VN 02B: The 2nd Mixture of Vietnam & Cambodia (14 days)

Welcome you at Noi Bai international airport of Hanoi capital. Drive through fertile Red River delta to reach the city. Check in hotel then you get on a cyclo to petrol around the exciting Old Quarter of Hanoi and Hoan Kiem Lake – The Heart of the city. Stop to visit Ngoc Son Temple. Enjoy Water Puppet Show – Vietnam traditional art in the evening. Overnight in Ha Noi.

We visit Ho Chi Minh’s Quarter includes Mausoleum, House-on-stilts, Museum called by his name and  One-pillar pagoda locating in the area – one of the oldest pagoda in Vietnam built in 11^th century. Visit Van Mieu (Temple of Literature) – The first university in Vietnam.  View the Gothic style of Central Catholic Church and Hanoi Opera under shadow trees. The image of new and old buildings interposing with high shadow trees is a feature easiest to recognize in Hanoi and in many cities of Vietnam. Visit Tran Quoc Pagoda and the West Lake. Night in Hanoi.

Morning transfer to Mai Chau – the land of the White Thai minority people in Hoa Binh province (150 km). Here we trek to visit home of the White Thai people in the village and study on tribal life. Evening enjoy can wine (precious wine of the local people) and special traditional music and dancing show by White Thai people. Overnight at house-on-stilts at Lac Village.

Morning transfer to Ninh Binh town to visit unspoiled villages and immense rice fields in the center of the Red river’s Delta. We visit Bich Dong Temple and relics of Hoa Lu ancient Kingdom (Dinh dynasty in 10^th century). Get on a small boat to row along the small canal in the rice field to visit Tam Coc Caves considered as “Halong Bay on land”. Pick up by car to visit Kenh Ga. Get on a small boat to travel along Kenh Ga canal to enjoy the beautiful landscape surround dings, and visit fish floating village. Overnight in Ninh Binh.

Morning drive to Halong city to visit one of Wonder of the world: Ha Long Bay. At 12:00 transfer to Bai Chay to get on a nice junkcruise, depart at 12:30  to take a Ha Long Bay cruise over 2,000 islands that just our of the sea to provide a spectacular natural environment. Boarding the Junk, a welcome drink is served before sitting down to a sumptuous seafood lunch in the dining room. We cruise through the magnificent bay of Ha Long that’s declared a World Heritage Site in 1994. There is opportunity to explore some of the beautiful and awesome grottoes with our guide on board. In the evening, dinner will be served on boat, after which we can experiment with some night fishing, before settling into our comfortable cabins for the night.

Enjoy our last morning on board to admire the spectacular view of the bay. A brunch is served on board as we cruise slowly back to the harbor, where we will check out and transfer to Hanoi. Continue to airport for evening flight to Hochiminh City. Free time and overnight in Hochiminh City.

In the morning we visit the most typical places in the city: Notre Dame Cathedral, Central post office, the City Hall, War Museum, China town, Thien Hau Temple. In The afternoon we drive to Cuchi to visit Cuchi Underground Tunnel – a famous battle field in Vietnam War with over 200 km tunnel system under the ground.  Night in HCMC.

Morning we drive to Can Gio, a World’s Biosphere reserving area in the East of Hochiminh City. After crossing Binh Khanh Ferry we indult ourselves in an evergreen atmosphere of Mangrove Forest, small rivers and canals full of water coconut trees. Once we reach Can Gio Tourist area we admire the cheerful Monkey flock living wildly in the area. We have chance to feed and play with them. Next we take a boat cruise in Mangrove Forest to see Can Gio former Military base. Stroll along Cangio Beach and enjoy lunch at Carrot restaurant. Afternoon we take an excursion to Vam Sat ecological area by speed boat. Enjoy funny Crocodile fishing, passing typical bridges and discover a small part of the mangrove forest on foot. Night in HCMC.

Drive to the South of HCMC to get to Vinh Long – one of 12 fertile provinces of The Mekong Delta. Boat trip on great Mekong river to visit orchards and farmer’s house at An Binh island locating on the immense river. Here you have chance to take rowing boat on the shadowed canal and enjoy the rural sights. Continue to Can Tho city, visit Khmer pagoda. Night in Can Tho city.

Boat trip in early morning on Lower Branch of Mekong River to visit Cai Rang floating market and enjoy life activities of local people on the river. Transfer to Chau Doc (140 km). Take  a local boat for the visit of a village of the Muslim Cham minority, and a fish floating village on Mekong River. Next we drive 25 km to visit Tra Su Cajuput Forest with the rich eco-system where thousand of birds nestle and live. Visit Tay An Pagoda and drive to Sam Mountain to view sunset over Cambodia border. Overnight in Chau Doc.

Morning take a speed boat to Chau Doc at 07:00 – 12:00. Arrive in Phnom Penh we pick you up and transfer to Hotel for check in. Afternoon visit to Monument Victory, National Museum, Royal Palace Compound or Silver Pagoda, The Notorious Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. Overnight in Phnom Penh.

Visit Choeng Ek Killing Field and Russian market, Wat Phnom Temple. Drive to Siem Reap by overland and have chance to see the countryside. Arrive Siem Reap transfer to hotel for check in. Overnight in Siem Reap.

Morning we visit Banteay Srei, the exquisite ‘Women’s Citadel’. Located 32 km from Siem Reap town, this was Cambodia’s last major Khmer temple to be re-discovered. Afternoon we visit the complex of Angkor Thom, including the sites Bayon, Elephants and Lépreux King Terrace, Tep Pranam, Prah Palilay, Phimeanakas, Baphuon. Drive to Bakheng mountain to admire the stunning sunset behind the temples of Angkor Wat. Dinner with Apsara dance show. Overnight in Siem Reap.

In the morning we visit the “Great Circuit”: Pre Rup, Mebon, Tasom, Neak Pean, Prah Khan. In the afternoon we visit the beautiful Ta Prohm temple which is embraced by the roots of enormous fig trees then the rest time is reserved for exploring the Angkor Wat temple. Transfer to airport for departure flight in the evening.