Rocky Vietnam & Angkor Temples

DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN HANOI

Meals: Not available

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

Welcome to Hanoi, Vietnam!

Upon arrival at Noi Bai airport, you are welcomed and greeted by Custom Asia Travel tour guide and taken to your hotel by private transfer. The rest of the day will be free to relax or explore at your own leisure.

DAY 2: HANOI CITY TOUR

Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

This day tour to learn about the capital city of Vietnam occupies your whole day with featured sites, including Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, his house-on-stilts, One Pillar Pagoda, Temple of Literature - Vietnam’s first university for the morning. Your lunch today is served at a restaurant in town with local tastes. In the afternoon, the tour continues with a visit to one of the following museums (you can pick the one you like): the Ethnology Museum, Army Museum, National Fine Arts Museum, Hanoi Hilton prison or Vietnam Women Museum). Followed by a short walk or a cyclo ride in the Old Quarter. End the day tour with a traditional Water Puppet show. Spend your second night in Hanoi.

DAY 3: HANOI - NINH BINH

Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

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The morning drive to Ninh Binh province takes you about 2,5 hours through the fertile land of the Red River Delta.

Arriving at Tam Coc boat dock, you will take a 2-hour sampan boat ride on a little river. This area is considered as “Inland Halong Bay” featured with karst formations. The local rowers will take you gently through three beautiful limestone tunnel-like caves with hundreds of stalactites above your heads. On your way back, get off the boat at Thanh station where you will embark on a short walk through the rice field and give a quick visit to a peaceful temple of Thai Vi. Walk back to the center for a Vietnamese lunch at a restaurant.

In the afternoon, you will jump on a bike for a stunning ride along the back roads through the beautiful scenery of towering karsts on the ground of ponds, rice paddies and rural villages in the area. On the bike, you are able to have as many stops as you want to take photographs. One of the tops is Bich Dong Pagoda. We will take a slow hike up to visit the three structures. Besides learning about the local belief, you will get a beautiful view when you reach the highest one. Thence, pedal back to where you started to end the ride. Drive back to Hanoi after that.

DAY 4: HANOI - BAC HA

Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel in Bac Ha

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You will be picked up at your hotel early in the morning (about 7.30 AM). The 5-hour drive to Bac Ha is mostly on the HW Noi Bai – Lao Cai. This is new and the longest highway in Vietnam. The scenic drive from the Red River Delta, through the midland to Lao Cai province, will be a good start for your trip. Have lunch at a local restaurant on the way. In the afternoon, take an easy trek to visit an ethnic minority village of the H'mong people. The trek lasts about 1 hour. Check-in your hotel afterward and rest for the remainder of the day. Dinner and overnight in Bac Ha.

DAY 5: BAC HA - HOANG SU PHI

Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner

Accommodation: Homestay

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If today is at weekend, after the breakfast, you will have time to visit a hill tribe market that attended by different ethnic minorities in Bac Ha (Bac Ha market on Sunday; Can Cau market on Saturday). Otherwise, the morning scenic drive takes you to Hoang Su Phi (Ha Giang province). Hoang Su Phi is one of Vietnam's famous places for amazing rice terraces. Lunch is on the way at a local food store. In the afternoon when you arrive at Hoang Su Phi, get off your car and embark on 1.5-hour trek on small dirt paths to Luoc village of the ethnic Tay people. Along the trek you are able to view many beautiful terraced fields. Check in your homestay at a local house for dinner and overnight.

DAY 6: HOANG SU PHI - QUAN BA

Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner

Accommodation: Lodge in Quang Ba

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This morning, after the breakfast at the family. You will trek another scenic valley up and down the rice terraces in Ban Luoc Commune. This area is one of the national rice terrace heritage cores in Hoang Su Phi. The beauty of the landscape is at its best at the yellow season (early half of October). After 2.5-hour trek, get picked up by your private vehicle and heading toward to Dong Van Karst Geopark. Lunch is on the way. The afternoon drive will include some photo opportunities such as Quan Ba Pass; View point of Fairy Mountains. Late in the afternoon, check in a lodge at Nam Dam village. Dinner and stay overnight.

