DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN HO CHI MINH CITY (SAIGON)

Meals: Not available

Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City

Welcome to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam!

On arrival at Tan Son Nhat airport, you will be met and welcomed by the tour guide and driver. Getting transferred to the downtown for hotel check-in.

You are free to do your own things or just relax to recover from the jetlag for the remainder of the first day. Overnight in Ho Chi Minh City

DAY 2: HO CHI MINH CITY & CU CHI TUNNELS

Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City

After your breakfast in the hotel, start your day by visiting War Remnants Museum and the former Presidential Palace. From there, stroll to two more major sights of colonial Ho Chi Minh City: Notre Dame Cathedral, the Old Post Office.

After lunch, the car will take you out of the bustling city for Cu Chi District, locates approximately 70 km northwest of Saigon. This is a beautiful green land with fruit gardens, rice paddies and plantations. Cu Chi Tunnels are like a spider web in the soil of Cu Chi District. It consists of more than 200km of narrow underground tunnels that connecting half or total covered hideouts, shelters, fighting bunkers, hospital, school, living rooms and so on… All was built and used by Viet Cong for resistance against their enemy during the French and American war.

You will return to the city after the tunnels. The evening is yours. Overnight in HCMC

DAY 3: HO CHI MINH - MEKONG DELTA

Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Can Tho City

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At 8.00 AM, pick-up from your hotel and depart for Ben Tre, a nice province of Mekong Delta. Arrive at the Phong Nam brick kiln, where bricks are still painstakingly made by hand. Get on boat and you will cruise along the Chet Say River (a branch of the Mekong) and stop off at various local workplaces to give you a picture of how the local economy works, including coconut activated charcoal factory where coconut shell is put into high heat kiln to produce coconut charcoal; a coconut processing workshop, where you can sample fresh coconut and see how every single part of this versatile nut is turned into food and other products.

Then the boat will cruise through the small canal, discover the local life. You will then stop at a quiet village where you can have a short walk to experience real Delta village life. Pay a visit to a mat weaving house and learn how straw mats are woven using a hand loom – you can even have a go at weaving yourself. After that, you will board your xe loi (a kind of motorized rickshaw) into another village where you can see farms, rice fields and vegetable gardens.

A delicious and filling lunch will be served at a family-run restaurant, featuring such local specialties as elephant-ear fish, river shrimp and washed down with some cold drinks or beers.

In the afternoon, you will board a sampan for a relaxing ride along narrow canals, then take your motorized boat back to the pier. Continue on your day to Can Tho City on your private vehicle. Arrive in Can Tho, check into the hotel and relax for the night. Overnight in Can Tho

DAY 4: MEKONG DELTA - SAIGON - PHNOM PENH

Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Phnom Penh

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The watery world of the Mekong Delta is home to many bustling floating markets. This day, you take a boat trip and exploring the vibrant floating market of Cai Rang. Visiting the market, you will be impressed by the trading way as it is unique: each boat usually sells one particular item, whether it be pumpkins, pineapples, sugar canes…

After an impressive boat trip, disembark at Ninh Kieu quay then visit an ancient house in Binh Thuy 10 km from Can Tho city. Lunch at local restaurant on the way back to HCMC.

The afternoon drive continues on to Tan Son Nhat airport for your short flight to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Get picked up on arrival and transferred to the hotel for check-in. Overnight in Phnom Penh

DAY 5: PHNOM PENH VISIT

Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Phnom Penh

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This morning, gain some insight into Cambodia’s recent dark history on a visit to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. Taken over by the Khmer Rouge, this former high school was converted into a detention and torture centre known as ‘S-21’. Equally as harrowing are the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. Both are grim, but important visits that allow one to dig below the surface and understand present-day Cambodia better. After learning about some of Cambodia’s tragic past, getting back to the city and go to visit the hilltop Wat Phnom Temple, the founding place of the city. Lunch is served at a nice restaurant around noon.

