on a very large
compound. The term Cao Dai (meaning higher tower or
place) is a euphemism for God. Caodaism was found in
the 1920’s by Ngo Minh Chieu, using a combination of
teaching from Buddism, Confucianism, Taoism,
Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and other religions
into one religion to promote peace. Have lunch on
your own and back to Saigon at mid afternoon.
Overnight at hotel in
Saigon.
Day 11: Saigon –
Muine Beach resort (B)
We depart after
breakfast for the 4 hour drive to Phan Thiet
Province, seaside resort of Mui Ne. Besides fine
sandy beaches, Mui Ne has an imposing landscape of
sand dunes that impress all visitors. Many of them
have been an inspiration of artistic photographs and
paintings shown in postcards and travel brochures
that promote Vietnam tourism.
Enjoy this afternoon on the beach. Overnight at
beach resort in Muine.
Day 12: Muine Beach resort (B)
Free day at leisure in
the beach resort.
Overnight at beach
resort in Muine.
Day 13: Muine – Back
to Saigon for departure (B)
You will be free until
the transfer back to the airport in Saigon for the
departure flight. Say “Farewell to Saigon and
Vietnam”.
Include
Accommodation with daily
breakfast bases on twin/double sharing rooms
2 nights on the private sampan on Mekong River
Meals as mentioned in
the itinerary (B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner)
Airport transfers & tour
transport by private vehicle with A/C
Boat tickets: Siem Reap
to Phnom Penh & Phnom Penh to Chau Doc
Local English speaking
tour guides
All entrance fees and
permits where applicable
Exclude
Meals that not mentioned
in the program
Travel insurance
Vietnam visa (Upon
request: 20 US$/Person)
Cambodia visa
International flight and
departure tax
Tipping, drinks and
other personal expenses
Customize
Your Private Holiday
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Co., Ltd specializes in private
and personalized travel services
and tours in Vietnam, Cambodia
& Laos.
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