DAY 7: QUAN BA - DONG VAN GEO-PARK

Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel in Dong Van

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After your breakfast at the lodge, make your way up to Dong Van geo-park with some photo stops. After Yen Minh town, the topography is getting rockier and you will be amazed by the tough life of the H'mong people on the Rock Plateau. In the afternoon, you will embark on a stunning trek of 7km at one of the heritage core. Get picked up at the end of the trek, then check into a standard hotel for the night.

DAY 8: DONG VAN GEO-PARK

Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel in Dong Van

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Start your day with a visit to the H'mong King's palace. Followed by a drive to visit Lung cu national flag tower. This Vietnam's northernmost point offers you a beautiful view from the top of the tower. Several ethnic minorities live at the foot of Lung Cu Mountain. One of them is the Lolo people. There is a chance for a walk to the village if you wish. After that, you will drive to Dong Van little town for lunch. Check in your hotel and have a short rest before the afternoon trek to the surroundings. Your driver will transfer you to a trekking point where you will start another 7km (about 2.5hour) trek to admire the mountainous Dong Van. Dinner and overnight at a comfortable hotel in Dong Van town.

DAY 9: DONG VAN GEO-PARK - CAO BANG

Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel in Cao Bang

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Depart Dong Van at 8:30 AM. The drive to Cao Bang takes you the whole day. One of the impressive stops is at Ma Pi Leng Pass, overlook the Nho Que River. The down-hill drive today is rather long but you are able to have breaks on the way when needed. Along the way, you will realize that the topography is changing with greener land. Lunch is one the way. Late in the afternoon, you will arrive in Cao Bang city. Check in your hotel and relax for the remainder of the day.

DAY 10: CAO BANG DISCOVERY

Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel in Cao Bang

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Today, you will spend the whole day exploring landscape of Cao Bang. The morning drive takes you to Trung Khanh District where you will enjoy 2-hour kayaking downstream the Quay Son River. In the afternoon, take a gentle raft ride to view Vietnam's most beautiful waterfall which lies right on the border with Chinese. Followed by one-hour walk inside Nguom Ngao Limestone Cave. The cave is long and consists of thousands of beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. Tonight you will have dinner and overnight at the homestay of a Tay ethnic family which surrounded by beautiful mountains.

DAY 11: CAO BANG - BA BE LAKE

Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner

Accommodation: Homestay

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After breakfast, challenge yourself with a climb to a summit mountain near the village. The climb is through lush vegetation, some part is rather challenging but you will be good with you guides at the side. The panorama from the top is worth your hard-work! Get back to the homestay for refreshment and bid farewell to the host family and make your way to Ba Be National Park. Arrive in the park, check in a guest-house run by a local family. Dinner and stay for the night.

Included Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner

Homestay at a local house

DAY 12: BA BE LAKE - BAC SON VALLEY

Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner

Accommodation: Homestay

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Start the morning with a short walk to a boat dock of Ba Be Lake, get on a motorized boat for the ride through the lake and onto Nang River. There is a time for a swim if you are interested. The boat will have a short stop at Puong Cave where you can get some views from the cave. It is quite impressive as the whole river gets through a mountain. Enjoy your lunch in a nearby town after the boat trip. The afternoon transfer takes you to another scenic destination, Bac Son Valley. Check-in another stilt house's homestay.

DAY 13: BAC SON VALLEY - BAC NINH

Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner

Accommodation: Homestay

The morning is spent for a visit to a traditional yin-yang roof tile workshop, walk through a village and a mountain hike. There are two options for the hike for you to choose: One is shorter and the other is higher. Both offer beautiful views over the valley, just let your guide know which one you would prefer.