After lunch, embark on a cyclo tour through the most remarkable sights of Phnom Penh. Begin first with a visit to the Royal Palace, followed by the Silver Pagoda, named for the over 5,000 heavy silver tiles that cover its floors. Its original name is Wat Prakeo, meaning Temple of the Emerald Buddha; the temple is known for its collection of Buddhas in gold, silver, crystal, and bronze. Continue on to the National Museum, housing the world's foremost collection (over 5,000 pieces) of ancient Khmer artistic, archaeological, and religious artifacts from the 4th to the 13th centuries. Wrap up the tour with a boat ride for the late-afternoon refreshment. Along the ride, you will enjoy great views of the confluence of the Upper Mekong, Lower Mekong, Bassac and Tonle Sap rivers. Get back to your hotel after the sunset. Dinner on our own account.

DAY 6: PHNOM PENH - SIEM REAP

Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap

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After an early breakfast in the hotel, transport will head overland to Siem Reap (duration 7 hours) - the gateway to the majestic temples of Angkor. A little outside of Phnom Penh, stop in the town of Skuon to see their most famous specialty being sold: deep-fried tarantula! A favorite snack of many Cambodians, many buses and pick-ups stop at the market to buy a bag of the “tasty” eight-legged creatures. The spiders are caught in the soft ground of the surrounding countryside and dug out of their burrows. After the stop, continue to Siem Reap. Lunch is at a restaurant in town upon arrival.

The remainder of the day is for embarking on the first Angkor discovery tour. That’s the informative Angkor National Museum. This interactive museum showcases artifacts from the Golden Era of the Khmer Empire by use of multimedia technology. Check into your hotel and relax for the night.

DAY 7: SIEM REAP (ROLUOS GROUP & ANGKOR THOM)

Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap

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Head into the actual Angkor complex today with a visit to the Roluos Group. Roluos is the site of an ancient centre of Khmer civilization known as Hariharalaya, built by the Angkorian kings in the 8th and 9th century. Roluos consists of three main temples: Bakong, Lolei, and Preah Ko. In addition to the temples, enjoy a trip through the surrounding countryside (paddy fields and sugar palm trees) aboard an ox-cart ride, a fun way to get in touch with rural Cambodia and its friendly people.

The final destination is Roluos Pagoda, where Buddhist monks will perform a private blessing ceremony, wishing health and safe journeys – a memorable experience!

In the afternoon visit the ancient city of Angkor Thom, the last capital of the Great Khmer Empire under the reign of Jayavarman VII. Enter the city through the ancient South Gate before heading onwards to Bayon Temple in the exact centre of the city. This 12th-century masterpiece is known for its 54 faced-carved towers, Terrace of the Elephants, and Terrace of the Leper King.

DAY 8: SIEM REAP (TA PROHM & ANGKOR WAT)

Meals: Breakfast/ Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Siem Reap

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As usual, breakfast at the hotel. Begin the day with a tour of some different Angkor temples, exploring the Small Circuit via local ‘remork’ (similar to the Thai tuk tuk). The most illustrious of these temples is the 12th-century Ta Prohm. Ta Prohm is unique in the fact that it has been left largely as it was found: overgrown by jungle trees and vines, with many parts of the temple crumbling to the ground. It is by far one of the most picturesque and memorable of the Angkor temples. The visit will also include Banteay Kdei, a Buddhist monastery from the late 12th Century, and Srah Srang, also known as the “pool of ablutions”.

Lunch and rest at a different restaurant in town around noon.

In the afternoon, set out to visit the legendary Angkor Wat. Built during the reign of King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century, Angkor Wat was constructed following the model of the temple mountain symbolizing Mount Meru, the home of the gods. Inside the temple, the walls are covered with stone carvings, bas-reliefs, and over 2,000 Aspara dancers. Construction of this national icon (found on the Cambodian flag) is thought to have taken around thirty years of intensive labor to complete.

As this is the last evening in Cambodia for you, a Khmer farewell dinner accompanied by traditional Apsara dance will be an experience to remember.

DAY 9: DEPARTURE FROM SIEM REAP

Meals: Breakfast

Enjoy the day at leisure. Depending on the departing flight time, you may have time to do some last shopping yourselves.

Transport will be provided to the airport for the individual onward flight. End of service.