Vietnam & Cambodia Saigon, Hoi An, Hanoi, Siem Reap (Angkor) (10 days)
Introduction
A
n extraordinary journey through the best of old Indochina enjoyed in privacy and comfort, at your convenience. You will see for yourself the rich living culture against the backdrop of those vestiges of eras gone by. With its naturally evocative beauty, tradition of fine service, and luxurious accommodation, this is the journey of a lifetime that may well draw you back for repeated exposure to these magnificent cultures. All touring is with a private guide and driver all to yourself. We first land in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), where the dynamism and energy of the new face of Southeast Asia blends seamlessly with its old French colonial heritage. After exploring the nearby Mekong Delta river communities and iconic attractions nearby (or exploring other optional attractions in the region) we move on to Hoi An, the country’s best-preserved ancient maritime trading post. Optional tours into the countryside allow visitors to explore the scenery, cuisine, or culture at their leisure. Fly from there direct to the heart of the nation, Vietnam’s capital of Hanoi. Explore Hanoi’s Old Quarter and hidden backstreets and stay at a palatial colonial hotel, enjoying the vestiges of the graceful colonial age. On your second day, take a market tour and cook-
ing class, then immerse yourself in the culture of the capital, seeing the city through its contrasting European and local perspectives. We close our tour with several days at Siem Reap, Cambodia, in the presence of the world’s finest ruined temple complex, the incomparable Angkor Wat. Explore the ancient sandstone structures rescued from the mighty roots of giant trees, or observe serenely from above by private helicopter tour. Cruise across the lake or take an adventure
across the paddy fields by quad bike. See the celestial dance of the Apsaras or experience a day in the life of a local family—the choice is yours.
Itinerary Overview
Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City
VIP assistance through immigration and private transfer to hotel. Guided discovery of popular landmarks, temples and dining options. Accommodation in Park Hyatt Saigon.
Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City
Chinatown discovery tour with optional market and art museum visits. Optional excursions include Cu Chi Tunnels & Cao Dai temple, Mekong Delta, cooking classes, heritage walks, speedboat tour, photography excursion, art tour, hiking & lake swimming tour, and lifestyle treasure hunt.
Day 3: Hoi An
Private transfer to the airport for your flight to Danang and from there to the new hotel. Explore the Cham museum and the Buddhist cave temples of the marble mountains before proceeding to Hoi An, the old trading city suspended in another time.
Day 4: Hoi An
Explore the old trading city with a driver and expert guide. Visit the iconic Japanese covered bridge and explore hidden lanes and alleyways. Optional appointment with a bespoke silk tailor or countryside excursion by bike, Visit the My Son temple ruins or take a romantic sunset boat ride.
Day 5: Hanoi
Private transfer to Danang airport for your flight to Hanoi and then again on arrival to your deluxe hotel. Explore the fascinating old quarter and the old colonial grandeur of the capital.
Day 6: Hanoi
Deluxe private market culinary tour and cooking class to experience the tastes of the capital city for yourself. Cultural exploration suited to your interests before traditional water puppet or Opera House performances.
Day 7: Siem Reap
Private transfer to the airport to catch an international flight to Cambodia, transferring upon arrival to the hotel. Private sunset tour of the temples.
Day 8: Siem Reap
Experience the full spectacle of the Angkor temple complex with your expert guide and private driver with optional tour by bicycle.
Day 9: Siem Reap
Private tour to the remoter temples and ruins, or half-day boat excursion to the floating villages of Tonle Sap lake. Or select from a number of optional tours including Cambodian cooking class, Apsara dance performance, photography and village tour. Helicopter tours above all major temple sites are also available.
Day 10: Siem Reap
On the final day of your journey, we take you to the airport by private transfer to prepare for your flight home.