After the hike, get back to the homestay for lunch. In the afternoon, drive to the Red River Delta for the last homestay at a typical Vietnamese family.

DAY 14: BAC NINH - CAT BA ISLAND & HALONG BAY

Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner

Accommodation: Overnight on boat

After the breakfast, bid farewell to the family and make your way to Haiphong City where you will take one-hour public speed boat to Cat Ba Island. By noon, embark on your private wooden boat for the whole afternoon cruise to the marvelous bays of Lan Ha and Halong. If the weather permits, there are times for swimming and kayaking. Lunch, Dinner are served on boat. Overnight at a peaceful and scenic area on the bay.

DAY 15: HALONG & LAN HA BAY - HANOI

Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Hanoi

More cruising in the morning to other parts of the bays.
Have a visit to a fish-farm to learn the local way of raising fish and view different sorts of fish are grown. Early lunch is served on the way back to the pier.
Afternoon speed boat ride takes you back to the land. Your private vehicle will take you back to Hanoi and stay the last night in Vietnam before your flight to Cambodia.

DAY 16: HANOI - ANGKOR WAT (SIEM REAP)

Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap

Free at leisure or doing some last shopping in Hanoi's Old Quarter. In the afternoon, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Goodbye Vietnam!

On arrival, your Cambodian guide and driver will welcome you at the exit and escort you to the hotel in Siem Reap's downtown. Overnight in Siem Reap.

DAY 17: TONLE SAP LAKE EXCURSION

Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap

Drive to the edge of the Tonle Sap Lake and embark on a cruise to Kompong Phluk, an isolated Khmer community of three villages built on wooden stilts. The community has about 3,000 inhabitants who farm fish and vegetables on floating platforms.

During your visit, your boat will take you through mangrove forests, a unique ecosystem that survives on flooded soil for months. Mangroves are also hosts for a variety of wildlife; keep an eye out for birds and especially the crab-eating macaques!

Please Note: Due to low water levels during the dry season, the boat trip is only possible from June to March.

Continue your drive to a small village called Chansar.  Stop just outside the village and hop aboard an ox cart for a fun ride through the fields and to the home of a Khmer family who specializes in making brooms.  Enjoy a simple Khmer lunch followed by more activities or just spend time chatting with the locals. Funds from your tour go directly to the community to improve the lives of the people. On the way back to Siem Reap, stop at a Buddhist temple to receive a blessing from the monks.

DAY 18: ANGKOR WAT DISCOVERY

Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap

Start your day of discovery with a visit to Angkor Thom from its South Gate. The first thing that amazes you are the statues of the gods of good and evil line the entrance. Your next stop is Bayon, known for the hundreds of smiling faces that grace its towers. The bas reliefs are quite impressive and tell stories of daily life and the great battles that were fought between the Khmers and ancient Thais. Move on to Phimeanakas, shaped a bit like a pyramid with two ponds in the rear. The ponds were once used for religious rituals but today serve as swimming pools for Khmer kids. Walk to the top of the temple for impressive views of the Angkor complex.

See the rows of trunks that form the wall of the Terrace of the Elephants, a platform from which King Jayavarman surveyed his army. Close by is the Terrace of Leper Kings, which includes a statue depicting Yana, the Hindu god of death.

Then it’s a short drive to one of the most loved temples of all - Ta Prohm. This small crumbling temple is held together by giant tree roots giving it a magical feel.

Return to Siem Reap for lunch and to escape the hot sun. Later in the afternoon explore magnificent Angkor Wat, the world’s largest religious monument. This visually spectacular temple is a massive three-tiered pyramid, rising 65 meters from the ground and crowned by five lotus towers. It’s the national symbol of Cambodia and proudly appears on the country’s flag.

DAY 19: DEPARTURE FROM SIEM REAP

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Not available

Free at leisure or doing some last shopping if you have time before getting picked up and transferred to the airport for your onward flight.
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