Itinerary [n Details Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City
For centuries the soul of the Vietnamese south, the transformative energy of Saigon is obvious from the moment you land. Following VIP assistance through immigration, your private transfer vehicle will ease you into the dizzying traffic bound for your hotel. Close your eyes and listen to the ever-present hum of scooter engines, drawing 8.22 million people through the city’s intricate web of lanes in chaotic pulses, as they seem to lift Saigon’s architecture skyward in a grand orchestral sweep, the old French colonial facades giving way to prisms of soaring skyscrapers and narrow residences packed together like pastel-colored dominos. Take the afternoon to discover the city for yourself with our expert guide, who will lead you to explore Saigon with all your senses. As the heavy aroma of rich black coffee condenses in gusts of incense smoke from its old temples, dusk gives way to night with its steaming carts of local delicacies parked up against brightly-lit store fronts with their high-fashion garments and international
Day 2: Ho Chi Minh City
The cultures of the conquerors converge on Cholon, Ho Chi Minh City’s restaurants. The whole story of the city is revealed Chinatown, with its busy markets of exotic medicinal herbs traded alongside in its landmarks, the old red-brick Gothic cathedral bushels of local coffee, cashew nuts, and wicker trays of banh mi baguettes. Browse the aisles of vibrant Vietnamese silks and then, if desired, step standing opposite the mid-century Reunification forward in time at the boutiques of leading Vietnamese designers producing Palace, itself just a short stroll from the War Remnants Museum that recounts the nightmare of local couture garments based on traditional oriental cultural derivatives. There is plenty to delight the muse too at the city’s renowned art galleries and the war from the Vietnamese perspective. museums. Accommodation in Park Hyatt Saigon Accomadation in Park Hyatt
Day 3: Hoi An
Lift off from frenetic Saigon following your private transfer to your domestic flight bound for Danang. Upon arrival you will explore with a driver and expert guide to visit the Cham Museum, which is home to the finest collection of Cham sculptures in the world. Also visit the nearby the Marble Mountains, which contain fascinating Buddhist cave temples. Proceed to Hoi An, home to a riverside town suspended in a former era. Accommodation in The Nam Hai
Day 4: Hoi An
Your exclusive guide will lead your private half-day tour to explore the old quarter. This was a trading port in former times; one of the greatest among the seafaring nations of the 17th century. The old covered bridge installed by the Japanese
remains the city’s most iconic attraction. You’ll be heading for the hidden lanes and alleyways where unique storefronts and historic markets and homesteads recall the glories of the past. If the inspiration takes you, you may also request an appointment with a bespoke silk tailor; take an excursion into the countryside by bike to see the old carving and boat-building workshops; enjoy a day at the abandoned Hindu temple ruins of My Son; or take a romantic boat ride into the sunset. Accommodation in The Nam Hai
Day 5: Hanoi
You’ll take a private transfer to Danang airport for your flight to the thousand-year capital of Hanoi, and then again on arrival to your legendary hotel—the palatial colonial-era residence now known as the Sofitel Legend Metropole. Experience the height of grandeur in the cultural center of the entire nation. You’ll spend the afternoon getting to know Hanoi intimately with your personal expert guide and driver, who will host a private tour for you to make your own connections with the capital’s thousand fold streets and alleyways. Wander at will through the old quarter, a Hanoian district that has changed little over the centuries, and capture a moment of old colonial grandeur as you ride by cyclo past old landmarks from the French era, stopping at crafts markets just as the European settlers would have done in an age gone by. Accommodation in Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi
Day 6: Hanoi
Every destination in Vietnam has its own unique take on the local cuisine, and Hanoi is one of the epicenters of Vietnamese dining. Spend your morning on a deluxe private market and culinary tour with your expert driver and guide to experience all the tastes of the capital city for yourself. Following the market tour, travel with chef and cookbook author Daniel Hoyer on a journey through Hanoi’s maze of side streets, ferreting out the best local ingredients at the Cho Hom or Chau Long markets, a fascinating insight into the buying
and selling rituals of Vietnamese trade and an open tableau for vibrant, colorful photography. The tour is fully customizable and can include lakeside snacks and lunch with Daniel at a classic Bun Cha establishment. Embrace the culture of the region during your afternoon exploration, with the flexibility to cover museums, galleries, and shopping destinations selected for your personal itinerary. Your cultural immersion experience will culminate in an evening performance; you may select from the water puppet theater—a fascinating art form unique to Vietnam—or opt instead for some classical inspiration at the Hanoi Opera House.
Other additional options can also be arranged upon request, including a meeting with a local historian, a bicycle excursion in the countryside, insider access to local artists and gallery owners, a visit to a recommended tailor, and tickets to a performance at the Hanoi Opera House.
Day 7: Siem Reap
We take a private transfer to the airport to catch an international flight to Cambodia, transferring again upon arrival to the hotel. Welcome to the ancient seat of the Khmer empire, once representing some of the most advanced civilizations on the globe.
Now only ruins remain of this once mighty world power, dwarfed by the mighty trees of the jungle that have all but swallowed some of the structures. You’ll have your first private tour of the temples at sunset, when the old stones take on their most glorious hue, touched by the setting sun as they were in the days of empire. Accommodation in Amansara.
Day 8: Siem Reap
This is your chance to experience the full spectacle of the Angkor temple complex, a representation of the Hindu universe in sandstone. With your expert guide and private driver, explore the ancient temples and ruins of Angkor Wat itself along with Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm, and Bayon—and you may tour by bicycle if you wish. See the Terrace of the Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King; Ta Prohm held in the clutches of powerful tree roots, the tiny pink sandstone temple of Banteay Srei, and the tranquil old monastic school of Preah Khan, among other attractions on the vast site. Accommodation in Amansara.
Day 9: Siem Reap
For your second full day in Siem Reap, take a private tour to the remoter temples like Beng Mengla or take an excursion to Kampong Phluk, a floating village on Tonle Sap Lake. There are a number of other optional excursions to
explore the surrounding cultures and landscapes -including hands on cooking classes in Khmer cuisine techniques ,performances of traditional Cambodian dance, humanitarian visits to orphanages and centers for children, photography and helicopter charters to explore the remote temples deeper in the jungle.
Day 10: Siem Reap
On the final day of your journey, we take you to the airport by private transfer to prepare for your flight home.
Park Hyatt Saigon saigon
The Nam Hai HOI AN
Sofitel Legend Metropole HANOI
Amansara Siem Reap
Phum Baitang Siem Reap
Anantara angkor
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